Fruits and vegetables are a great detox cleanse source for your diet. But, that’s not all. There are many other alternative plants and herbs known for centuries to fix ailments. I am passionate about knowing what I put in or on my body, aren’t you? Let me share what I have learned during my life journey. I will also provide common Herbal Remedies, recipes, salves, tinctures, teas, and so much more that you can make yourself from what Mother Nature already provides to us. There are many plants that you may think are weeds, but have been used to cure ailments for generations.
Disclaimer: The information and research that I provide on this subject is meant to give you knowledge of natural medicines, remedies, and cures that people have used and passed down from generation to generation. I don’t want to see these get lost in history, and choose to leave what I have learned and use in my everyday life for my children, family, and friends. However, you should always consult with your physician first if you are ill.
Why Detox Cleanse with Fruit & Vegetable Juice
Vegetables
Vegetables best for juicing are, cucumber, celery, lettuce, tomato, spinach, beets, cabbage and carrot. Also, bell pepper, parsley, potato, onion, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, dandelion greens, eggplant, zucchini and watercress are also great.
You can either make hot or cold vegetable juice however, hot vegetable juice makes an excellent broth and adds variety. Some prefer cold vegetable juice because nutrients are lost in the heating process.
Green leafy vegetables are high in chlorophyll content and are considered almost identical to the hemoglobin found in the human blood. These juices are considered effective medicine for blood related disorders and detox the digestive tract effectively.
Fruits
Fruits best for juice are apple, peach, pear, pineapple and grapes. Also, melons, apricots, cherries, plums, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and limes. You must choose your fruit carefully for your detox diet. Be sure the quality of the fruit juices you drink are fresh and organic juices. Consequently, processed juices are most often made from rejected or poor quality fruits. Usually, they already have mold, pesticide residue, and animal wastes like bird droppings. Sometimes, manufacturers purchase under developed, overripe, bruised or partly moldy fruits to make juices. So, if you intend to drink fruit juices from the supermarket, make sure it’s pasteurized.
Mix it up
Also, you can mix two or three fruit or vegetable juices together. However, not all juices mixed together will give you the best tasting juices, except for carrots and apples. Fruit mixed with carrots makes a great complement while, apples sweeten up any vegetable juice. It’s best to prepare just enough juice for your consumption. Because, fruit juice will start to oxidize after 12 hours. Even if you store it in the fridge, the nutritional value will be lost.
Pectin found in apple skin is a powerful detox agent and instantly purifies the body. The total cleansing in this recipe is enhanced by celery, cucumber, and horseradish that acts as a diuretic, relieving you of excess fluids. There are many ingredients in this green juice that helps to get rid of the poisonous substances or toxins in your body. Surprisingly, horseradish is the beneficial ingredient that adds a zing and heat to this drink.
Healthy Green Detox Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 large green apple, seeded
3 sticks of celery
1 medium cucumber
1 inch piece of horseradish, peeled
a handful of parsley
Ice
DIRECTIONS:
Blend the ingredients in a juicer.
Pour over a tall glass of ice and enjoy.
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Herbal Remedies for Detox and Cleanse
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Calendula Officinalis
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Calendula or Pot Marigold is a perennial plant that is in the Aster/Daisy family. It is often grown as an annual and native to North America. Calendula is easy to grow and widely cultivated in flower gardens that self-seeds. The flowers are yellow or orange with a 2 to 3 inch flower head and 2 rows of hairy bracts. High resin varieties and multi-row flowers are said to be better for medicine. The fruit is a small curved achene.
Edible Use:
Calendula flowers are edible raw in salads or dried and used as a seasoning. They can be used as a saffron substitute for color but not in taste. Tea can be made from the petals. The leaves are indeed edible, but are bitter and unpalatable.
