Detoxification

HEALTH INFORMATION SERIES

This program has been carefully designed to purify the body and aid in the removal of toxins that contribute to many types of ill-health. At the same time it will rebalance or regulate the acid/alkali state of the body and will help to regulate the weight. It is not a weight loss program and although many people do lose a few pounds while on the diet you will soon gain it back if you need it. This diet supplies only foods which are healthful and nutritious and which can help to rebuild vital parts of the body that have been compromised by illness. There is no calorie counting in this diet, you can eat as much as you want of the specified foods.

It is strongly recommended that you use only organically grown foods during this cleansing program to avoid introducing new toxins as fast as you clean out old ones.

This cleansing regime has been designed as a 3 week program but it can be adapted to suit your individual needs. The basic plan is to do 1 week of actual cleansing, 1 week of controlled eating to re-educate your palate, and a third week of confirming the new dietary principles you have learned. 

The first 3 days of the program are when the majority of the detoxification occurs. Toxic wastes stored in the fat cells release into the blood stream and pass to the liver for deactivation and elimination. It is possible that during this period you may experience some cleansing reactions such as headache, bad breath, spots or boils, dizziness or aching joints. Try not to worry about these, they are a natural effect of detoxification and will diminish over a period of 2 or 3 days as the liver cleanses the blood. It is also quite common for old emotional hurts to resurface during this early cleansing stage and you may find yourself being unusually irritable, depressed or uptight. Do not worry about this but remember that they will pass as the accumulated waste of years is gradually removed from your body and mind.

Herbal teas such as Peppermint and Chamomile can be drunk freely at all stages of the cleansing program. You should be sure to drink plenty of fresh water, with a squeeze of lemon if desired. Avoid black tea, coffee and all stimulants while following this regime.
 

FIRST WEEK (DAYS 1 TO 7)

Before launching into the fast itself it is good idea to prepare the body a little. This is done by eating fresh RAW foods for 2 days. See below (day 4) for specific instructions on what to eat during this preparatory phase.

DAY 1

Choose one of the following foods to fast on:

GRAPES

These should be green/white. Take at least 7 lbs. per day to get the most cleansing effect. Eat the whole fruit, pips and skin included, and juice them with a little water if you can't eat that quantity.

APPLES

These may be red or green. Eat the whole fruit including the skins. Eat at least 5 lbs. per day. You may juice them or put them in the blender with some water to make a puree.

MELON

Any type or a combination of types, at least 6 lbs per day. If you eat water melon you can also juice the rinds to make a bitter digestive tonic drink.

VEGETABLE JUICE

A very cleansing and alkaline combination is made of 1 litre of carrot juice, and one litre of a combination of celery, parsley and beet. Make it up to 3 litres with water. Drink a cup every 30 minutes and when it finishes continue the day with plain water.

TROPICANA

Pineapple, papaya, mango and kiwi fruit all contain digestive enzymes and are extremely cleansing in the body. A total of at least 5 lbs. of the fresh fruits need to be eaten each day.

POTASSIUM BROTH

This is made as described below:
Potassium broth is made by sauteeing an onion, some garlic and a leek, before adding carrots, potatoes, turnip and any other vegetables you have.
Add water and cook lightly so that the vegetables retain their crunch. Add any desired herbs and a spoonful of miso at the end of cooking to flavour it up.
Take the liquid only from the soup, at least 2 litres daily.

BROWN RICE

If you feel you must have a more solid food then it also possible to fast on brown rice but you would need to continue it for longer, probably at least 1 week. This fast is very boring because all you eat is plain rice with no oil, tamari etc. but it works for some people who feel unable to do a juice fast.
 

DAYS 2 & 3

These follow the same pattern as for day 1. It is preferable to take the same food choice on days 2 & 3 as on the first day, but it also possible to take, for example, grapes on days 1 & 2 then apples on day 3, or apples on day 1 and vegetable juice on days 2 & 3, and so on. It is important that you don't mix fruits of fruit and vegetable in one day.

If you are following a program of herbal cleansing agents then these would be taken throughout the fasting period to facilitate the whole process of detoxification. (See below)

Depending on your reactions to the juice fast, you may wish to continue with it for up to a week. This is quite safe as long as you are experiencing no unpleasant effects.

DO NOT DISCONTINUE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION WITHOUT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FROM A QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.
 

DAY 4

If we assume that you have done 3 days of juice fasting, day 4 is the day you break the fast. This is done by introducing fresh raw foods . If you think you may have some allergies then this is an ideal time to test them out by following the Coca pulse test (see below).

SUGGESTED MEAL PLAN TO BREAK THE FAST 
(where an * occurs it means that the recipe is given below)

Breakfast: Fresh fruit salad (any combinations) sprinkled with ground almonds or Power Blend*. Fruit juice or herb tea to drink.

