Archive for November, 2009
Candida albicans is a diploid fungus that typically coexists in a balanced state along with other bacteria. This can often be found in the intestines, the throat, and even the genital tract. Candida in and of itself is not harmful to the body and It also has a lot of important functions such as eliminating and killing off bad or harmful bacteria in our body.However, if it’s determined that you need to remove candida, then a proper natural colon candida cleanse is what needs to be done. Refrain from taking any antibiotics or medications ad this will often exacerbate the problem, and in fact provide fuel for the candida. In this article, I’ll will go over a basic natural candida cleanse, and with persistence and proper treatment, this can be taken care of.
You need to have a colon cleanse to help kill the harmful fungi and replace that inside your gut with beneficial bacteria through the use of probiotic supplementation. Here is the regimen you should use:
1. Have regular colon cleansing for about 2-3 months:
This first step is very important because in order to first destroy the candida, we must cleanse our bowels through colon cleansing. This is because if your colon is clogged and backed up, and it’s also filled with toxins, none of the anti-fungal needed to get to your intestinal tract will get their efficiently if at all, and example of this anti-fungal would be Oregano Oil. There are many ways to cleanse your colon but for candida sufferers, a great choice would be Dr. Natura’s Colonix Program. It’s considered to be one of the best, and most complete programs you can buy at the moment. This product has both a colon cleanser and a parasite cleansing agent in Paranil, and KleriTea to help aid in digestion. Although this product has gotten great user reviews, I recommend you look up reviews for yourself for any product first however.
2. Taking Anti-Fungal Supplementation
Be sure you take a good anti-fungal medication such as oregano oil or an equivalent for about two weeks, The specific details and instructions should be listed right on the label as needed. You generally want to start out taking no more than one capsule per day for the first 3-4 days and gradually move up the dosage amount to taking 5-7 capsules per day, spread out through the day. I personally recommend using Oregano Oil, but there a variety of others that you can use as well, these include caprylic acid, or Threelac products. The reason I suggest using oregano oil is its not only easily available but it seems to have the best success rates as well.
3. After about 2 weeks of step 2, you should consume high grade probiotic’s such as Latero-Flora, or Garden of Life’s Primal Defense. Remember to follow the instructions because candidiasis is caused from the proportion of candida to beneficial bacteria being out of balance so increasing the more healthy bacteria to your intestinal tract by taking in high quality probiotics will really help to correct this imbalance and set things straight. When 4 weeks has ended, I suggest your repeat the first two steps mentioned earlier and take an additional 2 weeks of the anti-fungals like the oregano oil, and then 2 subsequent weeks of high grade probiotics.
4. Make sure the each day you’re taking a colon cleaning fiber-rich shake, this can be a Psyllium Husk & Bentonite Clay shake or Oxypowder as well. Some folks like to also put in anti-fungals as well into their various fiber shakes –and this is something I highly recommend as this is in fact a fantastic idea as it can only help and strengthen what you doing. This is what you can do: when you have finished making your anti-fingal/fiber-rich shake, be sure to add in a teaspoon or so of liquid, Oregano Oil, caprylic acid, or even grapefruit seed extract.
Make sure if you are able to do rebounding. What this essentially is, is when you start jumping, on a trampoline for example, or something similar- this will help flush out the various toxins and poisons from your lymphatic system, this way we can avoid having to experience die-off effects from a candida cleanse diet.
What is the most Essential part of this program?
Truly, to heal yourself the quickest and most efficiently you need to do all the steps outlined. However, having said that, to the surprise of many, it’s the colon cleansing that does the most not the “candida cleansing” aspect. You cannot take probiotics and anti-fungals alone and expect results because your colon is still gunked up with toxins and mucoid plaque, those are complimentary treatments to the candida colon cleanse which does the main brunt of the work, only then should you use the addition
Sometimes you’re not looking to do an entire cleansing system or your just looking to tackle general lethargy or sluggishness and you feel cleaning yourself out once in awhile just might do the trick, well the good news is that there are tons of simple and effective mini total cleanse detox remedies and tips that’s can help alleviate the issue your trying to deal with. As always I recommend using organic and fresh fruits and vegetables when tackling any of these issues which are mostly dietary, and always be sure to filter your water, or buy tested and verified bottled water, as tap water is more often than not simply to unsafe to drink in many places and would be counterproductive to what your trying to do.
A great way to combat lethargy and general sluggishness is through the use of natural stimulants like green tea which contain healthy levels of naturally occurring caffeine which is then counter balanced with L-theanine which is also naturally present in green tea. L-theanine acts as an anxiety reducer and mood balancer which can often help normalize the body and reduce the onset lethargy that follows caffeine use, this way you benefit from the energy boost without suffering the ill effects of caffeine.
