TOXICITY TEST 

Answer the following questions to determine what detoxification programs or cleanses you should do.  These questions or the programs recommended are not to take the place of medical care.  Unfortunately, we live in a time where laws and politics supersede the ability of the individual to determine what is right or optimal for their needs, thus the need for disclaimers, warnings, etc.  Detoxification programs are not cure-alls, nor should we as beings seeking optimum health and balance be focused on the search for a panacea, pill or cure-all.  The programs suggested have the purpose of allowing the body, mind and spirit to function properly and/or for the person employing said programs to transition from a state of imbalance to a desired place of balance.

LIVER/GALL-BLADDER:

Have you had a recent diminishment of vision; cloudiness, blurriness, sore eyes, red eyes, dry eyes, itchy eyes, etc?

Are you irritable or short-tempered?

Do you have long-standing anger, frustration or resentment issues?

Do you often feel “wired and tired?”

Do you have arthritis or joint pain or weakness?

Do you have chronically cold hands and/or feet?

Do you have tightness in your abdominal muscles or diaphragm (the area between your chest and abdomen)?

Are you prone to tension headaches or migraines?

Do you have tension or soreness in your upper back, shoulders, neck or head?

Have you had gall-stones or gall-bladder attacks in the past?

Do you struggle making plans or decisions?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO TWO OR MORE OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, DO A LIVER CLEANSE.  IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO TWO OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AND YES TO THE GALL-BLADDER QUESTION AND/OR YOU DO NOT FEEL WELL AFTER EATING A LARGE OR FATTY MEAL, THEN ADD A GALL-BLADDER FLUSH AFTER DOING YOUR LIVER CLEANSE.

LYMPH:

Do you have discomfort in any of the following areas?  (arm-pits, groin area, front sides of neck)  CAUTION:  if you find any lumps or if there are pain in these areas, it is advised that you consult your physician as there may be a more serious problem afoot!

Does your sweat smell more than you feel it should?

Are you chronically fatigued?

Do you have chronic muscle pain or weakness? 

(Chronic fatigue and muscle weakness are often related to a number of different underlying issues but lymph congestion is often a root or a result of these complaints)

Do you have at least 3 chronic complaints and/or are you currently taking 3 or more prescription medications?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO TWO OR MORE OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, IT IS ADVISED THAT YOU DO A LYMPH CLEANSE. 

BOWEL/INTESTINAL:

Do you have chronic constipation and/or diarrhea?

Are your stools often irregular in shape and/or size?

Do you have a history of complaints involving the lower abdominal area?

Do you have low back pain when you have a bowel movement or when constipated?

Do you have lower abdominal cramps?

Do you struggle finding foods that don’t give you indigestion or are you prone to indigestion?

Do you get sick often?

Do you get chronic infections?

Do you have diverticulitis, colitis, or crohns?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO TWO OR MORE OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS OR IF YOU GET CONTIPATED DURING A LIVER CLEANSE, DO A BOWEL CLEANSE AND FOLLOW THAT CLEANSE WITH 2-4 WEEKS OF PROBIOTICS(*)

*Probiotics are good bacteria that assist your immune system by scavenging on bad bacteria, yeast, fungi and other unwanted “material” in the digestive system.  A multi-probiotic is recommend of which there are many reputable sources.  Ask your natural health provider for their suggestions and check expiration dates on the package before purchasing.

BLOOD:

Is your hair thinning or falling out?

Are your nails thin, dry and/or cracking?

Is your skin showing marked changes:  thinning (natural part of aging over time), eczema, “age” spots or other areas of darkening skin, etc.?

Are you chronically fatigued?

Do you feel “off” or mentally strained (on-going)?

Are your eyes often blood-shot and/or are the whites of your eyes darker than usual?

Is your tongue purplish or dark-red with a purple tint?

Do you have varicose veins or other visible vessel issues (especially dark in color)?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO TWO OR MORE OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, DO A BLOOD CLEANSE.  NOTE:  The blood is not magically cleansed by throwing a few herbs or supplements in you.  These programs work together with other cleanses by removing constituents that “dirty” the blood and supporting healthy blood production.  The other programs will prevent the addition of unwanted toxins to the blood while the suggested herbs and nutrients will cleanse the blood, allowing it to transport more oxygen, nutrients and energy to areas and systems in the body where needed.

Kidney 

Do you have weakness or vague soreness in your low-back?

Is your urine often pale or light in color vs. yellow or dark yellow?

(This is in relation to the amount of water you drink)

Do you lack a “daily” thirst?  (It is normal to have a desire to drink a few times in a day)

Do you have a history of kidney, bladder or urinary tract infections?

Do you have an irregular or more rapid diminishment of hearing?

