Natures Great

How to Cleanse

Cleansing is beneficial when you have knowledge of how to do it and what to expect. Cleansing gives the body time to rest and assists with the removal of toxins. Your body has a natural way of cleansing out toxins. The kidneys, liver and intestines both assist with eliminating toxins from the body. But because there are high levels of toxins in the environment, it is beneficial to cleanse your body with herbs and foods.

People are subjected to toxins on a day to day basis, some more than others, depending on the person's life-style habits. Toxins come from the air we breathe to the cleaning products we use. Most pesticides are known to be carcinogenic, so it is best to buy organic foods, especially when you are cleansing. Perfumes and laundry detergents have harmful ingredients including phthalates, which are used to lengthen the life of the fragrance (2). Some people try their best to limit their exposure to toxins. But since there are some toxins that we can't avoid, it is best to give our body an extra hand in cleansing out the toxins. Your body is naturally aware of what you need and sometimes your body gives you warning signs that you need to cleanse.

It would be beneficial to cleanse even if you aren't showing signs of needing to cleanse. Cleanse simply to recharge your body and rid your body of toxins. However, some people show more outwardly signs of needing to cleanse. Some of these signs include fatigue, headaches, skin problems, bad breath and poor digestions (3). Starting a cleanse is something that you need to plan for and commit to.

One thing to keep in mind while cleansing is to start out slow. Give your body time to adjust to the change. You can start out with less than the recommended dose and work your way up. During a cleanse, it is best to eat foods that will assist in the cleansing of your body, which include fresh fruit and vegetables. If you are not already on a gluten free diet, it would be recommended for you to avoid eating gluten-containing grains while on a cleanse. Additionally, eating light meals instead of heavy ones gives your digestive system a break and allows your body to focus more on detoxing. 

Fasting is not necessary while you cleanse, but you can maximize your chances of cleansing out more toxins by replacing breads and pasta-based meals with salads and steamed vegetables. Try brown rice and steamed vegetables drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

While what you ingest during a cleanse is a very important factor, so is exercising. Be kind to your body and choose exercises that are gentle on the body but stimulate the lymph system. By stimulating the lymph system, you are assisting in the removal of toxins. Yoga, rebounding and light walking are great choices. 

More questions? Just ask us! Click on the Contact Us link on the left side of the page and we would be glad to assist you. 

And remember, cleansing is designed to rid the body of toxins. If you start to feel sluggish and achey, those are signs that the cleanse is working. If it begins to interfere with your normal activity level, you can reduce your dosage until you work up to a higher dose.

Recommended products:

• CleanStart Apple/Cinnamon (14 Day)

• CleanStart Wild Berry (14 Day)

This cleanse supports natural waste elimination and improves overall health and energy.

• Dieter's Cleanse (14 Day)

This cleanse was formulated with weight management in mind.

• Para Cleanse (10 Day)

This cleanse was designed to promote cleansing of the intestinal system while creating an uninhabitable environment for parasites.

• Tiao He Cleanse (15 Day)

This is one of the most popular and recommended cleanses. It targets the intestinal and digestive systems to promote whole body cleansing.

Below is a list of products that would be beneficial to take during a cleanse. For example, digestive enzymes will help support the digestive system.

• Proactazyme Plus

An enzyme complex to aid in digestion.

• Lymphatic Drainage

This product aids in the drainage of the lymphatic system. Toxins can build-up and the lymph system can become clogged.

• Thai-Go Drink

This product enhances the immune system and promotes energy. It would be beneficial while cleansing because it supports the immune system and provides antioxidants.

Green Lemonade

Jump start your cleanse with one of our recommended "green smoothie" recipes!

Place in your Vitamix or other high-powered blender:

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 5-6 leaves of spinach or kale
• juice of 1-2 lemons
• 2-3 fuji apples, sliced in half with stem removed (3 makes it sweeter)

(1): Cleanse Your Body the Safe Way

(2): How to Avoid Environmental Toxins

(3): Cleanse Your Body

Heart Health

If you've heard that garlic can enhance the health of your cardiovascular system, then you are right. Garlic improves circulation and enhances the immune system. Studies have shown that garlic lowers bad cholesterol and also lowers high blood pressure (1). Furthermore, there are other factors to consider for improving heart health: including diet and exercise.

