Tips For How To Start A Detox Cleansing Program

This week, we've got some helpful articles for you on cleansing and detoxing your body safely and effectively, bringing you back to your optimal health and weight, and getting all your systems functioning properly and efficiently. We're starting off with a guest article from one of our favorite health & fitness experts. Enjoy!

How To Start A Cleansing Program
By Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN & Amy Coates, RHN, BSc.

Fresh vegetables are important components of a healthy diet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A colon cleansing program is the best way to jump start any weight loss routine. This process allows the body to be cleansed of waste that is being stored in the digestive tract. By removing this waste your body is able to better absorb nutrients from the new healthy foods you will be eating. Colon cleansing is also beneficial to people who are regularly fatigued or experience consistent acne problems. The waste that is trapped in our tissues causes bacteria to build up in our skin cells, which leads to acne. The general bogged down feeling comes from the processes in our body being slowed down due to the lack of vital nutrients being absorbed. There are some easy steps to follow before starting any cleaning program.

For someone who can handle jumping right into a new diet plan the first step is a 24 hour fast. By drinking only water and 100% fruit juices for 24 hours you condition your body to begin the journey of detoxification. After the 24 hours you should begin by following a colon cleaning meal plan.

Most people will need to wean themselves off of the current bad addictions they have before starting a colon cleansing program. 

English: Diet Coke Products (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first steps are to slowly cut out sweets, processed foods and alcohol. Replace sweet foods with fruit. The natural sugars in fruit help curb sweet cravings and they are low in calories and full of vitamins and antioxidant properties. Processed foods can be replaced with freshly made foods. If you are a coffee and soda drinker, begin to replace coffee with non-caffeinated herbal teas and coffees. These will help your body restore its natural energy supply back to a healthy level. Soda should be cut out completely. Even diet sodas contain harmful toxic ingredients. One of the main ingredients in diet soda turns into formaldehyde when it mixes with stomach acid! Removing soda completely is one of the best ways to help detoxify your body - it's one of the most unhealthy things you can consume. If you can not handle jumping into a new diet plan then this option is best for you. By weaning your body off of the old foods and onto the new ones, you slowly condition your body to crave healthier foods without shocking it with sudden diet changes. 

Any colon cleansing program can be aided with colon cleaning juices or supplements that are widely available these days. While participating in a wellness cleansing program it is also important to drink lots of water and stay away from any artificial or heavily preserved foods.

To help enhance the results of the plan you need to enhance your digestion. You can do this by taking a good probiotic, eating at regular times throughout the day and by chewing food slowly. It takes approximately fifteen minutes for a body to realize it is full. By eating slow you will be less likely to over eat and will not fill your stomach to the point that it takes a long time digesting. After eating, enjoy a twenty to thirty minute walk. This will also help enhance the digestion process.

Click Here to Learn More About Yuri's Gentle Cleansing Detox Program....

Toxin Alert: The Dangers of Aspartame

When choosing between 150 calories and 0 calories, for many the choice is apparent.  Zero calories sounds a whole lot better - right?  Yet that 0-calorie item may be causing more harm than good.  Aspartame, also known as Equal and NutraSweet, is a toxic food additive with a long and questionable history.  Here are just a few of the dangers of Aspartame.

Birth Defects

aspartame; Asp-Phe methyl ester (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Aspartame is suspected of causing brain damage in sensitive individuals and unborn children may be especially at risk for these effects. Some researchers have suggested that high doses of aspartame may be associated with problems ranging from dizziness and subtle brain changes to mental retardation.

Cancer

Numerous studies on rats have shown a strong link between brain cancer and aspartame.  And while the FDA has approved aspartame for human use, the data is too suspicious.  In fact, in 1981, an FDA statistician commented that the brain tumor/aspartame data was too "worrisome" to recommend approval of NutraSweet. (Nonetheless, it was approved following intense pressure from the food industry - see the documentary "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World" for more info on the story of how the approval was pushed through despite many warnings and adverse results in numerous studies.)

Diabetes

Research has shown aspartame to be a leading agent in developing clinical diabetes (which is especially disturbing since many diabetics and pre-diabetics choose this sweetener over sugar, thinking it's healthier for them).  It has also shown that aspartame causes diabetics to have less control over their condition when they’re on insulin or oral drugs.  It’s been linked to diabetic complications and has been shown to cause diabetic convulsions. 

Emotional Disorders

According to a double blind study of the effects of aspartame on people suffering from mood disorders, aspartame caused a dramatic increase in symptoms.   Additionally, there are numerous reported cases of low brain serotonin levels, depression and other emotional disorders which all link the cause to aspartame. 
In addition to the above listed conditions caused by or worsened by aspartame, the dangers of aspartame reach far and wide. 

Here’s just a few of the many symptoms proven or suspected to be caused by aspartame:
* Seizures
* Dizziness
* Tremors
* Migraines and severe headaches
* Memory loss
* Slurring of speech
* Confusion
* Numbness or tingling of extremities
* Chronic fatigue
* Depression
* Insomnia
* Irritability
* Panic attacks
* Rapid heart beat
* Asthma
* Chest pains
* High blood pressure
* Diarrhea
* Abdominal pain
* Menstrual problems
* Impotency
* Food cravings
* Weight gain
* Hair loss
* Urination problems
* Bloating
* Joint pain

Where is Aspartame Found?

Diet Coke Products (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the Aspartame Information Society, aspartame is consumed by over 200 million people around the world and is found in more than 6,000 products. Aspartame is commonly found in most diet drinks from soda to lemonade and bottled teas.  It’s also found in many food products including yogurt, cereal, ice cream, jams and jellies, maple syrup, pudding and many low sugar candy, gum and mints. Be sure to read the label if you’re trying to avoid the dangers of aspartame.

Simply put, Aspartame, Equal and NutraSweet are toxins.  Your body cannot process them effectively.  This inability to process them causes your body to try to compensate for their presence.  There’s only so much a body can take before it gives out.  When that happens, symptoms appear.  They may begin as whispers like fatigue, headaches and bloating, however as more aspartame is ingested, the symptoms worsen.  The effects, as studies have shown, can be deadly.

For more information on aspartame and related artificial sweeteners, you may want to check out the following resources: