It’s that time again, the time to cleanse out the inside of the body and prepare for summer. There is nothing more beautiful in the summer than healthy glowing skin. There are a few things to do first to prepare for the cleanse. I never skip this step because it’s really important. It’s the pre cleanse phase.
The mind is a powerful tool. The mind is also a very destructive tool as well. Step one in the cleanse is getting the mind prepared for change. Everyone is different in this aspect. When starting a cleanse, it makes sense to stop filling the body with anything other than whole foods. Going through the cabinets and fridge to get rid of junk food and carbs is a good idea. Replace those foods with fresh food, lean meats and lots of veggies, green veggies. Another tip to a pre cleanse id to remove all negative thoughts about you and replace them with a positive outlook. For whatever reason you’re cleansing, it’s important to feel good about whom you are.
Since I am mostly focusing on the liver to begin with, I have to bring up the importance of water. The liver requires a lot of water to cleanse itself. If the body isn’t fully hydrated, the liver will pull water from other parts of the body so it can complete its job, which is filtering. If this happens you can really get a bad headache because the brain also requires water to function well. The liver is the most active between 11 p.m and 1 a.m so make sure you are plenty hydrated before you go to bed.
Now that the pre prep is finished and it’s time to get to the cleanse, I should mention that I am hardcore believing in sweaty 60 minute cardio workouts on the cleanse. A lot of toxins will be released through sweat and breath. When doing a liver cleanse, I always start with the basic herbs that work wonderfully together. The staple herbs are Milk thistle, burdock root and dandelion root. All three are great liver, blood and kidney cleansing herbs.
Milk thistle Facts:
Latin name: Carduus marianus also known as Silybum marianum
Other common name: Mary thistle
Milk thistle is a common weed with white markings on the leaves. Reaching the
height of five feet the plant puts out purple flowering heads, which may be
eaten fresh as a vegetable. The seeds are collected and dried for use in herbal
medicine.
Milk thistle is useful in the treatment of liver diseases such as alcoholic
hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver poisoning and viral hepatitis. Milk thistle is one
of the few herbs that have no real pharmaceutical equivalent. Milk thistle also
regulates the digestion of fats, helps stabilize blood sugars and cholesterol,
reduces inflammation of the intestine and promotes the excretion of certain
hormones.
Milk thistle is helpful for:
" Acne, constipation, Crohns disease and irritable bowel syndrome
" Alcoholism, cirrhosis, and hepatitis.
" Atherosclerosis, gallstones, high cholesterol and iron overload
" Cancer
" Diabetes
" Ovarian Cysts
" Parkinson's disease
" Psoriasis
Milk thistle is one of my favorite herbs to take regularly. It’s non-toxic. Using milk thistle daily won’t hurt your body and it contains such amazing nutrients it’s truly helpful. But as I stated before, make sure you drink plenty of water while using milk thistle. The body is made up of mostly water anyway, so you know you need it to function.
Burdock Root Facts:
Burdock Root
Latin name: Arctium lappa
Other common names: edible burdock, greater burdock, lappa
Description of Burdock
Burdock, a relative of the sunflower, grows to the height of five feet with
reddish purple flower heads covered with spiny bracts. In the summer, the
seeds are harvested and the roots of two year old plants are dug. The roots
are the most important part of the plant used for medicinal purposes.
Benefits of Burdock
Burdock is a blood purifier that clears congestion in the circulatory,
lymphatic, respiratory and urinary systems. Burdock also helps to eliminate
excess fluids in the body and stimulate the elimination of toxic waste which
relieves liver disorders and improves digestion. Burdock cleanses the body of
bile and detoxifies the kidneys and gallbladder. It also increases perspiration
which reduces excess toxins.
•Arthritis, gout, sciatica
•Boils, dandruff and eczema
•Cancer
•Diabetes
•Liver diseases
Burdock can heal a damaged liver and protect it from further damage. In as
Little as two weeks, the symptoms from liver damage can improve.
I personally love burdock root as a blood cleanse and as a liver cleanse. When combines with the use of garlic, it really perks the body right up. I have to admit, the combo of those two I will not go without.
Dandelion Root Facts:
Latin name: Taxaxacum officinal
Description:
Dandelion root is know best as a weed that pops up in lawns but grows wild in
most of the world and is cultivated as an herb. The young leaves of dandelion
root are picked in the spring for tonic salads. In the early summer, before the
plant blooms, leaves are harvested for the manufacture of medicinal teas and
tinctures. The roots of two-year-old plants are dug in the fall, when they are
at their greatest concentration of the complex carbohydrate inulin, for use
in tablets and tinctures.
Benefit of Dandelion Root:
Dandelion leaves are a powerful diuretic. The roots act as a blood purifier
that helps the kidneys and the liver to remove toxins and poisons from the
blood. The roots also can be used to help jaundice. Dandelion also acts as a
mild laxative and improves appetite and digestion. Dandelion root is also
believed to help age spots.
Medicinal uses for dandelion root:
" Anemia Dandelion root contains high levels of potassium, is a rich
source of iron and vitamins. Dandelion root contains high levels of carotene.
" Bladder infections Because dandelion root is a diuretic, it helps to
relieve fluid retention in bladder infections.
" Constipation and indigestion dandelion root is a mild bitter. It has a
cleansing effect on the liver by stimulating the production of bile.
" Irritable bowel syndrome dandelion root improves regularity
" Liver problems and gallstones. The bitter principles in dandelion root
increase bile production and bile flow in the liver. This makes dandelion root
useful in sluggish liver function due to alcohol abuse or poor diet. It is a
restorative to the liver and helps the risk of developing gallstones.
" Osteoporosis Dandelion is a rich source of boron, which helps raise
estrogen levels in the blood and helps preserve the bone. Dandelion root is
also a rich source for calcium.
" Overweight Dandelion reduces water weight through its diuretic effect.
It may also help the liver regulate blood sugars. It also increases bile flow
and helps to improve fat metabolism.
So now you have a few basic facts about herbs and the pre prep for a cleanse. Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg and Ill address a lot more components over the course of thirty days. A cleanse will help the body remove toxic build up that may reduce the function of the liver. A few signs that you may need to cleanse would be fatigue, weight gain, acne or mild depression. The liver is where we store our negative energy so every now and again a good purge is in order. Visit the website daily for information on cleansing.
Jennifer Lamb
Sunshine and Herbs
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