Day 3 - Detox countdown

Many of the toxins stored in the liver are of petrochemical origin (pesticides, additives, fertilisers, chemicals...) These are like 'hardened oils' within the liver. To dissolve a hardened oil, it stands to reason that you would need to use another oil. When we wash our hands with soap we're observing the same principle – we need it to dissolve the hardened grease and grime on our own bodies.The essential components of the liver and gallbladder cleanse are olive oil and lemon juice (or other juice). We use the juice of a pink grapefruit on our diet – primarily because it's a pretty colour and it's kinda more fun!! The olive oil acts primarily as a solvent and a balsam. The juice meanwhile provokes the production of bile and other necessary gastric secretions.On the first day of the diet (Saturday), we will eat only easily digested foods like cooked grains and cereals, fresh fruit, breads, baked potatoes... After lunch, we eat no more food until the evening when we begin the cleanse. This tends to relax the organs before we begin, continuing on my general rule for detox diets – gently, gently!After this, we take carefully timed servings of Epsom Salts and water and our prepared oil and grapefruit cocktail until the cleanse ends about noon the next day (depending on when you emerge that day – after all it is a Sunday).Though many people do the cleanse on an unprepared body, I like to prepare over a few days prior to the diet, by taking out some of the foods and drinks that are particularly taxing on the liver. So if you'd like to join me in this, I'd encourage you to take out all artificial additives from your diet today, at least until after the weekend. This simply means eating only unprocessed foods – as near their natural state as possible. Maybe support yourself by going through your food cupboards and putting in a box until after the weekend everything that's got additives or preservatives or colourants in it. It's easy – just read the labels!Oh yes and, though it's a rather unsavoury subject (cover your ears if you're sensitive), it's important that you have a normal bowel movement on days 3, 2 & 1 of the Detox countdown. If you have any difficulty with this, a dose of prunes or Epsom salts in the correct dilution may work for you.Tomorrow: we take caffeine out of our diets