The Fundamentals of an Internal Environment Cleanseby Charles Poliquin Before I even get started, I want to be clear in how I define a cleanse. It is the process of improving or increasing the body's ability to remove toxins from your internal environment. I'm not talking about colonic therapy and I'm not talking about joining Hollywood celebrities at a posh detox center. A cleanse involves reducing the amount of toxins coming into the body and increasing the amount of toxins leaving the body. Another component of a cleanse is to reduce the amount of toxins your body creates which requires adequate nutritional support. In order to accomplish this, I have become a big fan of Dr. Robert Rakowski's agressive 7-day Cleanse with a few of my own modifications added in. There are many ways to modify this protocol which are beyond the scope of one article, so I'll just cover the fundamentals here. The modifications are taught at my Biosignature 2 seminars. The basics of this cleanse are quite simple. For seven days you will have unlimited consumption of medical food powders with unlimited consumption of one different green vegetable per day—all other food sources are eliminated for seven days. What you remove from your intake is just as important as what you are eating. By that I mean that you won't be exposed to additional toxins and triggers. You need to eliminate your intake of wheat, soy, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, etc. This gives the G.I. a chance to rest and repair and it lessens the toxin load on the liver and kidneys. To say this program works is an understatement. When I've done the 7-day Cleanse in the past I have seen great improvements in pain levels, stiffness, mental clarity, gastrointestinal function and energy levels. The beauty of the program is that you can see great changes in so many areas. I prefer to rotate my medical foods throughout to focus on different systems and to avoid taste fatigue. You can focus on liver one day, estrogen another, inflammation another, heavy metals next and then repeat. Because the program is based on unlimited consumption, you should not go hungry. Remember, this is not a fast. Extended fasts just eat up muscle tissue and liver glycogen in an attempt to fuel the body. During an effective cleanse, we're upregulating both phase I and phase II liver function. Remember, phase II is especially dependent upon amino acid availability. If phase II is not adequately supported, your body will destroy hard-earned muscle mass in an effort to supply amino acids. Programs that only support phase I actually create more toxins and free radicals. In addition, my medical foods are designed to alkalize the urine which improves the kidneys’ ability to excrete toxins. Expect to drop bodyfat as well. As fat cells break down, toxins sequestered in the lipid bi-layer will be released and detoxified. This can have a profound effect on improving cellular communication and function. This is one of the ways that this program can affect so many different body systems. This program works for the sick client as well as those who are just feeling a little run-down. It’s time for a little spring cleaning—give the 7-day Cleanse a try. Suggested medical food powders include: |
