My Latest Obsession: Essential Oils for Wellness and Detoxification

This summer I got hooked on essential oils. It started innocently enough with 3, then grew to 10, then 25 with more on the way as I write. I think I might need an intervention soon, but what better thing to be addicted to than something that has amazing health properties? I used to think essential oils were just for giving things a nice aroma. I had a few in my pantry that I used for desserts like lavender, orange and lemon. I was completely unaware of their magical powers and how useful they can be for daily wellness.

So what are essential oils you might be asking? They are chemical compounds distilled or pressed from flowers, leaves, bark, roots, stems, fruits, and resin of plants and trees. They can be used 3 different ways:
Aromatically: you can inhale them straight from the bottle, rub a drop between your hands and inhale or use in a diffuser to fill a room. Essential oil compounds are so small, they are able to enter the blood brain barrier within seconds and go to the cells that need help and repair. Their positive mood altering and calming effects can be felt within seconds.
Topically: some oils can be applied without dilution (neat) while some need to be diluted in a carrier oil like coconut oil, jojoba, or almond seed oil. Within 30 seconds of applying essential oils it enters the bloodstream and goes to whatever parts of the body need supporting.
Internally: put a drop or more in your drinking water or place drops in an empty veggie capsule (you can find these at health food stores) and take them like a vitamin.

It's super important that you use very pure therapeutic grade oils as there is little regulation in the oil business. A product only needs to have 1 drop of pure oil in the bottle to be able to label it as 100% pure. The remainder can be synthetic or diluted essential oil. How crazy is that?? Plus most brands can only be used aromatically as they are too toxic or caustic to be ingested or applied topically. What I love about the doTerra oils is that don't go to a broker to get the oils, they actually source each oil from their indigenous area all over the world. Their lemon oil comes from Italy, the lavender from France and the Frankincense is from Jordan. They oversee that each oil is harvested at the right time and steam distilled or pressed at low temperatures to not degrade the oils. Every oil is truly 100% pure and unadulterated, creating a very potent product. They are 50-70% more powerful than herbs and so potent, in fact, that just one drop of their peppermint oil is the equivalent to 26 cups of peppermint tea!

The new modern medicine cabinet.

So what can they do? Almost all essential oils are antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and/or antimicrobial. Some have antidepressant, analgesic, antiseptic, anti-tumor and anti-parasitic properties among other things. Some of my daily go-to oils are:

Lemon: I use a drop or two in my drinking water to use as a daily cleanser. It has the ability to break down petrochemicals and other toxins in the body as well as parasites. It has a considerable amount of limonene (as do all citrus), a very potent anti-cancer and anti-bacterial compound. You can also put a few drops in a spray bottle with water and spray kitchen and bathroom counters, door knobs and other places that harbor germs. Hospitals in Europe sanitize their rooms and kill airborne germs with lemon oil. Lemon oil is also an antihistamine, stimulates white blood cell production and assists the liver to detoxify.

Lavender: I rub this on the bottom of my feet at night. Lavender is very good at calming the mind and inducing a good nights sleep. This is great for babies and kids who are restless at night. Our feet have the largest pores on our body which is why it's a great spot for applying essential oils. Lavender is considered the Swiss army knife of essential oils since it can be used for almost anything. Everything from skin conditions to headaches to immune support to emotional distress and muscle pains.

Peppermint: When my cat allergies flare up I put 2 drops peppermint, 2 drops lemon and 2 drops lavender into a capsule and swallow it. Voila! No more allergies. I also love to put a drop of peppermint into my water with lemon oil for a pick me up or rub a little on the back of my neck to cool and revive me when I'm feeling sluggish. Just smelling it puts me in the best mood. Maybe it reminds me of when I used to eat Junior Mints (swoon...I mean, gross, it's all corn syrup). It's also great to put on the temples when you have a headache or on the bottom of the feet to reduce a fever. It's also great to add a drop to tea to aid indigestion.

Melaleuca: also known as "tea tree" oil, I use this every night over my face to treat and prevent blemishes. It's great as a skin aid for burns, cuts, eczema and shingles and has very powerful antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and antifungal properties. Use it on the feet to help eliminate candida or athlete's foot or dab it on a cold sore, wart or an achy tooth. It stimulates the immune system, and can be used to fight colds, flu and other illnesses. It has so many uses, I recommend everyone have this one in their medicine cabinet.

