Detox 2: Detoxification Process

The detoxification process could be explained in this way: an acidic body is like a glass of polluted water. If you were to continue pouring in clean and healthy water, the polluted water will become clean and healthy after some time. The over-flowed water from the glass contains the toxins from your body. The toxins discharged through various body organs such as sweat, stool and phlegm could have strong smells.

In this process, even the cancer cells have a chance to be cured. The analogy is like getting a naughty child to live with a group of well behaved children (i.e. an alkaline environment). Don’t you think the naughty boy would turn good one day? Yes, the child is most likely to grow up to become good and kind.

On the other hand, if the naughty-child were to continue living with the old group of bad companions (i.e. in an acidic environment), he will not be transformed. In fact, he will have no chance to turn into a new leaf. This means that if you were to continue consuming more acidic food and less alkaline food, how could you be healthy? In reality, you will become medicine-dependent. You will not live a happy life when you are inflicted with sufferings, resulting from one or more kinds of diseases.

When you gradually let go of unhealthy food and switch to natural and/or organic food, the process of detoxification also begins immediately. The natural and health food will enhance your body’s natural functions when you replace high protein, high fat and high sugar food with fresh fruits and vegetables. In the process, you will experience certain acute symptoms of “diseases”. It is important to note that

“all these acute symptoms of ‘disease’ are in fact the result of an action by the body to re-establish equilibrium and positive health. As such they are corrective and eliminative and should not be suppressed. What is commonly called acute disease is really the result of nature’s efforts to eliminate waste matter or poisons from the body and to repair injured tissues. If this acute condition is not allowed to run its natural course, or is treated with suppressive methods and therefore not allowed to fulfil its intended function of elimination, then eventually chronic disease will result” (Trattler 2001). See Trattler, R. (2001). Better Health Through Natural Healing: How to get well without drugs or surgery? Australia: Hinkler Books.


“As toxins are released and parasites and candida (overgrowth of yeast) die off, waste products pour into the system. When they are released faster than the body can eliminate them, we can experience symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, diarrhoea, cramps, headaches, skin eruptions, sleep disturbances, increased thirst, loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, ear infection, head or chest cold and flu-like symptoms. …This elimination process is often referred to as the healing crisis.” (Calbom et al. 2003). See Calbom, C., Calbom, J. & Mahaffey, M. (2003). The Complete Cancer Cleanse. Petaling Jaya: Advantage Quest Publications.


In the detox process, you will face a number of ‘diseases’ when your body attempts to free itself of various types of toxins via the following processes (Trattler 2001).
Diarrhoea and vomiting are attempts by the body to get rid of toxic materials.
Fever increases the body’s metabolic rate and circulation of blood and lymph, thus speeding the removal of toxins. Fever also creates a less favourable environment for either bacteria or viruses, which generally have a narrow temperature range for optimal growth.
Inflammation, swelling and edema (or fluid accumulation) is actions by the body to localize a problem.
Local infection, boils and acne may be the results of inner cleaning process.
Mucous is a form of toxin removed from the body.
Sneezing and coughing are attempts by the body to remove the respiratory system of irritants and toxins.
Sweating carries toxins out of the body system through the skin.

When you are practising healthy eating, you will experience the above detox responses, which vary from one person to another, depending on the level and type of toxic materials accumulated in your body. These responses are similar to the symptoms of diseases. In fact, they are like twins. If you do not understand the process and responses of detox, you may think that switching to a healthy diet has brought negative impact. You may even rush to the clinics and start taking medicines again. If this is the case, your effort to reclaim health is likely to take a longer time, if not wasted.

You need to understand the theory behind detoxification. If you continue to pour clean water into a glass of contaminated water, the pollutants (toxic materials) will gradually spill over. In the process of spilling, you will feel bodily discomfort. These are the detox responses which affect your physical and mental conditions.

It is important to take note of the various detox responses which could be through the various channels in our body, i.e. the nose, mouth, anus, skin, ear, eye and urinary system. Discomfort related to healing crisis will be felt, especially in the organs that have problems, particularly during the early stages of detox.

What should you do when detox responses emerge? Do not worry and don’t panic. It is important to have confidence in understanding the detox responses. They are ‘false disease’ symptoms and the body is on its way back to good health, more energy and greater vitality. Normally, a healing crisis lasts from one till three days, but if the body’s energy level is low, it could last up to a week or more (Calbom et al. 2003). If you have sufficient confidence, just bear with the responses as they will disappear after some time, which could be days or even weeks. It is beneficial to remember that “the swelling and inflammation (boil or abscess) is a wise response of the body, for they constitute a complete quarantine, a thick barricade of inflammatory tissue to prevent the enemy (microbes or poisons) from spreading further throughout the body” (Bieler 1965). See Bieler, H. (1965). Food is the Best Medicine. New York: Ballantine Books.