By Fiona Chapman.
As we approach autumn and winter, we should be thinking of how to be as strong and healthy as possible to fight off all the lurgies which seem to surface once schools and colleges go back.
Giving your body the tools to fight off any infection starts with a good detox and September is the time to clear ourselves out, strengthening the immune system and nourishing the blood which feeds all the cells in our body.
Unfortunately doing a good detox does mean you have to give up coffee, alcohol, processed foods, dairy and sugar – but it is not for long and often, if you can do it, your body then does not need it and eating something sweet or processed becomes disgusting! Once all these have been eliminated from the diet, the detox can start.
First is a kidney flush, the juice of a lemon in warm water with cayenne tincture or powder – not much – first thing in the morning for a few days. (I actually do it most mornings as the lemon juice, once through the digestive process, is alkalising to the body).
Next comes a bowel cleanse. Both these are extremely important when detoxing. If you are not getting rid of the toxins and wastes in your body through the bowel or urine, it will be recycled and can become even more harmful, which leads to autotoxaemia, causing all sorts of problems.
The bowel cleanse consists of demulcent powders which protect your mucous membranes and bulk up the stool while stimulating the liver to produce bile and draw out the toxins.
This is run alongside a liver cleanse which is a delicious – I think – drink first thing in the morning which includes apple and lemon juice, garlic and olive oil, followed by a detox tea.
The tea is important as it helps clear the liver and kidneys by having a gentle laxative and diuretic effect but at the same time providing vitamins and minerals for the body.
The ‘tea’ is actually a decoction which contains lots of roots. The root is where the plant stores all its sugars and nutrients and they are only released through cooking, so it needs to boil for a couple of minutes and then simmer for at least 15, the end result being a very pleasant-tasting tea.
The whole process takes about a month, but it leaves the body clean and strong to face the next season.
fiona@packapunchherbs.com