Cleansing is a part of living that I find to be an important undertaking. The discipline and mental stamina need is no joke. With that being said, this week I completed a liver and gallbladder cleanse (flush). I have done many cleanses in the past; however, not one that focused specifically on the liver and gallbladder. For some reason I really like the liver and try to do what I can to love on it (check out a post I wrote previously).
Here are a few reasons I decided to do this cleanse:
- I have never done one
- The liver processes toxins, eliminating them from the body and needs some love and support
- The gallbladder is responsible for breaking down fats and oils in the body and I want it to function properly
- A liver and gallbladder cleanse / detox is going to aid the liver purging all of the fats, old cholesterol deposits, gallstones, poisons, drug residues, and toxic waste stored all up and through the liver
I would not recommend doing this flush if you have never done a cleanse before. It is important to cleanse your colon first to ensure wastes and toxins are not backed up and sitting in your colon. Jumping into a liver flush without adequately clearing the way, could do more harm than good.
I decided to go with the Three Day Liver and Gallbladder Flush Protocol referenced in Andreas Moritz’s book The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush. The cleanse seemed simple but effective and that is what I wanted for this first round. I referenced a liver post on DavidWolfe.com for details regarding the flush (and I do mean details – pics and all) and followed the protocol here.
The protocol requires:
- 1.75 gallons (28 cups) organic apple juice or cider
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup citrus fruit juice* (I juiced 2 red grapefruits)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (not table salt)
- 4 cups warm water
Day 1
Drink 16 ounces (2 cups) organic apple juice or cider every two hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Do not consume other food or drink except plain water. Avoid supplements and medications if you can, as these may prevent your success. *The malic acid content softens gallstones for smoother passage.
Day 2
Repeat day 1. At 8:30 p.m., combine the 1/2-cup oil and 1/2-cup citrus juice in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until blended, and then drink (and believe it or not this tasted better than I thought!). Go immediately to bed and try to sleep. Lie still on your right side the first 30 minutes if you can.
Now I am going to be honest, this is where things got off schedule for me because it was a Friday night AND the Friday before an event for my son, we were doing major running around and I did not get to drink the citrus drink at the noted time and get in the bed. I do believe it had an impact on the results because our bodies function on a meridian clock, hence the need to do things by a certain time.
Around 2 a.m. I woke up feeling extremely nauseous. It was uncomfortable but I continued laying on my right side, meditated, said a prayer and willed myself to go back to sleep.
Day 3
When you get up in the morning, at least eight hours after drinking the oil and citrus, perform a salt water flush. Mix 2 teaspoons sea salt with 4 cups warm water and drink as quickly as possible. For a tastier alternative, you can mix the sea salt in just a small amount of water and drink the rest of the water plain. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating.
This drink was the hardest for me to drink. Uggghh, talk about nasty – IMO! And although I KNOW the epsom salt drink suggested in other protocols would have been nastier, I think it would have been more effective. I laid in the bed with a stomach that was making every noise it could, singing melodious tones to the world but not making much movement (lol). I was feeling uncomfortably nauseous and eagerly awaiting the expulsion of numerous stones… and nothing. Nothing but numerous trips to the pot to release watery, bile. Around 11 a.m., I said maybe the stones are stuck somewhere let me help them with an enema. While, the enema helped ease the nausea some the water did not find any stones to eliminate. After the enema I was able to drink water without gagging from nausea and that was a good thing because I was dehydrated. About 1 p.m. I was feeling much better and was able to eat a pear.
I am glad I did the cleanse because today, the day after, I feel good – refreshed. I do plan to do the flush again in a month and follow a different protocol to the letter. I will let you know how it goes ?
Have you ever completed a cleanse? What kind and how did it go? Share in the comments! I look forward to hearing from you.