What to Do When You’ve Over Done It

OK – I did it too. Too much bread, too many brownies, too much holiday sugar. So don’t feel alone. This is the time of year that most of us start feeling the need to do a detox or a cleanse to get the new year started right.

The thing is, should you do the one that you’ve been hearing about the most lately, buy one off of the shelf or just hit the diet trail (Paleo, Keto, Nutri Systems, Weight Watchers, Whole 30 etc) for a few weeks?

Choosing the Best Detox (For You – That’s the Key)

Not so fast! If you are going to do this thing, you want it to work! You will want to think this through because picking the wrong approach can backfire. We witness a lot of things in the OHS office. One of them is clients who kick themselves for making themselves feel worse, not better, as a result of a random “cleanse” or diet.

First-hand experience has shown us that doing detoxes or diets in the wrong order can back up the system faster than you can shout “Pass the Drano!’ Yes, by golly, I did it to myself once years ago, before I knew what I know now. Ouch.

What we have found through bioenergetic work is that there is a certain order to how the body “wants” to clean house. Generally, the pathway through the digestive tract needs to be “open” for toxins to leave. And everyone is different.

How the Pathway Works

We know that the colon will probably need to be “de-cluttered” and opened up. Then, we work backwards and make sure the liver and gallbladder and kidneys are clear. But before we even do that, we want to make sure that a parasite cleanse is not in order first. Not to be indelicate, but doing a liver/gallbladder cleanse, if there are parasites in the bile ducts, is a one-way ticket to Misery-ville. Yes sir. Trust me on this.

So let’s break it down. Keep in mind this is an overview – we are just touching on the basics here.

Breaking Down the Choices

Parasite Cleanse: feeling tired, icky, bloated, crabby? Hungry all of the time? Crave sugar? These symptoms can be signs of parasite infestation.
Children who constantly have runny noses or are anxious or fretful, often point to parasites. For most people this will be number 1. You can use an Artemisia or black walnut tincture blend. You must drink lots of water and cut back on sugar as well. You may want to take a natural parasiticide for several months (we have our favorites). This alone can be a game changer. You may find that belly that just won’t seem to go away actually does, finally.

Colon Cleanse: feeling tired, constipated, gassy or bloated? These symptoms can indicate bacterial or fungal overgrowth in the gut which can cause absorption issues. This is where we often see a candida problem which is a common side effect of eating too many carbs or sugar and/or being on (or having been on) antibiotics. A colon cleanse using herbs and perhaps some psyllium or bulking agents may be recommended.

Gallbladder: feeling tired, groggy or bogged down after eating a hamburger (or fatty meal?). Do you have neck pain after you eat (this can be gallbladder) or lower back pain?

Kidneys: are you urinating frequently but not completely? Have you been feeling a little more anxious or fearful than usual lately? Lower back pain? UTI’s? This is kidney cleanse territory. It will probably be helpful to throw in a homeopathic like Bactestat and cut the dairy products back for a while. Lots of water of course.

Liver: grouchy or angry – more than is appropriate? Overreacting or getting offended too easily? Burpy or tired? Food sensitivities? This may indicate that a liver cleanse is needed. A parasite cleanse will undoubtedly help the liver too, but then an herbal cleanse is in order.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Now, if this is all seems too complicated, I understand. But the body is somewhat complex, a miracle really. It is possible to have all of the symptoms mentioned above, but it is important to start dealing with the priority issues first. Don’t overwhelm your body by hitting the “house cleaning” too hard or too fast. Don’t buy into the 7-Day Cleanse product sales pitch. They don’t work because it takes more time than that. Take it slow and steady, make some dietary changes and choose the best detox cleanse approach.  If you need more customized help, let us know and we will be glad to assist by running all of the cleanses bioenergetically to see which ones you need.

Blessings,
Catherine