It's a familiar question: Why do I need to detoxify?

"Of all the polite topics of conversation, the state of one's intestines is probably at the bottom of most people's lists. Let's face it: Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, gas, diverticulitis and colon cancer are simply not things we like to discuss. And yet, as the old expression goes, death begins in the colon. Don't believe it? Ask any coroner. Autopsies often reveal colons that are plugged up to 80 percent with waste material." - Vegetarian Times, March, 1998

When Do You Need Internal Cleansing?
Our modern society has a very real problem with intestinal disorders and the diseases that come as a result of these disorders. Nearly everyone is constipated, even though they might have bowel movements regularly.

Today, the average person consumes large amounts of toxins daily. White flour, pastas, over processed foods, preservatives, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones in beef and chicken, and antibiotics are just a few of the toxins that are ingested regularly by everyone. Most of these toxins are stored in the colon and cell tissue. They are also stored in the blood and the body's weak areas. In order to effectively overcome any ailment that is affecting the body, it must be free of these toxins. To detoxify the body is always the first step toward better health.

The alimentary canal is one of our body's absolute vital systems. The alimentary canal begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. Keeping the alimentary canal cleansed and strong so it can perform at optimum level is vitally important to the health of the whole body. Diet is the most important aspect in cleansing and feeding the alimentary canal and of course the rest of the body. Unfortunately, our modern diet that is all to pleasing to our palates, destroys every system in our bodies, usually starting with the alimentary canal.

When food is consumed, the stomach, depending on what is eaten; will produce or send out messages to other parts of the digestive system to produce the necessary digestive juices. Proteins need an acid medium to be broken down and starches need alkaline. Raw vegetables will digest in either medium. Fresh or dried fruits need no stomach digestive juices to be broken down if eaten alone.

Because proteins need an acid to break down and starches need alkaline, they should never be eaten at the same meal. The acid and alkaline digestive juices will neutralize one another leaving neither to digest the food. The body will produce more digestive juices only to continue neutralizing each other and expend much of the body's energy. In the meantime, the protein foods will rot and the starches will ferment causing foul smelling gas, heartburn, stomach ache, and headache among other problems.

Raw or very lightly cooked vegetable can be eaten with either proteins or starches since they will break down in either acid or alkaline digestive juices.

Fruits should always be eaten alone as they will cause other foods to rot and ferment. Fruits are excellent and wonderfully cleansing, but can cause very uncomfortable problems when combined with other foods. Always wait 20-30 minutes after eating fresh fruits and one hour after eating dried fruits before consuming any other food.

Properly combined foods will generally be in the stomach for about four hours. Any indigestible bulk fiber from the meal will then be passed into the large intestines where it will accumulate until there is enough to be pushed down and expelled from the anus.

Improperly combined foods may take up to eight hours in the stomach and still not be thoroughly broken down before entering the small intestines.

Much of our diet creates mucous which is very sticky. This mucous creates a lot of health problems. Any food other than raw fruits and vegetables is mucous forming, even if only slightly. Our diet should consist of at least 75% fresh fruit and vegetables. They have the highest water content of any food and can help cleanse the body of the mucous and waste that is created by eating concentrated foods. This is very important to our bodies and should most definitely be adhered to by anyone wanting perfect health.

As childen who are raised in western industrial countries such as the US, UK, EU, Canada, etc, one of the primary food groups we are offered come from dairy products ( mik, cheese, yogurt, ice cream) made from bovines (cows). Bovine dairy products are some of the most mucous forming foods known.

We do know that ideally a mother's breast milk (which is not like dairy milk) should be the first and only food fed to babies until they are several months old. Breast feeding for the baby's first one or two years is ideal if the mother is able.

The infant starts creating mucous from its diet which starts laying a thin layer of mucous throughout the large intestine. This creates a sticky rough surface for more and more mucous to adhere to. The build up may seem slow, but upon reaching young adulthood; this has progressively created a thick enough crust that has hardened on the inner intestinal walls. This greatly diminishes the capacity of the intestines to effectively remove all of the waste produced by the body.

When the small intestines are affected by having waste built upon their inner walls, nutrient absorption is greatly diminished. Even when healthy, easily digestible food is eaten, it can be caught in this sticky lining and eventually rot and add to the problem rather than serve its proper role of keeping the body healthy and functioning.

Since most of the digestion and absorption of nutrients goes on in the small intestines, the sticky, hardened layer of debris on the intestinal walls will interfere with the release of digestive enzymes and hormones. New food cannot be properly broken down to be used, resulting in pollution and starving the body.

