 |
Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms |
|
|
|
|
|
||
| Cleansing
with Foods by Judith Cobb, MH, CI, RNCP, ICCE, CLEAR Join our resident health guru as she discusses her beliefs on cleanses. Her approach is different than most, but she has had success with this process. Tune in for more information.. |
||
|
|
||
|
|
I
will admit to be a bit of a rebel in the holistic healing world. When a
new client comes in I do not automatically recommend an herbal cleanse or
a fast. I prefer to take a few appointments to work slowly and methodically
with dietary changes and a few well-chosen supplements to begin to alter
the chemistry of the body very gently. Cleansing is a labor-intensive activity.
If a body is not well supported then doing too stringent of a cleanse can
cause the loss of vitality, stress and further weakening of organs, and
produce results exactly opposite to what was being sought originally.
In working with foods as cleansing agents it is important to take into consideration not only the condition of the body, including stressed, weakened, or malfunctioning organs, but also the season, the weather, and the climate. Indeed, the season, the weather, and the climate should all be considerations in our everyday choices of foods.
I live in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. We usually say, with our tongues planted firmly in our cheeks, that we have nine months of winter and three months of bad sledding. While this is an exaggeration it does help to define the climate differences that exist. Many books about cleansing are written in California, Florida, or Hawaii. Those climates produce fruits and vegetables that are very different from what we grow here and may be different from what grows in your climate, too. Any fruits and vegetables that are produced both there and here usually come at different times of the year. As you study this article you will need to think critically about what grows in your climate and when it grows in your climate. Your daily diet and cleansing programs should use foods that are in their proper season of harvest and proper storage life.
|
|
|
|
The earliest
springtime fruits and vegetables in your climate will usually be cleansing
in nature. Vegetables that are harvested in the heat of the summer are usually
cooling. Autumn harvested vegetables will begin the winter building process,
and vegetables that store well in a root cellar are the builders and heat
generators. By using vegetables in their natural season and their proper
climate we will reap the benefits of a natural cycle of building and cleansing.
Think about the following list of fruits and vegetables. Do they grow in your climate? If they do you can usually consider them a helpful food in their natural harvest season. If they don’t grow in your region, you may be able to use them for a short period of time as a part of a food fast/cleanse.
In a food fast/cleanse, the client is careful to choose foods that are healthful. Consuming primarily vegetables for one to two weeks, while focusing on climate based cleansing vegetables, is a fabulous way to rest the digestive tract somewhat, cleanse tissues, and lay a foundation for building and strengthening the body. If fruits are used they should not be taken with the vegetables, and should be climate based. Whether the vegetables and fruits are cooked or not will depend on the weather and the strength of the digestive tract. Always cook (steam) the vegetables or fruits in cool or cold weather or if the gastro-intestinal tract is compromised in any way. In hot weather and with a strong gastro-intestinal tract the vegetables and fruits may be eaten raw if desired. I also believe, as the result of my work with clients that food fasts/cleanses should be done with whole foods and not with juices. Whole foods have a balance that is destroyed when juicing occurs. Vital fibre and nutrients are discarded. Juices may be more beneficial for severely weakened people but dosage and choice of juice must be carefully monitored.
Using Dr. Bernard Jensen’s writings as a guide I would like to look at several foods that have cleansing properties. Again, as you study this list, ask yourself if this food grows in your climate. Foods that do not grow in your climate may be used for short periods of time to aid in cleansing, but it is my opinion that the best cleansing uses foods from the client’s climate.
1 2 next page->
|
|
|
© 2003 All Rights Reserved
Contact Us to Request Reproduction in whole or in Part. |
||
