It's spring and it's time for a renewed sense of motivation and energy to prepare for summer time rays and fun. Internal cleansing using the Wild Rose D-Tox system is a popular method used. Does it work?

As the weather warms up and we prepare our bodies for summer time fun, a common practice by many is to cleanse and detox the body. During the winter months, we eat dense meals, drink to our heart's desire, work more and sleep less. Pollutants from the environment - found in the air, water and foods that we eat - tend to accumulate within the body. Stress, rushed lifestyles and lack of exercise lead to mood swings, poor concentration, depression, fatigue and impaired memory. These toxins accumulate within the body over time and lead to a state of congestion that can eventually result in disease, cancers and other problems within the body and the mind.

By cleansing, our bodies can regain balance. I've been wanting to do a cleanse for a number of years but haven't had the guts to because of all the radical changes that I would have to make to my diet and my lifestyle. Fasting, 21 day cleanses, expensive diet regimes all turned me off. I need my coffee, I need my protein, I need my fruits!!! It wasn't until a co-worker of mine told me he was on the Wild Rose D-Tox Program that I decided to take a second look at cleansing once again. Watching him go through his cleanse, he reported feeling hungry and nauseated for the first few days. But as he neared the end of the program, he looked great. He shed a few pounds, stated he felt more energy and was so motivated to get back to the gym.

Fed up of of feeling sluggish, bitchy, and depressed, I took the plunge, walked into the nutrition store and picked up the Wild Rose Herbal Formulas. Apparently, this D-Tox program is one of the most effective and top selling cleansing programs available. Designed to help the body eliminate toxic material from the deeper tissue layers of the colon, lymphatic system, kidneys and liver, this 12 day program helps the metabolic processes function more efficiently. And the best thing is, the diet program suggested is not that different than competition diets I have endured in the past. So here I am, morning of Day 2 of the program and so far, no effects yet... I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, who else has done a cleanse and what were your experiences?

Since I started the Wildrose D-tox program, I received a number of e-mails from friends telling me that it doesn't work. Articles such as the one found on WebMD claim that detoxing is a waste of time, if not, dangerous for you. Metro explains that there is little scientific evidence to prove its worth. It's easy to get caught up with the idea that we accumulate harmful substances all year round. Thinking about how much we drank at the last social outing; how much junk food we consumed in the last month; and the amount of time we sat (or lay) on the couch catching up on our favorite television shows during the week all lead to feelings of guilt, almost shame because we know that we should be doing other things to improve our lifestyle, our fitness, ... our health.

So what happens? We want a quick fix. An easy way out. A reason to no longer feel guilty for all the "bad" things we've been doing to our body. Cleansing, detoxing, purging at first, appears to be the logical answer. I agree with the claims that many of the programs don't work. The Master Cleanse (aka the Lemonade Diet) involves eating no solid food and drinking lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup for at least 10 days. I'm nauseated just thinking about it, never mind doing it!! CleanseSMART is another popular detoxing program which involves 30 days of taking pills 2x/day... to start. Then there's an Advanced program to do right after... as soon as I read that, I'm turned off. Too much of a commitment and too much torture to my mind and body. Will I really feel better after? All of the programs described in the articles that talk about detoxing are of the extreme kind. Who wouldn't argue that detoxing is worthless? Dangerous?

The Wildrose D-Tox is similar to the above programs in that it involves taking supplements 2x/day for 12 days. However, it also stresses the need to eat well and to choose foods that aid in cleansing the body. The emphasis on diet is what most impressed me about this program. Brown rice, fish, lots of vegetables, and local fruits are strongly encouraged. There are no huge sacrifices except, for me, my morning soy mocha and dark chocolate in the evening time. Detoxing, cleansing is not about "cleaning yourself out" and then returning back to the same old bad habits again (for example, Beyonce's Master Cleanse helped her lose 10lbs for Dreamgirls but she gained it right back) ... Detoxing is about finding a new way to look at how you take care of yourself. There are a lot of detox programs available and it's still up to you to do your research and see which one will work best for you.

But remember, even when the program is done, use it as a way to re-examine what your lifestyle was before the program. Eating a healthy and clean diet, regular exercise at your target heart rate, avoiding alcohol and not smoking on a daily basis all help the body to function properly. Detoxing is just one way, one strategy that can be used as an excuse to kick-start a new healthy eating regime. So if you think of detoxing/cleansing from this perspective, and continue with the healthy routine even after taking all those pills, then yes, I believe it really does work. Because the outcome is a renewed you, a healthier you....