After 10 amazing days of traveling through Central America I am back home and feeling excited to get back into the routine of things. Blake and I had a great time surfing, swimming, eating, running and simply just being. Although we had great travels we did go though areas with contaminated water and food and had the usual experience of diarrhea and vomiting. This isn’t too new to us as we have traveled multiple times though these areas and at one point or another on the trip there are some digestive problems. So now that we are back home its time to cleanse the system. First we are starting with a parasite cleanse!
What’s a parasite cleanse?
A parasite cleanse is a holistic approach of killing off possible parasites you were exposed to through contaminated water or food. Parasites are organisms that live on a host and feed off of it in order to live. Use of herbal supplements, a specific diet, hydration and rest is part of the program to kill off these pests.
Supplements suggested for a parasite cleanse include:
· Black Walnut
· Woodworm
· Oregano Oil
· Grapefruit Seed Extract
· Clove Oil
Most health foods stores will have supplements with all of these suggested oils in capsule form ready to go with the recommended doses as well. The brand I found at Mother’s Market that came highly recommended is from Health Force Super Foods and its called SCRAM.
The Diet…
The diet suggested for the parasite cleanse is a simple clean eating program. In order to kill parasites in your system and kill off the bad bacteria and the fungus that these parasites live off of, you’ve got to get rid of bad bacteria.
Foods to eliminate include:
· Wheat
· Sugar
· Dairy
· Alcohol
· Processed Foods
· Pork (most contaminated food with parasites).
Some Foods to incorporate into the diet include:
· Garlic
· Onions
· Coconut oil and milk
· Papaya and its seeds *(the seeds of papaya fruit contain high levels of the proteolytic enzyme papain, which can help rid your body of parasites such as intestinal worms)
· Probiotic rich foods including fermented yogurt, kraut, and keifer.
· Pumpkin Seeds
** It is suggested to consume at least a ½ to a whole cup of pumpkin seeds a day while on the parasite cleanse. Curcurbitin in pumpkin seeds has shown anti-parasitic activity due to its ability to paralyze worms so they drop off the intestinal walls. Pumpkin seeds are also able to kill eggs as they contain a natural fat that is toxic to parasite eggs. Eating pumpkin seeds raw, roasted or crushed up in smoothies or salads is suggested.
For the next 14 to 21 days I will be going on this parasite cleanse to rid my body of any possible pests from this last trip. Although this regimen may seem extreme it’s a simple and natural way to rid the body of any pests. It’s also helping me with adjusting back into my daily work after being on vacation and indulging! Stay tuned for an updated blog post on my journey through the cleanse.