Medicinal Use:
Calendula Officinalis can be used as a tea, infused oil, salve, compress, or poultice. There are many uses for multiple purposes, however as a detox cleanse agent it helps remove toxins from the body and helps cleanse the liver and gallbladder. The detoxification properties also have a positive effect on the skin and help clear up chronic skin problems such as eczema and acne caused by the body’s efforts to rid itself of toxins. For detoxification, try an internal Calendula Extract.
Harvesting:
To promote flowering, pick the flowers every two days. Dry them on screens or hang them in a well-ventilated warm area.
Warning:
Some people are allergic to calendula. Do not use it if you are allergic to marigold, ragweed, daisies, chrysanthemums, chamomile, echinacea, and other plants in the Aster/Daisy family. If you are not sure, start with a small test patch on the skin and increase use gradually if you have no reactions. Do not use calendula internally if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, since safety is unknown. Do not take calendula internally if you are taking prescription medications without the advice of your doctor.
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Calendula Recipes
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Soothing Calendula Salve (Fast Method)
Ingredients:
Half cup of organic olive oil, 1/3 cup solid organic coconut oil, 3 tablespoons dried calendula flowers, 1-1/2 tablespoons dried chamomile flowers, 1 to 2 ounces beeswax. In a double boiler, melt the olive oil and the coconut oil together.
Add the flower petals and allow the mixture to steep for 2 to 3 hours making sure it does not get too hot and add the beeswax, stirring. Once the wax melts, pour into your containers (adjust amount of beeswax to get the consistency you want). Allow the salve to cool completely before use.
Calendula Extract:
Take 1 pint loosely packed calendula flowers and 1 pint 80 proof vodka or other drinking alcohol of 80 proof or higher. Place the flowers in a pint jar with a tight fitting lid. Fill the jar with alcohol so that the flowers and completely covered. Allow the extract to steep in a cool, dark place for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake daily. Strain out the flowers and store the extract tightly covered in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 years.
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Chickweed Stellaria Media
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Chickweed is an annual herb that is naturalized to many parts of North America. It is commonly grown as feed for chicken. I believe this may be how it got its’ name. Some may think it is just a weed, because it grows in cracks of sidewalks or along the road. Once I knew what this was, I noticed it everywhere! I will never disregard this plant ever again, because it is so important to good health.
The leaves, stem, and flowers are edible raw or cooked. The medicinal uses include arthritis, roseola and other rashes, nerve pain, constipation and digestive problems, skin irritations, dermatitis eczema, hives, shingles, and varicose veins. Detoxification, blood purification, tetanus, boils, herpes, and venereal diseases are also excellent with the use of this plant. It draws poisons out of the body in cases of blood poisoning, tetanus, or from poisons entering the bloodstream through a wound.
For these purposes, make a poultice from equal parts chickweed, ginger root, and raw honey. Blend the mixture to a smooth paste and apply it directly to the wound and the surrounding area. Cover the poultice and replace it every six hours. Also take chickweed powder or tea to treat the problem from the inside out. This same protocol works for the treatment of boils, herpes sores, and other venereal diseases. Take both internal and external remedies for best results.
Harvesting Chickweed:
Harvest this herb early in the morning or late in the evening. Snip off the upper branches. Use them fresh or dry them for future use.
Warning:
Some people are allergic to chickweed. The herb is considered safe, but should not be used by nursing women or pregnant women without the approval from a healthcare professional.
Chickweed Decoction Recipe
Use fresh chickweed whenever possible to make this herbal decoction. It is an excellent internal cleanser and makes a good wash and external agent. You need 1 cup freshly picked chickweed leaves and 1 pint of water. Bring the water to a boil and add the chickweed leaves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the leaves for 15 minutes. Cool the decoction and use it internally or externally. The internal dose is 1 to 2 ounces.
