The YinOva Cleanse, Week Four – Blood, Skin and Lymph

By: Jill Blakeway, M.S. L. Ac. | Author's Archive | Bio

It’s the final week of our annual YinOva Cleanse. How are you feeling? Thank you to all of you who have emailed or called to report in on your progress. Jane and I are faring well. Personally, I’ve lost a few pounds and gained some energy so I’m glad that I made the effort. My husband has been cleansing as well, which has been helpful because we’ve been following the same diet. This weekend I made a vegan cake for Valentines Day using maca powder and go ji berries. It was surprisingly delicious.

Last week’s cleanse focused on the lungs, bladder and kidneys and I, like many of you, found that I developed a bit of a cough as my lungs cleaned themselves out.

Now that we have cleansed our liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs and bladder it makes sense to cleanse the blood, lymph and skin. Over the past three weeks our cleanse has caused toxins from our organs to be dumped into our blood and lymph. Our final step is to clean these up. Our complexions reflect the condition of our blood and lymph so this final cleanse should make your skin glow.

We continue with our foundation formulas this week.

• Digestive Stimulator™
• Liver and Gallbladder Rejuvenator™
• Friendly Bacteria Replenisher™
• Toxin Absorber™
• Toxin Neutralizer™

However we ad in two new formulas

• Blood and Skin Rejuvenator™
• Lymph Rejuvenator™

The blood’s job is to nourish all the cells of the body. It delivers oxygen and other essential substances and picks up carbon dioxide and wastes and transports them to the elimination organs to be disposed of. As well as this role in transporting nutrition and waste the blood plays an important part in our body’s ability to defend itself. When we cut ourselves our blood forms a clot in order to prevent bleeding and when we are invaded by a pathogen the blood is our first line of defense. It is the liver’s job to make sure that the blood remains clean but if the liver is sluggish and not doing it’s job properly the blood attempts to rid itself of toxins through the skin. This can cause rashes and skin problems. That is why we cleanse our livers before we start this final stage and cleanse the blood.

Lymph is a watery fluid that moves throughout the body in lymphatic vessels. Lymph is important for fluid balance, it plays a role in removing waste and debris from the body and also attacks foreign invaders. Unlike blood which is pumped around the body, lymph’s progress through the vessels is slow as it relies on muscle contractions to move it through the body. As it slowly circulates lymph passes through nodes which act as filters, helping to destroy micro-organisms and debris.

To speed up the process of cleansing via the lymph it helps to go on a brisk walk or have a massage.

Food

Carry on eating the clean foods that you were eating last week. Here in the office we have christened it “temple food”

Avoid the following foods

• Meat
• Dairy products
• Fried foods
• Processed sugars
• Processed foods
• Coffee
• Alcohol

Instead eat predominantly organic fruits and veggies and whole foods and remember to drink plenty of water. If weight loss is a goal you should restrict but not eliminate carbohydrates. Otherwise choose organic whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa.

This week I made a fish stew and several vegetable and bean soups. My husband made a curried squash soup that was a big hit in our household.

Continue to follow our YinOva recommendations to support your cleanse

• Start each day with a cup of hot water with lemon in it.
• Eat three small meals and two snacks a day.
• Take some time each day to do deep breathing, meditation, gentle stretching or yoga
• Get at least 8 hours sleep each night
• In the shower brush your skin with a loofah, skin brush or Japanese skin cloth
• Drink one 8 oz glass of water or cup of herbal tea an hour. Explore a variety of herbal teas. Green tea is nice first thing in the morning and chamomile tea is relaxing before bed.
• Eat small portions and stop eating when you are satisfied.
• Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly
• Have a weekly acupuncture treatment to encourage detoxification and to deal with any symptoms that may arise
• Once a week place a castor oil pack over your liver. Rub castor oil over your liver on your right side of your upper abdomen from the mid-line out under your ribcage. Place an old towel over the caster oil and put a hot pack over the area and leave it there for 30 – 40 minutes whilst you relax.
• Reiki can be helpful especially if you find that your cleansing process involves processing negative emotions.
• Try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day

Next week we will be focusing on the lymph, blood and skin, whilst continuing with the progress we have made supporting our intestines, liver, gall bladder, lungs and kidneys.

All herbs in our YinOva Cleanse are supplied by Blessed Herbs. We sell the kits at The YinOva Center or you can buy them directly from the manufacturer.

Please check with your doctor or health care provider to make sure that you are healthy enough to spend a month on a restricted diet. Do not take herbs, vitamins, recreational drugs or over the counter medication whilst you are cleansing. If you are taking prescribed medications please ask your prescribing physician for advice about combining them with this cleanse. The instruction book that accompanies your kit has information about the way in which the cleansing herbs can interact with certain prescribed medications.

Do NOT cleanse :-

• If you are pregnant (if you discover you are pregnant whilst cleansing, please discontinue with the cleanse)
• If you have an active, acute infection
• If you are weak or debilitated
• If you are about to undergo or are recovering from surgery
• If you are suffering from the following GI problems – diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal infection, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the GI tract, abnormal narrowing of the esophagus or intestines, difficulty swallowing.