Why is detoxification important for cancer patients (and everybody else)?

What is ‘detox’, why is it important, and what does it have to do with cancer or other aspects of health?

Have you noticed that sometimes everyone around you gets sick and yet you don’t? Especially have you noticed this if you have recently cleaned up your diet?

Aha- well then, there’s an answer to this. The answer is detoxification. I’m not particularly interested in battling out ‘germ theory’ and ‘terrain theory’ (but you can look those up if you’re interested). However, the reality is that some people don’t get as sick as others- or at all- when flu and cold season comes around. And some folk always get it really bad. 

This is a great article that explains some of these things from a whole-self perspective. https://sandynewbigging.com/all-articles-blog/2017/11/3/prevent-getting-the-cold-or-flu-this-year 

If it is true that we carry a toxic load and the value of a flu or cold is to detoxify the body (by activating our bodies to flush out all sorts of stuff- not everyone agrees with this, but I am increasingly persuaded of this viewpoint), then it stands to reason that lowering your toxic load in as many ways as possible is a really great idea: not only to avoid flu and colds (and I have genuinely found this works) but also to help the body as it heals from cancer. And healing from cancer is a whole lot more important. I was never motivated to work on my toxicity or do anything to detox at all before I had cancer, despite very heavy and feverish colds every couple of months. I am really very extremely motivated now! (And I almost never have a cold any more… plus, apparently, my skin is ‘glowing’. Too many people have pointed this out now for it to be nonsense.)

Standard ways to detoxify the body: promoting liver, bowel and kidney health (dandelion, dandelion root, liquorice teas or supplements; coffee enemas (eek!); bentonite clay in foot bath or whole-body bath or ingested internally in small amounts;  a ‘liver cleanse’ (various forms out there- Andreas Moritz wrote a whole book about it); occasional iodine supplementation; zeolite ingested to absorb heavy metals (we all take in heavy metals but some of us more than others). None of this is medical advice from me: it is pretty obvious I’m not a medical doctor (or any sort of doctor). But what I am recommending is that you take charge of your own health and look into these things. Be in charge of your own health. And go carefully: plunging into a serious detox can overwhelm the body if you’re carrying a heavy toxic load. Sometimes better to start small and build up. 

My personal preference for promoting detox in the maintenance of my health post-cancer is dandelion blend tea a couple of times daily, plenty of sleep (including naps where I’m able, and Epsom salt baths to promote sleep detox) and intermittent bentonite clay baths. Basically a lot of baths, sleep, and mellow herbal teas. All of this entirely justified for health reasons; isn’t that great?!

I filter all my drinking water with a decent filter system. When I travel from home I take a ‘zero water’ filter jug. I have a lesser-quality shower-head filter to reduce chlorine exposure, because chlorine absorbs through the skin a lot.

I also sleep on an earthing sheet which helps blood and lymph flow while my body is working on all its healing processes through sleep. There are over 20 scientific studies on the benefits of ‘earthing’ in the body documented in this movie:

https://www.earthingmovie.com/

To make sure you’re adequately connected to the earth, either you live barefoot on the ground or you get an earthing sheet. I’m wondering why I ever thought that the earth was dead and inanimate and not connected to everybody. Our culture has done a fantastic job at promoting this idea since the Industrial Revolution, and it is genuinely a load of nonsense. Every single indigenous culture knows this inherently. 

I haven’t ever tried a coffee enema, but my friends who do them find they feel ‘fantastic’ afterwards and some people do them most days. If I ever were to develop cancer again (although I am not expecting to) this would be my next step.

There is plenty of discussion of coffee enemas in the Healing Strong network, from other folk who have healed and are healing from cancer. https://healingstrong.org/

If you would like to source some of the equipment for the above (coffee enemas, bentonite clay of high quality, liver-function-promoting and other supplements, earthing sheets and mats) then my friend Sharon at is a great supplier (she’s not paying me to say this, I have no conflict of interest!).

I would like to say most importantly that emotions can be toxic and overload the body. This stands to reason if we think about it: ever had a rotten cold just when you’re very stressed? Or, more precisely, just when you’re finished being stressed? Ever heard of the weekend migraine? It is really important that we work on our emotional wellbeing because this is the heart of all other sorts of wellbeing. It comes first. There is genuinely very little point in cleaning up your diet and physical health if you are not paying attention to your emotional needs. This is because every step forward you take will be cancelled out by your stressy personality and tendency to run yourself into the ground. If you are considering taking steps to detox as a response to a cancer diagnosis, then it is definitely worth your time to consider your emotional health as a part of that process.

So if you’d like to speak to an excellent therapist, you know where I am.