An Intestinal Cleanse may be the most important part of an extended dry fast. Don't try to skip this if you're going for longer than 3 days. If you're going for a shorter fast, find my protocol for a short fast preparation to avoid the phase I/II crash. This intestinal cleanse also includes a liver cleanse. A simpler version of the liver cleanse is included in the preparation protocols.
PLEASE READ: THESE ARE DIFFERENT PROTOCOLS ALL FOUND ONLINE. DO NOT TREAT WHAT IS WRITTEN HERE AS GOSPEL GO TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCES
A lot of my recommendations for this have to do with your age, dry fasting experience, health markers, and diet. There is no one-size-fits-all and that's why it is always advised to have a mentor for your first dry fasts. That being said, the dry fasting club is meant to provide you with all the information you need to do this yourself if you were so inclined. As always this is informational only and should not substitute medical advice.
Intestinal cleansing, as the name implies helps you in clearing out the digestive tract. This can be done in a few ways.
- Increasing your gut motility by taking a laxative
- Eating less and lighter foods with a lot of fiber
- Using a prokinetic to increase your Migratory muscle complex
- Hydrocolonotherapy - Enemas
- Doing liver and gallbladder flushes
The idea behind these is to clear blockages and avoid having waste fermenting and causing absorption of toxins during an extended fast. That's why the simplest way is to do a laxative cleanse. This involves using a laxative like magnesium citrate or magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts). You can also use Filonov's regular table salt method and a few other ones. Some people like to do enemas, but I've realized most people do not. Some people swear by them, so if it's something you're interested in, you can look into it further.
The simplest version I use is called the Juice Prep Protocol and you can see it under the protocols section. However, a lot of extended fasters swear by liver flushing. It's no doubt that the liver is the body's most important filter. Doing liver and gallbladder flushes forced bile to be evacuated quite drastically and this can have a really good cleaning effect. Some people call the stones released gallbladder stones, while others claim that they are simply a byproduct of the oil mixture.
Whatever the true mechanism, I believe that the main benefit is the bile flush and that the stones don't mean very much. You should always start small when trying new things and test them out first to make sure you do not have any dangerous reactions to them. For example, you should test small amounts of Epsom salts first to see at what point they produce a laxative effect and how much you can tolerate.
A cleanse can lead to detoxification crises, with possible side effects like headaches, lack of energy, skin impurities, constipation, bad breath, and increased perspiration. However, individual reactions vary as everyone's body is unique. When cleansing the bowel, it's crucial to set aside ample time for the process, as it can take hours or days for effects to manifest. Ensure you are drinking water, and juices with very high mineral content to replace Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium. Lucky for us, most of these fruits and vegetables have all the other trace minerals too. Look for beets, celery, cucumber, ginger, carrot, and apples. Adopt a light, easily digestible diet to minimize strain on the intestines, and engage in gentle forms of movement to support digestion.
This article provides the following guidelines:
- The most simple liver and gallbladder flush procedure (Bile flush, for young and healthy).
- A Generic Epsom Salt and Liver/Gallbladder Flush Combo (Recommended)
- The Gentle Liver Flush: This is for those who are severely sick and don't want to risk the power of Epsom Salts too early.
- An accelerated intestinal cleanse procedure by Filonov.
- Filonov's table salt flush procedure (If you don't have access to Epsom Salts)
The Most Simple Liver Flush and Gallbladder Flush
This is the most simple recipe and is good enough for relatively healthy kids, teenagers, and relatively healthy young adults who only suffer from some less serious health problems like teen acne, child eczema, smelly sweat, child seborrheic dermatitis, peeling lips, arm pain, shoulder pain, dry skin, cracked nails, weak hair, ringworm, pinworms, etc. If you are a healthy young person, no serious health conditions, just some annoying skin, face, nail, or hair problems, this recipe is good enough for you.
Ingredients (The Most Simple Liver Flush):
1. one large grapefruit or 2 smaller grapefruits, enough to squeeze 1/2 cup of fresh juice ( other fruit can be used! )
2. 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( or any other natural oil )
If you are a small child or a small adult, you can drink half of this dose. You are considered small if your body weight is below 30-40 kg (60 - 80 lbs).
If you are afraid to do a liver flush, you can also try 1/2 of the full adult dose.
If you are extremely afraid to do a liver flush, you can try 1/4 of the full adult dose.
If your body weight is between 30kg(60 lbs) and 60kg (120 lbs), you can drink 2/3 of this amount.
If your body weight is between 60kg(120 lbs) and 90kg (200 lbs), you can drink the complete 1 cup of the mixture.
If your body weight is over 90kg (200 lbs), you can drink more than 1 cup of the mixture, but not the first time you are doing the liver flush. The first time you are doing the liver flush it is more than enough to drink 1 cup of the mixture.
