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Natural Cleansing
Cleansing is…
—The process of Removing toxins from the body
—Part of traditional medical systems from all over the world
“In a body that is not
properly cleansed, the more you nourish, the more you injure” ~Hippocrates
Purposes of Cleansing include…
—Removing toxins from the body that accumulate from
within (by-
products of metabolism
—Removing toxins that accumulate gradually from the environment
—Removing toxins that enter the body from a specific event (illness,
use of drugs,
exposure to hazardous substances)
Factors that affect the
course of cleansing include…
— The age and habits of the person
— Their physical condition
— The season (spring is
considered the best season for cleansing in
most
healing traditions, and the hottest part of summer is generally
the worst)
Dietary and lifestyle changes
to help with cleansing:
— Eating a high fiber diet
— Physical exercise in general
— Any activity that increases the rate of breathing
— Doubling the usual intake of water
“Wen someone intends to
cleanse, they sould put te body into a flowing condition” ~Hippocrates
Organs and systems involved
in detoxifying the blood and tissues of the body include:
—Liver and gallbladder
— Kidneys
— Colon
— Lymph system
— Skin
— Lungs
Each of these can be
supported through the use of detoxifying herbs. There are thousands of herbs
that have been used for detoxifying, and those mentioned here are only a small
fraction of what is available.
As with any use of therapeutic
substances, care should be taken by people who are using other medicines or are
in a delicate state of health.
Liver/Gallbladder
—Responsible for metabolizing many substances and removing them from the
bloodstream; also produces substances which inactivate toxins in the digestive
tract.
Herbs to support the
live and gallbladder can include:
— Burdock root
— Dandelion root
— St. Johnswort
— Gravel root
— Gentian
Many (but not all) liver herbs have a bitter
taste.
Kidneys
— The kidneys filter water and salts, some by products of protein
metabolism, and many other substances, from the bloodstream.
Herbs to support the
function of the kidneys include
— Nettles
— Dandelion Leaf
— Cleavers
— Lemon Juice
Lymph system
—The lymph system processes much of the waste produced by immune
function and some substances that are left over from cellular metabolism.
Herbs to support the
cleansing functions of the lymph system include
— Sarsaparilla
— Aralia
Colon
— The colon is the primary organ responsible for moving the waste
products of digestion from the body, and secondarily responsible for removing
substances processed by the liver
and lymph system
Herbs to support the
function of the colon include
—Dietary articles containing soluble fibers, such as oats
—Stimulant laxatives for short-term use, such as Senna,
Cascara
Sagrada, and drug Aloe.
—Some acidic fruits such as cherries, plums, and
Triphala
Skin
— The skin is a secondary cleansing organ, which removes some toxins
from the body through sweating. The induction of sweating can also activate
other cleansing organs and systems.
Natural substances
that can support this purpose include
— Sage (salvia species)
— Dogwood (berries or inner bark)
— spicy herbs such as cayenne and ginger
Lungs
— The lungs detoxify the body by removing toxic gasses from the system
Natural substances to promote
cleansing via the lungs include
—Lavender — Ginger
— Guaiac — Cardamom
Questions? Comments?
Contact Andrew Bentley, Herbalist
bentley@consultant.com
(859)-420-5648
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