Do you get up 2 or more times at night to urinate?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO TWO OR MORE OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, YOU MAY HAVE A NEED TO PROMOTE KIDNEY FUNCTION.  THIS MAY BE ACHIEVED BY USING HERBS OR SUPPLEMENTS DESIGNED FOR SUCH A PURPOSE.  IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU CONSULT WITH A NATURAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER BEFORE STARTING ONE OF THESE PRODUCTS. 

SKIN:

THE SKIN IS AN EXTENSION OR A PART OF THE LUNG.  IT AIDS IN OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.  THE SKIN PROTECTS US WHILE ALLOWING THE BODY ANOTHER WAY TO RID ITSELF OF TOXINS.  WHEN THE BLOOD IS “DIRTY,” AND THE LIVER IS IN NEED OF A CLEANSE, THE SKIN IS OFTEN IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE.  IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT A LOOFA SPONGE BE USED WHEN SHOWERING TO AID IN EXFOLIATION.  UNSCENTED SESAME OIL, A LITTLE OLIVE OIL OR IF FUNGAL SYMPTOMS ARE PRESENT ON THE SKIN (WHEALS), A QUALITY COCONUT OIL MAY BE USED ON THE SKIN.  SOME LOTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE, BUT IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU AVOID PETROLEUM-BASED LOTIONS AS WELL AS THOSE WITH FRAGRANCES AND CHEMICALS.

THERE ARE ALSO DIETARY RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE VERY HELPFUL WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE DETOX PROGRAMS.  IT IS IMPORTANT TO BECOME AWARE OF WHAT YOUR BODY DOESN’T BREAK-DOWN, DIGEST OR METABOLIZE WELL.  YOU MAY BE ALLERGIC OR SIMPLY “SENSITIVE” TO CERTAIN FOODS BUT IF YOU ARE CHALLENGED BY A FOOD, IT’S EXISTENCE IN YOUR DIET MAY INCREASE BAD BACTERIA, YEAST OR FUNGI OVERGROWTH.

SWEATING VIA SAUNAS OR SWEAT-LODGES IS OFTEN HELPFUL.  IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT YOU TRY A LOW-TEMP SAUNA (115-120 DEGREES) FOR APPROXIMATELY 30-45 MINUTES.  YOUR SKIN WILL BEAD UP WITH A THICK SWEAT THAT SHOULD BE WASHED OFF IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT REABSORPTION.

PARASITES:

Have you had unexplained weight-loss or gain of 10% of your overall body-weight.

Do you have gas and bloating frequently?

Do you have diarrhea and/or mucous in your stool?

Are you often weak or fatigued?

Do you chronically get viral infections (or sick)?

Are your eyes and/or skin dull and listless?

PARASITES CREATE AN ALMOST ENDLESS LIST OF SYMPTOMS AND THE ABOVE ARE MOST OFTEN INVOLVED.  IF YOU HAVE TWO OR MORE OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS, CONSIDER GETTING A STOOL SAMPLE (PARASITE KIT) TEST FROM A REPUTABLE LAB OR DO A TREATMENT.  PARASITE TREATMENTS ARE OF LONG DURATION (LIKE FUNGAL TREATMENTS) AND CAN BE HARD ON THE BODY.  IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU CONSULT A NATURAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER BEFORE STARTING A PARASITE CLEANSE.

IF YOU DO CHOOSE TO DO A PARASITE CLEANSE, THERE IS A LINK IN OUR RESOURCE LIST THAT WILL SEND YOU TO SHANTI.COM, AN AUSTRALIAN SITE WITH GREAT INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS.

FUNGI/YEAST:

Do your ears itch (inside)?

Do you have yellowing of the nail-beds?

Do you have fungal wheals (light-red or orange-ish colored round skin rash, often itchy)?

Do you crave sugar, breads and/or sweets?

Do you have chronic health issues that don’t respond to treatment or are slow to respond?

THERE ARE A HOST OF SYMPTOMS IN THIS CATEGORY AND AS MANY OF THEM QUALIFY FOR MULTIPLE CATEGORIES, I HAVE LISTED THOSE THAT ARE MOST OFTEN SEEN WITH FUNGAL OR YEAST OVER-GROWTH (CANDIDA).  IF YOU HAVE TWO OR MORE OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU DO A FUNGAL/YEAST TREATMENT OR CLEANSE.  YEAST AND FUNGUS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO TREAT AND DEMAND PATIENCE AS WELL AS FOLLOWING AN ANTI-YEAST/FUNGUS DIET (SEE DIET PAGE).  IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT YOU TAKE ANTI-YEAST/FUNGAL SUPPLEMENTS NO LONGER THAN A MONTH AT A TIME, AT WHICH POINT YOU WILL SWITCH TO ANOTHER TYPE OF ANTI-YEAST/FUNGAL FOR ANOTHER MONTH AND SO ON.  CONSULT YOUR NATURAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER FOR DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS AND FOR LENGTH OF TREATMENT.