So what exactly is herbal cleansing? It sounds a bit like hard work to some, so I suspect they tune out at the sound of it. I can't say that I blame them actually, it doesn't sound very exciting does it.

To be honest, it could apply to anything from using shampoo to hard surface cleanser! It seems that a very diverse range of manufacturers have climbed onto the bandwaggon of so-called "natural products" and now all manner of cleaning products claim to be herbal or to contain one or some other herb or more.

It is easy to understand, because the strong association between herbs and cleansing has been built up over a very long period of time. It is the body cleansing that I am referring to of course, so just what is that?

It may help if we first briefly state why we need to cleanse the inside in the first place. After all, how can we even get dirty there? When we get dirty, we wash. End of story really, it's all on the outside, right? Well, no, not entirely.

You see, relatively speaking, you actually do a lot more work on the inside than you do on the outside. Yes, I'm sure you're a hard worker and no, I'm not calling you lazy. It's just that every single cell in your body must work to stay alive. They all have to earn their keep and if they don't, they die. Sounds harsh, but that's life - literally, your biology teacher will confirm this fact.

Doing all this work generates a lot of waste products that have to be removed. Sometimes the normal body functions responsible for this way deep inside at the cellular level just fall behind in their work. It can be quite a heavy workload if you subject your body to a less than ideal diet, get less than ideal exercise, breathe less than perfect air, and so on.

Literally no one can live the perfectly clean lifestyle, from an inside perspective, in modern industrial society. Even when we make every informed effort with our nutrition, we still live in a polluted world and our foods are grown in a polluted environment, no matter what the EPA tell you in politically acceptable and reassuring tones.

So the fact is your body slowly accumulates waste materials which build up to harmful levels. Any substance harmful to the cells is called a toxin, so you'll often hear talk of detoxifying or cleaning out the toxins. Ever wondered what that meant? Now you know. Don't worry, people often ask.

For quite long periods of time, even decades, depending on the particular toxins, the buildup can go completely unnoticed. It doesn't appear to cause any problems so the situation is ignored, which is quite understandable. Even when vague awareness of not quite being well, or perhaps a realization that energy seems to have disappeared for no apparent reason, does emerge, we dismiss such awareness.

When the feelings turn into vague, or even pronounced symptoms, two unfortunate responses are common. The first is to ignore it, to push it from awareness. If we complain to family and friends at this stage we will often be told that everything is fine and don't worry so much. The second is that we actually consult a health practitioner.

Why is consulting a health practitioner with these vague symptoms unfortunate? I'll tell you, but you won't like it. You see, there are two all too common responses.

1. You are regarded as a complainer or a malingerer or a neurotic. This is bad enough, but the tendency for that label to stick, clouding future judgement when your medical record is viewed, can have dangerous consequences.
2. You are treated for something you don't have due to a misdiagnosis, usually made I have to say, by a strictly orthodox practitioner. There are far too many reasons for this to address here. I will write more about this another time. It is quite shocking actually. In any event, this treatment significantly compounds the problem.

So, what is herbal cleansing then? Since you've read this far I should tell you, and I will. It should hopefully be pretty obvious by now anyway. This is simply the practice of taking one or more herbs (usually several together) for the specific purpose of assisting with the removal of the accumulated toxins.

This cleansing sets the slate clean, so to speak. Then your normal physiological functions can cope with the workload again and literally every cell, and hence every bodily function, can perform its task more optimally. You see, cells work much better when they aren't forced to retain their own and other cells waste products. Quite understandable really.

Oh yes, and you feel better too! Quite amazing amounts of energy are lost due to the inefficiencies associated with excess toxic loads, which largely accounts for that mysterious loss of energy you feel over time. The great news is, that energy tends to return quite quickly, though subtley, after a cleanse.

Since you will still be living in a polluted world and perhaps still not eating perfectly, the cleanse needs to be repeated from time to time. Not too often mind, but occasionally. The frequency really depends on your lifestyle.

How do you perform a cleanse you ask? Well look, that could take another long post. The easiest way to do it is to buy a prepackaged herbal cleansing kit. Do be careful though, I have seen several that I consider dangerous and many that are pure junk, simply designed to clean out your wallet!

I can recommend one source though. Don't be put off by its low price, it really is very good. You can find it via this link. I should warn you that a good cleanse will flush plenty of toxic material temporarily into your blood stream in largish quantity. This is quite normal and harmless enough, but it may make you feel quite seedy or unwell for anything from a couple of hours to a couple of days, depending on the amount you have and the vigor in your response. Happy cleansing on your path to health.