Set aside a weekend, it's time for spring cleaning -- more accurately, spring cleansing --even though it is already summer. Perfect for the procrastinators among us.
Spring cleansing means detoxifying your body, says Linda Page, ND, PhD, a naturopathic doctor, lecturer, and author of the book Detoxification.
It's a way to recharge, rejuvenate, and renew, says Page. "Anybody can benefit from a cleansing. The body is coming out of what might be called hibernation. It's a way you can jump-start your body for a more active life, a healthier life."
There's no vacuum or mop needed for this little "housekeeping" ritual. It means drinking juice -- a whole lot of juice and little else -- which pushes everything thing else out of your system, Page tells WebMD. You get the picture. You're clearing out all the tubes and pipes, as they say.
But to purists like Chris Strychacz, PhD, a research psychologist at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, Calif., fasting means "water only," he tells WebMD. He's been fasting for at least 25 years now, an annual weeklong ritual every spring.
"There's a big difference between fasting and dieting [as Page advocates]," Strychacz says. The effects on the body are quit different, he says.
Strychacz vividly remembers his first fast -- 17 days long. "It was extraordinary, a mystical experience. I felt like I'd figured out why Jesus and Plato and Socrates and Gandhi did it -- the clarity of thought, the peacefulness."
Fasting indeed has a long-standing spiritual tradition. "Almost every religion has some type of fasting ritual -- Lent, Ramadan, Yom Kippur ... the Hindus and Buddhists fast, too," says James Dillard, MD, assistant clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. He's author of Alternative Medicinefor Dummies.
"There's definitely a spiritual factor," Dillard tells WebMD. But he's among the skeptics. "Whether [fasting diets] have any physiological benefit, I'm not so sure."
A study of anthropology gives plenty of evidence, Page says. In Chinese medicine, fasting is part of preventive health care. For many ancient cultures, fasting helped people "lighten up" after a long winter, shed the extra winter fat layer that provided warmth.
WebMD Symptom Checker. Health concern on your mind? See what your medical symptoms could mean, and learn about possible conditions. Get Started
Detox Diets - WebMD: Cleansing the Body
Detox Diets: Cleansing the Body. Juice diets do prevent your body from going into a state called ketosis, he tells WebMD. "You feel bad,
FITNESSCOP: Detox Diets: Cleansing the Body, Spring ...
Detox Diets: Cleansing the Body, Spring Cleaning - WebMD Detox Diets: Body for Life: What Is It? - WebMD; Detox Diets: Cleansing the Body,
Is there some way to naturally detox or cleanse your body ...
Here are some things to do to help you cleanse your body naturally. Drink Water. Exercise and Do Aerobics. Take a Fiber Supplement. Add Body Cleansing Foods To Your Diet
Detoxification (alternative medicine) - Wikipedia, the ...
1 Background; 2 Types. 2.1 Detox diets; 2.2 Colon cleansing; 2.3 Heavy metals; 2.4 "Detoxification" devices; 3 Criticism; 4 References; 5 External links
Detox diet: Effective ways to cleanse and energize your ...
Are you looking for a detox diet? Effective ways to cleanse and energize your body. the most popular detox methods, according to WebMD,
detox diets - WebMD
Can detox diets work or do they do more harm than good? WebMD Symptom Checker. do you really need to rid your body of dietary "poisons"?
Do You Need a Detox Diet? « Food and Fitness - WebMD
Do You Need a Detox Diet? know the myths and facts about juice cleansing. What is a juice cleanse? there is no need to cleanse our body through juice or
5 Popular Detox Diets - How They Work & Important Safety ...
More about the Hallelujah Diet from WebMD. Liver Cleansing Diet . This detox diet detox diets is the Liver Cleansing Diet Body ; The Basics About Detox Diets ;
Do detox diets help you lose weight and get ... - WebMD
the Fat Flush and Liver Detox Diet are two of them The best way to "detox" the body is simply to let your body do WebMD understands that reading