The Procedure
A re-organized and simplified version of a liver flush
- Selecting the Day: Choose a day when you won't have to engage in strenuous activities. Saturdays are usually preferred.
- The Day of the Flush: On the day of the flush, eat a light breakfast and lunch. Avoid fatty and spicy foods. After 2 pm, you can only drink water; refrain from eating or taking pills or vitamins.
- Hydration Limitation: After 7 pm, try not to drink water or any other beverage. If you're really thirsty, a small amount of water is acceptable. By the evening, it's crucial to be both hungry and thirsty to make consuming the oil and juice mixture easier.
- Preparing the Flush Mixture: At 9:55 pm, manually squeeze fresh juice from the grapefruit. Mix 1/2 cup of this freshly squeezed juice with 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Consuming the Flush Mixture: At 10 pm, drink the mixture slowly. Afterward, walk around slowly for about one to two hours to avoid feeling nauseous.
- Sleep Time: Before you sleep around midnight, ensure you don't have a lot of gas in your stomach. Try to burp if your stomach feels heavy.
- Post-Flush Observations: The following day, you may experience loose stool or diarrhea. You might notice hard green or yellow objects in your feces, representing hardened bile that could have been present in your liver or gallbladder.
- Procedure Repetition: Repeat this procedure every 2-3 weeks to help cure conditions like food intolerance, acne, peeling lips, dry skin, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, keratosis pilaris, ingrown toenails, pinworms, topical steroids addiction, alcohol addiction, and more.
Can it be done at other times? Can it be done in the morning, or during the day?
Yes, you can do it in the morning. You can drink the mixture in the morning, just make sure you are never too far away from a toilet.
You should have at least 2 hours to slowly walk after you drink the cup with the oil-juice mixture. Walking helps digest the juice.
Can I use juice from some other fruit?
Yes, you can use lemons, limes, oranges, pomelo, pineapple, granate apple, acid apple juice, grape juice, etc.
LIVER & GALLBLADDER CLEANSE (Recommended)
This should be done with caution. If you have large gallstones this is contraindicated. I'll try to put the statistics in when I have some time to locate them again. It's something like 3% of the sick people with gallbladder stone issues may get a lodged stone and require emergency treatment.
Feeling nervous about the Liver Flush? Here's how to boost your confidence. First, get friendly with Epsom Salt. Start with a small dose and gradually up your game - from one Magnesium Sulfate capsule a day to fifteen, or from a teaspoon of Epsom Salt in a cup of water to three. But, remember, three's the limit. Next, it's time to buddy up with Olive Oil. Start by downing a tablespoon with some fresh, cold grapefruit or lemon juice. Add another spoonful each day until you're rocking four tablespoons of each. When you're ready, hit pause on practice and get real with the Flush. Finally, feed your curiosity and confidence by checking out other folks' "liver flush" stories online. Get prepared, get excited, and get going!
Surveys of people who did the liver flush
Liver & Gallbladder Flush Schedule
For best results stop eating any fat the night before. For the remainder of the Flush eat no fat and no artificial sweeteners. Fruit and fruit juice are fine. No dairy, butter, oils, meat, eggs, nuts/seeds or sweets. Before you start the Flush read the entire list of precautions.
8:00 AM: Eat a zero-fat breakfast and lunch such as cooked cereal, fruit, fruit juice, bread with preserves or honey (no butter or milk). Oatmeal is the most ideal choice. For lunch eat plain cooked or steamed vegetables with white rice. Do not eat any protein foods such as butter or you might feel ill during the Flush.
2:00 PM: Do not eat or drink after 2 PM, otherwise you could feel quite ill later. Make sure you have 60 capsules of Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) handy (you will take 15 capsules per dose for a total of four times per Flush). If you prefer to drink the Magnesium Sulfate dissolved in water you can either buy Epsom Salt or pull the capsules apart.
If you use Epsom Salt crystals, mix 4 tablespoons and ½ teaspoon Vitamin C in 3 cups water and pour into a jar. This makes four servings, ¾ cup each. Store in refrigerator.
6:00 PM: DOSE 1 Take 15 capsules Magnesium Sulfate (or ¾ cup Epsom Salt solution) with no more than ¾ cup water. If you are drinking the Epsom Salt solution you may bite into a lemon or rinse your mouth, but spit out the water. Get the olive oil (ozonated if possible) and grapefruit out if not already at room temperature.
8:00 PM: DOSE 2 Repeat by taking 15 capsules Magnesium Sulfate or ¾ cup of Epsom Salt drink. You haven’t eaten since 2 PM, but you shouldn’t feel hungry. Get your bedtime chores done. The timing is critical for success.
