Related Books:

Better Nutrition Magazine, Lisa Turner January 1, 2010

Best-selling author Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., C.N.S., has long been considered a visionary and pioneer in the health field. Three decades ago, she was writing about the importance of essential fats, the dangers of a low-fat/high-carb diet, natural hormone replacement and other cutting-edge approaches to nutrition. But in spite of her pristine diet, she struggled with blood sugar issues and skin problems.

“I did my first de-worming cleanse more than 20 years ago,” she says. “After seeing roundworms emerge from my ‘pristine’ body, watching my skin clear and noticing my hypoglycemia vanish overnight, I became devoted to writing about and helping to create the most effective parasite cleanses on the market.”

Since then, she’s gone on to write 30 books, 10 of which focus are dedicated to detox and cleansing. Here, she shares her thoughts on internal cleansing with Better Nutrition.

Q:  Why is cleansing so important? Because we’re living in a time when the body needs serious help and support. Over the last 60 years, changes in diet, lifestyle and the environment have placed a tremendous burden on our organs of elimination and detoxification. Too many people still eat too much sugar, dairy, low-quality meat and refined foods. Our lifestyles are rushed and hectic; we’re more stressed than we’ve ever been. Our food supply is often contaminated. And we’re exposed to more toxins and pollution than ever before.

Q: What kind of toxins and pollution?  Food may be contaminated with bacteria, parasites, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, artificial ingredients and other chemicals. The water supply contains pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, and residues of prescription and over-the-counter medicines.  And we’re exposed to environmental toxins that are new to our systems—plastics in food containers, water bottles and household items, chemicals in cleaning and personal care products, and electromagnetic pollution, from cell phones, computers and household appliances.  All of this adds up to an enormous burden on the liver, gut, kidneys and lymphatic system.

Q: What can we do to avoid these toxins? You can eat organic and local food, wash your foods thoroughly in a Clorox bath (see box below) to kill pesticides, bacteria, parasites and other contaminants; minimize plastics and electromagnetic fields (use the speaker function on your cell, and text instead of talking); buy natural cosmetics and personal care items; and use non-toxic cleaning compounds in your home (I love white vinegar diluted half and half with plain water). But because of the pervasiveness of toxins in the environment, you can’t avoid them entirely. What you can do is fortify your body and cleanse on a regular basis.

Q: How do you know when you need a cleanse? It’s time to detox when your joie de vivre is gone. When you’re not jumping out of bed in the morning, feeling good and ready to embrace the day. When you feel lethargic, sluggish, bloated or just not “right.” Generally, I think everyone should detox twice a year, in the spring and fall. You don’t want to detox in the winter, when it’s cooler. Cold makes the body contract and slow down, which isn’t good for cleansing. In the spring, the weather is warm and it’s an ideal time to eliminate the toxins that have accumulated over the winter. In the fall, it’s sort of your last chance to cleanse while it’s still warm, before months of cold, dreary weather, heavy holiday eating, and more lethargic days take their toll on your system.

Q: What kind of cleanse do you recommend? Both liver and gut. You really can’t do one without the other. The liver has to be fortified to adequately process and remove toxins from the body and the gut has to be ready to eliminate them from the system. In reality, a cleanse should focus on all the organs of elimination and include lifestyle adjustments, exercise, and comprehensive dietary cleansing kits, something I have developed for my followers and readers in The Fat Flush Plan (McGraw-Hill, 2002) and its companion volume Fat Flush for Life (Da Capo, 2009).

Q: What about the lymphatic system? As the body’s garbage disposal, the lymphatic system is essential to detox. It carries toxins and fats through the body to the liver, where they’re metabolized, and as a second circulatory system, it contains six times as much fluid as blood.  But the lymphatic system is misunderstood. When it’s clogged, the signs are more subtle; but if you’re struggling with fluid retention and cellulite, you may need a lymphatic detox.

Q: Are any other systems, organs or areas of the body likewise misunderstood in terms of cleansing? Oral health. Crowns, root canals or empty spaces left by a pulled tooth can harbor bacteria and infections that may be hidden on standard X-rays. These areas allow toxins to seep into the body and create systemic damage. Recent, ground-breaking research has linked oral health and cardiovascular disease, premature birth, diabetes, osteoporosis, premature birth, and HIV/AIDS. Brushing and flossing are tremendously important, of course, but don’t remove some of these toxins. Oil pulling, an Ayurvedic technique which I explain in Fat Flush for Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2009), is a simple and effective way to flush out bacteria and inflammation-causing plaque.

Q: You emphasize herbs and supplements in all your books. Do you think they’re necessary for everyone? I do. I think between environmental toxins, pollution, poor diets, compromised digestion and a stressful modern lifestyle, there are too many things tearing at us. The days are gone when you can say “Just eat a balanced diet, and you’ll get enough nutrition.”  I think you can’t really reach optimal health without supplements.

Q: Any last words on cleansing and detox?  One of my Fat Flushers said it best:  "We can't expect shining spirits and sharp minds when we are a toxic waste dump."

The Clorox Bath

Remove bacteria, pesticides, parasites and other toxins from food with this simple, inexpensive bath. (Note: Clorox doesn’t actually contain chlorine; it’s made by combining chlorine and sodium hydroxide, which converts the chlorine into sodium hypochlorite, a harmless substance). This first appeared in Beyond Pritikin (Bantam, 1988).

Add 1 teaspoon of Clorox to 1 gallon of water, place food in the bath, and soak as follows:

• Leafy vegetables 15 minutes
• Root, thick-skinned or fibrous vegetables 30 minutes
• Thin-skinned fruits (berries, plums, peaches, apricots) 15 minutes
• Thick skinned fruits (citrus, bananas, apples) 30 minutes
• Poultry, fish, meat, eggs 20 minutes

If I have time, I soak even organic fruits and vegetables. I also soak fruits that will be peeled, like bananas, since toxins can be absorbed through the skin. Likewise for eggs—toxins can easily pass through the porous shell. And I definitely soak all fish, which I believe is more laden with toxic metals than any other food.

Dr. Ann Louise’s Basic Daily Supplement Plan

• An adrenal support formula that contains pantothenic acid: 1000 to 2000 mg
• Vitamin E: 1000 IU of a mixed tocopherol formula
• Vitamin D: 4000 to 5000 IU
• A multi-vitamin and –mineral: copper-free for women, iron-free for men
• Gamma linoleic acid, 360 mg to 1 gram
• A good digestive enzyme that contains HCL, pepsin and ox bile
• A high-quality probiotic