#11 - Do You Cleanse or Detox?

As we head into the new year, you might be thinking of resolutions you will be making. A very popular vow is to start a health regimen by first cleansing the body. So here I'll explain the differences in terminologies that you might encounter while researching a new program.

The terms most widely used are cleansing, colon cleansing, and detoxification or detoxing the body. Are each of these different? Yes, but there is much confusion as to how these terms are used by different companies and practitioners.

Cleansing the body is to do something that will start to clear built up waste any where in the body. This could be a change in diet, fasting, sitting in a sauna to help the cleansing process, taking herbs to help the body clear, and so on. No matter what you read, remember it takes years for the body to accumulate waste. It will not go away in one week or even one month.

"Colon cleanse" is used interchangeably. On one hand, it might be another term used in place of colon hydrotherapy which is usually a 45 minute session of cleansing the colon with water. "Colon cleansing" is also a term used by supplement companies or practitioners meaning to embark on a program of herbal supplements to cleanse the digestive tract. The term "colon cleanse" is used perhaps because years ago, the entire digestive tract, including the small and large intestine, were called the colon. In modern times, the small intestine is called the small intestine and the large intestine is the colon.

Detoxification is the process of taking harmful or toxic substances and changing them into less harmful then removing them. One example is how the body turns alcohol to water then eliminates it. A health problem arises when the toxins are too abundant and the body cannot keep up with the detox process, such as in a case of auto toxemia or alcohol poisoning. I hope this will clarify some questions that may arise as you search for a program to start your new year.

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