therapies, such as acupuncture, radionics, and kinesiology. Exercise will
always speed up the detoxifi cation process because it helps to remove
toxins by increasing circulation. Massage and skin brushing work similarly
by stimulating the skin and are very valuable aids to health. Simple
hydrotherapy should include alternating hot and cold showers, sitz baths,
and saunas. It encourages circulation, promoting the movement of toxins
and the delivery of nourishment to all cells, organs, and systems. For
more on these therapies, see chapter 5.
General examples of herbs that may be chosen for various
detoxifi cation purposes include the following:
Blood cleansers: burdock root, red clover fl ower, plantain leaf, and lemon
Diuretics (water movers): corn silk, dandelion root and leaf, and celery
seed
Laxatives (colon movers): barberry root bark, cascara sagrada bark, and
Chinese rhubarb root
Liver supportives and cleansers: milk thistle seed, Bupleurum root, and
dandelion root and leaf
Immune enhancers: echinacea root, arborvitae leaf, garlic clove, chamo-
mile fl ower, olive leaf, and oregano leaf
Supportive and tonic herbs for the whole body: Siberian ginseng root,
Astragulus root, pau d’arco inner bark, and Schisandra berries.
Food and Cleanses to Suit the Individual
Before you undertake a cleansing and detoxifi cation program, there are
several things that need to be taken into consideration in order to
determine what kind of program is most suitable for you. In all cases,
however, the body will require building and toning and then maintaining.
Every program should include the use of water, juices, superfood, herbs,
and specifi c foods.
Very often, only a selective grouping of foods should be eaten during
this type of program. Foods should be specifi cally chosen to clean and
detoxify the system that needs initial attention. It is important to
remember that it is not the variety of food types that is important but, in
this case, the quantity of the food type you are consuming. Often
vegetables are chosen for these programs because they clean out the
bloodstream, lymph system, kidneys, and colon while putting as little
strain as possible on the digestive system and pancreas.
Ayurveda and other traditional healing systems look at body types and
then advise on the duration of, and methods used for, a detoxifi cation or
fasting program that is appropriate to the individual. For instance, thin
people with hypermetabolic constitutions burn up material quickly, and
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