Wild Orange: Honestly, I have been huffing this oil like crazy and still can't get enough. I put a drop into my Yerba mate tea every morning and diffuse it into the living room. I carry it around in my purse and sometimes I even wear it as perfume (mixed with a little coconut oil so it lasts longer). I got a diffuser for my car so I could be a less aggressive LA driver and guess what? it worked! Citrus has mood lifting properties and is amazing as an anti-depressant, and like the lemon oil, it contains many of the same antibacterial and cancer fighting abilities. Wild orange is also great for liver, gland and tissue detoxification.

All of the above oils, except for the melaleuca, can also be used in desserts and other recipes. There are some other doTerra oils I'm planning to add to my culinary arsenal like basil, cilantro, black pepper, cinnamon and thyme. All of which have amazing health properties as well.

I've really only scratched the surface of what these oils can do. I highly recommend trying some out for yourself and see if you don't get hooked on them. What is so great is that these oils are a gift from nature that work so intelligently in our bodies. The pharmaceutical companies have based their formulations on mimicking what nature has already given us but with terrible side effects. There are little to no side effects with these oils. A word of caution, though, when using citrus oils topically. Avoid sunlight for at least 12 hours as they can make the skin photosensitive. If you're pregnant I recommend avoiding most oils for the first trimester (citrus oils are OK) and use them sparingly for the 2nd and 3rd trimester and only topically and aromatically. For everyone else, these are a great addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Have fun huffing!

For more info or to get a free sample from the doTerra line of essential oils click here.

Detox Days 10-11

All in all it's been smooth sailing. I'm not that hungry but I do miss solid food. Today I hardly had any appetite and only had 2 quarts of juice. 1 quart was fruit, the other vegetable. I haven't exercised at all the past 11 days except for rebounding. I usually exercise every day for at least 45 minutes but I feel like I would run out of steam if I try to do anything too active. If my bike wasn't broken I would definitely have been able to do that but resistance training and elliptical, no way.

Today I filled out my allergy testing forms from Every Body Cleansing. I need to abstain from all supplements for 48 hours before I collect my saliva on the enclosed ziplock baggie. They check for 400 different food allergens and give you recommendations on what foods are ideal and what to avoid. I won't have results for 3-4 weeks but I'll let you know how it goes. Very excited to see the results but if they say I can't have avocados, I might have a complete meltdown.

Latest stats:
Energy: good
Sleep: excellent
Skin: improving
Total weight loss: 4 lbs

Detox Days 6-9

I was at the Longevity Now Conference this past weekend so I didn't have time to post any updates. It was challenging having to lug juices to the event but I stayed focused and hung in there. Being surrounded by so many health leaders, experts, coaches, etc. was really exciting and kept my mind occupied. My energy was up most of the time but when it dipped I went over to SunWarrior and took some nips at their booth. Healthforce Nutritionals also had some tasty drinks on hand and some chlorella tablets to gnaw on.

I really enjoyed the speakers and topics this time around. My favorite speakers were Kevin Troudeau and Dr. Bonlie. Kevin told his incredible story how a judge has banned him from TV for life and ordered to pay a $37 million dollar fine for quoting his own book on television. He has such a passion for health and truth, I was very inspired by his talk and his courage. Dr. Bonlie is a magnetism expert. I actually had lunch with him at the Health Freedom Expo a few months ago where he told me about the catastrophic solar storms we'll be having next year. He skipped the doom and gloom and spoke about his magnetic therapy which was totally fascinating. He designed a magnetic bed pad that I hope to buy someday soon. They chelate heavy metals while you sleep! Does that mean I don't have to juice fast anymore, Dr. Bonlie??? Say it's so!

Anyway, it was a super fun weekend but one of the highlights was getting to sit down with Kevin Gianni and discuss my acne issues. He's been pretty open about his own struggle with acne on his website and how he was able to resolve it with a combination of Body Ecology Diet, cultured vegetables and eliminating foods he was allergic to (FYI he did the Every Body Cleansing test I ordered). Surprisingly, he had a lot of success with oregano oil capsules. Oregano oil is very potent as a liquid and pretty hot and spicy if you've ever tried drinking it with water so you definitely want to use the capsules. He recommends taking it for 3-4 months until the skin clears up. I ordered mine here. It'll knock out all the beneficial bacteria in your gut as well as the bad so make sure you eat some cultured veggies each meal or take probiotics.

