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Are Parasites Sucking The Life Out of You? 

Health & Lifestyle

September 12, 2022

Signs That You May Benefit From A Parasite Cleanse & Detox Regimen:

  • Unexplained GI symptoms or IBS diagnosis — diarrhea, constipation, mucousy stools, gas, bloating

  • Joint and/or muscle pain

  • Unexplained swelling and/or extra weight that you cannot lose despite all attempts — this was one of my symptoms that I didn’t realize I had until after I did my first parasite cleanse. It looks like I lost 20 pounds after the first cleanse and while I did lose some weight due to my body finally able to let weight go, most of that was swelling because my body was working so hard to detox.

  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep

  • Teeth grinding during sleep

  • Skin issues such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, rashes, pityriasis/tinea, itchy skin

  • Fatigue, exhaustion, apathy, depression

  • Symptoms and/or diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia

  • Unexplained hormonal imbalance

  • Food cravings — especially for sugary and processed foods

  • Dark circles under eyes

  • Pale complexion

  • Excessive sweating, odor, and/or stinky feet

  • Mental illness and/or dysregulated nervous system

  • Anal itching

  • Nose picking or irritation

  • Night sweats

  • Bloodwork — High Eosinophils indicate the body is fighting allergy and/or parasitic infection

Important Considerations of Parasitic Infestations 

  • Research has found that 99.9% of Americans have parasites and some are asymptomatic

  • Why are so many people walking around with parasites without realizing it?

    • Stool tests are the most common way of testing for parasites. However, they are very unreliable because they only test for a small fraction of parasites and even if you have the right ones, they can be in a state of dormancy that shows a false negative result. Stool tests are very unreliable. It is far better to go based on symptoms and intuitive feelings. If choosing to do a stool sample, it’s necessary to opt for a 3 day test versus a 1 day test to gain more accuracy. Again, this is still highly susceptible to a false negative but is more accurate than the 1 day test.

  • A parasitic infection can imitate or present itself as:

    • Chronic fatigue

    • IBS, SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth aka gut microbiome imbalance), and other digestive challenges

    • Blood sugar imbalances

    • Thyroid issues

    • Adrenal Fatigue

    • Joint Pain

    • Candida (Yeast) Overgrowth

  • Where do parasites come from?

    • Contaminated food and water

    • Contaminated water from lakes, ponds, streams

    • Undercooked meat

    • Traveling to underdeveloped countries that have higher likelihood of food and water contamination

    • Sushi

    • Unclean or contaminated fruits and vegetables

  • A parasite cleanse or detox canNOT be completed while pregnant or breastfeeding. There are many herbs and ingredients in this protocol that are not healthy for a growing fetus or the developing infant and can lead to miscarriage, birth defects, or other health issues. There are ways to support your body’s natural detox process while pregnant or breastfeeding, but this protocol is not it. Our bodies are always attempting to detox naturally but detox pathways can get bogged down and unable to detox naturally. Supporting these natural detox pathways — liver, gallbladder, intestines and gut — is the best way to support yourself and baby when you are not a candidate for a full detox or cleanse.

The Protocol

To get the full protocol and order the supplements for this protocol, go to my Fullscript Dispensary where I have carefully created a protocol that has worked for me and many others. In 3 weeks you will have successfully killed off many parasites in your body and will feel energized, clearer, and a decrease or elimination in your symptoms listed above. You’ll need to access the full protocol in my Fullscript Dispensary, but the basics of the protocol include:

Step 1: Take Supplements for Parasite Cleanse & Detox for 3 weeks

Step 2: 1 Day Gallbladder Flush

Step 3: 1 Day Colon Cleanse/Colonic

Step 4: Maintenance OR Repeat Protocol

What to Expect During This Parasite Cleanse:

  • This protocol basically makes your body a harsh environment (too clean) for parasites to live so they start to leave your body and travel down to your colon and will even attempt to get out through your skin. After you’ve spent 3 weeks killing off the parasites, you will do the cleanse to help you poop out the parasites, toxins, and often gallstones.  Then the colonic is basically doing a pressure washing of your colon to get the rest of the parasites out that haven’t already escaped.

  • This parasite cleanse is designed to kill and remove parasites from the body. This can be an uncomfortable process. When parasites die, they also release toxins and other harmful substances that get released into your body. This is why you sometimes feel worse before you feel better during the detox process. However, I’ve included many supports into this program to decrease the symptoms of parasite die-off to make it more comfortable without being overwhelming like many parasite cleanses are.

  • A cornerstone of this approach is lots of support to open up drainage pathways and help your body detox without getting bogged down by the parasites and toxins that are released.

