Cleansing

Do you feel like you need to clean your body? Is your energy not as abundant as usual and you‘re not as fully awake as you should be? Is your mind not as clear as it should be?

You get a clearer mind and increased energy by revising your diet and using good herbs that support your body‘s cleansing processes. The main reason behind degenerative diseases and premature aging can be found in a disorder in cellular metabolism and a slower cellular regeneration than normal. This disorder is mainly due to the accumulation of toxins and waste material in the body‘s tissues, something that slows down nutrient absorption and oxygen flow to the cells. If everything is working properly the body cleanses itself automatically.

The following body systems and organs are all a part of the body’s cleansing processes:

• The digestive system
• The kidneys
• The liver
• The lungs
• The lymphatic system
• The blood
• The mucous membrane
• The skin, the largest of them all

It is believed that ⅓ of the body’s waste products leave through the skin. If the skin stops this cleansing process the sweat glands fill up with millions of dead skin cells and uric acid and the rest of the waste remains in the blood. The kidneys and liver are therefore under a lot of strain, something they can hardly handle.

It’s good to do this cleanse for a whole month.

The following herbal products support the cleansing process.

SUTTUNGAMJÖÐUR: Is a herbal blend that detoxifies the body, it’s good for people that are going through a cleanse or are making positive dietary changes.

• Milk Thistle strengthens the liver cells.
• Burdock stimulates the livers bile production which in turn stimulates the cleansing process.
• Stinging Nettle is very nutrient rich and believed to be blood cleansing.
• Horsetail is diuretic and helps the kidneys to do their cleansing work.
• Cayenne pepper stimulates circulation which jump starts everything, especially the lymphatic system.
• Spirulina is a blood cleanser and very nutrient rich. It contains 18 amino acids, including the 8 most essential ones, as well as beta carotene, vitamin E, iodine, iron, vitamin B12 and 50-70% protein.

VAÐGELMIR: Here we have a collection of colon cleansing herbs. It’s best to use it for 2-3 months since the results don’t come apparent until after 4 weeks of use.

• Clay and Kelp draw toxins from the colon.
• Husk cleanses the colon.
• Lemon Bark and Beetroot contain colon cleansing fibers as well as antioxidants.
• Slippery Elm and Marshmallow heal the colons mucous membranes as well as drawing out toxins.
• Burdock stimulates the livers bile production which stimulates cleansing.
• Cloves are anti-parasitic in case something unwanted has taken residence in the colon.

While this blend is used it’s good to avoid dairy altogether.

KELP BATH is something that everyone should try. Imagine that you are swimming in the ocean and experience the wonderful ocean scent around the bathroom. Kelp bath supplies the skin with minerals as well as being full of mucilage which softens the skin. It draws toxins out of the body, making it cleansing for the lymphatic system. This makes it especially good for cellulitis, releases tension from the body and makes the skin more beautiful. It’s good to take a kelp bath 2-3 times a week for the first 2 weeks of the cleanse but this can be reduced to once a week after that. It’s best to lie in the water for approx. 30 minutes, use plenty of hot water and keep the bathwater hot the whole time.

Things you should avoid eating:

Eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables. Raw food contains a lot of enzymes that aid with digestion. Sprouts also contain a lot of good enzymes and proteins. Try to follow the table above as well as you can, the more you follow this advice, the better the results will be.

Below is an example of how the day should be:

7:00 – Wake up and dry brush your skin immediately with a dry brush.

7:10 – Drink a glass of lemon juice, 1 tbsp. in 3 dl of warm water. Add Vaðgelmir to the juice.

7:15 – Ingest some good oils (Cod liver oil (1 tbsp.), flaxseed oil or olive oil (2 tbsp.)).

7:20 – Take a shower or a bath.

7:45 – Eat breakfast. Remember to take Suttungamjöður before eating.

• Warm whole grain porridge (e.g. quinoa, millet, oats, barley, buckwheat or corn). Add seeds or nuts.
• Fruits, sprouts, avocado, seeds, oil and juice or water mixed in a blender.
• Fresh fruits and almond flakes.
• Sugar-free muesli with almond milk and fresh fruits.

10:30 – Drink some good herbal tea (e.g. Stinging Nettle, Chlorella or Lapacho) and eat some crisp bread with tahini and cucumbers.

12:00 – Eat lunch. Remember to take Suttungamjöður before eating.

