Winter is fast stepping into spring, and as Mother Earth wakes up, it is time for us to cleanse, ridding ourselves of the things we do not want in our lives.
Spring is the season in which to let go of our negativity, limiting mindsets, and unnecessary and toxic substances from our bodies. It is the time to direct our energies outward and prepare for a new cycle of growth and creation.
While most of us have heard the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” not so many of us have heard about eating apples to get rid of gallstones. Gallstones are hard, pebble-like balls that form from bile in the gallbladder. You may think that you do not have gallstones, but most people who have gallstones don’t have symptoms. The size, number, and whether or not you feel any discomfort from gallstones, depends on the person.
If you often feel bloated, especially after a heavy meal, or have indigestion, you may want to try a simple apple cleanse. (Hemera Technologies/photos.com)
So if you often feel bloated, especially after a heavy meal, or have indigestion, you may want to try this simple cleanse.
What You Need:
4 to 5 apples or 4 to 5 cups of apple juice
Epsom salt
Olive oil
Lemons
What to Do:
For the first five days, eat four to five apples or drink about 4 glasses of apple cider or apple juice, preferably warmed or at room temperature. Apple juice helps to soften the gallstones. There are no dietary restrictions and you can eat your usual balanced diet.
On the sixth day, try to have your last meal of the day earlier. Wait one to two hours before taking a teaspoon of Epsom salt dissolved in warm water or apple juice. Wait for another one to two hours and take a second teaspoon of Epsom salt. I usually like to add apple juice to the Epsom salt to make it more palatable to ingest. The magnesium sulphate in the Epsom salt helps to open the gallbladder ducts.
Then wait for another hour or so before drinking 1/2 cup of olive or sesame oil with 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice. You might like to use just 1/4 cup of each instead. The oil helps to lubricate the softened stones and ease their passage out.
On the seventh morning, you will likely make a dash for the bathroom and perhaps find little greenish looking balls floating in the water. They usually range in size from sand sized to pea-sized balls. You may pass dozens of these softened greenish stones.
If you followed the recipe correctly and did not find any greenish stones in your stool, then it may mean you had no stones to pass! This apple cleanse is still a beneficial cleanse for your gallbladder and helps to improve your digestion.
You’ve heard it said that that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, so after you cleanse you may want to consider eating less deep-fried, oily, and greasy food and instead go for steamed or blanched food, and use high quality oil or less oil in your cooking.
Note: These natural food remedies are for maintaining your health and wellness. They are not meant to replace your medical treatment. If you have a diagnosed condition, or in doubt, you should always seek medical advice.
Dr. Margaret Trey holds a doctoral degree in counseling from The University of South Australia. She was trained in oriental medicine, Zen shiatsu, Oki-do yoga, and the macrobiotic or the yin-yang way of life and cooking. Dr. Trey was a natural health consultant and the director of Spirit Shiatsu and WellnessWorks Counseling in Australia for more than 10 years. Now based in New York, Dr. Trey writes and continues her research on the effects of meditation on health and wellness.