A diet high in fiber and essential fatty acids along with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables will naturally promote a healthy cardiovascular system. Essential fatty acids are particularly important for heart and brain health. Kathryn Brooks, Iridologist, says "essential fatty acids are so important to overall health, but most people lack them in their diet."

One way to include these important oils in your diet, besides supplementing, is to eat foods that contain omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9. Hemp seeds contain the perfect balance of omega 3 and 6. Trace amounts of omega 9 can also be found in hemp seeds. To boost your levels of Omega 9, cook with olive oil. Another way to include olive oil in your diet is to make homemade salad dressing with olive oil as the base. Avocado is also a great source of Omega 9 (2). Eat your way to good cardiovascular health by eating salads with lettuce, spinach, olives and hemp seeds. To benefit overall body health, drink plenty of water and include exercise in your daily routine.

Your heart benefits from aerobic exercise, strength training and yoga. To maintain heart health, it is recommended to participate in aerobic exercises 20-30 minutes a day for 3-4 days of the week.This includes biking, walking and water aerobics (3). Laughing, relaxing and remembering to appreciate life also goes a long way to helping your heart.

Recommended products:

• High Potency Garlic

This product promotes healthy circulation and enhances the immune system while lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

• Blood Pressurex

This product contains antioxidants and helps to support and maintain healthy blood vessels.

• Super Omega 3 EPA

This product promotes a healthy cardiovascular system while protecting cell membranes.

Sources:

(1): Benefits of Garlic in Heart Disease

(2): Health Benefits of Omega 9

(3): Exercise to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Our New Site

We have revamped our web site in order to serve you better. We hope to continue to assist you in your journey to better health. Feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have.

It can be hard to adjust to a newly designed web site. For present as well as future customers, look to the right hand side of the web site, under "Click to order" and you will see an image that you can click to order Nature's Sunshine products.

We will bring you information and helpful products for everyday ailments as well as chronic conditions. We hope you visit our web site regularly. Below this is our first article on health. It details healing your digestive tract, focusing on Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance.

-Kathryn & Heather

Help to Heal Your Gut

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease. If a person with celiac disease ingests gluten, the result is damage to the small intestines. Because damage to the small intestines occur, malabsorption is also usually present. According to Entero Lab, everyone in America should be tested for celiac disease.

Celiac Disease is twice as common as Crohn's, ulcerative colitis and cystic fibrosis combined. There has been many myths about celiac disease. The symptom of celiac disease was once thought to be just diarrhea. We now know that everyone experiences the symptoms differently, and there is also Silent Celiac Disease, where no obvious symptoms are present.

There are many symptoms and each person is different. You may experience skin rashes, digestive problems, headaches, irritability, joint pain, fatigue, tingling and numbness in arms and legs, and unexplained anemia. Those are just a few.

Furthermore, Celiac Disease is often misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The treatment for Celiac Disease is a life long adherence to a gluten free diet. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and other wheat hybrids such as Spelt and Kamut.

To be effectively diagnosed, we recommend being tested through Entero Lab. They can do both a stool and a gene test. Since Celiac Disease is genetic, if someone in your family has it, then everyone in your family should be tested for it - regardless as to whether any obvious symptoms are present.

When I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Kathryn started me on a protocol of Nature's Sunshine products to help heal and sooth my digestive tract.

Probiotic Eleven: Supports digestion and increases friendly bacteria in your digestive tract.

Slippery Elm: Coats the digestive tract and helps to absorb toxins in the digestive tract.

Chamomile: Calms nerves and eases digestive upset.

Intestinal Sooth and Build: Helps to sooth and restore the digestive tract. (^{_{HIGHLY RECOMMENDED}})

Intestinal Sooth and Build was a life saver. My digestive tract was very inflamed and irritated. It took a while for me to be able to digestive foods without discomfort and the Intestinal Sooth and Build helped tremendously. 

Source (10 Facts About Celiac Disease).

-Heather