• Salad made from 50% vegetables, 25% rice, bread or spelt pasta and 25% protein (seeds, nuts, beans, fish or chicken).
• Good spelt bread with some protein rich topping and almond butter or tahini, add a generous amount of vegetables and top it off with some good fresh herbs.
• A good vegetable sout.
• Raw vegetables with organic almonds.

15:00 – Drink some good herbal tea (Spirulina, Lapocha, Stinging Nettle or another cleansing tea). It’s also good to eat some vegetables, crispbread with almond butter and tomatoes or almonds or nuts.

16:00 – Take a walk and breath in some fresh air.

18:00 – Eat dinner. Remember to take Suttungamjöður before eating.

• Vegetable casserole with lentils.
• Vegetable soup with lentils or lima beans.
• Steamed fish with brown rice and fresh salad.
• Salad made from 50% vegetables, 25% whole grains (rice, pasta or potatoes) and 25% good protein (seeds, nuts, beans, fish or chicken).

21:00 – Now is a good time to take a kelp bath for at least 30 minutes.

22:00 – Sit down and calm your mind.

• Sit on a chair or on the floor with your legs crossed.
• Close your eyes.
• Focus your mind on something specific, i.e. picture something in your mind or think “I am peace” and soon you will start feeling peaceful. Even if some stray thoughts go through your mind just let them flow past.
• 10 minutes at a time.

22:30 – Go to sleep and dream happy dreams.

DRY BRUSHING: The skin is a living organ, not a dead shell so it’s very important to keep it active and functioning properly. The best thing we do for our skin is to dry brush it with a brush made from natural hairs, preferable with a long handle to make it easier to reach our back. Don’t brush areas that are injured or infected.

Use a soft brush to begin with, until your skin has gotten used to that, and then switch to a coarser one.

METHOD: It’s best to begin brushing the soles of your feet and use powerful circular motions. Brush your whole body that way towards your heart, use as much pressure on the brush as you can tolerate.

Brush your skin in the following order:

• Feet and legs.
• Hands and arms.
• Back.
• Abdomen.
• Chest.
• Neck.

Brush until the skin starts reddening and becomes warm, 5 – 10 minutes is good but remember to do everything in moderation. It’s best to dry brush your skin in the morning and at evenings before going to bed.

Your rewards for a regular dry brushing are:

• It removes dead skin cells and other waste products from your skin and keeps the sweat glands open.
• It stimulates and improves circulation throughout our body and is especially stimulating for the capillaries.
• It rejuvenates the skins cleansing abilities and amplifies it, which in turn helps the body to remove toxins and waste products.
• It has anti-aging effects on the nervous system by stimulating nerve ends in the skin.
• It is a helpful cough preventative, especially if brushing is used with alternating hot and cold showers.
• It promotes healthy muscles and helps to distribute fat deposits more evenly.
• Rejuvenates the skin, improves skin tone and gives a younger appearance.
• It makes you feel good allover.
• It improves general health.

USE THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES DURING YOUR CLEANSE:

1.   SLEEP – Get 8 hours of sleep and go to sleep before 11:00 at least 5 times a week.

2.   BREATHING – Remember to breathe deeply. Breathe deep into the lungs as often as you can, use your lungs like they were to be used.

3.   RELAXATION – Calm your mind or use active relaxation every day for 10 minutes.

4.   DIET: It’s very important to choose fresh, clean and diverse food. Avoid processed or unnatural food.

5.   EXERCISE – Exercise for 30 minutes 3 – 4 times a week. Any kind of exercise is good, just remember to do good stretches afterwards.

6.   BEAUTY – Enjoy the beauty all around you and let your heart really experience the emotions beauty brings.

7.   LAUGHTER – Remember to see the funny side of life and let yourself really feel the joy. Don’t take things to seriously.

8.   BE OUTDOORS – Enjoy being outside and breathe oxygen and clean air.

9.   LOVE – Love yourself.

10. SKIN – Take good care of your skin.

• It’s necessary for the skins health to take some polyunsaturated fats, especially omega 3. Good sources are for instance Flaxseed oil and Hempseed oil.
• Drink plenty of water every day, 1 – 2 liters, depending on body size and the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables you eat.
• Dry brush your skin regularly.
• Take a kelp bath, salt bath, sea bath or herbal bath.

If you follow these directions your rewards will be an improved health, both mentally and physically.

Best regards

Kolbrún Björnsdóttir, herbalist

Sources:

1) Healthy healing – Linda Rector Page

2) Heilbrigði og vellíðan.