There’s no denying that we come in contact with toxins on a regular basis in our food, personal care products, using our cell phones, iPads, laptops, and in the air we breathe. Not ridding ourselves of these toxins can lead to a host of health problems: fatigue, hormonal imbalances, gastrointestinal problems, skin issues, foggy thinking, diseases, cancers, susceptibility to illness, and on and on the list could go. Detoxing is a must for me, and every year I have my detox plans laid out.
This is my plan for 2014:
Colon Cleanse – For the colon cleanse, I plan to purchase Bentonite Clay, Detox +, Garlic Powder, Activated Charcoal, and Cayenne. I will follow the colon cleanse ingredients and instructions from the Bulk Herb Store. Currently the Colon Cleanse Kit is out of stock, so I plan to buy the items individually. To save money, I probably won’t use quite so much bentonite clay in my baths, especially since I have taken clay baths already and should not have quite the toxin overload as before. If you have never taken detox baths, I suggest using the amount recommended here.
I also normally take something to cleanse the blood, but I believe the cayenne and garlic powder in this cleanse will be sufficient.
Parasite Cleanse – Mountain Meadow Herbs’ Para-Rid. I will probably buy the 4 oz. bottle so I have enough to cleanse my girls too. Playing with animals and running outside barefoot all spring and summer, they are bound to have a parasite or two. 🙂 {I really need to make my own parasite tincture one of these days.}
Kidney/Gallbladder Flush – Lemon juice/ olive oil flush
You can purchase a kidney cleanse, but I’m going to do the simple olive oil/lemon juice flush. I used this flush when I had a kidney stone. It also rejuvenates and detoxes the kidneys and gallbladder. {Will be great for the liver too}
Directions:
2 oz. olive oil
2 oz. lemon juice {freshly squeezed}
Large glass of water
Mix the olive oil and lemon juice the best you can. Do not mix the oil and lemon juice into the water; you drink the water separate. The oil insists on rising to the top, so it’s difficult to mix in, but do your best. I stir the two ingredients in a cup and stir again after each drink. After you down the mixture, follow with a large glass of water. Continue to drink as much water as possible the rest of the day so your body flushes out the toxins.
This flush is very inexpensive, but if you find it impossible to get down, you can purchase a kidney cleanse.
Liver Cleanse – liver cleanse tincture from Bulk Herb Store. I suffered with a damaged liver for years until I made and used this tincture. I’ve been taking this for almost 2 years, and plan to continue taking it almost daily for 3 more years. My liver was really that bad as a result of prescription medication. You can read about me making it here. If you don’t wish to make your own cleanse, you can find great products at Mountain Meadow Herbs.
Candida Cleanse – Not every one has candida {yeast overgrowth}, but I found out from my naturopathic doctor that I do. I’ve been taking Five Lac {2 packets a day}, and am feeling the difference! Sugar cravings are much less, blemishes are disappearing, more energy. I’m determined to get rid of this yeast overgrowth this year! {And make sure it doesn’t return!}
Bentonite Clay Baths – These clay baths are so refreshing! I like to take them every now and then when I can afford it. {the clay is not expensive, but I have to penny-pinch :)}. I like to take them once a month, but that doesn’t always happen. I will be taking clay baths during my colon cleanse {mentioned above}, but will hopefully be able to take a few more this year. Since I have done several good cleanses in the past 8 years, I don’t necessarily need one every month. You can read clay bath instructions here.
Foot Detox Bath – My awesome local naturopathic doctor ran a special in January with all of her detoxing machines being only $15! I took advantage of it and had 3 foot detox baths this month. Pictured below is me having a foot detox. You will notice the water that my feet are in is clear – that’s because this was the very beginning of the detox. The water did not stay that color as it detoxed through my feet. I’ll share my experience in the next few weeks.
I believe it’s necessary to cleanse each organ every year, and cleanse here and there throughout the year. {Read here on what I believe is the main cause of disease.} I was fully vaccinated, I have silver fillings {would love to get them removed some day}, I took my fair share of prescription medications, I didn’t eat the best diet growing up, I don’t eat as healthy now as I would like to {I eat the best that I can afford}. Our bodies should be cleansed of toxins, or our health will most likely suffer the consequences.
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Linked To:
A Mama’s Story What Joy Is Mine The Modest Mom Growing Home
Time Warp Wife A Wise Woman Builds Her Home Raising Homemakers
This looks like a great plan Jill! Last year was my first year planning out a really thorough detox, and I pretty much burnt out and got overwhelmed. I did get a good amount of stuff made up and ready though. This year I’m pregnant with little man #4 so no detoxes or cleanse for me for a while. I do think I’ll try a nice gentle food cleanse when he’s around -9 months old though. We’ll see. Thanks for sharing your plan. I love seeing what other natural mamas are up to!
Thanks for reading, Meagan!
This is great Jill! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
You’re welcome, Heather!
Thanks so much for sharing this helpful information, Jill! How often would you recommend the oil/lemon juice cleanse? My gall bladder was removed about 18 years ago, so I wonder if this still works? Also, do you use organic extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice, or bottled lemon juice?
The lemon juice flush would flush out your kidneys, and be beneficial to your liver too! I do use extra virgin olive oil, but I don’t have organic. Organic is best to use if you can afford it! I would definitely use fresh lemon juice if I could. If a person has an emergency with a kidney stone and only has bottled lemon juice then that’s fine. I would buy fresh lemons though when planning the flush. Thanks!
Thanks, Jill – great tips on different ways to detox. Is this the order you’re going to follow?
