Spring has arrived! Time for getting into the flow of health and preparing our bodies for summer. This edition is all about healthy digestion and elimination practices. Learn some new tools that will increase your vitality and prevent disease (like our special DONUTS for digestion!)

You can also register for our next Guided Spring Cleanse and join the flow toward your greatest health and vitality! We had such a great response in April that we’re offering it again - with added enhancements. Read some of the exciting success stories below!

Healthy Blessings, Cindy and Jo

In this Edition

1. Getting into the Flow and Letting it all Go
2. Tools for Healthy Digestion and Ease of Elimination
3. DONUTS for Digestion!
4. New ENHANCED Guided Spring Cleanse!
5. Stories from the April Detox Group

Getting into the Flow and Letting it all Go

We are a culture of people who are stuck, stuffed up, stressed out, holding on, and scared to “death and disease” of letting go. From early childhood many of us were taught to ignore and stifle our basic biological need to release, for the sake of maintaining a polite social environment.

We were made to feel that bowel movements, urination, sweating and menstruation were gross. These basic bodily functions have such a bad reputation in our society that many of us have learned to unconsciously suppress them.

Everyone experiences these functions as a regular part of life. They are essential components to good health, yet they are seldom talked about in this way. Your digestive system, urinary tract, lymph system, sweat glands and menstrual system are the channels by which your toxins (and the excess fat that holds them) are released from your body.

If these channels are sluggish or weak your body will store toxins and create an environment for disease. When these channels are functioning smoothly and vibrantly you are able to release toxins daily and maintain a high level of health and vitality.

Allowing for Flow

Allowing your body to experience a healthy flow may require a bit of retraining. The first step is to acknowledge the importance of letting go and welcome it into your life. Sluggish digestion is the foundation of almost every disease modern people encounter. Make regular and complete digestion a priority in your life and you will ward off disease and increase vitality.

If you are not having at least one full bowel movement daily (2-3 times per day is normal), your digestion is sluggish. Too many people think it's normal to skip several days when they aren't in their familiar situation. Then they may reach for a laxative. This is extremely unhealthy and can be damaging to your body!

Avoid synthetic and harsh laxatives. Instead, increase your fiber intake with more raw vegetables, flax seeds, or psyllium husk. Use natural and gentle herbs like triphala. Increase your water intake. Learn to take an at-home enema or schedule time for a professional colonic. Use the natural tools we suggest and make time to release and encourage flow every day.

It is also important to allow your body to release toxins through your skin. If you use antiperspirant to control sweating or petroleum-based lotions to moisturize, you are suppressing the natural release of toxins through your skin. Consider switching to more natural products to allow your skin to breathe more fully (pure coconut, sesame or olive oil are great moisturizers).

And don’t forget the simplest and most powerful stimulator of healthy flow... WATER. Drinking abundant amounts of pure water throughout the day is the single most effective thing you can do to increase flow and cleanse toxins.

When we encourage people to drink more water sometimes they tell us that they’re afraid it will make them have to go to the bathroom too often. For many people, the perceived inconvenience of having to take bathroom breaks during the work day keeps them from staying hydrated. This is a prime example of our cultural misalignment of priorities.

If you want to feel good, lose weight, stay healthy and prevent disease you have to stay hydrated and urinate frequently. Sacrificing proper hydration for convenience is guaranteed to backfire in the form of bodily stagnation, low energy, compromised immune, built up toxins and disease.

Regular Detoxing Keeps you Clean

Many people are in desperate need of a detox because they ingest toxic substances on a daily basis. And once they ingest them, they don’t let them go. The body’s elimination channels need to be clear and fully functional in order to let the toxins out.

Think of your body as a stream in the woods. Clear water comes in from upstream and flows smoothly downstream. If there is excessive debris in the water it will get caught up on rocks where it creates dams and pooling. If the debris is not cleared away, soon the water will become dirty and murky. Regular cleansing and the support of your elimination channels will keep the debris from getting stuck and keep the clean water flowing smoothly.

Springtime is the best time of year to clear away the winter debris and make sure your bodily functions are flowing smoothly. If you’re ready to let go of your toxins and wake up your body for Spring, now is the time to register for the second Guided Spring Cleanse!

Special Detox Tip: Tools for Ease of Elimination

• Drink LOTS of pure water. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces each day (ie. if you weigh 140 pounds your goal is 70 oz of water each day).
• Eat high fiber foods to support digestion. Include plenty of whole grains, fresh vegetables and raw fruits daily. For extra fiber add flax seeds (or meal), chia seeds or psyllium husk to your daily routine.
• Sweat regularly. Open up the pores in your skin and release toxins by including gentle exercise, detox baths, hot/cold showers and saunas in your regular routine. Use a dry skin brush to wake up your skin and encourage it to release toxins more easily.
• Enjoy bodywork or massages regularly to stimulate the circulation of your lymph system.
• Give your digestion extra encouragement to get moving with an at-home enema or schedule a professional colonic to cleanse your colon and stimulate movement.
• Use gentle herbs and probiotics to maintain a healthy intestinal flora and support your organs of elimination. Our detox tea includes a special blend of cleansing and supportive herbs. An Ayurvedic remedy for digestive support is triphala. It's a 3-herb blend with very gentle laxative properties and nourishing support for the liver and gall bladder.

Feature Recipe: Donuts that Heal Digestion!?!

These special goodies are made from finely ground flax meal and bananas. This is a tasty way to get your daily large dose of flax seeds. Flax is a super way to cleanse the colon and increase elimination.

Click here to test these easy-to-make, ready-in-minutes, deceptively-simple, decadently-yummy treats!

ENHANCED Guided Spring Cleanse, May 4 - 10

Our April Guided Spring Cleanse was such a success that we're doing it again! Many people asked if there would be another chance to jump on board and here it is...

REGISTER NOW and select from two enhanced cleanse packets tailored to your level of detox experience. Our new Deluxe package now includes a complete menu plan, shopping list, cookbook and all the guidance you will need for success!

The Guided Spring Cleanse will run May 4 through May 10, 2010. Grab your spot now and receive support and professional guidance to look and feel your best for summer!

Click here for details on guided detox programs or holistic health counseling with Jo.

"I consider the cleansing and detoxification process to be the missing link in Western nutrition and a key to the health and vitality of our civilization."

~Dr. Elson M. Haas, M.D

Stories from the April Detox Group

Just wanted to let you know how incredibly good I feel. Thank you!! I'm so glad I did this. I'm running and jumping through the house, been exercising everyday, my body feels light and relaxed. I've been running like an animal through the landscape... awesome things are happening in my life. Just thought you'd like to know.

~ Andy, Colorado

My favorite new detox food? All of them! I especially love green smoothies. I love the tongue scraper and body brush. My detox symptoms are pretty much gone...the bambino also had detox symptoms and hers are gone too. I think the tea must have really helped... also all the nice raw snacking really was huge for the extra energy. I am definately experiencing some really positive changes in my body, definately building on some extra energy, feeling excited for the future! I’ve been sleeping well also. Thanks again.

~ Erin, California

Cleanse is going fabulously, thank you. I love the recipes, we are eating well, loving the tea and find the info you've provided really helpful. We are experiencing some detox symptoms and I was happy to see your email with a link to that. Your website is really a wonderful resource, you both have done such a great job at making it accessible. One thing we keep saying is ‘they’ (meaning you two and the website 'voice') are so gentle, so inclusive, so encouraging… Thanks and peace.

~ Deer, Massachusetts

Read more detox stories on our registration page for the newly enhanced Guided Spring Cleanse!