Huntingdon Pennsylvania Yoga Massage Health Wellness

The Wimp’s Detox Plan

by Ann Marie Wishard

Sweet Annie Herbs

Most of us couldn’t wait this spring to put on old shoes, comfortable clothes and garden gloves, grab the rake, and head for the garden.  As we raked and cut the dead brambles from our herb garden, we stopped to delight in each green plant we discovered under all that mess.  If, like me, when you bent down to pick up the garden debris, you felt uncomfortable around the middle, you need to clean up your “inner garden!”

How do you know when you need to cleanse your body?  Indications include: sluggishness, confusion, bloating, fatigue, skin problems and poor digestion.  If you answered “YES” to five of these conditions, internal house cleaning would probably benefit you.

Detoxing is a way to wash away the gunk your body spent all winter storing.  The cleaning solutions include diet changes, purifying herbs and detoxifying baths.  Your hard work will pay off in weight loss, improved general health and a clean, shiny door open to life changes.

A two-to-three-day fast is a safe way to begin.  There are those who do strict “hard-core” fasting for one or two weeks at a time, but this requires supervision by a medical professional.

How about a plan???  Let’s think 30 days of health awareness and light fasting on weekends (or two days of your choice each week).  An improved eating plan during the week will help you do more serious detoxing on weekends.  The weight will come off and the detoxing will be gentle and gratifying.

During the week, drink eight glasses of water daily, and as much fruit or vegetable juice as you like.  Include fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet each day. If you can, eliminate the caffeine (this includes coffee and chocolate) or cut the amount in half by the end of the first week.  This is why a 30 day plan is a good idea.  Some of us are “wimps”, and it takes a week or two to reach the desired level of fasting.

Breakfast should include a whole grain cereal with low fat milk and fresh fruit.  If fresh fruit satisfies you, eat just that.  How much?  A couple of cups will probably do it.  An invigorating herb tea like peppermint or ginseng can gradually replace coffee.              Lunch should be a couple cups of steamed or fresh vegetables or a salad with no-fat dressing.  Your greens should be more than lettuce, and the vegetables should be more than green.  Try red, yellow and orange vegetables.  The rainbow colors brighten the plate, while the variety in texture satisfies the palate.  Remember, throughout the day, drink plenty of water and fruit juice.

What’s for dinner?  Bake a small piece of chicken or fish for your entree.  Steam some brown rice, seasoned with herb combinations, and pair it with fresh or steamed vegetables.  Fresh fruit makes a nice, light dessert.

Weekends should be a time of drinking eight glasses of water and several glasses of fruit or vegetable juice each day.  For breakfast, have fresh fruit and herb tea.  Lunch should be lots of steamed vegetables and herb tea.  Dinner should be raw or steamed vegetables, with fresh fruit “dessert.”  This is not a difficult fast and is especially good for those of us who don’t like suffering!

Along with the dietary changes, I would suggest you do a detox bath 2-3 times weekly.  Epsom salts in a hot bath help you detoxify and help aching muscles and joints.  Use 1-3 pounds in each bath.  Soak for 20 minutes in a bath that is as hot as you can stand.  Get out before the water gets cold, put on night clothes, and hop into bed.  If you want an herb bath instead, try sea salt and the herb chaparral.  Place half a cup of the herb in a muslin bag and dissolve the salts right into the bath water.  I love this bath….even the smell.  Drinking a cup of cleansing tea before or during your bath is a good idea.  Yarrow tea is a good choice because it encourages sweating, which aids in detoxification.

To get the most from your fast, enlist herbal help.  Follow the directions for the product you choose - and always buy an herb product that has an 800 number so you can call for information.  The formula I use is listed below and has been used traditionally to support body function and to detoxify the digestive tract, liver, blood and organs.

Red Clover: softens mucous membranes and cleanses the blood, colon and intestinal tract.

Burdock Root:  stimulates the immune system, softens mucous membranes, and cleanses the blood.

Milk Thistle Seed: supports liver function, cleans the bloodstream, and reduces serum cholesterol and uric acid.

Siberian Ginseng: enhances the immune system and strengthens the body.

Devils Claw: cleanses the lymph system, blood, tissue, and muscle walls.

Aloe:  promotes rapid evacuation from the bowel, decreases inflammation, and aids digestion

Pau d’ Arco: is antibacterial, cleanses the blood, and supports the immune system.

Goldenseal Root:  purifies the blood and stimulates digestion and the glandular system.

Psyllium Seed:  softens mucous membranes and cleanses the intestines.

Fenugreek:  prevents mucous and fatty accumulation and helps rid the body of waste through the lymph system.

Slippery Elm: aids digestion and helps rid the body of impurities.

Cascara Sagrada Bark:  cleanses the colon and tonifies the bowels.

Ginger Root: improves circulation and aids digestion.

Barberry Bark:  stimulates intestinal movement, aids the liver, and cleanses the blood.

Chlorella:  cleanses the blood and is a nutritionally complete food.

With the help of these herbs and the “Detox Plan for Wimps,” you can look and feel great.  Now, back to the garden- and those closets!!