We are exposed to toxins on a daily basis. We eat foods, drink liquids, and breathe air that contains many chemicals that are foreign and harmful to our bodies. The Western diet is filled with artificial flavors and additives, coloring agents, preservatives, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and rancid oils. They accumulate in our bodies over the years and greatly compromise our health. In addition to foods, our bodies are subjected to environmental chemicals on a daily basis.

Along with the onslaught of environmental toxins, we are faced with naturally occurring wastes produced by our body. Free radicals, which are formed when normal oxygen molecules lose an electron, damage our bodies. While the body is accustomed to a number of free radicals and normally deals with them adequately, too much exercise, excessive stress, and a toxic system can cause an overabundance of free radicals that puts a strain on body cells, leads to premature aging, and causes damaging effects to health.

The Risks of Toxic Bowel

We also face the risk of being poisoned by a toxic bowel. Poor food choices, food allergies, full spectrum antibiotics that kill natural intestinal flora, constipation, and the overgrowth of detrimental bacteria create a condition called autointoxication. In a compromised state, the bowel is unable to rid the body of toxins, so they are reabsorbed into the blood stream. These excess toxins and undesirable bacteria interfere with proper enzyme function, which in turn prevents normal cell activity, particularly in the brain and nervous system.

When the bowel is slow in emptying its waste, other organs of detoxification such as the kidneys, liver, lungs, lymph system, and skin become overworked and exhausted. The liver, in particular, shifts into higher activity, producing large amounts of age-promoting free radicals. A toxic bowel hampers all phases of liver detoxification. In this overburdened state, the body is no longer able to rid itself of wastes. Energy levels suffer, and eventually sickness and disease occur.

At first, symptoms of toxic overload are mild to moderate. Fatigue, obesity, skin rashes, sore throats, sinus congestion, headaches, depression, hives, constipation, and frequent colds may all be symptoms of toxic overload. Many of these symptoms are mistaken for other health problems and are treated with medications that increase toxin levels. The root of the problem, toxic overload, continues to be ignored.

The Liver's Role in Detoxification

The liver is essential to detoxification. It must eliminate toxins that are taken into the body from the environment, created by the body, or reabsorbed into the blood from a toxic bowel. This is why it is important to cleanse the bowel before or in conjunction with cleansing the liver.

There are several ways that the liver helps with detoxification. It filters the blood to remove toxins. It also produces bile, a substance that carries many toxins to the bowel for disposal. Fiber in the bowel absorbs the toxic bile and eliminates it from the body. Another way the liver cleanses is by producing an array of essential enzymes that help break down toxins, rendering them harmless. So, as toxins enter the liver, they can be filtered, combined with bile, disassembled, or converted into less harmful substances by enzymes before being excreted out of the body.

Whenever you are exposed to toxic chemicals on a regular basis or for extended periods of time (such as when painting a room in your home during the winter and there is no way to assure proper ventilation), you should eat foods rich in glutathione or take oral supplements. Fresh fruits and vegetables are your best food sources of glutathione.

The Lymph System and Detoxification

The lymph system is comprised of lymphatic vessels that run parallel to the blood veins in the body. The vessels of the lymph system are filled with a fluid called lymph that is collected from the space between the cells in the body. The lymph fluids feed the cells of the body by transporting various nutrients such as salts, minerals, and proteins to every cell of the body. Likewise, lymph fluid carries cell wastes and debris that accumulate from normal cell function away from the cells and turns them over to the blood. The blood shuttles the wastes to the kidneys, lungs, colon, and skin for elimination. The lymph system can be thought of as the cellular toxin disposal system.

Lymph fluid travels to nodes found in various places in the lymph system. There are over six hundred lymph nodes in our bodies, with a particularly large concentration found in the neck, groin, armpits, and abdomen. Immune cells called macrophages are found in the lymph nodes. They engulf and destroy many foreign and toxic particles. Lymph nodes also contain B lymphocytes that produce antibodies to protect the body from future viruses, bacteria, yeast, and other organisms.

In a healthy state, lymph nodes are about the size of almonds. However, when they are overloaded with excess toxins, they swell and become painful. This occurs when the body experiences colds and infections. The lymph system is vital in helping to fight disease.

One way to keep the lymph system healthy is to eat foods that do not cause excessive congestion. Excessive and partially digested proteins, highly refined foods, excessive sweets, and dairy increase lymphatic congestion. Limiting these foods improves lymph function.

Another way to keep the lymphatic system functioning is through regular exercise. Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system does not have a pump. The contraction of muscles in the body keeps lymph fluids flowing. The work of feeding the cells and removing toxins is imperative. Keeping the lymph system in optimal condition is a big influence on your state of health.

The Need for Fasting and Detoxification

Unfortunately, most modern medical doctors know little or nothing about fasting and will probably never tell you that your body's cells are loaded with toxins (5-10 lbs. worth in the average man or woman's body) that cause many acute and chronic sicknesses. Nor will they tell you that the key to wellness begins with fasting for detoxification. Luckily, there are health experts that recognize the value of this type of therapy.

