April/May
Spring Cleaning
from the Inside Out
Lindajean Luca, CNHP
When I was a little
girl, I awaited with great
excitement my mother’s
annual ritual of Spring
Cleaning. Although she was
the kind of person who generally
kept a sparkling home, she took great
delight in digging even more deeply into
corners, closets and cabinets a few weeks
after Easter, and spent days scrubbing and
scouring and sprucing up surfaces that
already seemed, at least to me, immaculate.
My mother’s meticulous attention to her
home reflected her desire
to provide the most pristine
environment possible for her
family. Even though I was
too young to understand
exactly why that was so
important to her, I loved
the joy of her process and
appreciated that she was
doing something special to
keep us healthy and happy.
Now, I’m the mom.
Things certainly are different
than they were when I was growing up
and, although I like to keep my home as
tidy as possible for my family, I am a bit
more focused on a different type of Spring
Cleaning. I think of cleansing our bodies on
the inside as one of the most valuable ways
to enable ourselves to enjoy our lives and,
although there is no bad time to cleanse,
spring seems the best time. We are more
attuned to renewal in this season as the
days grow longer and brighter, the flowers
appear and open, and plants bloom and
prosper. Let’s take a look at the value of
internal cleansing as one of the ways we
can prepare ourselves to be as vibrant as
possible for the activities of summer.
Internal cleansing begins with the colon.
Over the course of time, bits of undigested
food accumulate in the colon and begin to
fester as they await removal. Contrary to
popular opinion, “regular” bowel movements
are not those which occur
“occasionally” or “every few
days.” We eat three meals
a day, right? Well, those
unused, unabsorbed foods
must be excreted 2 or 3
times per day…every day.
Anything not eliminated
becomes toxic in the colon
and can lead to weight
gain, improper digestion,
sluggishness, bloating, gas,
leaky gut, skin disorders,
yeast infections and a variety of other
issues. Bowel movements may not be the
most popular topic of conversation, but the
truth needs to be told because far too many
of us just do not understand how essential
bowel movements are to a healthy body. If
you are going to the bathroom fewer than
twice a day…you are constipated. Bowel
2015
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