Lunch: A large mixed salad dressed with olive or flax oil and lemon juice. You may include nuts and seeds if you wish and sprouts are highly recommended. Seaweeds are also a good vitamin and mineral source and help to remove toxins. Fruit juice or herb tea to drink.

Evening meal: Same as lunch.

Snacks: Fruit, vegie sticks, small amounts of nuts and seeds.

After the cleansing your body will be very sensitive and it important not to eat any heavy foods too soon.

An alternate method of breaking a fruit fast is to take potassium broth, initially just the liquid then after a day start to eat the vegetables too.
 

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

When you start to eat again you can re-introduce vitamins and minerals if you wish to. Continue to take the apple cider vinegar and honey as well as the acidophilous, the chlorophyll supplement and the psyllium seeds. Continue to take herbal cleansing agents.
 

DAYS 5, 6 & 7

These should follow the same plan as for day 4. Ideally you will take at least as many days to break the fast as the number of days you fasted. This will take you to the end of week one (3 days of fasting and 4 days of raw foods) plus the 2 days of preparation at the beginning.
 

SECOND WEEK (DAYS 8 - 14)

The aim of this week is to gradually re-introduce some cooked foods, but to still totally eliminate all foods of animal origin as they are the most toxic and clogging to the system. In this second week you will continue to eat at least half of your food raw. Small amounts of grain may be eaten but wheat should be avoided as it is hard to digest even if you are not allergic to it.

 
FOODS TO AVOID

Milk, butter, cheese, eggs, yoghurt, meat and all meat products, sugar and anything containing added sugar, salt, coffee, tea (except herbal kinds), soft drinks, chips, candies, canned or frozen foods, cakes and pastries, bread, alcohol and anything that is not completely natural.
 

SUGGESTED MEAL PLAN:

Breakfast: Fresh fruit salad OR Power Blend * OR porridge * OR muesli *. Fruit juice or herb tea to drink.

Lunch: Potassium broth * sprinkled with ground nuts or nutritional yeast. Rice cakes or rye crackers spread with tahini or bean spread. Mixed salad with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. Fruit juice or herb tea . 

Evening meal: A selection of lightly steamed vegetables (including at least 2 green leafy ones and 1 orange or red or yellow one). Sprinkle them with olive or flax oil or tahini and herbs. Follow this with a mixed salad. Plain brown rice, millet or buckwheat may also be eaten at this meal. Fruit may be eaten for dessert. Fruit juice or herb tea to drink.

If you prefer you may eat your lighter meal in the evening and the steamed vegetables at lunch. Towards the end of this week you may introduce well- cooked beans. Continue to take your supplements and herbal remedies.
 

THIRD WEEK (DAYS 15 - 21) [OPTIONAL]

This is basically a repeat of week 2 with the addition of a little more protein food and, if you wish, some animal products. Yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, beans and soya milk may be eaten as well as a little butter. You should still avoid milk, margarine, sugar, salt, coffee, tea, alcohol and all processed foods. Meat and meat products are not recommended although a little fish and grain-fed chicken is acceptable. Continue to eat lots of raw foods and lightly steamed vegetables and steer clear of rich sauces and dressings. If you are not allergic to it you may begin to eat some wheat again, although it should be kept to minimum.

By the end of the third week you should be feeling really good with clear skin, regular bowels and lots of energy. Now you have to make the effort not to slip back into old ways. The outline for week 3 is really a guideline for an on-going pattern of healthy eating. This doesn't mean you can never enjoy an ice-cream or a chocolate bar or a cup of coffee again, but the key word is MODERATION. If your basic diet is good then your body will have the resilience to allow you to have other foods occasionally. Your body will have become sensitized by the cleansing process so listen to it and don't eat items which you know are going to upset you.

If you do splurge and eat too many of the wrong foods, or if you just feel like detoxifying a little every once in a while then you can use this basic cleansing plan as a guideline and adapt it to suit your needs. The program is not "all or nothing". If, for example, you cannot fast then simply start right in at 'day 4' and eat raw foods for a week before continuing onwards to 'Week Two'. Many people find that it is useful to do 1 week of raw foods per month or 1 day of fasting per week and so on. Use your own judgement as to how much and how often is best fro you.

With various modifications thus dietary program can be made to work for anyone. For example a person with systemic candidiasis (yeast infection) would find much benefit from following the program using vegetable juice and then strictly avoiding fruits in the later stages of the diet. A person with Crohn's Disease would probably be best to follow the brown rice diet while a person with considerable liver congestion should do the vegetable juice fast. Thus the program can be adapted to meet the needs of the individual.