by Dr. Jamie Doughty, Medical Director
The fall marks a time of harvest and reflection on all of summer’s bounty and activities. One way we can replenish and restore our bodies to prepare for the shorter, darker months ahead is with a seasonal cleanse. The liver is the largest organ inside our bodies performing over 500 different biochemical functions every day! It is no surprise that a cleanse that focuses on the liver will benefit digestion, energy levels and our immune system.
Case: Sandy, a 42 year old woman, presented for a Naturopathic consult to address chronic fatigue and weight gain that had been steadily increasing over the past 5 years due
to a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. Sandy rated her stress as moderate for several years and she wanted to understand the underlying cause of her fatigue besides just working a lot. Her goals included weight loss, feeling well again, increased energy and stamina through the day.
We talked about the importance of periodic cleansing to support her internal organs of elimination in order to achieve her health goals. I ordered lab testing to evaluate the health of her kidneys and liver which revealed slightly elevated liver enzymes indicating congestion and inflammation in the liver. Her complete blood count and thyroid panel were within normal limits.
Sandy’s plan began with clinical nutrition counseling and a 15 day dietary cleanse; 3 days of juice fasting followed by no caffeine, alcohol, dairy nor processed carbs.
She incorporated organic broths, pureed cooked veggies, avocado, coconut milk and fresh lemon water throughout the day. Her botanical support included milk thistle, dandelion root, artichoke, fennel, Oregon grape root, turmeric and licorice from a formula I love called Hepacaps. I also recommended a series of 3 colon hydrotherapy sessions during her 15 day cleanse to eliminate bile acids, environmental toxins, metabolic waste products and harmful bacteria and yeast. Colonics aid our whole bodies by eliminating these things from our systemic circulation which is key to an optimal healthy body.
After her 15 day program Sandy reported her energy had increased from a 4/10 to 8/10 daily, she was happier, sleeping better and had lost 5 pounds!
She decided to continue to work on dietary and lifestyle changes made on the plan and to continue her herbal formula before rechecking her liver enzymes. After 8 weeks her abnormal lab values normalized and her quality of life was significantly improved.