9:45 PM: Make the grapefruit and olive oil drink
1. Pour ½ cup (measured) olive oil into a pint jar.
2. Wash grapefruit twice in hot water and dry; squeeze by hand into a measuring cup. Remove pulp with fork. You may squeeze lemons in the juice also. You should have at least ½ cup juice (measured). Add this to the olive oil. Close the jar tightly with the lid and shake hard until watery (only fresh grapefruit juice does this).
3. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon citric acid to the olive oil-grapefruit mixture to improve taste. Stir until dissolved. Do not drink yet!
4. Have 2 capsules of the Green Black Walnut Hull or 1 teaspoon tincture and 4 to 8 capsules of Ornithine ready.
5. Now visit the bathroom one or more times, even if it makes you late for your 10 PM drink. Don’t be more than 15 minutes late or you may not be as successful with the Flush.
Before going to bed make sure you have the following on hand:
- Grapefruit/Olive Oil drink
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
- Ornithine (4 to 8 capsules)
- 1 teaspoon Green Black Walnut Hull tincture or 2 capsules
- Cinnamon (optional)
10:00 PM: Drink the Grapefruit/Olive Oil mix standing or sitting up. Get it down within 5 minutes (15 minutes maximum). Drinking through a large plastic straw helps it go down easier. You may use cinnamon or honey to chase it down between sips. Have these pre-measured. Take the oil mix to your bedside if you want. Remember to take 2 Black Walnut Hull capsules or 1 teaspoon of tincture and 4 to 8 Ornithine capsules with the first sips. Four Ornithine will help you sleep through the night. Take eight if you already suffer from insomnia.
Now lie down immediately. Don’t get out of bed and don’t eat. You may fail to get toxins out if you do. The sooner you lie down the more toxins you will get out. Be ready for bed ahead of time. Don’t clean up the kitchen. As soon as the drink is down lie down flat on your back with your head up high on the pillow. Try to keep perfectly still for at least 20 minutes. You may feel toxins traveling along the bile ducts. There is no pain because the bile duct valves are open due to the Epsom Salt. Go to sleep. You may fail to get toxins out if you don’t.
Expect diarrhea in the morning.
6:00 AM or Later (next morning): DOSE 3 Upon waking, take 15 capsules Magnesium Sulfate (with no more than ¾ cup water) or ¾ cup of Epsom Salt drink. If you have indigestion or nausea, wait until it is gone before taking the capsules or Epsom Salt drink. Do not take before 6 AM. You may go back to bed.
2 Hours Later: DOSE 4 Take the last dose of 15 Magnesium Sulfate capsules or ¾ cup of Epsom Salt drink. You may go back to bed again.
After 2 more hours: You may eat. Start with fruit juice. You may add another ½ teaspoon of citric acid to get even more toxins out. Half an hour later eat some fruit. One hour later you may eat regular food but keep it light. Don’t eat too much fruit and avoid sweets. Start with vegetables. By dinner time you should feel recovered.
Accelerated Body Cleansing: Filonov
The accelerated body cleansing method offers fast and efficient cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract, removing fecal stones and gas blocks. It's recommended for most chronic diseases, but there are several contraindications:
- Edemas, asthma, diabetes
- Peptic ulcer disease in the acute phase
- Acute diseases of digestive organs (colitis, gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, appendicitis, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, and colorectal cancer)
- Weakened individuals, those with fever or high arterial pressure (20-30 mm Hg above the individual norm)
- Heart attacks, arrhythmia, bedridden patients, stage III obesity, chronic constipation, and people over 60 years old who haven't done any cleansing before
Cleansing Regimen:
Day 1
- Vegetarian diet
- Take 3 tablespoons of POLYFEPANUM (sorbent) per glass of water, 3 times a day, one hour before meals
- Perform an enema at 10:00 pm (optional, if decently healthy individual)
Day 2 (do not eat anything when waking up)
- At 9:00 am, dissolve 60g of Epsom salt in a glass of degassed mineral water (80g if you weigh more than 80kg). Add lemon juice to make it easier to drink
- Drink the Epsom salt mixture quickly, then drink 6-7 glasses of mineral water within an hour. Self-massage your abdomen afterward
- After successful intestinal cleansing, drink 2-3 glasses of room-temperature water and induce vomiting to empty the stomach and contract the pyloric sphincter
- Rest for half an hour without drinking water, then eat some water-cooked rice (2 tablespoons) without sugar, salt, or butter. You can have vegetable soup and porridge afterward
Day 3
- At 8:00 am, drink apple, carrot, or beet juice
- At 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, drink 3 teaspoons of Epsom salt mixed in a glass of water, followed by 0.5-1 glass of cold water. You can drink water without restraint during the day
- At 7:00 pm, prepare 200-250 ml of olive oil and 150-200 ml of citrus juice. Drink all the olive oil at once with a small amount of citrus juice, then lie down on your right side with hot-water bottles on both sides of your liver, wrapped in towels. Drink room-temperature citrus juice in one gulp at the 15th, 30th, 45th, 60th, 75th, and 90th minutes, then drink all remaining juice at the 105th minute and lie down for 30 more minutes
- Perform enemas at 10:00 pm, 3:00 am, and 6:00 am
- In the morning, eat a salad made of sauerkraut, raw carrots, and marinated beets in a 3:1:1 proportion, seasoned with lemon juice
Post-Cleansing Dietary Recommendations
- For the first 2 days, consume tea with rusks, gruel cooked in water (buckwheat, oatmeal), vegetable soup cooked in water, stewed vegetables with oil, salads, juice, fruit, and weak tea. Avoid milk and dairy for the first week (fermented dairy products are okay)
- For the first two weeks, exclude fatty, spicy food, alcohol, canned food, and smoked food
- After intestinal and liver cleansing, you can conduct a soft buckwheat porridge fast for further cleansing and weight loss
Epsom Salts
Enterosorbents
Filonov's Salt Flush - Regular Salt Intestinal Sorbent Cleansing Procedure
- Start taking a sorbent 24 hours before the procedure day: Consume 3 tablespoons during the day between meals. On the following day, take 3 more tablespoons on an empty stomach before any fluid intake.