– Danielle F
Danielle,
I will do the colon cleanse, the parasite cleanse, and then the kidney flush in that order. I do these cleanses once a year. I am currently doing the liver cleanse {have been taking it for a few years daily because of my badly damaged liver}, and the candida cleanse. I like to do foot detoxes and clay baths here and there throughout the year when I am able.
Hi Jill, Do you know what the main difference is between the bentonite clay bath and an epsom salt detox bath? I wanted to do one for my 3 year old, but was curious what the difference is.
They both offer detoxing and are full of healthy minerals, so you can use either for detoxing!
I know that we’re not supposed to detox while preg or nursing… but I am ALWAYS either one or both of those!! Haha! Do you have suggestions for some gentle detox that a nursing mom can do? I know there is junk built up in my body, but I don’t want to have to choose between children or less toxins :P.
I have read that it is safe to do the lemon and olive oil flush while breastfeeding. You can ask your doctor if you have any concern. Mountain Meadow Herbs is a favorite website of mine, and they have a LiverGlow II and Olive Leaf Extract that offers safe cleansing while breastfeeding. You can find them here: http://bit.ly/1j6UlUk
Thanks!
Thanks! I love MMH for their gentle birth tincture, so I will definitely check out the ones you recommended :).
Anytime!
Hi, Jill. I was going to ask if you did them all at once or spaced them out, but from your last answer I’m guessing you space them out. Thanks for sharing this information. I’ve done a colon cleanse and a parasite cleanse, but they were both years ago.
I normally cleanse the organs one right after the other if my current lifestyle allows me to! They can be spaced out though if needed.
I have never detoxed before but would like to this year. I thought I would start with the kidney cleanse since it looked the simplest. I was wondering how long do I have to do the cleanse and how many times a day to take the mixture – or is it just a one day thing? Also, are there any food/diet regulations I should follow while on this cleanse? Thanks!
I will probably take it just once in a day. You can always take it throughout the year to rejuvenate the kidneys, or if you suspect stones or an infection. I have done a short fast before where I only had raw vegetables and fruit the first day and the second day I only consumed grapefruit and broth, and then did the flush the night of the second day. This causes your body to detox more than eating a regular diet while you do the flush. Now that I’m typing this, I think I may do this short fast again when I detox my kidneys. Thanks for helping me decide this, Sarah! 🙂
Hi Jill,
Thanks for the info! Can I do the gallbladder flush (lemon and olive oil) while breastfeeding? Also, do you know the main differences between a bentonite clay bath and an epsom salt bath? I wanted to do one with my 3 year old and was leaning toward an epsom salt bath since it seemed less “messy”, but I didn’t know if it would be as effective. Thanks! – Laura
I have read that it is safe to do the lemon and olive oil flush while breastfeeding. You can ask your doctor if you have any concern. Mountain Meadow Herbs is a favorite website of mine, and they have a LiverGlow II and Olive Leaf Extract that offers safe cleansing while breastfeeding. You can find them here: http://bit.ly/1j6UlUk
Bentonite clay and epsom salts both pull toxins out and replenish the body with minerals. I tend to do epsom salts during illness and the clay for detoxing. At this point I don’t have a good reason why I do it this way – it’s just the thing I do. 🙂 But you can detox with epsom salts for sure! You may see me write about this subject in the future if I come across any info in my research. 🙂
If you are nursing can you do the oil and lemon cleanse or is that a no no?
I have read that it is safe to do the lemon and olive oil flush while breastfeeding. You can ask your doctor if you have any concern. Mountain Meadow Herbs is a favorite website of mine, and they have a LiverGlow II and Olive Leaf Extract that offers safe cleansing while breastfeeding. You can find them here: http://bit.ly/1j6UlUk
Which of these, if any, can a person do while breastfeeding?
I have read that it is safe to do the lemon and olive oil flush while breastfeeding. You can ask your doctor if you have any concern. Mountain Meadow Herbs is a favorite website of mine, and they have a LiverGlow II and Olive Leaf Extract that offers safe cleansing while breastfeeding. You can find them here: http://bit.ly/1j6UlUk
Hi,
Thanks for the great information on natural detox! Can you detox while breastfeeding?
Hi, Racquel! There are a few gentle cleanses you can do while breastfeeding. I answered this question in the comment above. Thanks!
This is great info, could you recommend a schedule to do these throughout the year? Thanks for your help.
Connie, I would follow the instructions that come with each cleanse, and do them in the order listed above: colon, parasite, kidney, liver. Cleanse one at a time. I like to do these cleanses once a year, but it doesn’t always work out. Let me know if you have other questions!
I would be interested in doing these cleanses, especially the liver cleanse (for elevated liver enzymes). I did the bulk store colon cleanse over a year ago. The only problem was it caused reflux/digestive issues for me. I also had to make sure that I was using the bathroom even once a day. (I sometimes struggle with constipation.) Maybe it was only one thing in the cleanse (like the peppermint aggravating my gut). I also struggle with bloating which didn’t get any better with the cleanse. But it did help my periods to be more regular, so I feel it was beneficial. So, since it seems better to do the cleanses in the right order I am guessing that I need to do a colon cleanse first. Do you have any suggestions? Then for the parasite cleanse- I found two parasite cleanses: http://www.vitacost.com/natures-answer-black-walnut-and-wormwood-complex-alcohol-free and this one: http://www.mountainmeadowherbs.com/ClarkFx_p/c3090.htm do you think either would work? If I take it for 2 weeks, would that be long enough? Then I would probably do your kidney cleanse. How long should I do the kidney cleanse? Then I would like to use the bulk herb store’s liver cleanse tincture. Then maybe the liver gallbladder flush (Dr. Hulda Clark).
Thank you for the article!