A healthy body is clean and lean

1.    According to some natural health experts, most people carry excess undigested fecal matter in their colon. The sooner they begin to eliminate it, the better they feel. And when it comes to weight loss, the weight lost through the elimination of fecal matter is weight permanently lost.

2.    Each organ that eliminates waste in the body, can be cleansed. The primary organs that detoxify the body are the skin, colon, liver, kidneys, blood and lymphatics. Body wrap experts report that when cleansing formulas for the liver are started a few days before the body wrap, the inches lost increases at least 20%.

3.    Cleansing formulas often contain herbs and supplements that support the organ that’s being cleansed. Some formulas add herbs or supplements that may contribute to weight loss, such as berberine and green tea.

4.    Our body accumulates chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals or other poisons in fat cells throughout the body. It’s believed that the greater the accumulation of these toxins in the body, the harder it is for the fat cell to break down. That’s one reason why it’s difficult to lose weight.

5.    Cleansing formulas may also contain herbal blends to improve the function of the kidneys, GI tract, gall bladder and liver. This can indirectly assist in weight loss by creating a more healthy system overall.

6.    Cleansing always requires drinking more water than what is usually drank during the day. Experts recommend as little as 1 ounce for every 2 pounds of body weight and as much as 1 ounce for every 1 pound body weight.

7.    When cleansing, it’s important to start detoxifying the skin or colon before any other organ, even though liver cleanses may facilitate greater weight loss.

This is because toxins released from the liver will have no open route to leave the body. They end up getting re-circulated throughout the body, causing headaches, joint aches and pains, fatigue and skin breakouts. Always cleanse the skin or colon first!

The herb contains two types of anthraquinones responsible for its effectiveness: free anthraquinones and sugar derivatives called glycosides. The sugar derivatives are vastly different than corn syrup, sugar, maltose and other dietary sugars added to foods. Free anthraquinones stay in the intestines and cause a bowel movement by temporarily irritating the intestinal wall. The sugar derivatives are absorbed from the intestine and circulate through the blood, heading straight for the nerve center in the lower part of the intestine. Once the sugar derivatives reach their destination, they cause the bowel to evacuate its contents.

Many pharmacists who do not understand herbology report mistakenly that cascara sagrada cannot be taken internally for more than 10 days. However, trained herbalists use the herb combined with other ingredients in effective colon cleansers that are used for sometimes up to six weeks to restore colon function. The herb is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an over-the-counter drug, although natural health practitioners do not use it as a drug, but rather to restore colon function.

In one study done in 1991, patients tested a cascara sagrada natural laxative, a senna laxative and a polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution. There was no difference in results. However, knowing that you can get the same results using an herb rather than a chemical, wouldn’t you rather ‘go herbal’?