To combat bloating, juicing is often recommended because it acts as a diuretic, bloating is often the result of excess waste and water retention that comes from bad dietary and physical lifestyle habits. I always recommend in any total cleanse body detox that juicing be a staple of the regimen because of this fact alone. I realize it is counter intuitive to think drinking MORE liquid will lead to a diuretic effect and water waste removal, but there is a reason this ends up actually being the case.
What the body does is essentially “trade” the good fluids for the bad, or more accurately it exchanges the toxins and poisons retained in the fatty areas and watery deposits within the body for the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found within the juice. As a result of this process the toxins along with some of the excess water waste end up being flushed along with them during urination and defecation. This is the primary reason people, especially those in very bad health, seem to urinate more out then liquids they took in, and end up going to the bathroom frequently, this is perfectly normal and a sign that it’s working.
There are lots of different cleanses and body detox programs out there, but much like weight loss itself after the routine or plan is followed, keeping the weight off or in this case the weight and the clean body can be a bit difficult to maintain without knowledge about proper nutrition. The good news is, that following a simple total cleanse diet along with sensible exercise and practices, means it’s more than possible to keep the body in the condition you got it in through a total cleanse program. The core principles of a total cleanse diet are raw foods, juicing, smoothies, and plenty of pure water. Raw foods are so important because of the natural vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and nutrients but also because of the natural fiber which helps keep your colon clean by constantly passing waster efficiently and quickly.
A lot of exotic fruits and fancy ingredients are often associated with keeping the body clean and fit like the acai berry and total cleanse diet staples such as acerola cherry, and mangosteen, but these fruits although healthy and very good for you are not necessarily vital to a total cleanse diet. I generally recommend sticking with fresh fruits that are local for eating, and then using organic frozen fruits like berries and possibly less local varieties of produce for things like making fruit smoothies and ice creams. Drinking these smoothies every morning will give you nearly the entire amount of nutrients and fiber you need for the whole day and will give your body an incredible metabolism boost in the process, plus they keep you full which keeps you from over eating.
I also recommend juicing whenever possible to deliver the nutrients from vegetables you may not either be getting at all or in sufficient amounts. The three core veggies you want to make sure you get in everyday if possible are carrot juice, beet juice, and cucumber juice. If you can manage to add anything else, you can ad apple for sweetness and celery or wheatgrass for extra nutrition. If you cannot juice, only buy organic and non concentrated juice in glass bottles to avoid plastic leeching, and never buy blends or cocktails, just stick to the straight stuff, no added flavors or ingredients. When it comes to other solid foods, for you non vegetarians and non vegans be sure to keep your meat lean and completely cooked, make sure you get it from a butcher, not the grocery store as butchers take much better care of their product as its all they sell, and they keep it in much colder environments thus keeping the meat from spoiling. And for the vegans and vegetarians it goes without saying that a balanced diet of nuts, whole grains, produce, juicing, smoothies, and plenty of pure water will go a long way to keeping your body fit and clean after a total cleanse.
We have all heard the benefits, virtues, and general hype around green tea for many years, as tea in general is the second most consumed beverage in the world, right behind water, and as such, it has been heavily studied in all its various forms but none so much as green tea. A green tea smoothie cleanse is a way to amplify and increase the potency of a normal fruit smoothie or even green smoothie as green tea contains high amount of polyphenols known as catechins which have been excessively studied and shown to prevent oral cancer, lower blood pressure, help speed up the fat burning process and act as a great metabolism booster even while at rest, the latter of which can really help speed up the weight loss portion of a green tea smoothie cleanse or any cleanse for that matter.
You might be thinking though, green tea is TEA, so how can it go into a smoothie without using brewed tea as a water base or maybe simply mixing it in? Well green tea is such a staple in countries such as Japan that green tea is sold, used, and made in more ways then what many in the west realize. One of these ways is in the form of what is known as “Matcha”. Matcha has been used for centuries in Japanese ceremonies and this form of tea comes in the form of hand crushed powder, this is an important distinction because as many in the raw foods communities realize all too well, “Consume it raw and whole when at all possible”. A matcha green tea smoothie allows for the consumption of the whole tea leaf, not just the extract which is essentially what tea is, water and tea extract. So in order for anyone to get the complete benefit of the tea leaf, you need to consume it whole, and matcha blended green tea smoothies are one of the best ways to do this.
Because matcha comes in crushed tea leaf powder form it can be added to a green tea smoothie recipe very easily and blended well. You can simply poor hot water into a cup and stir to make incredibly tea, but when combined with a fruit or green smoothie, green tea has synergistic effect and ends up boosting the functions of all the contents in the smoothie mix. Matcha latte drinks, foods, and yes smoothies are very popular in Japan which is a very health conscious country, and this kind of smoothie is only starting to gain traction in the west.
