The stomach is the origin of almost all diseases, so when we start therapy for any sort of disease, we begin with the stomach. Unless the stomach is treated, nothing can be, says Dr Rukmani Nair, a naturopath in Delhi, who founded the BNCHY Wellness Medispa in Delhi.
In the true sense of the word, a cleanse, according to naturopathy, takes time, at least a week (and sometimes upto three weeks, depending on if your body can take it and what you’re cleansing your system of).
Generally speaking, you fast for three or four days, living on the bare necessities. This could vary from person to person depending on your age, constitution, and other factors. So while some may be able to do just a liquid diet, some may use a mono diet (just buttermilk, for instance). When you break it, you go on a raw-food diet for a day or two, and then are gradually eased into a cooked-food regimen.
Cleansing is not something you do on packaged products or just juices; it requires medical supervision, because blood pressure and pulse rate has to be regularly checked. “Some people get a headache, fever, or even a rash or loose motion,” says Dr Nair. So you don’t want to go to work or put your body through anything stressful, and to expend as little energy as possible.
It’s best to check into a medical facility. “A naturopathy doctor knows when to break the fast and when to continue with it.” Enemas, mud packs (sometimes twice a day), foot baths, massages, all form a part of the cleansing process. A twice-a-year cleanse works well for most people, she says.