  • This program may need to be repeated multiple times. However, you will feel results after your very first protocol. I’ve made this program only 3 weeks long to make it more tolerable and easier to stick with. If you wish to complete the program again, I recommend taking a minimum of 1 week off before starting again.

Recommendations For Combating Common Die-Off Reactions:

Skin issues — acne/breakouts, itchiness/sensation of “crawling in your skin”, blemishes, and/or rashes.

    • Skin is a major elimination organ and your body will attempt to detox through it. Skin is also a mirror of your small intestine so it gives you a more visual representation of what your gut is doing.

    • Wash all clothing after wearing — do not re-wear any clothing without washing. I’m definitely not someone who washes each piece of clothing after one wear because I don’t always get them sweaty or dirty and I don’t want to spend my whole life doing laundry BUT it’s very important to do this during the cleanse to be more comfortable and prevent reinfection.

    • Shower at least daily to remove toxins and parasites from skin

    • Decrease your toxic load by using non-toxic skin care and home products

      • It’s very important not to feed the parasites with unhealthy ingredients that are often in skin-care products. My favorite line of skin and homecare products are Pure Haven because they’re not just low tox, they are NO tox 100% guaranteed.

    • Essential oils diluted and applied to skin: tea tree oil, lavender, coconut oil

Fatigue and low energy

    • Your body is working extra hard during a detox. Your body is always at war against defenders but during an active detox, your body is in a battle that requires intense energy to do its job. Be gentle and kind with yourself. This is not the time to plan big events, projects, or activities.

    • Limit exercise to gentle activities such as walking, yoga, or other mindful movement activities.

    • Prioritize sleep during this process. Aim for 8-10 hours of sleep per night or at least laying in bed that long so your body can heal. Even if it’s challenging to sleep that long, being in a comfortable horizontal position allows your body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system that allows the body to rest and heal.

Malaise, depression, anxiety, or other mental symptoms

    • A detox regimen greatly impacts your digestive system which is a key component in your mental health and creates a majority of neurotransmitters. This can temporarily be thrown off-balance during a detox.

    • Remind yourself this is a temporary side-effect but you will feel significantly happier and clearer after completing the protocol. A parasitic infection will make you feel like crap and definitely impacts your mental health, so ridding them will boost your energy and mood.

Achiness

Nose and Throat Congestion

    • Our bodies use mucus to trap and eliminate toxins (like an air filter for an HVAC system) so it’s common to see an increase in congestion or elimination of mucus during this process

    • Keep nasal passages clear and moist – use saline spray, rub coconut oil in your nose, and use a neti-pot to keep passages clear and moist

    • Essential oils can open pathways and make breathing easier, especially peppermint & eucalyptus. Edens Garden has an affordable and effective roll-on blend that I love for this- Breathe Easier: http://rwrd.io/7ifc9bw

    • Invest in a quality air purifier. This is a great practice always to help your body maintain optimal health and keep detox pathways open. My favorite air purifiers are by Molekule – not only are they phenomenal at cleaning air, but they are also compact and designed beautifully so they are not big, ugly machines taking up a ton of space in your home. Use this link for $50 off a Molekule air purifier:  https://share.molekule.com/x/Cz06Hh

Increased GI issues such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, or cramping

    • Many parasites live in the GI tract and that is a main way parasites are going to attempt to leave the body

    • Stay hydrated and ease digestion with lots of water, fresh vegetables, juicing, smoothies, and soups

    • Engage in intermittent fasting and/or fasting between meals to support your body’s ability to rest and digest properly.

    • Eat a whole-food plant-based diet as much as possible

    • Avoid any foods that are specifically challenging for your body to digest

    • Essential Oils – peppermint, ginger, fennel – rub on your stomach to aid in digestion. Edens Garden  has a great pre-blended roll-on called “Digest-Ease” that we love in our home: http://rwrd.io/7ifc9bw

    • Ginger to ease nausea and tummy discomfort. I absolutely love these lozenges that I discovered during one of my pregnancies but continue to use them anytime I experience tummy discomfort: https://amzn.to/3RqKj3w

    • See dietary recommendations listed below for a more comprehensive list of foods to avoid and add to diet.

Sleep challenges

    • Incorporate healthy sleep hygiene

      • Limit screen time before bed, especially up close on a phone or tablet. The blue light emitted from these devices disrupts your body’s melatonin production and sleep/wake cycles. If you must be on these devices immediately before bed, I highly recommend investing in blue-light-blocking glasses.

      • Consider what information you are “consuming” before bed — is it going to promote rest or make you anxious or agitated?

