Detoxing Your Body: Do Cleanses Rock, or are They Just Rocky?

Gwyneth Paltrow loves the Master Cleanse, yogis love raw juice cleanses, and some hardcore Spartans just pray for survival during a week-long fast of nothing but lemon juice and water (which I so DON'T recommend!).

I did my first full body cleanse four years ago out of sheer naivety and blind curiosity. I had no comprehension of the commitment, dedication, and focus behind successfully finishing a week-long physical purification. Perhaps that was the stupidest or smartest way to approach a gut-transforming detoxification. All I knew was that--at that time in my life--I was feeling sluggish, sleep-deprived, and irritable. I needed to do some tidying up of my intestines.

It really doesn't matter what brings you face-to-face with your juicer; what does matter is your intention to clear your mind, body, and perhaps spirit. As a sensation junkie, vigorous and physically challenging types of yoga usually resonate with me, but even if you don't practice yoga and you do other physical activities, cleansing may help bring out a lighter and stronger fighting machine in you.

Here are a couple of cleanses worth noting:

The Master Cleanse: Also known as the Lemon Cleanse and Maple Syrup Diet, created by Stanley Burroughs. The premise behind this cleanse, and most cleanses in general, is that ridding your body of toxins via juicing or other cleanses facilitates in removing poisons, restricting diet for weight loss (consequently resulting in the magical "buoyancy" people rave about), and reversing or correcting disease.

There are three phases to The Master Cleanse: Ease-In, The Lemonade Diet (to which you add the yummy maple syrup), and Ease-Out. You'lll soon see that cleanses take a bit of work and getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you'll realize that you can stop worrying about your next meal and start worrying about the core of a cleanse: flushing your system of said toxins. Pardon the scatology, but what you take in must come out--so the timing of your liquid meals is crucial. Check out The Master Cleanse website to get an idea of any food, prep work, and other materials that are required on this journey.

Raw Juice Cleanses: After experimenting with many types of body cleanses, I always find myself going back to a raw juice-based technique, as some allow you to ingest food as well, so you never feel hungry. And the juices are so dense with nutrients, you never feel deprived. Instead, you gain more energy, feel stronger, and your daily physical activities become more graceful. My most recent Cleansing Crusade involved applying Mary McGuire's Raw Juice Cleansing program). McGuire lists fantastic recipes to utilize during the body cleansing period with recipes for people with raw food, vegan, vegetarian, ayurvedic, and even carnivorous dietary restrictions and preferences.

I've found that Spring and Fall are the best times to do cleanses, so if you're so inclined and want to feel "clean" from the inside, why not celebrate today's Autumnal Equinox with a detox? We've even got some Dual Action Cleanse coupons and cleanse product deals for Organica Research. But of course, always consult your doctor before you start any new diet regimen.

Happy Autumnal Equinox--and Cleansing!