Recently I came down with a nasty viral infection and took the trip to my physician office only to leave the office with a prescription she wrote in hand and a recommendation to pick up an over-the-counter antihistamine to minimize my discomfort until the prescription antibiotic kicked in. When I reminded her that I had been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse some time ago, she told me to scratch the antihistamine, as it was probably not a good idea for someone with that diagnosis to take an antihistamine.
After being terribly uncomfortable for a few days, a friend of mine who refers to herself as a holistic doctor, encouraged me to perform a salt water cleanse. I had never heard of that before, so it tweaked my curiosity and prompted me to ask her a slew of questions.
I found out loads of information about salt water cleanses. It made me wonder why I had ever taken a conventional laxative in my life; it made me wonder why anyone would ever take a laxative again after becoming educated about the salt water cleanse. I found out that laxatives only clean the colon and because our colons are just a small portion of our intestines, a laxative is only performing part of the job; but the salt water cleanse works inside of us to clean the complete digestive tract.
I also found out that I was to do the salt water cleanse for 7 days straight; then according to my friend, after the 7 days is complete, one should regularly perform it once a week for maintenance.
One of the largest benefits that I experienced from doing the cleanse was that my stomach completely stopped hurting. I used to have a severe amount of gastrointestinal problems. I visited my gastroenterologist every 2 weeks for three months, in hopes to get diagnosed so that my doctor could prescribe the proper medication and my pain could be alleviated. My stomach was bloated and I was always quite gassy. After day one of my cleanse, I felt better. In fact, I felt so good that I did not notice the pain was gone until the third day. I then exclaimed “What happened to my stomach problems?” with joy. In addition, by the end of my cleanse, the bloating in my stomach completely went away.
The primary reason why the cleanse is effective is because sea salt has been historically known to draw poisons and toxins out of the body. It is in this way that the salt water cleanse works to flush your digestive system.
I also learned that the salt water cleanse provides relief for various ailments such as headaches, irregular menstrual cycles, diseases connected to reproductive organs, digestive tract ailments, appendicitis, and many other diseases.
Furthermore, it aids in a better skin complexion, assists in regulating one’s metabolism and a noticeably improved digestive tract.
Here is what you will need:
- 2 tsp of sea salt (preferably Celtic sea salt)
- 1 quart of warm distilled water ( I used Smart Water)
- Lemon for flavor (if you choose)
Directions:
- Pour 2 level teaspoons of sea salt into the warm distilled water.
- Squeeze the lemons into the water for flavor.
- Stir, shake or mix all ingredients well.
- The mixture must be consumed within 15 minutes and preferably between the hours of 3:00 am – 7:00 am.
- Lay on your left side for at least 30 minutes after drinking the liquid.
Do not forget to:
- Drink plenty of water to replenish your body so you do not get dehydrated.
- Eat as much yogurt as possible since the salt water cleanse flushes out all bacteria; as it does not recognize the difference between the good and bad bacteria, you will need to put the good bacteria back in. The yogurt will do this for you.
- Alter your diet for the 7 days you perform the cleanse. Avoid junk food, fried foods, alcohol and soda. Instead eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Here is a comprised diary of my experiences with the salt water cleanse:
Day 1: I went against the advice of my friend to take the mixture at 3 am; instead, I took it at 10 am when I got up and went about my daily activities. I quickly learned that the cleanse does not work as well because of this. It did eventually kick in though. At around 1:00 pm, the cleanse did the job, although not as effectively as it should have. This was more than likely a result of me consuming it later in the day.
Day 2: I missed out on taking the cleanse at 3 am again, and I took it 10:00 am once again. This day it worked much quicker and much more effectively. On this day I noticed that when the cleanse started to work, it caused a very uncomfortable feeling in both of my legs. It felt like the blood in my legs were rushing down to my feet. It was odd but not alarming to me, as I figured it had something to do with the detoxifying symptoms that my body was experiencing.
Day 3: Once again I consumed the mixture at around 10:00 am. It worked within the hour and much more effectively than day 2. No pain or discomfort experienced.
Day 4: I was determined to consume the liquid between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 am and I did! I consumed it prior to the hour reaching 5:00 am. I laid back down in the bed on my left side and by 6:00 am I jumped up out of bed and was running to the bathroom. At 10:40 am the same morning, I experienced some slight pain on my right side just above my abdomen. I put my hand there and could feel my intestine bubbling. I wasn’t too concerned; I decided to drink more water in hopes that it would alleviate the discomfort. Fortunately it did.
Day 5: I just love how I overslept today. I spend the majority of my late nights reading and researching on my laptop; I also do quite a bit of writing after I research. So, I ended up catching up on some much needed sleep, only to end up consuming the liquid at 8:30 in the morning. I drank it all within 5 minutes and within 30 minutes, I used the bathroom. I didn’t experience any pain or discomfort today. Mental note to self: I need to go to the supermarket and pick up more yogurt today.
Day 6: I consumed the liquid by 8:30 am and used the bathroom within the hour. I experienced some difficulties breathing for a few minutes and realized that I needed to drink more water. After drinking the water, those symptoms went away.
Day 7: I consumed the liquid once again by 8:30 am and used the bathroom within the hour. No odd or noticeable symptoms noted. I am so over this cleanse and using the bathroom quite frequent. My body feels much better than before I did the cleanse, but I am glad this is the last day J
Throughout the entire cleanse, I experienced gurgling and bubbling in my stomach. It was not a pleasant noise; in fact, it was a slight feeling of discomfort. After the 7th day of the cleanse, the gurgling stopped.
I did quite a bit of research on the salt water cleanse before I performed it. In addition to my positive findings on this subject, I also came across a lot of negative information and health care professionals who warned against the detox diets and cleanses. Although I would not advise children, adolescents, or people who have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses and/or have compromised immune systems to perform this cleanse, I still firmly stand on the salt water cleanse as an alternative method of treatment, positive healing and a way to effectively flush out your insides.
After performing the cleanse myself and having better than a favorable outcome on my stomach’s gastrointestinal issues, I strongly recommend this cleanse to almost everyone with the exception of the individuals I mentioned above.
It is my opinion that many doctors will advise against alternate methods of treatment, as they prefer to write out prescriptions to their patients in an effort to fatten the pockets of the prescription drug company manufacturers in which many of them conduct business negotiations with.
Nevertheless, you are the only one who can be trusted in an effort of being proactive about the health of you and/or your loved one. So make certain you do all of the research and do not solely rely on the advice of your healthcare professional. It is imperative that you investigate, explore and weigh all of your options when it comes to your health because the only one who has the gut instinct to know what is best for you…..is you.
For a visual demonstration of the cleanse; and before and after pictures of my abdomen, please visit my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/stillsz6?feature=mhsn
In addition, please stay tuned for my future article on the Master Cleanse which I am currently researching and will be attempting in the next few weeks.