When the body becomes so overloaded with toxic material that it can find no way to rid itself of this polluted accumulation, the blood will dump these toxins on the weakest organ or area. The weak organ, having the least ability to throw off the constant accumulation of toxins eventually becomes so weakened it cannot fight at all and degenerates into uselessness or dies. The dead or dying organ will add its own poisonous self to the body's accumulation of toxins. The blood then attacks the next weakest organ, and in this way, progresses though the body. Of course, if the first organ to be attacked is one of our absolute vitals such as lungs, heart, brain, etc…, death may not be too long in the coming.

The colon problems are caused by this concentration of toxins. These being diverticulitis, hernias, collapsed colon, hemorrhoids and or piles, constipation, diarrhea, and autointoxication.

Intestinal cleansing is an absolute necessity for the actual cure of any disease. The colon is the prime starting place for cleansing because once clean, it will not be throwing its poisons into the bloodstream. Digestion and nutrient absorption will be so much more thorough and the body will have the nutrition necessary to properly feed, cleanse, and repair itself.

A good thorough bowel cleanse may take up to five or six months for a middle aged person or older person who has lived on devitalized foods for the major portion of their life.

Eating healthy, bowel cleansing, bulky, high water content food is a good start. The fresh waste material will be cleansed from the bowels with a clean diet and probably eventually some of the sticky lining on the intestinal walls will be removed. Diet alone though can never break down and clear out most of the fecal matter that has had years to complete its rotting process and become much cemented to the inner intestinal walls.

To break down this old, hardened fecal matter takes some special action and ingredients. Herbs have been found to be the most effective cleansers for breaking down and releasing the build up.

While cleansing the bowels, you will be much more comfortable and able to remain functioning in a normal lifestyle rather than be sick in bed if you cleanse your blood and immune system at the same time.

Sometimes we go through a healing crisis when we detoxify too fast. This is brought on by dumping too many toxins into the blood stream at one time when the eliminative organs cannot keep up with the demand for removing them. It is very important that you easily and gradually build your body to this condition. It will take several months to remedy. Do not rush it. You will suffer more and perhaps become discouraged so that you quit and give up the chance for a healthy and beautiful life if you attempt to cleanse to quickly.

Reasons to Detox Your System include:

• Frequent fatigue and low energy
• Flatulence, gas and bloating
• Excess weight
• Food allergies
• Impaired digestion
• Irritability, mood swings
• Bad breath & foul-smelling stools
• Parasites in stool
• Frequent colds
• Recurring headaches
• Chronic constipation
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Protruding belly ("pooch")
• Powerful food cravings
• Skin problems, rashes, etc.
• Metallic taste in mouth
• Hemorrhoids
• Candida infection

Now that we know why it is crucial to cleanse and detoxify our body regularly, we have to know how to do it properly.

Here's a quick overview:

To stay properly cleansed it is recommended that you detoxify with one of the following methods once or twice a year.

Basic Detox includes: Intestinal Tune Up, Formula IM (Immune System),Formula OC (Oral Chelation).

The basic Detox pack is the program for you if you:

• Regularly detoxify
• Never detoxified but are between the ages of 12-20

Elimination System Includes: chromium, shave grass, Irish moss, alfalfa, plantain, cleavers, dandelion, kelp, ginseng, red raspberry, yellowdock, yucca, bee pollen, parsley, horseradish, garlic, Echinacea, red clover, pau d'arco, golden seal, thiamine (B-1), riboflavin (B-2), pantothenic acid (B-5), vitamin c, pyridoxine (B-6), folic acid, niacinamide, biotin, cyanocobalamin (B-12), minerals, natural vegetable glycerin, peppermint oil, catalyst altered water, Vitamin A&D, Vitamin E, and Intestinal Tune-Up

The Elimination System comes with 4-16 ounce bottles of the detox combination including B-Complex, Calcom, and Mineral Complex. The Vitamins E, and A&D come in separate bottles along with the Intestinal Tune up.

The Elimination System is the program for you if you:
1.     Have never detoxified before
2.    Would like a program that is a little more powerful than the basic Detox pack.

Purify Pack Includes: Expello-C, Intestinal Tune up, Acidophilus, Vitamin A&D, Vitamin E, Liquid Maintenance Formula (B-Complex, Calcom, Mineral Complex Combo), Formula IM (Immune System), Formula OC (Oral Chelation), Formula P2 (Parasites), pH drops.

The Purify Pack (Ultimate Detox) is the program for you if you:
1.     Have never done a detox
2.     Are already experiencing health problems

Next: The "Five Steps To Health"  begins your "Journey Into Better Health."