 BTW, my complexion is actually improving. It's gone from moderate acne to light. Fingers crossed that it continues on that path!

21 Day Detox - A New Health Journey

The past few months have been very frustrating for me. After all my efforts of eating and living a clean, raw life for the past few years my #1 nemesis has returned with a vengeance. Acne. It's something I've dealt with since my teens but lately its gotten out of control. It started a year ago when I got off birth control pills. I had been on them for years for hormonal balance. I was missing periods for months at a time and then I would bleed for weeks. I was scared to get off of them when I went raw because my doctor told me the irregularity would just come back. I figured if I was giving my body the best diet in the world, it would work itself out. So after 3 years, I tossed my pills and let nature take its course. Happy to say everything is perfect, i.e. on time, like clockwork. Phew! The only bad thing is, every month since stopping the pill, my skin gets more and more oily. So oily, I have breakouts on my face, neck, chest and back. I've been taking probiotics religiously and eating fermented foods in order to get the good bacteria flourishing. I've been cutting out sugar to keep my blood sugar balanced and prevent candida overgrowth. I've tried liver cleanses, sauna, MSM, zinc, neem, bentonite clay, honey masks, not washing my face, not wearing makeup, colonics, green juice, DIM, myomin, parasite herbs, fulvic acid, zeolites, chlorella and a plethora of other supplements. One thing I've never done is a long juice fast. I've done a lot of 3-5-7 day juices but this one will be 14 days of juices and 7 days of easing out of it with soups and smoothies. I would go longer but I actually need to get cracking on recipe development so this is my only window of opportunity.

I would love to hear feedback from anyone else who is struggling with the same thing and if you've been successful. FYI I had severe acne while on the pill, as well, that was corrected by going raw. This is a whole new thing I'm dealing with which seems to be an overproduction of testosterone (or drop in estrogen?). I'll keep you posted how things are going. Here's a recap of yesterday.

Day 1
Juice of 1 lemon with water, stevia, MSM and cayenne
1 scoop vitamineral greens in 8 oz. water
1 1/2 quarts green veggie juice
1 cup miso soup
1 cup almond milk with scoop of Shaman Shack Shapeshifter
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Evening: bentonite clay/psyllium husk with 1 cup apple juice (from Blessed Herbs colon cleanse pack)

I wasn't very hungry and had trouble taking down all the green juice for some reason. I was sluggish and fell asleep for 3 hours in the afternoon.  

Day 2

Juice of 1 lemon with water, stevia, MSM and cayenne 

1 quart watermelon/fennel/cuke 

2 cups orange juice/almond milk/pumpkin pie spice 

3 cups coconut broth

1 teaspoon coconut oil 

Felt energized when I woke up. Started the day off with 1000 mg niacin, 10 minutes of rebounding and 40 minutes of sauna. I have more energy today but some brain fog. It's only 3pm so I'll have more green vegetable juice before the day ends.  

To make Coconut Broth: 

Place 1 cup shredded coconut and 2 cups hot water in a food processor and blend. Strain out pulp using a nut milk bag. 

Bring coconut water to a simmer with additional 1 cup water, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 clove minced garlic, chopped cilantro, basil and lemongrass. Let simmer then strain. Stir in 1 tablespoon of miso once it has cooled a bit.

Summer Detox

Since I spent the first half of the year writing my book, I didn't have the time to do my usual maintenance juice fasts or cleanses. Now that I have some downtime I figured it's time to do some late spring cleaning. Thing is, I still had to work on new recipes so I needed something less painful than a juice fast. I had bought the book "Clean" by Dr. Junger and thought that might be a doable program to follow while I continue working in the kitchen. The basic plan is as follows:

Breakfast: smoothie
Lunch: raw or cooked meal
Dinner: smoothie
Portions should be small (2 cups for smoothies) avoiding nightshades and allowing at least 12 hours between dinner and the following breakfast.

This was not that much different than what I already ate so I decided to follow the plan completely raw and see how it goes. After 6 days I didn't feel or see results. I guess I believe there has to be a certain degree of torture for it to be a successful detox. I've been raw for 3 years so this wasn't much of a challenge except for the portions were smaller and I couldn't have tomatoes. This would be an excellent plan for someone coming from the Standard American Diet though. The book has great information about why to detox and the plan is simple to follow. It allows one cooked meal a day if you choose and that includes some animal products.

