I am now at the end of week two (out of three) of a Mediclear cleanse, which explains the reason for the coffee post from last week....
Spring is the time of the year for new beginnings, rebirth, and for cleaning things out. Including yourself. However, this spring has been pretty cold, and it's best to do a cleanse when it's warmer outside so your body won't be working as hard to stay warm and can do more to purge out what isn't needed.
There are a lot of individualized programs with detoxing, and it seems like a lot of stores have come out with their own "detox in a box," so be careful! Simply taking a lot of fiber and doing enemas can be harmful to your bowel health, so check in with a practitioner as to which program is best for you. That being said, it's important that while you are on a cleanse to have at least one bowel movement per day.
Groundspring Healing Center in southwest Portland sent out a great newsletter in January comparing Mediclear, the Biotics detoxification, and Standard Process cleanse, which really helped me decide which was best for me and which one I could afford. I haven't tried Biotics or Standard Process, but my experience with Mediclear has been pretty good thus far.
Doing a cleanse can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. There are several cleanses or detox programs, such as the Master cleanse and juice fasts. With all of them, there are usually dietary restrictions, such as cutting out red meat, dairy, wheat, COFFEE, and sugar (just to name a few...). These foods are often considered imflammatory to the body, and cutting them out for a while can help your you adjust to a new beginning.
That being said, if you decide to try a cleanse at some point, make a list of things you CAN eat, instead of focusing on what you CAN'T. It sure makes your life and the pleasure of eating a lot easier. Good luck if you feel like you are ready to try it- I feel better already!