Simple detoxification methods for your health

With as much news about how dirty our world has become you may think it is time for a detox program. You may be right. So many of the products we eat, drink, breath or touch have harmful effects on our bodies. One we are in overload our bodies need some help getting rid of it all. The good news is that it may be easier than you think. You don’t have to put yourself through a diarrhea festival in order to clean out your body, but you can if you want to. All types of cleanses are available, most of them can be made with the simple things you have around your house.

Here is a recipe for a popular liver detox program. Squeeze one cup of fresh citrus juice (lemon and/or lime; grapefruit juice can be blended to help with taste). Mix the juice of one or two cloves of garlic and raw ginger juice into the citrus juice. Add one tablespoon of high quality, organic olive oil. A small amount of spring water can be added but the more sour the mix, the more helpful it will be for your liver. Do this for 10 days followed by three days off and then another 10 days for two cycles (will total 20 days of cleansing total). This cleanse should be completed twice a year once in the spring and once in the fall.

Others are much more involved, such as this one: -- For each of the seven days, choose one serving from each group of liver-friendly foods - crucifers (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and broccoli sprouts); green leafy veggies and herbs (kale, parsley, chard, cilantro, beet greens, watercress, mustard greens); citrus (oranges, limes, lemons - but avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice, because they contain a substance known as narigen, which can, in turn, interfere with the liver-cleansing process); sulfur-rich foods (onions, garlic, eggs); liver-healing foods (asparagus, artichoke, beets, celery, whey).

•   Each day, choose two of the following colon-caring foods, such as powdered pysllium husks, apple, carrots, pear or berries.
•   Drink half your body weight in ounces of purified water each day.
•   Have at least two servings about the size of the palm of your hand each day of lean beef protein, skinless turkey, fish and lamb or, if you're a vegan, at least two tablespoons a day of good-quality blue-green algae or a spirulina source.
•   Each day, make sure to have one to two tablespoons of olive oil, flaxseed oil or a "woman's oil," (which consists of a flaxseed oil-black-currant oil blend).
•   Make sure to avoid anything that would interfere with your detox, such as excess dietary fats, any form of sugar (including maple syrup, honey, etc.), artificial sweeteners, refined carbs like rice, barley and related products, gluten and soy protein isolates like those found in energy bars and processed soy foods, and alcohol, over-the-counter drugs and caffeine.

Bring a pitcher of unsweetened cranberry juice or unsweetened cranberry juice concentrate diluted with filtered water to a light boil, the reduce the heat to low. Place cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg into a tea ball; add to the Cranberry Water. (For a tangier juice, add the spices directly to the liquid. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes; cool to room temperature. Stir in the orange and lemon juices. Add stevia at this time, if desired. Throughout the day, alternate drinking eight ounces of clean, filtered water with eight ounces of this mixture. Drink at least 72 ounces of each.