Simple 1 week cleansing program

If you have ever wanted to try fasting or thought about detoxifying your system, then this blog post is for you. The process of cleansing or detoxifying your body by fasting dates back hundred’s of years and is practiced in both Chinese and Naturopathic medicines.
An effective cleansing program targets two important organ systems, the liver (for detoxifying) and the colon (for elimination). This post will take a brief look and some simple steps to taking your body through a 1 week cleanse.

Why cleanse?

Cleansing and detoxification encourages the body’s natural internal processes which eliminate toxins from our system so that we can feel our best. The standard American diet (SAD) is full of processed foods, sugar and poor quality meats and fats. Colon cancer is becoming more prevalent and is caused by poor diet and poor bowel health.
In any cleansing program, diet and exercise should be emphasized in order to ensure optimal results. I will present a simple 1-week cleansing program. Give it a try and see how you feel.

Simple 1 week detoxifying program

Fasting may be a useful way to detoxify but it can be challenging for the average person who has work and family responsibilities. A cleansing diet can be very beneficial and easier to perform. A cleansing diet is not as stressful for the body as fasting can be. I will give you a list of foods to consume and foods to avoid. I will also give you a list of supplements to take and how they can help your body detoxify.

In a later post I will show you the “Master Cleanse” fast that you have heard much about. I will also later post the different benefits of juicing certain fruits and vegetables. Assuming that you DO have a juicer (we own a Breville). So now on to the very simple guidelines to follow for your 1 week cleansing and detoxifying program.

What you can eat

Cleansing foods that you can eat include: steamed vegetables, raw vegetables, organic beef broth, raw vegetable salads, fruit and raw natural juices. Some people may be able to consume low amounts of cooked whole grains but these may be better if avoided. You should be sipping good water (reverse osmosis or distilled) throughout your day. You body eliminates waste products in a water medium.

What you cannot eat

It may be very hard to not eat these foods. But do not forget, this is a 1 week program. You are free to return to your unhealthy diet after 1 week of following this program. Here’s a list of what you should avoid: sauces, oils (except olive), flour products, baked goods, pasta, bread, packaged juices, soda, milk, processed meats, unprocessed meats, sugar (and anything made with added sugar) and anything that could exist in your food closet without spoiling.

Exercising during a cleansing program

Exercise is also a very important part of any cleansing program. You should exercise at least 3 to 5 times this week. You should exercise hard enough to break a sweat. Keep your exercise intensity moderate to high and the duration of your exercise at about 30 minutes or less. Your body may have a hard time exercising while you are cleansing. So don’t worry about the quality of your workouts, break a sweat and be sure to stay hydrated. You should be sipping water throughout your day so don’t forget that.
Herbs for your 1 week cleanse

The herbs Psyllium and Cascara Sagrada are the two most widely used remedies in colon cleansing programs. Psyllium is categorized as a bulk laxative that will help cleanse your intestines. Cascara Sagrada is used as a bowel stimulant to treat occasional bouts of constipation, stimulate the intestine lining and relieve a sluggish colon. Psyllium and Cascara Sagrada are vital components of a good cleansing program. Milk thistle is used to detoxify the liver and to also protect it from harmful environmental toxins. It has been also shown to promote the regeneration of healthy liver cells. Dandelion and Yellow Dock are also used to detoxify the liver.

Your done!

That wraps up a simple 1 week cleansing and detoxifying program. Give it a try and see how you feel.

Toxic Levels of Benzene Found in Soft Drinks

Betweeen 1995 and 2001, FDA tested 24 samples of diet soda for benzene in its Total Diet Study: Nineteen (79 percent) were contaminated with benzene above the federal tap water standard of 5 parts per billion (ppb). The average benzene level was 19 ppb, nearly four times the tap water standard. The maximum detection was 55 ppb, 11 times the tap water limit. Each test result is from a composite of three individual soda purchases in three different cities that are blended together to make one sample. Go to http://www.ewg.org/ for more information.

Test results for other drinks also revealed the presence of highly elevated benzene levels. One cola drink the FDA tested was contaminated at 138 ppb, 27 times the 5 ppb tap water limit, and a fruit drink had 95 ppb. Orange and grapefruit juice also had benzene at levels well above FDA's 5 ppb level of concern.

"These results confirm our suspicions that there are highly elevated benzene levels in some very popular drinks," said Richard Wiles, EWG's senior vice president. "Once again, FDA has sided with big food companies and misled consumers about the problem of benzene in beverages, withholding data and issuing public reassurances that are contradicted by their own test results."

Benzene's toxicity is not in dispute. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Benzene is carcinogenic to humans and no safe level of exposure can be recommended." It is directly linked to leukemia and crosses the placenta to the fetus at levels greater than or equal to the amount in the mother's blood. The chemical is frequently detected in the food supply as a result of industrial pollution, making additional and avoidable exposures of even greater concern.

Environmental Working Groups (http://www.ewg.org/)

On February 24 and February 27, 2006, EWG purchased the following drinks at four major retail outlets in Washington, DC. They all contained ascorbic acid and either sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate—the ingredients that the FDA and the beverage industry have said can mix together to form benzene, a known human carcinogen.

Country Time Lemonade
Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
Diet Pepsi Twist
Diet Pepsi Vanilla
Diet RockStar Energy Drink
Fanta Orange
Fanta Pineapple
Fruit20 Plus 10 Natural Apple
Giant Fruity Punch Cooler
Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red
Hawaiian Punch Lemonade
Hi-C Blast, Orange Supernova
Kool-Aid Jammers Blue-Raspberry
Kool-Aid Jammers Cherry
Kool-Aid Jammers Grape
Kool-Aid Jammers Orange
Lo-Carb Monster Energy
Monster Energy
Pepsi Twist Lemon
RockStar Energy Drink
Sierra Mist
Sunkist
Sunny D
Sunny D Baja Sunny D Intense Sport Cool Punch
Sunny D Orange-Fused Strawberry
Sunny D Smooth
Sunny D Smooth + Calcium
Tampico Citrus PunchTampico Grape Punch
Tampico Tropical Punch
Tropicana Twister Diet Soda (Diet Orange)
Tropicana Twister Soda Grape
Tropicana Twister Soda Orange
Tropicana Twister Soda Strawberry