One fact that will really drive home why the matcha form of green tea is one of the best forms is this simple fact that many do not know about: Match green tea in particular is exponentially more powerful than standard green tea, especially in its brewed from, and has about 70 times the antioxidants of orange juice, and is even higher then blueberries as well-one of the most potent of super fruits. Matcha also contains high amounts of chlorophyll as well which have been shown to be vital for good health, it’s this high chlorophyll content that gives matcha its distinctive bright green appearance. Remember, green tea contains EGCG which is one of the most powerful immune system boosting substances known to man right now; it also is one of the strongest natural anti-cancer agents as well. Matcha green tea contains about 137 times more EGCG than regular forms of green tea! So next time you make a smoothie be sure to do a matcha green tea smoothie recipe, and start living better!
There are many different cleanses out there and different subsets of different combinations of the largest known ways to total cleanse the body, and there are also some basic principles found in every one of them, one of these principles is the diuretic cleanse. A diuretic cleanse is really any cleanse that helps remove excess water/waste from the body; this is not just limited to the colon or digestive system either. Your body can hold within its fat and within its tissue excessive water weight which can not only ad to increased illness but also carry toxins as well. Fluid retention is a very common problem that a lot of people, especially those who have lived a rather unhealthy lifestyle deal with, and is one of the many factors that contribute too many people’s difficulty in weight loss despite plenty of exercise.
Two of the most common areas to deal with in the body for helping to relieve water retention is the bladder and the kidneys. Your kidneys are especially important here as they play a huge role in your body’s elimination process, and excrete waste in the form of urine. These organs perform the rather complex task of removing toxins and harmful waste from protein metabolism which is then created into urea or uric acid. In addition to those vital roles, they also extract from the lymphatic system and the blood as well used up minerals and other various elements too, this includes waste water- hence a diuretic cleanse helps to stimulate this process in a body that has been nutritionally deficient for a long time. A great and simple formula for cleansing this set of organs is the regular intake of fresh juiced celery juice which is widely known as a natural diuretic. Another daily tonic would be the drinking of freshly brewed dandelion tea, dandelion is also known for being an excellent diuretic but it also is a fantastic source of potassium and acts as a great blood tonic, a urinary tract stimulant which is good for the bladder, and of course a great cleanser for removing excess liquid from the body. Please be sure you include dandelion leaf solids in the tea for a stronger effect.
Dandelion is great as a diuretic cleanse, and is fantastic for stimulating the urinary tract as mentioned above. But there are other great tonics and herbal diuretic ingredients out there as well for urinary and bladder issues. One of these is Bearberry which when used with corn silk has been known to greatly sooth and heal the urinary tract. There are a lot of different tinctures out there so be sure to review the products well and ask others who may be taking it or have before purchasing any product. Another one of the really great diuretic herbs to help in this area is Cleavers which can really round out the overall herbal approach mentioned above. Make sure that along with a diuretic cleanse you are also getting fresh veggie and fruit juice along with a healthy diet, and don’t rely on the cleanse or a diuretic herb alone as you also need vitamin B6 which supports kidney function, but you also need reasonable amounts of magnesium and potassium too the latter of which is really great at balancing out high levels of sodium which often lead to excess water retention.
Cleansing can be done a variety of ways, and through a variety of systems and programs. Generally cleansing is done by taking a natural laxative and flushing a large portion of the waste stuck in you colon out of your system which then allows for not only better digestion but also the absorption of nutrients you would receive through diet and cleansing agents as well. This delivery system is usually through juice, and it can either be through the process of selecting fresh fruits or vegetables and juicing them through a machine, or buying organic not from concentrate bottled juices and using that as an alternative to the preferred method of juicing.
This form of body detox or colon cleansing can sometimes be too much for certain people to take, and they may need to start out slower and build up to a juice fast or juice cleanse as it were. This alternative method is known as the green smoothie cleanse. A green smoothie cleanse is just as it sounds its mostly a mostly green fruit smoothie because you add greens to it, such as but not limited to, kale, collard greens, spinage, chard, and other dark leafy greens. Leafy greens are different form standard “vegetables” as they are considered to be a “green” or “leaf” and as such can be mixed with virtually any other kind of food. There are no set rules for what fruits and greens you have to use, and that’s one of the green smoothie benefits, you can mix and match what feels and tastes right for you. A green smoothie recipe I generally recommend is one that consists of mostly berries as the base fruit and kale and spinage as the leafy greens. I advise using frozen fruit for a thicker consistency but fresh is always great too, blueberries, blackberries, aronia berries, and cranberries always make a great and healthy base, along with a banana or two for thickness and sweetness, you have a great fruit smoothie base to ad greens to.