The Cleansing Trio, JuvaTone, and a wide range of enzyme products from Young Living Essential Oils include some of the finest selections of ingredients recommended by Gary Young and other leading health professionals. A closer examination of some of these products will assist you as you plan your cleansing and rejuvenation program.

ComforTone

This amazing herbal supplement is fortified with essential oils and is formulated as a support to normal digestive and colon function. * Unlike harsh laxatives that poison the system, ComforTone is gentle and non-addictive. Combining the latest European research with years of herbal wisdom, herbs such as German chamomile, Cascara sagrada, and burdock work in conjunction with essential oils to encourage a synergistic action between liver and intestines and actually strengthen these systems while encouraging a gentle cleansing action.

I.C.P.

In addition to ComforTone, ICP is another member of the amazing Cleansing Trio. Fiber is basically the indigestible part of plants and is an important addition to the diet since our modern food choices tend to be low in fiber. ICP.'s combination of different fibers is superior to single fiber formulas in that different fibers have slightly different modes of action on the body. ICP. coats the intestinal tract and removes toxins by mobilizing normal bowel movement. Other ingredients, such as yucca and aloe vera extract, soothe and support proper colon function. *

Megazyme

The third member of the Cleansing Trio, Megazyme still ranks as one of the top enzyme products ever offered. Essential oils are part of the secret of the success of this amazing multienzyme complex. Megazyme works with the body's own enzyme system to help break down all types of foods, allowing the body to assimilate a wide range of nutrients. * When taken in between meals, Megazyme helps with the digestion and breakdown of unwanted toxins floating in the system.

JuvaTone

Literature on liver health by nutritionists is full information on the ingredients found in the JuvaTone formula. Old standards such as choline, methionine, beet root, dandelion root, and Oregon grape root are fortified with essential oils to boost product efficacy. This proprietary formula promotes healthy liver function, which is essential to any cleansing or weight loss program. *

Enzymes

Volumes can be stated on the vital functions of enzymes in the normal processes of the human system. Enzymes not only help with food metabolism, but with every chemical action that occurs in the body. Enzymes speed up reactions that allow our bodies to maintain optimal health. Young Living offers several combinations of vital enzymes that can be used to encourage specific actions in the body. *

In addition to supplements, most health authorities recommend, at least for a specified period of time, the elimination of foods that cause congestive buildup in the body. Fasting is not only a means of cleansing the body, but is also a way to rejuvenate and actually regenerate the body. Signs of premature aging, e.g., a bulging waistline, an imbalance of endocrine function, and the loss of interest in sex is normally reversed during fasting. History has shown that fasting is the safest and most effective weight loss, detoxification, healing, and longevity-enhancing modality known to man.

During a fast, when the body is deprived of food, it lives on stored substances. This is called autolysis, or autodigeston. Through this method aged, damaged, diseased, weakened, and dead cells are decomposed and burned away. Excess fatty deposits, damaged cells and tissues, growths, morbid accumulations, and tumors are actually broken down and digested or eliminated from the body.

Resistance to Cleansing

One of the biggest concerns that stops people from cleansing is the belief that if they stop consuming solid food they will lose energy and will be unable to perform necessary daily tasks. When a person cleanses, energy normally used for digestion and assimilation is freed up. You will actually feel more, not less, energy during cleansing. The following program has been successful for years to cleanse and rejuvenate the body.

Note: Due to differences between individuals, consulting with a healthcare provider is recommended prior to undertaking a prolonged fast or cleanse.

The Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse

This cleanse consists of drinking a mixture of lemon juice, distilled water, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. The recommendation is to drink half your weight in ounces per day; i.e., if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink 50 ounces of this cleansing drink.

Mix:
8 ounces of distilled water
The juice of 1/2 to 1 fresh lemon 1-2 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup (found at your local health food store, grade B contains more minerals and is less refined than grade A)
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

It is recommended that you make enough of this drink in the morning to last the entire day. If you are diabetic, molasses should be substituted for maple syrup.

The first two to four days are the most difficult, since you are overcoming the psychological need to eat. Hunger normally fades in four to six days. Along with your mix, drink plenty of distilled water. You will also want to take supplements that include essential oils.

Conclusion

Addressing the overall health improvement of the body is essential to obtaining optimal health. Just as you change the oil in your car on a regular basis, proper cleansing should be practiced at regular cyclic intervals. Cleansing the colon and liver is the first and most important step when beginning nutritional programs to increase overall well-being. Having healthy lymph function acts as a major protection against environmental and internal toxins. Cleansing or fasting and detoxification has been a part of healing protocols for centuries and is more vital today than in any period of history because of the hostile environment we live in. For longevity and health, cleansing is a must!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.