      • Remove as many electrical devices from the bedroom as possible- phones, computers, television. EMFs are constantly being released from these devices even if they are not actively in use. If you must keep your phone in your bedroom, I recommend putting it as far away from you as possible and/or turning it on airplane mode. Also consider investing in EMF blocking devices for yourself, your devices, and/or your home. My personal favorite is the Hedron Home Harmonizer: https://hedronemfprotection.com/products/hedron-home-protection

      • Air quality- besides investing in an air purifier as mentioned above, consider improving air flow in other ways by keep doors open and opening windows when possible. Avoid a fan blowing directly on you as it will dry out your nose and make breathing more difficult.

    • Maintain consistent bedtime routines

    • Epsom salt bath before sleep

    • Essential oils to aid sleep

      • Cedarwood

      • Lavender

      • Vetiver

      • My favorite blend is “Sleep Ease Roll On” by Edens Garden: http://rwrd.io/7ifc9bw

    • Avoid eating 2 hours before bedtime to allow your body to focus on resting and healing during sleep instead of working on digesting

    • Supplements to aid sleep

      • Magnesium

      • CBD Oil

Headaches

    • Keep hydrated — drink plenty of water

    • Use cold cloth or ice pack on head to soothe headache

    • Essential oils such as peppermint, wintergreen, roman chamomile, lavender, and copaiba. Invest in an essential oil blend specifically for headaches such as “Head-Ease Roll-On” through Edens Garden: http://rwrd.io/7ifc9bw

    • Headache sticks, which are like chapstick but for your face, head, and neck to relieve headaches such as “headache stick” by Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/melindamorris

Lymphatic, Drainage, and General Detox Support

1. Lymphatic massage

2. Dry brushing

3. Epsom salt baths

    •  They help the body detox and restore magnesium, which is essential to all body processes. Use plain, unscented Epsom salts or magnesium flakes

4. Infrared sauna

    • This helps your body to naturally detox and sweat out toxins. It’s especially important to shower and put on clean clothes afterwards to prevent toxins from reabsorbing

5. Supportive Movement

    • A gentle yoga practice that focuses on twists can be beneficial and support your detox organs. Restorative, yin, or yoga nidra are also excellent options to give your body more opportunity to relax and heal

6. Coffee Enema

    • This is a very powerful detox practice that helps to stimulate liver and gallbladder function to help detox and open drainage pathways and to improve digestion. If possible, do a coffee enema 1x/week during parasite cleanse and then monthly beyond cleanse.

    • It’s essential to use organic coffee for the enema – you do not want to be injecting yourself with pesticides

    • Use a stainless steel bucket instead of plastic to prevent leaching chemicals

Dietary Recommendations During Parasite Cleanse:

Before attempting to radically change your diet and lifestyle during this cleanse, consider what is actually doable for you. If you typically eat 2 of your meals per day from a fast food drive-thru, it’s not fair to expect that you’ll magically be eating a 100% organic whole-food diet. Start with where you are and try to make SMALL, manageable changes daily. If you make a mistake or have a slip-up, forgive yourself and move forward. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water because you didn’t follow this to a T. Just do your best and make one decision at a time trying to do what your best self would do. Imagine the person you want to be — ask yourself what she/he would do in that situation and make decisions like the person you wish to be because that’s the best way to get closer to your ideal self. However, the closer you can follow these guidelines, the better you will feel and the better results you have, but if changing your diet is too challenging in addition to taking the supplements, just focus on the supplements and increasing water intake as the bare minimum.

  • Drink as much water as possible.

    • Aim for 1 gallon of water per day.

    • Avoid tap water or spring water whenever possible- these are often full of parasites and can be a huge cause of parasitic infestations.

    • The cleanest drinking options are water that is distilled, ionized, or reverse osmosis.

    • Realize that many bottled water options you find are simply bottled tap water or spring water. Always read the label! Common examples of this are Aquafina, Dasani, Nestle Pure Life, Deer Park, Ice Mountain. When purchasing bottled water, try to look for those keywords “distilled” or “reverse osmosis” versus purified. Bonus points if the water is Alkaline. Some of the best commonly found bottled water options include Essentia, LifeWtr, Smart Water, & Core Hydration.

    • A few tips to help you consume more water:

      • Invest in high quality water bottles that you love. My current favorite are Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide with interchangeable lids. They are mostly stainless steel and easier to clean and tend to stay cleaner than any other water bottle I’ve found. The insulated bottles keep liquids cold or hot for several hours. These are what everyone in my family uses, including my toddler and preschooler. With these, I’ve been able to get rid of other water bottles, travel coffee mugs, and blender/shaker bottles by interchanging the Klean Kanteen lids based on what I’m using the bottle for — I have a 32 oz bottle and 20 oz bottle with the chug cap, cafe cap, & twist cap. I also have the insulated 64 oz that I bring along with me in the car to replenish my smaller water bottles when I’m away from home. It’s a great idea to keep extra along with you but want to avoid plastic – especially in a hot car – because the chemicals will leach into the water and it’s very unhealthy and makes the water taste nasty. My kids use the 12 oz bottles with twist caps & the 8 oz insulated tumblers. Use link http://rwrd.io/q8qwjoy?c to get $20 off of your first order of $50+ if you’re ready to invest in the best water bottle you’ll find.

