Over the years, I have been amazed at how my health affects the health of my children – not just the ones I carry in the womb, but the ones I nurture on a day to day basis. Without proper nutrient absorption, a host of problems occur:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Lowered Immune System (picking up all kinds of viruses and harmful bacteria)
• Susceptible to Parasites (causing its own host of problems from mal-nutrition to cancer)
• Feeling Overwhelmed/Shortened Temper/Edgy
• Migraines/Headaches
• Nausea, Diarrhea, Constipation, Heartburn
• Overwhelming Tiredness/Lack of Motivation (even to get out of bed in the morning)
• Forgetfulness, Brain Fog
• And more…

These are all signs your internal body is trying to communicate that something is very wrong. None of the above are “normal”. They are not in God’s original design for how our bodies were created to function.

When I am feeling anxious, overwhelmed or short-tempered, I cannot properly interact, train, or guide my children in their studies or in familial relationships. Freaking out about unimportant, trite happenings, I am rendered ineffectual because of my current health status. Our health greatly and overwhelming influences our feelings, emotions, mental state and even our connection to God. As mothers our health will ultimately determine whether the child you carry in your womb will be strong and vibrant. They inherit all kinds of problems during pregnancy that can be avoided if we nourish and heal our bodies, starting with the digestive system.

How does this all work? All health begins in the gut. In the digestive system nutrients are absorbed and delegated to other body systems and organs. This system also processes and expels toxins, harmful microbes, and parasites to keep the body clean and running smoothly without outside disturbances. If the gut is compromised, health begins to deteriorate. Toxins, parasites, and harmful pathogens enter into other body systems where they cause damage and malfunction. Without the right nutrients being absorbed into the system, each organ, each cell suffers, grows weaker and more susceptible to foreign invaders.

How do we weaken our digestive systems? Before I was forced into “being healthy” (I say forced, because the way I was going was leading to so many problems, that I had to find a solution that worked; not just for me, but for my children as well), I ate processed foods, dined out, consumed fast food, cooked with aluminum and poor quality  cookware, vaccinated some of my children and was vaccinated myself, used pharma drugs and birth control pills, ate industrial meats, soy, and dairy. The list goes on. All of these harmful practices have had their part in weakening my digestive system. I say all this to give hope. If I can clean up my body, nourish each cell, and birth 8 children naturally without compromising their health or mine (but rather improving); then it can be done!

How do I turn my health around? The simple answer is: 1) detox and 2) nourish. Getting the toxins out, and getting the nutrients in is the way to heal the body. God designed our bodies to heal themselves. What happens when you cut your finger? It heals, does it not? We are fearfully and wonderfully made. The same kind of healing goes on internally as well. If we give our body the right tools, and remove the hindrances, the body will heal itself.

What does a detox look like? Cleaning up the body should be a layered approach. The villains to be eradicated are: heavy metals, parasites, candida, and toxins (this includes anything artificial as well as hormones and other body made products that have gone toxic because they were not properly absorbed or utilized).

There are several ways to go about this: going on a juice fast, taking supplements, and ultimately changing your lifestyle and diet. If you are able to go on a juice fast, this is a great way to reboot and jump start your detox and healing agents. Juice fasting resets your hypothalamus and other masters in the body to kick into gear and begin the healing process. It sends a message into your body that it no longer has to be on the defensive, survival mode; but now it can clean, heal and rebuild.

Supplements I like for detoxing are: Dr. Schultze or Dr. Christopher’s detoxes (for heavy metals and toxins); Nature’s Sunshine Mega-Chel (for heavy metals), Bulk Herb Store’s Detox + (for toxins and heavy metals), Mountain Meadow’s ParaRid (for parasites), Diometreus Earth (for parasites), Colloidal Silver or Molecular Silver (for stored viruses from vaccines and also in parasites; and molecular silver for candida).

Things to keep in mind while detoxing: 1) Drink lots of water. You will be flushing out enormous amounts of highly toxic stuff that has been cultivating in your body systems for years. In order to flush it out effectively and not have it get “stuck” along the way to create more problems in other organs, drinking tons of water is imperative. 2) Must have several bowel movements a day. Once again, you’re flushing out lots of toxic stuff, and need to be sure that it’s actually moving out of the body. The colon might be a little sluggish and need help for a while until it is rebuilt. During this time, you can do salt water enemas, drink a quart of salt water in the morning, drink Smooth Move tea, take Swedish Bitters, and if nothing else works – take cascara sagrada. That will move anything.

Nourishing the Body: The second part of cleaning up the body is to be sure the foods you’re now taking in are nourishing and not harming any more. Read up on eating a real foods diet. There are lots of real food blogs out there. Check the resource page here for some places to start. Getting some high quality superfoods like moringa, super berries (like goji) or fermented cod liver oil go a long way in supplying the body with the nutrients it needs to repair and rebuild.

After almost 8 years on this journey to better health, I am continually reminded how little we truly understand here on this side. So many stories I could share of how God has led our family to heal various problems/issues (even inherited ones) – almost daily! But I will say, that everything, and I mean everything that I learn only strengthens my resolve and conviction of the kinds of foods, attitudes, philosophies, personal care, household items, and wellness tools I use in our home. We are stewards of everything we have been given – to me this also includes not only our whole selves (body, mind, and soul), but also the earth and His creations.

Take Charge of Your Health. I am no health professional, and this isn’t medical advice; this is my experience and I hope it inspires you to do your own research, pray and decide on the best course of action to improve the quality of living for yourself and ultimately the ones you love the most.

*Note that detoxing is not recommended while pregnant or nursing. I will be doing a special post on what to do during that time that has proven safe for me during each of my pregnancies.