Parasites! The Ultimate Party Poopers

Written By Karina Jackson

Pop some champagne and assemble that charcuterie board because someone’s hosting a party! And that someone is almost definitely YOU. Unfortunately, this party is full of unwanted guests that are probably the root cause to all your gut issues. So I’m here to suggest to anyone willing to read this, to please do a parasite cleanse.

Now before we dive deep into kicking these nasty fellows out, let's look at how they got in there. If you’re like me, you grew up thinking parasites were rare and you could only get them while traveling overseas. In reality, they’re everywhere and have many ways of hopping aboard. Some examples include, contaminated water, unwashed produce, uncooked fish, pets, and even touching people, handrails, and doorknobs.

These microscopic beings will live and reproduce in the intestines, blood stream, organs, and colon. They’ll go unnoticed for years and can cause symptoms you’ll attribute to other things. These symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Stomach pain/ Gas/ Bloating

• Diarrhea, constipation, stool containing blood and/or mucus

• Fatigue

• Weight loss/gain

• Weak immune system

• Acid reflux/ heartburn

• Vitamin/mineral deficiency 

While thriving off sugar and foods that convert to sugar (grains, pasta, wheat, rice) the parasites will kill beneficial gut bacteria, release toxins,interfere with digestion, and even break down your small intestine lining. That last one is what we call Leaky Gut and this is where foreign particles can slip through the holes, into the bloodstream, and cause further issues with inflammation and allergies. With all that strain on your immune system, it will be very hard for your body to fight off any viruses you come across while hosting these tiny invaders.

Now that you’re aware of just how horrible parasites can be for your overall health, let's look at how to get rid of them. The first thing to know is that this will take time, commitment, and discipline. While participating in a two-week cleanse, it's best to avoid grains, alcohol, processed foods, pork, and sugar (including fruit). It’s also really important to drink a lot of water and have a balanced diet high in fiber so that bowel movements are often and regular. Please remember that if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or are currently on any medications, talk to your doctor before starting any new cleansing supplements. Also, if you already suffer from constipation, it's recommended to start a highly fibrous diet BEFORE the cleanse.

Some popular tincture cleanses are:

• Zahler ParaGuard

• NOW Green Black Walnut Wormwood Complex

• ZUMA Parasite Detox

If you would like to do your own research on products and pick one not on the previous list, some excellent ingredients to be on the lookout for include…

• Green Black walnut

• Wormwood

• Olive leaf

• Garlic

• Clove oil

• Grapefruit seed extract

• Papaya

Here I will list easy at home cleanses to add to your everyday diet to keep parasites at bay:

• raw minced garlic and apple cider vinegar (1:1 ratio)

• Cilantro and Parsley (great as a detox drink or pesto sauce)

• Pumpkin seeds (up to 1 cup/day)

• Pineapple, papaya, and their juices

• Ginger

• Coconut oil

Awesome! You now have all the tools necessary to do a parasite cleanse and I truly hope you all benefit from this. But what’s just as important as the cleanse, is what comes after. Now that you’ve purged your gut, it's time to heal it and that starts with the small intestine lining. The top 3 foods that come highly recommended are bone broth, slippery elm, and marshmallow root. I personally love making homemade bone broth and suggest buying your herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Join me next time, as I will be talking more about how to further tackle any other gut issues you are having!