Many Levels Of Detoxification
After exploring the general types of cleanses and fasts, it may be beneficial to take another moment to think about your own life and how detoxification could be a part of it. Do you feel any of the symptoms of toxicity such as frequent headaches or sluggishness? Do you have the time, energy, and resources to focus on a specific cleanse or fast? There are times in most peoples’ lives when we may not feel like taking on a whole new program, even if it does seem to have many benefits for our health. It is important to listen to yourself. If you do not feel drawn toward doing a long cleanse or abstaining from many foods that are regularly a part of your diet, it is possible to cleanse by letting go of a single food or activity in your life. This could mean letting go of a single addiction for a day or week. Addictions are a part of many of our lives, whether it is coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, or certain types of food.
In The Detox Diet (1996), Hass recognizes that there can often be two voices within an individual. One voice may urge the person to smoke a pack of cigarettes because life is short and so why not enjoy it? Another voice, however, may be saying that it wants to be healthy and free from addictions. An approach that Hass recommends is to take a small break from one’s addictions. This can mean a day, a week, or longer depending on how the individual feels. These breaks from toxic substances will give the body time to detoxify, renew itself, and rest. According to Hass in The Detox Diet (1996), “All addictions are ultimately self-destructive (some can hurt others as well, such as alcohol and smoking). When you change that dynamic to self care through both your internal healing process as well as with the lifestyle and nutritional guidelines…you will begin to serve your body and life toward its highest potential.” (iv)
Making changes toward self care in one’s life can happen at many levels: emotional self care through activities that let one’s emotions be nurtured or expressed, mental self care through resting and relaxing, spiritual self care through personal ways of feeling connected to a larger force, and physical support through exercise, diet and rest. A large part of this can be to learn how to deal with stress in alternative ways to using addictive substances. Caring for one’s well being can be important to focus on at all times, including during times of detoxification because of the possibility of experiencing cleansing reactions.