Gastrointestinal Tract.
The GI Tract cleanse is intended to cleanse and heal the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. This includes removing growths (e.g., cysts, polyps, adenomas), healing tissue problems (e.g., lesions, ulcerations, fibrosis, diverticulosis, leaky gut), restoring the shape and tone of the intestines to their natural form, restoring the environment of the intestinal tract to its proper balance (e.g., normalising pH, removing detrimental bacteria and building beneficial bacteria, removing excess yeasts (e.g., candida) and other xenobiotics, removing excess mucus build-ups), and generally removing and rebuilding diseased tissue throughout the GI Tract.
The more powerful GI Tract cleanses cleanse and heal most other parts of the body as well. This is due to the combination of the herbs, the short fasts, and the colonics/enemas. These more intensive cleanses should be done only by persons experienced with these techniques unless they are closely supervised by a healthcare professional.
Very simple GI Tract Cleanse Ideas:
There are quite a few ideas that you can try for very simple cleanses. Success (or lack thereof) will vary from person to person. Below are a list of a few ideas for very simple GI Tract cleanses.
Probiotics Supplement + Dandelion Root Tea. A probiotics supplement contains beneficial bacteria that can contribute to the repopulation of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Do not take the probiotics supplement during meals. See the "Probiotics" section for information on choosing a quality beneficial bacteria suppliment. Dandelion root tea can be helpful in cleansing and strengthening the GI Tract and the liver. One reason it is helpful is that dandelion root contains large amounts of inulin which feeds the bifidobacteria in the intestines.
Put one 3/4 ounces (by weight) of cut dandelion root in one pint of water. Add 1/4 ounce of licorice root to reduce bitterness (optional). Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add a few drops squeezed from grated ginger root to the tea (optional). You can store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerater for a few days and reheat when needed.
Have a colonic half way through the cleanse (suggested).
Gastrointestinal Tract - General Cleaning.
1. Beverages. Be certain to get plenty of liquids as directed. Warm liquids such as herbal teas and vegetable broths are preferrable. Cool (not cold) juices are okay from time to time.
2. Colonics/Enemas. Colonics are preferable to thorough enemas. They cost money, but they will be well worth it. I suggest that you get one colonic (or thorough enema) before the pre-cleanse and one after. If there is constipation during the pre-cleanse, you may get a colonic or thorough enema. If this is the case, you may not be taking the correct amount of psyllium shakes, liquids, or herbs. Colonics and thorough enemas are not required, if you are incapable of having this done. If you get a colonic, be certain that the Colon Therapist practices proper hygiene by keeping the office disinfected and using disposable tips or autoclaves. Please bear in mind, one is not recommending that colonics and/or enemas should become a regular part of your lifestyle or that it is necessary to use these techniques on a regular basis until you heal. For the most part, these techniques are used during the cleanse and then healing and strengthening techniques are begun as normal peristalsis returns.
3. Food. With any pre-cleanse, eat a typical, healthy diet, but no meat and much less grains. Eat much more cooked vegetables and more fruit. After the cleanse, slowly work your way back to your normal diet. It's okay to make a few dietetic improvements using some of the ideas in the "Food and Diet" section, but please do not try to change everything at once in order to avoid setting yourself up for intense cravings or other too strict diet-related problems.
4. Herbs and Psyllium/Bentonite It can be tricky to plan the cleanse. This is dependant partially on your weight. Be certain that you have enough supplies before you start the cleanse. Bentonite seems to run out rather quickly. If you are big (180+ lbs. -- 83+kg), you may need an extra bottle of Herbal Nutrition before the cleanse. Be certain to take your mineral supplements. One mineral supplement capsule per day is usually enough. Use any cayenne capsule supplements only during the cleanse and with care as cayenne can be too warming to the system when taken by itself or for extended periods of time.
5. Post-Cleanse. You may need one more colonic or thorough enema during this time. It varies from person to person. Follow the suggestion and/or use the recommended products detailed in the "Probiotics" section. In addition, if you are not sensitive to fermented products such as miso, begin adding small amount of these to your diet.
6. Questions. Any questions should be addressed to your healthcare practitioner. There are many over the counter cleanse programmes available. Buy with caution. Some can be quiet strong! For persons new to cleansing techniques, here are a few precautions and suggestions that you may find helpful:
1. Through Cleanses should only be done by persons who have previous experience with simpler cleanses.
2. If you have never done a juice-fast, you should only perform the full cleanse for 2-3 days instead of the 7 day recommendation. Your cleanse should be supervised by an experienced healthcare professional (e.g., Naturopath, Colon Therapist, etc.)
3. Persons who are in a weakened condition (e.g., AIDS wasting syndrome, severe CFIDS, etc.) should undertake only the more gentle cleanses under the guidance of an experienced professional and concentrate mostly on strengthening and rebuilding techniques.
4. Fasting should usually not be performed by persons with addictions, especially food-related addictions (e.g., anorexia, bulemia, binging, over-eating for emotional reasons, etc.). Your addiction must be well under control before undertaking a cleanse which is this intense.
5. A pH test must be performed before deciding to begin the cleanse. Do not perform this cleanse unless you pass the pH test.
Cleanse Summary. The Ultimate Cleansing Program is a 7-day fast/cleanse followed by an optional 7-week maintenance program. During the fast, you can drink diluted juices, herbal teas, and vegetable broths. In addition, quite a few supplements are taken including a "green" drink, niacin, wheat germ oil, vitamin C, Pancreatin tablets, beet tablets, dulse tablets, psyllium husk powder, bentonite clay, Calphonite (you can use your favorite Calcium/Magnesium supplement instead), and apple cider vinegar. Additional activities include daily skin brushing (see Skin Cleanse), two thorough enemas (or colemas) per day or one colonic, and slant board exercises. The day before the cleanse you will need a small amount of olive oil as well as an herbal laxative. Optional add-ons to the cleanse include daily yoga and/or meditation, abdominal massage, breathing exercises to loosen the diaphragm area, plenty of support, nurturing/relaxation, and enjoyment. After the cleanse, the beneficial bacteria should be replaced orally. I suggest you follow the suggestion and/or use the recommended products detailed in the "Probiotics" section. In addition, if you are not sensitive to fermented products such as miso, begin adding small amount of these to your diet. Note the following:
Fasting/Hunger During any cleanse, you will be getting nutrients from the juices, broths, teas, and herbal supplements. A 7-day fast does not mean starvation. Thousands of people have safely performed fasts of over two weeks. You may experience times of hunger, especially during the first three days.
The following ideas may help you through those times:
a) Be certain to get sufficient amounts of liquids, including juices, teas, broths, and water.
b) Take your psyllium/bentonite shakes on time and with the instructed amount of liquids.
c) H.A.L.T. It is important to avoid getting too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. Remedy these situations long before they cause you to want to reach for the food.
d) Spend time doing relaxing, enjoyable activities.
Post-Cleanse. It is very important to end the cleanse by slowly increasing the food intake over a period of two or three days. Persons who have food addictions or tend to eat during emotional situations may have enormous difficulty with this period of time. The tendency will be to binge. That is why it is crucial for such people to have their addiction/emotional eating issues well under control before beginning this cleanse. You may have to continue to use a herbal laxative for several days before normal peristalsis begins to return. You may need one more colonic or thorough enema (plus additional beneficial bacteria) during this time. It varies from person to person. Be certain to go through at least one or two bottles of beneficial bacteria supplements over the next few weeks. Taking lactobacillus bifidus after the cleanse is helpful. In addition, if you are not sensitive to fermented products such as miso, begin adding small amount of these to your diet.