Green Lemonade

In our happy place, “cleansing” or the process of restoring and rejuvenating our bodies, doesn’t usually include much “bathroom” talk.

In reality, the “bathroom” talk is a big part of a successful cleanse. During a cleanse, the body works to tear down all of the “bad stuff” and rebuild it with new material. To make room for that new material, the old crusty gunk (from poor eating and over eating, etc.) needs to leave. And so it goes that….You are not truly cleansing, unless you are “ELIMINATING”.

Learn more from Jenny Nelson, Wellness Specialist & Coach for Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean Program about what kind of “eliminations” to expect on a cleanse. Her specific commentary relates to Dr. Junger’s Clean Program, which I am currently giving a shot for the month of August. (I started on August 1st.) However the principles hold true for any, healthy, whole-foods and juice based cleanse.

Jenny writes…

Cleansing + Constipation

The first few days of the CLEAN program (or any healthy, whole-foods and juice based cleanse program) are often the hardest. Most uncomfortable symptoms, if they occur at all, happen here. For most of us, this new way of eating is a drastic change for our inner chemistry conditions when we go from our regular habits to doing the CLEAN program (which is grounded in eating a lot more naturally cleansing foods including uncooked vegetables and leafy greens) – as it should.

Bloating, gases, abdominal discomfort and constipation ( you are constipated if you are not having 2-3 “movements” a day) are the most common symptoms people experience if any are experienced at all and there are a few reasons why this happens.

1. Die-off.
   Probiotics and herbal antimicrobials (oil of oregano is a good example of a popular herb used to enhance cleansing) work to eliminate the bad bacteria and yeast overgrowth and works to pave the way for probiotics to take over. Sometimes, when the bacteria or yeast begin to die off in large quantities inside our intestines, toxic chemicals are released and can cause those symptoms listed above.




2. Lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
   This condition is probably more frequent than what we suspect. Hydrochloric acid in our stomach depletes as we age, which is why those symptoms are often more common the older we get and why digestive problems increase with age as well. There are digestive enzymes available with hydrochloric acid in them, and those should be tried if you suspect this might be what’s going on with you.




3. Parasites or other resistant squatters. So many people have parasites and never find out- sometimes for decades. Since our bodies adapt, we live with them without any symptoms, but in a delicate balance. When our bodies are toxic and loaded with mucus (which results from poor eating), they become dull to most symptoms and all systems become sluggish. Occasionally someone will detoxify enough that his or her immune system gets jumpstarted. Now alert and active, if there are foreign creatures anywhere, the immune system will mount an attack, and this is when symptoms appear. So it may seem that you were relatively well before and the cleanse made you sick, but the opposite is true. A cleanse like the Clean Program (and in general any good healthy detox grounded in whole foods and fresh pressed juices and smoothies) is really making your body able to tell when something’s amok and the systems begin to awaken and start doing what they’re meant to do, alerting us to invaders! Something to keep in mind, especially if you’ve done some traveling or have had some snuggle time with your dog or cat; no matter how much we love our pets, they can be perfect vehicles for parasites. There are tests available both through doctor’s offices and through the mail if you’re feeling absolutely drained (really low energy no matter what you do and it lasts a long time) and nothing (not any of the below suggestions) ever helps the constipation, gas and bloating issues.

What to do to help relieve constipation

• Eat these foods: cherries, psyllium or flax (note that many people are sensitive to psyllium so only use this if you have in the past and know it works for you), figs (the seeds act like mild laxatives), prunes, pears and grapes (only post cleanse as we’re trying to keep even our natural sugar intake on the low side)
• Drink a full glass of water (room temp or slightly warm with some lemon juice) fairly quickly and within an hour, it usually produces a bowel movement. It also helps if you go for a brisk walk or do some yoga type squats along with this. . .
• Salt Water Flush: rarely fails to work for anyone. . .and the amount of sea salt can be adjusted for every individual so that it should always work. . it just might take some experimentation: In 1 liter of room temp or slightly warm water, stir in 2 teaspoons (and up to 1 tablespoon) of non iodized sea salt and drink fairly quickly. . . it doesn’t taste great and you might need to add some lemon or just “chug” it down, but stay near a bathroom because this sweeps the intestines fairly quickly and gives great relief! Should be done on an empty stomach either first thing in the morning, or if you can’t be near a bathroom for the next hour, you can do it at night, just make sure you haven’t eaten solid food for a few hours prior to it.
• Magnesium is wonderful for keeping you regular, especially if taken before bed. Natural Calm is great for this.
• Swiss Kriss is also found at every health food store (and even supermarkets) and is also wonderful taken before bed (works like a charm) with water
• Eat more raw foods. If on the other hand you do need a lot of fiber, eating more raw vegetables and some fruit in your one meal a day will compensate.
• Drink lots of water, aloe juice, warm lemon tea, green vegetable juices, and you can even try castor oil. Stay hydrated!!! You’ve increased the amount of fiber most likely and will also need to greatly increase the amount of fluids (i.e. water) that you’re drinking to keep things lubricated and to absorb the fiber and keep things moving smoothly along.
• Get moving! Go for a walk, enjoy some mild to moderate exercise (nothing too intense as your body might need some extra rest and recovery time while in cleansing mode), take saunas, alternate between hot and cold water in your shower, get a massage, or acupuncture. Just keep relaxed and calm about it. . as stress is one of the major contributors to constipation. . . so find distractions and don’t worry about a few days of change in bowels, your body will adjust, and those toxins will have another wonderful channel to leave the body!