The Cleansing Reaction, The Detox Reaction, and The Herxheimer Reaction What is it?
Also known as the "Herxheimer Reaction", this reaction occurs when the body tries to eliminate toxins at a faster rate than they can be properly disposed of.
The more toxic one's bodily systems are, the more severe the detoxification, or healing crisis.
It is characterized by a temporary increase in symptoms during the cleansing or detox process which may be mild or severe. You may feel worse and therefore conclude that the treatment is not working. But these reactions are instead signs that the treatment is working and that your body is going through the process of cleaning itself of impurities, toxins and imbalances.
Such reactions are temporary and can occur immediately -- or within several days, or even several weeks, of a detox. Symptoms usually pass within 1-3 days, but on rare occasions can last several weeks. If you are suffering from a major illness, the symptoms you experience during the healing crisis may be identical to the disease itself. Sometimes discomfort during the healing crisis is of greater intensity than when you were developing the chronic disease. This may explain why there may be a brief flare-up in one's condition.
Often the crisis will come after you feel your very best. Most people feel somewhat ill during the first few days of a cleanse because it is at that point that your body dumps toxins into the blood stream for elimination. With a more serious condition there may be many small crises to go through before the final one is possible. In any case, a cleansing & purifying process is underway, and stored wastes are in a free-flowing state. Cause: The healing crisis is the result of every body-system, in concert, working to eliminate waste products through all elimination channels and set the stage for regeneration. The end result: old tissues are replaced with new.
When any treatment or cleansing program causes a large scale die-off of bacteria, a significant amount of endotoxins (toxins within the bacteria itself) are released into the body. The more bacteria present, and the stronger their endotoxins, the stronger the cleansing reaction. When any treatment or detox causes the organs of the body (particularly the liver, which is a storehouse of drug and poison residues) to release their stored poisons and toxins, a cleansing reaction may occur.
Any program, such as fasting, which causes a rapid breakdown of fat cells (which are a storehouse for toxins), can cause a healing crisis as toxins previously lodged in the fat cells are released into the blood stream.
Symptoms: The healing crisis will usually bring about past conditions in whatever order the body is capable of handling at that time. People often forget the diseases or injuries they have had in the past, but are usually reminded during the crisis. There are a wide variety of reactions that may manifest during a healing crisis, the most common are:
Increased joint or muscle pain Diarrhea Extreme fatigue and/or its opposite, restlessness Cramps Headache (believed to be caused by buildup of toxins in the blood) Aches, Pains Arthritic flair up Insomnia Nausea Sinus congestion Fever (usually low grade) and/or chills Frequent urination and/or urinary tract discharges Drop in blood pressure Skin eruptions, including: boils, hives, and rashes. Cold or flu-like symptoms Strong emotions: anger, despair, sadness, fear, etc. Suppressed memories arise Anxiety Mood swings New phobias develop
Easing Your Way Through the Healing Crisis:
Drink plenty of fresh water (especially water), juices, and herbal teas to flush the body of toxins. Some professionals recommend distilled water as the best. Drink from 2 to 4 quarts(liters) per day. This will help flush the toxins out of your system and speed along the detoxification. If you are feeling fatigued, or sleepy, your body is talking to you, and telling you to rest. Be kind to yourself, and get the rest that you need.
Symptoms frequently disappear immediately after a good bowel movement, use an enema to provide relief. For other symptoms, meditation, EFT, acupuncture or a good massage might be helpful to speed up the healing process, and reduce the discomfort. And, on rare occasions, a reduction of the dosage or temporary cessation may be required.
Important: Always ensure your health by having a thorough medical check up: don't assume that if you have any of the above symptoms that you are in a healing crisis: you may not be in a healing process, you may have a medical health problem.
created by Jack Kungel
To prevent hemotoxic shock of the liver, helping it's function by up to 700%, we recommend Coffee Enemas
Reasoning and explanation in the following video:
Some herbs to aid the liver through this demanding process
Borotutu Bark
Borotutu bark is by far one of the most powerful substances when it comes to liver cleansing and digestive system support. It has even shown promise in combating biliary colic, and jaundice. It’s also important to note that this herb contains powerful antioxidants which are known to help protect your liver cells from serious damage.
Milk Thistle Seed
Milk thistle has been used for over two thousand years due to its remarkable effects on the liver and gallbladder. Galen and Pliny, the ancient philosophers recognized and used the power of milk thistle for liver cleansing and support. Milk thistle helps with the detoxification of poisons such as alcohol, regeneration of damaged liver tissue, stimulation of bile production, and improved digestion.
Chanca Piedra
The indigenous people of the amazon have used chanca piedra for centuries to promote the body’s natural elimination of liver, gallbladder and kidney stones. It also stimulates the liver to purge itself of harmful toxins and foreign particles. Chanca piedra soothes the liver, increases bile production, and reduces the formation of calcified stones in the body.
Greater Celandine
The ancient greeks and romans considered celandine to be one of the most powerful liver cleansing herbs. Maurice Mességué the famous french herbalist used greater celandine for all liver problems. Celandine stimulates enzyme production from the pancreas, helps the liver eliminate foreign particles, stimulates the production of bile, helps relieve gallbladder spasms and improves a sluggish liver.
Chicory Root
Known for its vibrant blue flowers, chicory is also a medicinal herb celebrated for its ability to help cleanse the liver. Ancient Roman, Persian, Arabian, and Indian physicians used chicory leaves and root to aid against a slew of liver ailments including jaundice, gallbladder and liver stones, urinary stones, constipation, indigestion, depression, and headaches.
Dandelion Root
This humble weed—often hacked to bits by lawn care workers—is a liver cleanser that has been celebrated throughout the ages. Dandelion rootstimulates bile flow from the liver, and is often used by herbalists to help fight fatty liver, cirrhosis, estrogen dominance, and even acne.
Organic Tumeric
This yellow root—a cousin of ginger—is a powerful liver protector and even liver cell regenerator. It not only helps stimulate enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins (including known carcinogens) from the body, but UCLA research found that turmeric is capable of combating the effects of carcinogens.
Peppermint
Peppermint isn’t just for fresh breath. This herb stimulates bile flow and relaxes bile ducts, helping to break down fats. It also helps reduce bad cholesterol, which makes the liver’s job of filtering toxins easier. Peppermint also inhibits blockages in the kidney and gallbladder and calms the stomach for optimal digestion.
Organic Yellow Dock Root
This herb is known as a blood purifier and commonly used to cleanse toxins from the body. Yellow dock helps break down fatty foods by stimulating bile production, enhancing normal liver detoxification, improving the flow of digestive juices, helping the liver eliminate toxins, and has mild diuretic effects to help flush out harmful substances. It also helps reduce irritation of the liver and digestive system.