I wanted to continue my cleanse so I modified it by skipping the lunch meal and instead having:
-1 quart fruit based green smoothie with superfoods and 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil or tahini paste for the first half of the day
-1 quart vegetable green smoothie with 1/2 avocado for the second half of the day.

I can't believe I hadn't tried this before. I feel amazing and yet I can tell I'm detoxing. My sense of smell always becomes more acute when I detox. I also start to breakout and this time around I had the unpleasantness of hives on my upper chest, thighs and around my temples. Thankfully it was only temporary. I've had loads of energy which is what I needed, not a detox that makes me crabby and fatigued. I've been able to workout as well but I do get crazy cravings. Often for food I haven't eaten in ages like In n Out burgers. I have 5 days to go but I think I can go much longer. With the summer heat and the abundance of local produce this is a plan I could follow for a while.

Has anyone else tried a smoothie cleanse? How were your results? I've done Frederick Patneaude's smoothie cleanse but it excluded fats and salt all together. THAT was hard. That little bit of fat is the difference between me being hungry in 3 to 4 hours or starving in 1 hour. I've only been using a pinch of salt in my one smoothie. I've lost a lot of water weight and my arms look toned again just by cutting down the sodium.

If anyone feels like trying this plan let me know your results. I'd love to hear your experience with it. If you're looking for a good book on detox plans I also highly recommend checking out "Raw Food Cleanse" by Penni Shelton. Do you have a favorite detox book? Let me know!

Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse - Day 6

Mission accomplished! Actually I had intended on continuing the cleanse a couple more days. I woke up feeling so good that I thought why not go a little longer and get a deeper detox. Well, all my good intentions went out the window by 5pm. Earlier that afternoon I had gone to Au Lac (my fave raw vegan restaurant) for a seminar hosted by Kevin Gianni. He held a wonderful discussion on marketing for holistic health practitioners. It was great info but my eyes kept wandering to the course after course of culinary delights dancing in front of me. I held my ground and sipped orange juice and kombucha. I promptly had all my food wrapped to go and sent a text to my husband that he had an amazing dinner waiting for him tonight.

oh, the plans we make...

Soon as I got home I felt drained. I took a nap and woke up with the strongest food cravings I've had all week. I HAD to have the raw pistachio bread. AND the raw donut hole (NOT a Dunkin Donut, Au Lac's donut holes are about the size of a truffle and made with love and magic).

...and ouch, my stomach was not ready for it. Kind of forgot that breaking juice fasts take a little time. I was completely stuffed by those two morsels but I instantly got a burst of energy, so I decided to jump on my bike and take a 45 minutes ride around Eldorado Park. It was fantastic. Later that evening I ate the greens from the meal and left the rest for the hubster. My fast was over and despite the fact I rushed into eating solid foods my body wasn't that angry with me. Tomorrow I'll ease in with some light fruit in the morning and then some greens later. I don't want to ruin my hard work by eating anything bad. Reward your fasting with a massage or facial (to help rid some of the toxins) or new jeans but please, please, please not with junk food (especially the junk food that prompted you to go on a cleanse in the first place). I want to try to stay in a cleansing mode this week by keeping it simple with green smoothies and salads and avoiding sugar and nuts.

By the way, there are a ton of different juice fasts out there. A good book to get you started if you just want to try a basic detox fast is "Juice Fasting & Detoxification" by Steve Meyerowitz. If you have health issues it's best to tell your doctor before trying anything drastic. Also, my favorite juicer is the Omega 8005. I bought it at Mother's Market for $250 a couple years ago and I love it. It does everything from wheatgrass, leafy greens, citrus, root vegetables, as well as nut butters and banana soft serve. I've also heard great things about the Green Star and Champion but I think the Champion doesn't do greens as well. Avoid centrifugal juicers since they oxidize the vitamins before they reach your glass.

I hope these posts encourage you to explore the benefits of juice fasting. Even if you only try it for a day it will be the best gift you could give your body. Don't be afraid of hunger. It goes away, but it's a lot easier if you fast during a week where there are no celebrations or dinners to attend. Just sayin.

Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse - Day 4 & 5

The last two days of the cleanse were a little bit of a challenge. I didn't have the euphoria that I often get from juicing but I felt pretty good. On day 4 I had a print job in Hollywood so I was up at an ungodly hour. Surprisingly, I had loads of energy until about 1pm when I started to run out of steam as well as fresh juice. I brought apple juice and toxin absorbers to set but only one bottle of vegetable juice. I think I felt sluggish because I was just low on calories. Once I got home the rest of the day wasn't that tough except when I went out again for my husband's birthday and had to endure two hours of staring at incredible vegetarian Vietnamese food. Nevertheless, I stayed focused and enjoyed a giant pot of lotus tea and made the choice to have a good time anyway. On day 5 I was in the home stretch. Midday I did feel crabby, maybe because we went out to breakfast (again for hubby's birthday) and had to face a plate of huevos rancheros while I sipped on green juice. Eggs and cheese have no power over me on any given day, but at the time it looked pretty appetizing. After breakfast we went to visit my friend's vegetable garden. She had the most beautiful chard I'd ever seen and I was salivating. I wanted to grab a leaf and start chewing. Now that is a sign my body is ready for food! Despite that, I was strong and made it through the rest of the day by just keeping my belly full of fresh water and juice.

I didn't do much exercising during this time though a lot of people say they feel energized enough to work out. With low calorie juice fasting, I don't recommend pushing your body that much. Walking, light bicycling and yoga is plenty. This is really a time of rest, so working out isn't necessary especially if you're only doing a short fast. Exercise depletes minerals and increases free radicals so if you really feel the need for a workout have a low sugar juice beforehand like celery/pear or kale/cucumber/apple and end your workout with coconut water to replenish electrolytes and then have a green juice to replace the minerals.

Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse - Day 3

Today was the easiest so far. I didn't feel very hungry and only ended up drinking three packets of the toxin absorber. I forgot to take them because I was busy and not really that hungry. My friend who is currently on a liver cleanse is drinking "Potassium Broth" to supplement her during her fast. The broth provides a lot of minerals and is very satisfying (FYI though vitamins are lost during heating, minerals are less sensitive to heat, so simmer your soup don't boil it to death). Here's the recipe she's following.

POTASSIUM BROTH:
This is a GREAT tasting addition to your Cleansing Program. It will FLUSH your Body of TOXINS, Poisons and UNWANTED Salts and Acids, while giving you a CONCENTRATED amount of Vitamins and Minerals.
1. Fill a LARGE pot with 25% Potato peelings, 25% Carrot peelings and WHOLE chopped Beets, 25% chopped Onions, including 50 cloves of Garlic, 25% Celery and DARK Greens.
2. Add HOT Peppers to taste.
3. Add enough Distilled Water to cover the Vegetables and simmer on very LOW temperature for 1-2 hours.
4. Strain, or just dip your mug in, and drink ONLY the Broth.
5. Make enough for 2 days, refrigerating the leftover Broth.
NOTE: Put the Vegetables in your Compost. It is IMPORTANT, that you use ORGANIC Vegetables, because you do NOT want to consume ANY Toxic Insecticides, Pesticides or Inorganic Chemical Fertilizers, while you're doing a Cleansing and Detoxification Program!

I made a pot of this but only used 3 cloves of garlic instead of 50. It was all I had on hand. I drank the broth while my husband ate the vegetables. It was really tasty! I'd probably make this on a regular basis especially during the winter. In the past the only warm soup I've made is miso soup which I drink pretty regularly and have had a bowl every evening on this cleanse. I use Miso Master Organic Chickpea Miso instead of a soy miso. It's unpasturized and full of minerals and probiotics that help replenish the intestinal flora. I use 1 tablespoon of miso paste and dissolve it in a little bit of water in my soup bowl. I add warm (not hot) water and then add dulse and green onions (though I skip the additions when I'm fasting).

So far the cleanse has been great but I'm noticing my skin is getting really oily and I have little red bumps on my legs. That means my body is detoxing through my skin as well as my bowels. The skin is the third most detoxifying organ (next to the liver and lungs) so that makes sense though I'm not looking forward to the impending breakout on my face. My energy wasn't as high as the day before but feeling very clear headed. I'm already thinking about extending my cleanse to seven days but we'll see how my body feels on Saturday and take it from there.

Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse - Day 2

Just got an email from Blessed Herbs that their Colon Cleansing Kit is on sale for $67.13 until April 14. You have to use the online coupon code spring09 for the discount. Maybe this is a sign that it's time for you to do some spring cleaning!

My second day of the cleanse was actually a lot easier. I wasn't that hungry except when I went to LA for an audition and got caught in terrible traffic with nothing but warm water that had been sitting in my car. One tip I can tell you when you're fasting or 100% raw is to be prepared! I should have had a big juice on deck in case of an emergency like this. And never underestimate LA traffic. Ugh! Times like these I wish I lived in Costa Rica. Anyway, yesterday was almost smooth sailing for me. I notice for myself that when I start to detox I can get pretty emotional. Not just grumpy from hunger but major mood swings. I got really sad for a little while and didn't know why until I realized that this happens every time. Detoxing can unload emotional baggage as well as other toxins. It didn't last long, especially when I realized it had nothing to do with my circumstances just my body going through changes. One very positive thing that I felt yesterday was such an increase in energy and clarity. I didn't feel sluggish or need a nap like the first day. I got up early and went to bed late and felt very alert all day. I also must give myself kudos for not snapping at the dinner table last night when we went to my inlaw's for Matt's birthday dinner. There was Mexican food (my sister in law make's the best vegan black beans) and two cakes. I sat there and drank Kombucha as my celebratory beverage and was still able to have a good time. That takes some mental focus and discipline but every time I overcome a challenge like that I realize how strong I am. Anyone can do the same including you reading this. I'm not superwoman. I've just made a decision of what I want to accomplish and sticking with it because I know this uncomfortable feeling is only temporary and reaching my goal is the best possible thing I can do for my health and my life.

Well on to day 3. Just had half a lemon in water and and a heaping tablespoon of Vitamineral Greens. Off to be productive!!

Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse - Day 1

I feel a little apprehensive talking about my colon but I know so many of you out there are curious about cleanses and detoxes. I've done this particular cleanse four times in the past two years (once every 6 months). It's a five day liquid fast kit that you can purchase online at www.blessedherbs.com for $89.50. The kit includes 30 packets of the Toxin Absorber which is a psyllium husk/bentonite clay/apple pectin/herbal formula you mix with apple juice and drink five times a day. The psyllium husks act as a broom to sweep debris from your intestines while the bentonite clay draws out toxins (sort of like a facial clay mask but for your GI system). You can enjoy fruit and vegetable juices in between the apple juice concoction and best to obstain from all solid foods. I've done different juice fasts in the past including the Master Cleanse for 14 days and enjoy this one the most. The fiber drink helps take the edge off my hunger and the 'results' you see in the bathroom are, well, satisfying. It's a very thorough spring cleaning to say the least. The kit also comes with a jar of Digestive Stimulator pills that help gently move things along. Today is the first day and, honestly, I'm pretty hungry. The first two days are always the hardest on liquid fasts but it's so worth the effort. The key is to drink plenty of liquids so your stomach feels full. Also, I'm careful about not overdoing it on fruit juice since it can spike your blood sugar levels and leave you drained. I drink a lot of green juice to balance out the apple juice that I'm taking every three hours and it gives me loads of minerals so I'm nourished. Also, I'm using organic, bottled apple juice since the juice isn't for nourishment but just as a way to get the fiber/clay down. I've used fresh apple juice in the past which is much tastier but I get tired cleaning the juicer ten times a day.

Some might ask if colonics are just as effective. In my personal, semi-professional opinion I would have to say no. Unless you do a series of at least three colonics and eat a very simple 100% raw diet. I've had mixed results with colonics in the past and would occasionally do one if I'm feeling off. Because it is a juice fast you are addressing more than just your colon. Fasting gives your body a rest from digesting food so it can start repairing tissue and removing toxins from the other organs. Though Blessed Herbs doesn't promote it as a weight loss cleanse you do let go of a couple pounds which is a great bonus. Most toxins are stored in our fat tissues (like pesticides from non organic foods and hormones from birth control pills and animal products) so this is a major benefit of juice fasting that you won't get from hydro therapy. Plus the cost of the kit is about the price of one colonic so it's economical as well. I'll post my progress daily and feel free to ask questions in the comments section below.