A Facebook friend recently asked people about their experiences with and advice on detoxing. Here’s my answer.
My advice is to start reeallllllllyyyyy slow
and with tiny amounts of whatever you use to assist you. I’ve been using FlorEssence (which is an essiac) for years now, with small breaks in between, sometimes months, but usually taking it every day. I use the packets, which you make into a tea. My first go-round, I got some very itchy patches of rash. Not pretty, but very typical when starting to detox. I cut waaaay back on the dosage, and the rashes went away.
Our bo
dies pack away and then carry for us whatever they can’t process
fast enough while keeping everything running properly. So it’s best to support all your organs and start slowly and gently. I had to cut back to 1/4 of a teaspoon a day in the beginning, as opposed to the recommended 2 ounces twice a day. That was 8 years ago. Now, I take about 9 tablespoons a day (of the tea made from the packets; I don’t make it to spec and haven’t calculated out the amount compared to what they recommend — this is just to illustrate what an effect detoxing can have on you, even at small amounts, and how you can progress in health if you maintain a restrained and sustained approach).
Pick your products wisely:
I’m not a detox expert, but I’m extremely wary of many “products” on the market. I’m a big fan of organic and do-it-yourself-carefully. If I could, I would buy all the essiac ingredients from a bulk herb supplier. I’ve tried, but had trouble sourcing all the ingredients that are in FlorEssence, and then there’s the issue of experimenting until you get the right balance/mix of herbs. With the wrong mix, I ended up heavy periods at the wrong time, I didn’t feel as “clear”, I didn’t feel as happily energetic.
Remove the crap, pump up the good:
I think it’s best to remove from your intake whatever isn’t good for you (food, medicine, supplements, body care products, detergents, city water (for bathing even; there are filters), supply your body with healthful foods, rest, exercise (I like yoga and dancing, because I find them fun and they move the lymph system, even just at home), walks in nature, and fun. Fun is a biggie for me. I also think the suggestion of lymphatic massage is great.
I drink calendula tea every day, and am trying to make myself have some chamomile tea instead of chocolate dessert at night (not much progress there 😉 ). Calendula and chamomile both move the lymph system and help fight candida. Fennel and cardamom also help with candida, by increasing stomach acid, same as chamomile. Indian food 🙂
Possible detox bummers:
- headaches
- mood swings
- joint aches
- fatigue
- extra bathroom trips
- stinky breath
- cravings
- “flashbacks”
Eating ginger helps with a bunch of the physical yuckies. Emotionally/spiritually, you might re-experience stuff you had buried away. Drugs that you took even decades ago can be released on their way out of your system, so don’t be too surprised if you experience them to some degree, too. I also find really hot baths with salt (several cups if possible), vinegar, and essential oils to be really helpful in clearing, even if I’m not doing any other typical detox stuff right then. Saunas are good, too. Mudras, particularly ones which support your liver, skin, kidneys.
Change the way you eat, longterm:
A major detox for me has been cutting out grains, legumes, and other GMOs as much as possible. This is not fun. It’s tedious and boring. I have, however, become much healthier in most of the ways people are aiming for when they detox.
The more fun way, which hopefully is all you need, is to eat very organic. In the US, “organic” is not exactly what it should be, so it means being on top of stuff like organic apples and pears are being sprayed with toxins through 2014 because there was some kind of pest wiping out the orchards, but the toxin-covered apples and pears can still be called organic.
So, more than you probably wanted to know, but stuff I wished I had known when I started out.
Blessings!
