I’ve mentioned Natalia Rose before, and now she’s back with a new book. There are a lot of detoxes and cleanses out there, and for every alternative healer who thinks detoxing is crucial, there is a doctor who says detoxing is bunk, and that our bodies are designed to detox themselves. I think I actually agree with both opinions. On one hand, our bodies are designed with several elimination organs: the liver, the kidneys, the skin and of course the intestines/colon. The body is designed to remove waste and hang on to nutrients. And in the past, I’m sure that’s exactly what it did. The body is also designed to eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and some grains. It was not designed to eat Big Macs, french fries, Krispy Kreme donuts, Doritos, triple-cheese pizzas, bacon bits and garlic bread. But that’s what most people (at least most Americans, anyway) eat. And when the food you consume is so different from what your body needs and expects, then I don’t think it’s so far-reaching to think that it might need a little help eliminating all the crap we constantly shove into it.

However, a lot of cleanses out there are scary or intimidating. The Master Cleanse might help you lose weight, but I keep reading about people who got sick on it. Juice feasting sounds wonderful, but it takes work, dedication, money and a LOT of produce to make and drink a gallon of fresh green juice every day.

This is one of the things I like about Natalia’s Detox for Women method. For most people, it seems very do-able. Natalia’s main point is to take 4 weeks to starve off the yeast and bacteria that form in the bloodstream so that you are working with a fresh slate, and then only eat clean, healthy, natural foods. Although I tend to associate Natalia with raw foods, her plan is neither raw nor vegetarian. For four weeks, participants can eat all raw vegetables (and juices), baked starchy vegetables, organic fish, raw goat cheese, millet and quinoa. Once the bloodstream is detoxed, you can begin to add fruits and some nuts back in. Natalia really recommends avoiding (pretty much permanently) other grains, sugar, red meats and more. Her book is filled with helpful tips, brand suggestions, and testimonials from women who have completed the program, as well as ways to speed up the detox, including skin brushing, colonics, epsom baths and more.  I’m not quite ready to give up fruit, but if I ever decide to detox, this is probably the plan I will choose.