      • Fill up water bottles before going to bed so you don’t forget to fill up in the chaos that morning often brings. I like to have my 20 oz bottle filled up and a larger 32 and 64 oz filled up to take along with me to refill my 20 oz bottle when I run out. If I have all of these water bottles filled up before I go to bed, it’s easier for me to track my water consumption because drinking all 3 of those bottles will get me close to my gallon of water per day.

      • Start your morning off right with a bottle next to your bed to drink before you even get out of bed in the morning. Much of our fatigue in the morning is from dehydration from the night. If drinking ice cold water right away upsets your digestion, fill it with room temperature or hot water before you go to bed to ease your digestion. Bonus points if you throw a little organic lemon juice and a pinch of himalayan sea salt in there to further help your body detox and restore your electrolytes.

  • Eat as “clean” of a diet as possible with whole, organic foods. Try to consume a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and eat raw or steamed whenever possible.

  • Organic foods

    • Eating organic is extremely important because the pesticides on non-organic foods are very harmful to your health. Consider this, pesticides are made to kill bugs on produce and they don’t necessarily discriminate between good or bad bugs. Then you eat them on the produce, often even if they’ve been washed properly. What do you think those pesticides are doing to the bugs in your body? They’re certainly not just killing the bad bacteria – they’re also killing the good bacteria. So many people today are struggling with digestive issues, gut dysbiosis and microbiome imbalance. Pesticide contamination is one of the biggest reasons for this.

    • A great resource to dig into to learn more about the differences between organic, non-GMO, and typical produce is through the EWG. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ They have a comprehensive report on the “clean fifteen” & “dirty dozen” as well as many other great resources. It is always best to eat 100% organic, but it’s not always feasible with what is available to someone at a grocery store or farmers market, or may not fit into someone’s budget. That’s where the clean fifteen and dirty dozen come in. If you aren’t familiar, the “clean fifteen” are the fifteen safest foods to eat as non-organic because they have the lowest levels of pesticide contamination. The dirty dozen are the most important to purchase as organic because the non-organic have the highest levels of pesticide residue both outside and soaked into the produce.

    • Always wash fruits and vegetables before you eat them whenever you can, even if the packaging says that it’s been washed already. My favorite fruit and veggie wash is through Pure Haven https://purehaven.com/melindamorris

  • Avoid/Limit the following foods. These foods inhibit the immune system, cause inflammation, and slow down the healing process, making your body work even harder to detox and kill off parasites. They also convert quickly to sugar in the body, which feeds the parasites and depletes the body of vitamins and minerals. This can cause spikes and drops in blood sugar that can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes in the long run, but in the short term takes away your body’s ability to focus on healing. These foods also dehydrate you, and your body needs an abundance of water to flush out toxins and parasites. Sugary food is a very common craving for people infected with parasites so remember the more you eat it, the more you’re feeding the parasites and will continue to crave it – do your best to starve them off. If you do eat/drink these foods during your cleanse, do your best to increase your water intake to counteract the negative effects.

    • Caffeine

    • Sugar

    • Fruit

    • Wheat, gluten, and refined carbs like bread, noodles, cereals, pastries and other baked goods ***These foods bothered me A LOT during my parasite cleanse and made me feel very bloated and gassy

    • Soda

    • Processed Foods

    • Processed/heated oils

    • Alcohol

    • Red Meat and Sushi – these are more likely to have parasites than many other foods

Killing off parasites through a parasite cleanse can be a daunting task, but the way I’ve put this protocol together, it’s actually very manageable and symptoms are mild. The rewards are definitely worth 3 weeks of taking supplements and trying to add in some supports to make it more comfortable. You might actually learn a few new practices that you love and want to continue to maintain into your regular routine well after you’ve finished the cleanse. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. I would love to see comments below on how it went and maybe even some helpful advice for other readers who are on the fence or about to start a parasite cleanse. Order your supplements today so you can started as soon as possible feeling more like your best self.

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motherhood

health & Lifestyle

mindset

Categories

Reading suggestions

Are You An Empath?

Are You Grounded?

Listening To Your Body's Messages

tell me more...

I'm Melinda — holistic healing COACH for mamas & families 

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