How to Use a Detox Program for Children

A detox program gives the body a chance to improve its elimination processes through the liver, the colon, the kidneys, the lungs and the skin. The liver and bowels are two of the most important, even for children, and a twice a year cleansing is healthy for everyone. Because children cannot tolerate harsh changes in their diets, and many are finicky about food choices, a detox program for children differs somewhat from that of an adult. The following tips will be helpful to you if you decide it's time for a good cleanse for your child.

Instructions

How to Use Detox Programs for Children

1

Look for signs that your child need to detox. Signs include skin rashes or outbreaks, fatigue, irritability, sluggish digestion, loose or hard stools or constipation; headaches, acute backache, runny nose, cough or lung congestion and scanty or strong smelling urine. One of the best times to detox is if the child exhibits signs of a cold, congestion, or other body imbalances and minor illnesses.

2

Make sure the child drinks 5 or 6 glasses of water a day. For children, a glass should be at least 4 ounces.

3

Make sure you have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand. Having a juicer is helpful, although not necessary.

4

Eliminate the following from any detox diet:Processed foods--use only whole and natural foodsFoods which contain sugar or hydrogenated oils (Transfats) and chemical dyes and preservativesFlour products, including pasta, breads, cookies, cakes, etc.Meats and animal products

5

On day one, give only clear liquids and herbal teas as tolerated. Clear vegetable broths and sugarless fruit juices are typically well tolerated. Apple and non-sweetened cranberry juices are particularly cleansing. If you wish, you can make homemade Jell-O using fruit juices--just follow the directions on an unflavored gelatin packet. You can give him fruit juice popsicles, but make your own to avoid extra sugar and artificial sweeteners, which add toxic load to the liver.

6

Give her homemade lemonade, which is the juice of two lemons in water sweetened with real maple syrup. This can be taken warm or cold, two times on the first day. If the child becomes particularly irritable, give her a blend of passion flower and chamomile tea, sweetened with honey or maple syrup. These herbs help calm the nervous system. Be sure to allow the child to get plenty of rest, even if she does not sleep.

7

On day two, begin introducing thicker liquids (such as soups) and easy to digest foods. If you can find Slippery Elm Bark, this is a natural cleanser which improves bowel function. Here is a recipe for Slippery Elm gruel, which you can also add to oatmeal:1 part Slippery Elm Bark part cinnamon1 part water1 part Maple Syrup

8

Reintroduce fruits and vegetables in their natural forms. A diet of 50 percent raw and 50 percent cooked is ideal. Continue offering fluids, including clear water, and introduce some of these foods: oatmeal, cooked rice, vegetable stews, soy milk and other soy products that the child can tolerate. You may also prepare organic eggs as the child likes. Unsweetened dried fruits make healthy snacks. Yogurt and Kefir are other healthy food sources that children enjoy and help restore the beneficial bacteria in the colon.

9

On the third day, resume the normal diet, excluding processed foods or those with chemicals, dyes and preservatives. Deep fried foods should also be avoided. Dairy, meat and fish products are healthy in limited quantities and best eaten from organic sources. To keep your child in tip-top shape, be sure to always have handy plenty of whole fruits and vegetables flavored with spices and herbs--these are nature's medicines, and will work well in keeping your child healthy.