Cleansing is an ongoing process – we all need to periodically ‘clean-house’ as our bodies and diets change throughout the year. Just as we wash the outsides of our bodies, internal cleansing is an integral part of achieving and maintaining health. This idea of cleansing appears in traditional healing systems throughout the world and in a variety of forms, including Naturopathy, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In natural traditions of healing, the eliminative organs are thought to innately let go of their toxins most easily in certain seasons. The summer is associated with the lungs. It is a time when we take in the fresh air and sunshine after being indoors through a long winter. Unfortunately, many of us suffer from allergies of some type, where our immune systems recognize otherwise inert materials, such as pollen, dust and dander, as potentially harmful substances and initiate a cascade that we recognize as allergies. As such, we need to help the body clear accumulated toxins and rebalance so that we can enjoy a sunny and relatively sneeze-free summer.
Cleansing the Lungs
How do you cleanse the lungs?? A good start is to begin to break-up and decrease the amount of mucus in the body. You do this by reducing the amounts of mucus-forming foods you consume, including ALL cow’s dairy products, processed carbohydrates (i.e., bagels, pasta, and all products that contain flour), sugar, salt and foods containing these mucus forming additives.
Next, we need to break up the mucus you have in your body. You can do this easily by adding unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to warm water (with a little raw honey added for taste) or organic apple juice and sipping on these drinks throughout the day. In particular, you should drink a cup of warm water with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar 15-20 minutes before meals to insure adequate hydrochloric acid production and to improve digestion.
And don’t forget to stay hydrated! Ideally, you should drink 4 oz. of water (that’s only ½ cup) every 20-30 minutes throughout the day. The reason for this is that the body can only absorb about 3-4 oz. of water in that time period; drinking more than that only insures that you will be making many trips to the bathroom. Carry a water bottle with you and take sips off of it throughout the day. This will not only help the body eliminate mucus, it will keep the lungs functioning at their very best.
Another thing you need to do is breathe deeply! We have several deep breathing exercises that you can use throughout your day to keep you breathing deeply. There are other methods to learn how to better utilize your full lung capacity, which speeds the healing process, relaxes the muscles and invigorates the mind; look in your local paper for yoga or meditation classes to help you get started.
Make a conscious effort to breathe deeply several times a day (post-it notes and/or reminder cards conveniently placed on your mirror, phone and car dashboard can make this easy) and be thankful for the ability and the opportunity to enjoy the pleasant summer air.
Following the seasons is as natural as passing time. Our ancestors knew instinctively to do this, as they modified their diet and lifestyle with the changing seasons. We can dramatically improve our health by learning from them and listening to the natural cycles that all life follows. Therapeutic cleanses can and should be initiated anytime throughout the year based on an individuals needs. However, everyone can benefit from the natural cycles our bodies go through by preparing for the change of seasons with the appropriate cleanses. Feel free to contact us if you’d like to learn how you can benefit from these systemic cleanses and get on your way to feeling and being healthier!