The Reason this cleanse works so well is that you are getting the WHOLE food not just a fraction of it like juicing, and you also get lots of fiber often 10-20 grams or more per glass. This fiber does two things: one, like all fiber, this fiber within the smoothie helps keep you regular and allows your body to naturally do what a laxative does for you. Reason 2, the fiber slows down and evens out the absorption of sugar contained within the fruit, which unlike juice which has no fiber and can spike your blood sugar levels, which can be very dangerous for many. If you are going to try the green smoothie cleanse, and I hope you do, because they are great to do every day, I recommend getting a high powered blender so you can really get an even consistency and so you can also really break down the fibers and unlock the nutrients contained therein. A standard blender simply won’t cut it, and you will likely ruin the blender as a result, the two models or brands I recommend are the vitamix models or my personal favorite-the total blender from blendtec. The total blender is super easy to clean, is very durable, and had automatic smoothie settings so you don’t have to guess what works, it really gets the job down and I highly recommend it.
Have you ever gone to the bathroom only to become bothered by the rather vivid red color of your bowel movements? I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you found it odd or concerning, I know when I first started out and had my first glass of beet juice I had thought I was becoming very ill and bleeding from the inside. However when the cause of this rather odd coloring stems from beets the dark red and almost purple bowel movements along with a darker colored urine are perfectly natural and innocuous; and is sometimes known as “beeturia”.
The reason that beets and bowel movements go hand in hand are seen in the dark shade of reddish purple colors found in your stool because of a variety pigments known as betalain. These collectively in the red and purple beet varieties are known as betacyanins, and as is typical with many darkly colored fruits and vegetables, this is not only a sign of being healthy but also the reasons for the coloring of waste in both fecal form and through urine. The reason you can handle a beet as is, in its natural form, and not have any stained hands, is because these healthy pigments are located within the cell sections known as “vacuoles”, which when chopped into or heated naturally start to “leak”. This is also the case when you simply touch a portion of a peeled beet as well.
Now let’s get to the heart of the matter of beets and bowel movements, what does this have to do with cleansing? Well, beets are one of the best vegetables especially in vegetable form to combat and deal with constipation. Simply munching on these little wonders will give you ample fiber to help pass bowel movements, remember to keep in mind that raw beets have twice the fiber content relative to their cooked counterparts, so if you’re going to munch on these for digestive and cleansing health reasons, just eat them raw, raw is always the way to go with produce of most sorts. However if chewing them doesn’t float your boat, beet juice can be a great alternative, and as such can help with diarrhea since beetroot juice has cleansing properties.
These cleansing properties are big reasons why I include that in nearly my entire total cleanse routines and regimens, as they help clean the liver so that the liver can then go and clean the rest of your body, neat eh? They also deliver a lot of potassium as well which people often lose in bouts of diarrhea. These wonder roots are fantastic at preventing osteoporosis, heart disease, and some cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s and some cancers as well, so eat up or drink up and enjoy those beet juice benefits!
There are a lot of different types of detox programs out there, many use a ton of different exotic fruits and vegetables either because it may sell a product, or give the appearance of a more potent or exotic flavor to a total cleanse product or regimen. While these fruits and vegetables in their most natural form do in fact carry great benefits and nutritional density, they are often too difficult to find raw or fresh, and even rarer to find in organic and untainted states. Having said all that, it may simply be better to use everyday vegetables and fruits for our juice detox plans and needs.
Consider the lowly beet for a moment, it’s cheap, it can be grown in most climates, and you can find it at reasonable prices while staying local and organic. While eating beets is plenty healthful, most will not do this either because you would have to eat too many to gain the benefits or because it simply is unpalatable to most people’s tastes, especially these days. A great solution to this is to Juice, Juicing beets alone to make a cleansing beet juice concoction in and of itself is very potent in helping to clean out the liver and kidneys, thus detoxing your blood. However straight beet juice can upset peoples stomach’s sometimes, so I always advise mixing this beetroot juice with either carrot or cucumber, and if possible both, the added nutrients of the other veggies will synergistically work together with the beet nutrients and enzymes and make everything much more potent then taken by themselves.
Some Beet Juice benefits are that it contains high amounts of Iron which is often lacking in many diets especially vegetarians and vegans as meat eaters often get plenty through meat products which have a tendency to have more bioavailable iron. It is a general rule of thumb that red veggies and fruits are good for the heart in particular, so it’s really easy to remember when shopping, RED=good for the heart, so eat up!
If you don’t have access to a Juicer, I recommend checking out various detox programs and seeing what they offer, but you can also purchase not from concentrate beet juice in organic quality from health food stores. Keep in mind these are typically imports from places like Norway, and are not local, so these bottled drinks won’t have live active enzymes as they have to be pasteurized for safety and storage, and are thus much less effective, hence a detox program may be more appropriate.
