Our health does not stand still; it either improves or degenerates. More people are suffering from comorbidities, or multiple conditions, and detoxification is one of the major ways to heal from these conditions. Detoxification is a releasing of the negative or toxic from the physical, emotional or mental body and developing a positive or life-sustaining body, feeling or thought.

The conditions we have are a result of toxins accumulating in our bodies from the environment, air, water, diet, electronics and trauma. We take action and adopt a detoxification lifestyle to heal. We transform cell by cell, thought by thought and feeling by feeling.

A principle of detoxification is to understand the cause of our conditions and take action to remove the causes, according to Mark Hyman, M.D., a member of the Institute for Functional Medicine. Given that our gastrointestinal (GI) system is considered the source of the problem, Campbell-McBride, M.D. writes that the goal is to heal and seal the gut wall and reseed the good microbes. She does this through nutrition and detoxification. Surprisingly, 80 percent of our immune system is in our GI tract, so healing our gut is healing our immune system.

Some methods to use for detoxifying are hydration; hydrotherapies; juicing; herbs; oral cleanses of bowel, liver, kidney and parasites; chelation; infrared sauna; exercise; fasting; and intermittent fasting. Some of the major hydrotherapies are colon hydrotherapy, enemas, coffee implants, detox bathing, mineral and hot springs and sweating.

It’s a good idea to cleanse the bowel first, as it makes cleansing more comfortable. Then one can progress to the liver, kidney, parasites and lymph. Bowel cleansing and hydration continue throughout detoxification, as it may reduce “cleansing reactions” such as headaches, rashes, fatigue and bloat, as well as prevent re-absorption of toxins through the gut walls.

The direction of the diet is toward higher fat, lower carbohydrate, fermented foods, probiotics and eating “real food”. The direction of detoxification is to be fully who we are and manifest individual greatness.

Sheila Shea is Director of the Intestinal Health Institute. She is national board certified in Colon Hydrotherapy for 40 years and a certified GAPS Practitioner. Connect at 520-325-9686, [email protected] or IntestinalHealthInstitute.com. See ad, page 26.