A natural order - Superficial & Deep cleansing

Detoxification in the new millennium should ideally begin slowly, so allowing the body's superficial eliminatory organs (skin, lymphatics, intestines) to adapt to the cleansing programme, releasing toxins gradually and in a manageable fashion. In TCM when a person is 'deficient' or fatigued, creating a shock with a complete new (and potentially alien) dietary regime can lead to greater weakness. So considering the wisdom of the Chinese approach, initially it is important to ensure that the qi (energy) is strong enough for the body to undergo a cleansing regime. Therefore the first Level must allow the body to adapt gradually to new foods with the objective being to nourish and support the body, while reducing dietary stressors.

Popular cleanses today tend to focus around a quick weekend detox, a seven day programme based around a high raw fruit and vegetable intake, or fruit only cleanses that has been adapted from a naturopathic regime. Whilst raw foods are known to be very good cleansers and certainly have a role to play in detoxification, they are not always the most appropriate way to start a cleansing programme as today, we are generally carrying more toxins and have higher stress levels than our ancestors. So, unless you already consume large amounts of raw foods, changing from a typical western diet to one of raw fruits can swing your body into 'shock cleansing'.

Our body is equipped with organs of elimination that all work together almost like a relay team that has a natural, sequential order. The spleen and stomach enhance and support digestion prior to the next leg involving elimination where the lungs, colon, lymphatics and skin take the baton and in the final stretch, the kidneys and liver take over to complete cycle of detoxification. If any one of these organs is running below par due to being over-burdened, it will put a strain on the other members of the team as they will naturally attempt to compensate in the race to maintain 'homeostasis' or a perfect state of equilibrium. If you constantly push your body to the limits and are malnourished, then at some stage your exhausted body will no longer be able to compensate and retain homoeostasis and thus will respond by producing symptoms of some kind.