In this article, we pick up where we left off in the cleansing process. Once the body is prepared for change by regulating the liver, we encourage the elimination of wastes through the pores, bowels, and bladder. Also, we pay heed to complications along the way. As in the past article on the liver, we shall briefly discuss the dietary, exercise, and clinical principles involved in each step.
To open the pores and induce sweat, we may use pungent and/or aromatic food. Examples of spicy warming fare include onion, cabbage, mustard, black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger, while spicy cooling fare includes radish, watercress, peppermint, and cumin.
Food that promotes the bowel movement may be bitter, salty, and/or sweet. The bitter taste stimulates contraction of the gut (and bile flow), saltiness attracts water, and sweetness relaxes the gut; all are needed for proper intestinal function. Examples of bitter and/or sweet foods that are laxative include okra, rhubarb, most dark greens, beets and carrots, apples and pears, and various oily seeds and nuts. The bladder is encouraged to empty with mildly sweet and bland food, especially legumes and fruits. Often, these foods result in a cooling off of the body.
In general, food that inhibits the opening of the exit routes is the same as that which congests the liver: rich, heavy, and processed food like meat, dairy, flour and sugar.
As for activity, to open the pores any vigorous movement which promotes sweat will do, provided it is not too strenuous. The bowels and bladder, on the other hand, respond with smooth rhythmic exercise, like leisurely walking. Thus there is an inherent balance in the activities which regulate the processes above (sweat) and below (defecation and urination).
Now, as one’s diet and activity encourage the movement of wastes in the body, there is the matter of how effective and efficient the body can release them. For example, suppose one is generally deficient in body energy and has a substantial amount of stored waste and also latent or low level infections (this is often the case, one leading to the other). As movement is provoked it may be overwhelming to the point where a ‘healing crisis’ takes place. The infections that have been held at bay, or at a simmer, now erupt into the open; the exit routes clog, one feels acutely ill with malaise, and has a headache over the ordeal. Instead of the usual ‘blah’, one is confronted with outright trouble, both in the excessive strength of the pathogens and wastes, and in the deficiencies of the body.
To remedy this situation, one may need help to generate energy, regulate the exit routes, and restore harmony to the organs. While one /can /do these things with proper eating, rest, and activity, such knowledge is not as common as in ages past, nor are there the opportunities afforded in these ‘fast’ times. Getting clinical advice and assistance is a good option. A traditionally trained practitioner can identify what and where deficiencies and excesses lie, and help correct them with herbs and dietary and lifestyle advice. In addition, bodywork may aid greatly in regulating tension that prevents proper function.
Lastly, the practitioner, or a good friend, may help us to realize a great lesson offered by this elimination stage of the cleansing process. One simply will not be happy as stale food, thought, or emotion collects to reduce our breathing room and cloud our experience of life. ‘Letting go’ may be a painful process, yet it remains an integral part of being alive and well. Being encouraged to face this reality, accept it, and allow it to unfold, is of great help indeed.