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Sheep Sorrel, Rumex Acetosella
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Sheep sorrel is one of the most useful medicinal herbs, however many people pull them out or spray them with weed killer to get rid of them. This herb is also known as red sorrel, spinach dock, field sorrel, or sour weed. Now I know! By identifying this plant, I now know that I indeed munched on these leaves as a child growing up on a farm. I loved the sour taste and called it “sour grass” myself.
Sheep Sorrel is a member of the Buckwheat family and grows wild in common areas as a perennial. The small green leaves are shaped like little arrowheads. It grows up to 18 inches tall with upright red stems, and blooms from March to November. The male plant flowers are yellow-green, and the female plant has maroon flowers that develop into red achenes. This is one of the first species to appear when an area has been disturbed. Maybe by Nature’s design…plentiful for our good health.
Edible Use:
Sheep sorrel is edible raw in a salad, or as a garnish. The flavor is lemony and tart and can also be used as a curdling agent during the process of making cheese. It can also be cooked like spinach.
Medicinal Use:
You can use the Sheep Sorrel leaves as a juice, tea, or powder for capsules.
Detoxification:
Sheep Sorrel has a diuretic effect and flushed the body when you drink a good amount of water. It also has laxative effects. You can detox by using freshly juiced leaves or by drinking the tea. Although, the tea and powder are less effective than the fresh juice.
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Cat’s Claw, Uncaria Tomentosa
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Cat’s Claw grows profusely in the Central and South America rainforest. The vine bark and root are imported to the United States for medicinal use. It is such a useful plant, with so many uses, that you need to start stocking this to have some on hand. I am going to try and grow this myself in a container so it won’t get out of control and invade my entire back yard. This is very invasive, but well worth the risk.
Identification:
Cat’s Claw Uncaria Tomentosa is a tropical woody vine that has hooked claw-shaped thorns that gives this plant its’ name. This vine climbs anything in its’ path and grows up to 100 feet. The long bright green leaves grow in opposing pairs. They have a smooth edge that can also be rounded or come to a point. The yellow flowers are trumpet shaped with five petals. The hook-shaped barbs are curled like a cat’s claw.
Medicinal Use:
The root or vine inner bark is used. It is taken as a powder, in a tea, in capsules, or as a double-extracted tincture. This is good for so many ailments, I will only mention the most important treatments and preventions here to follow:
Uses:
Cancer Treatment and Prevention
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s Disease, Colitis, Ulcers, and other Gastrointestinal issues
Anti-Inflammatory and Autoimmune conditions
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Powerful Anti-Viral
Helps the body heal, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lowers Blood Pressure
Supports the Immune System and helps for Mold Exposure
Regulates Female Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle
Detoxification:
Cat’s Claw is beneficial in cleansing the blood and lymph glands and detoxifying the whole body. This is excellent at removing toxins, drugs, heavy metals, and other foreign substances from the body. Also, it boosts the effectiveness of the kidneys, spleen, pancreas, and digestive system due to its’ cleansing effects.
Warning:
If you are pregnant, do not take Cat’s Claw, or if you are nursing, or trying to become pregnant. Do not take if you suffer from an autoimmune disorder. This may cause a flare-up. You need to consult your health professional if you are taking blood thinners or any other prescription drugs, as it interacts with some of them. Some side effects can include nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness.
I have listed a few of my favorite Detox and Cleanse by Nature treatment preventions so we can all benefit from what Earth and Nature has already provided for us to maintain good health. Please take the time to do your own research before you ingest man-made chemicals. There are too many side effects or unknowns that may be harmful to your well-being.
When nature doesn’t cooperate when you forage out to find what you need, you may want to add healthy organic supplements to your diet as well, but make sure to read the ingredients and research what they are. Please visit this page to learn more about healthy supplements, and see which ones that I have incorporated into my daily health regimen.
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I will continuously update this category Herbal Remedies by Nature, with new pages of recipes, salves, teas, tinctures, balms, and so much more. If you would like to stay updated or have any suggestions as what you would like to see, please register to the form on the top right of this page. Stay healthy friends.
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