This is a question I frequently hear. Many people today are interested in doing a cleanse (aka detox, or purification program). And, there are many of them around, and many philosophies about them. So how do you choose between them? What makes a good detoxification program, versus one that is less effective?

I believe that a good detoxification program entails 4 main factors: It is effective at eliminating the waste by-products from the body, it nourishes the body, it doesn't add to the body's load as its detoxifying and it doesn't make you sick.

Nearly every physiological function in the body results in metabolic wastes. We add to that by accumulating toxins from the air, our foods, water, soil, medications, manufacturing, etc. The body has effective means of eliminating toxins on its own, without intervention from us, however, it was never intended to handle the over-abundance of toxins it has to handle today. So it needs a little help. That is why there are detoxification programs in the first place.

The liver, kidneys, colon, blood, lymphatic system, and lungs are primarily responsible in transport or filtering waste from the system. Effective detoxification programs entail support to all of these systems.

A very important component is a system that nourishes the tissues at the same time it cleanses. Water fasts, for instance may give the body a break, but neither cleanses, nor nourishes the tissues. Broths, if done correctly, are helpful, but lack many nutrients that nourish the cells along the way. Protein powders are great, and a very desirable component, as long as the protein is low-temperature processed, leaving the heat-labile proteins intact. This is extremely difficult to find, but a perfect addition. Also needed are vegetable powders that contain a sulfur compound. This is needed to activate the second phase of the liver detoxification pathway. If your cleanse contains cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, or Brussel sprouts powders, it's going to activate this important phase of detoxification.

Some detoxification programs actually contribute more burden to the body, because it contains ingredients that are difficult to process, and take away energy to process. This is a whole article in of itself. The way to tell, is that the label should look like foods only, not chemical-sounding names.

And finally, a good detox doesn't make you sick. If you are withdrawing from coffee, you may get a headache, and if your colon load is great, and added to, you may get constipated, but it should be easy to resolve. A good detox leaves you feeling energized, sharp mentally, and feeling, well...clean!

Our group 21 Day Purification Program classes begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10 in Coeur d'Alene. There are four weekly classes offered during the program. No charge for the classes. There is a fee for the supplements involved in the program. To RSVP or learn more, call: (208) 765-1994.

Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with more than 32 years of experience. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health-care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d'Alene clinic. Visit Carling's website at www.vitalhealthandfitness.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.