Whatever your lifestyle; your body is bombarded with toxic waste in various shapes and forms. And on a daily basis. DeTox-ing should be part of every person's basic immune boosting regime. In essence a DeTox is the natural process of cleansing the blood. In other words, a DeTox assists your body to eliminate anything that causes strain or long term harm to our amazing bodies; more particularly strain on the liver. Our liver is an overworked but underestimated organ. It gets as much fan fair as the toilet would in anyone's home. We can't live without it but we certainly don't talk about it, especially in polite company! With a little support your liver can work optimally. My favourite liver support is weed. No, not that type of weed - although it certainly has its place in healing. Milk Thistle and Dandelion are among the most potent weeds that grow on our homestead. We also have a bumper crop of indigenous thistles. My body tells me when it needs a DeTox. If I'm not paying attention my liver kicks it up a notch and causes me severe nausea. Then I listen! Immediately I do a cleanse with Milk Thistle and Dandelion. Within days my liver is doing the happy dance.
But don't think Milk Thistle and Dandelion settle for liver support only! They are excellent for strengthening bones, improving brain health, assisting the digestive system and cleansing the gallbladder. Combining the two makes them a powerful DeTox to be sure. Here in South Africa Bull Thistle and African Thistle grow prolifically in our area and my goats feast on them with relish. These weeds produce nasty thorns which make them a force to be reckoned with. On the whole I prefer making tea or tincture with dried Milk Thistle and Dandelion. But in an effort to teach the BuckarooBabies more about wild flowers we have been foraging and juicing our finds!
Edged on by 's fabulous DeTox challenge I included our indigenous Thistle as well as some Bitter Aloe! With a resume as long as a piece of string Aloe Ferox is by far one of my favourite healing plants. To bump up the DeTox up a notch I added fresh Bitter Aloe - just look at all that goodness! Be warned though; Aloe Ferox is aptly named Bitter Aloe.
Although I am not queasy about extreme health flavours my palate was grateful for a sweet apple to tone done the extreme green and bitter bite. Ginger is wonderful for nausea, which is a sure indication of liver strain. And it adds a lovely zing to fresh green juices.
Because the sap is a strong laxative and the most bitter part of Aloe Ferox, I cut off the thorny green skin and rinse the white flesh. That gets added to the chicken and goats water as an anti-parasitic. The white flesh goes through my juicer along with all the Thistles and Dandelions.
There are undoubtedly certain life skills that every human should understand and apply. Thriving optimally is not limited to sunshine - as important as Vitamin D is! For our body to thrive grounding, rest, regular deworming and an equally regular DeTox is essential. With a balanced diet of fresh and raw, the rest, as the saying goes; is details.