- Fast for 8-10 hours before the procedure.
- Prepare the salt solution: Combine 1 liter of water with 1 level tablespoon of regular salt, boil it for 30 seconds, and mix it with 2 liters of room temperature water. Make sure all the salt has dissolved.
- Consume the salt solution within 40-60 minutes: Drink 2.5-3 liters of the solution in this time frame.
- Wait for bowel movements to occur: You may notice your abdomen swelling and feel the fluid moving inside. The first urges to defecate may take 60-80 minutes or longer. Perform some light exercises if needed to stimulate bowel movements.
- Expect several acts of defecation: Abundant stool discharge may occur 4-6 times or more, becoming lighter and clearer each time.
- Finish the procedure when you feel relief: Perform the light exercises mentioned earlier and visit the toilet again to ensure all residual liquid has been expelled.
The Gentlest Liver Flush - Magnesium Citrate & Malic Acid
This is for those who are severely sick and don't want to risk the power of Epsom Salts too early, while at the same time working on dissolving possible stones to help them pass easier.
Purchase:
A bottles of magnesium citrate (10 ounce/16oz)
Organic Green Apples
Magnesium Malate / Malic Acid
Lemons
Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Day 1 - 3
- Drink at least 4 glasses of freshly made apple juice every day, spaced throughout the day - morning, noon, afternoon, and night. Use Organic Green Granny Smith apples if possible. If you can't make your own juice, buy 100% unsweetened apple juice, preferably organic. The malic acid in apple juice will start to soften and break up stones.
- Alternatively, you can take a supplement called Magnesium Malate/Malic Acid instead of apple juice. Take 2 or more capsules 3 to 4 times a day. This supplement will also provide extra energy.
Day 3 - Evening
- Mix 2 oz. of olive oil with 2 oz. of freshly squeezed lemon juice (grapefruit juice can also be used, but lemon juice tends to yield better results) and drink it.
- Lie down on your right side for 20 minutes, bringing your knees as close to your chest as possible. This position helps the olive oil and lemon juice work on dissolving and cleaning out any stones in your gallbladder. It's normal to feel a little "flu-like" nausea, but it will pass quickly.
Before Bed on Day 3
- Drink a 10 to 12-oz bottle of magnesium citrate, which can be found at a local drug store in the laxative section. It has a tart taste, so using a straw could make it easier to drink. It comes in cherry or lemon flavors, both of which are acceptable.
Day 4 - Morning
- Upon waking up and using the bathroom, you might pass something that looks like sludge or soft, round stones of various sizes and colors, mostly green. These stones float and resemble fuzzy, undigested peas. Some people might pass hundreds at a time.
After this procedure, you can repeat it in a few days or a month, as often as you feel necessary.
Who shouldn't do these cleanses?
Intestinal cleansing using sorbents is generally safe for most people, but there are some contraindications. It may not be suitable for those with obstructed digestive tracts, recent surgery, acute diseases, or exacerbations of chronic conditions. People with severe hypertension, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, chronic renal failure, or cholecystitis should consult a specialist before using this method. After intestinal cleansing, individuals may feel tired for 1-2 days due to energy-intensive reconstructive and restorative processes happening in the body, such as restoring intestinal structures, discharging endotoxins, and adapting to the stress of the cleansing. A lot of electrolytes can be lost during cleanses due to the hyperosmotic laxative effect.