By 
For the month of May, I decided to take action in an area of my life that had been neglected for far too long – my health. Living in the South can definitely be the land of temptation. I exist in a community where spaghetti is viewed as a ‘side item’ versus the entrée of a meal. BBQ reigns supreme and dessert is consumed daily, not on special occasions as a treat.
Eating ‘all the things’ with no regard for one’s health has major consequences. The thing is… many people catch it when they’ve been deeply diagnosed. High blood pressure, diabetes, gout, clots, BV, high cholesterol, and cancer are only some of the ailments that befall African American men and women. Seeing friends, loved ones, and people in general die senselessly because of poor eating habits really took a toll on me. So I decided to do something about it.
I will say this is not a decision that happened overnight. Over the years, I have watched amazing documentaries, view webinars, read books, and closely followed inspirational health professionals. This is a testament that sometimes you have to be ready for YOU. You have to get tired of being tired. You have to WANT it because health really does equal wealth.
I heard about Dr. Bobby Price through following Tierra, CEO of TierraGoesGreen, as she went through the detox twice within the span of 6 months or so. I’ve go back and forth with myself and put off doing the herbal cleanse many times.
But sometimes the signs are everywhere. A lot of times we ignore them and go along with our day. But, this time I was alert. I had to start paying attention to my own pain and symptoms. Low energy, mood swings, dry skin, inflammation, and bloating were only some of the things I was experiencing on a daily basis. One of the things I felt suffered also was my mental mindset. As a creative, I was always blocked without the energy to do things like design effectively or write using the intelligence that I know I possess. This is what really scared me – losing my ability to be creative and allowing the toxins to hijack my mood and mindset.
I have a membership with the gym and hadn’t visited in months. Yikes! In my mind, yes, fitness can help. But, really what we put in and on our body makes up of about 80%, while the working out and staying active makes up 20%. I knew that I needed to conquer the nutrition element before tackling the exercising component of healthy lifestyle.
To put it simply, I felt tired of being my basic self and not my BEST SELF.
I ordered the Herbal Cleanse and it arrived within the same week. I used that week to prepare some things, like make a grocery list and plan out meals. I’ll be honest and say that I struggled with that part. It’s amazing how overwhelmed one can be when it comes to making a full lifestyle change. I had plenty of recipes saved on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. Yet, the thought of spending lots of money for a meal that may not taste like the original, really threw me off. I decided to simplify some things and stick to fruits, veggies, and salads through the duration of the 14-day detox.
A little TMI coming up.
I started the herbal cleanse on the weekend to avoid any initial bathroom fiascos. In the first few days, my body definitely experienced some of the side effects that Dr. Price mentioned on his website and in his live videos. I didn’t have any urgency to ‘go’ which was great because I knew I’d be at work more days than at home. But, those first few days I experience the diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, and even the feeling of nausea. This was a sign to me that the herbs were doing their job and attacking the parasites.
Parasites feed on yeast. So those yummy rolls, cakes, and sugary pastries are all a playground for tapeworms. It’s the reason why you can eat a full meal and then shortly after still feel hungry. Then when it comes to things like fibroids, meat and dairy consumption are the biggest contributors. When I hear women complain about their thyroids and fibroids, it never occurs to them to change their diet. Which goes back to the power of the brain and how we are weak when it comes to having the willpower to say NO and the discipline to control our food intake.
A relative visited and asked me about what I was doing and I told her the gist of it. Her response was, “There are no worms or parasites in your body.” I knew then that Dr. Price was right. Sometimes it is best to walk on your journey in silence. Because others will try to dissuade you or even make you feel ridiculous for embarking on a holistic health journey. Those same individuals wouldn’t blink an eye if you drank a gallon of soft drink filled with a pound of sugar. Remember that you are doing this for your own well-being.
Now, I’m not going to act like this was a walk in the park lol. The herbal cleanse is not tasty and while I wanted to chug it down at first, it is definitely NOT a good idea. Sip on the herbal tea throughout your day and try to finish both jars by 5:00 P.M. I sliced up an orange and used those to chase the bitterness. Trust, it makes things so much better. I had to put things into perspective when that pesky thing called excuses wanted to get the best of me. Many of us adults drink shots of tequila, vodka, bourbon, etc., so surely you can drink an herbal tea for 14 or 28 days! You got this!
I know this is going to sound crazy, but within 3-5 days, lots of my cravings for those foods I loved disappeared. I had expected to be miserable during this cleanse. I had already anticipated daydreaming about my beloved sodas, junk food, bread, and meat. But I realized that all along, it was probably the parasites acting on my behalf. Those pesky little things had been in the driver’s seat triggering my brain to desire all the things without even considering the effects on my health.
Also, it happened to be that time of the month and I was a bit curious about the effects of the cleanse on my monthly experience. My flow was not nearly as heavy as usual and there was an absence of those usual symtoms that women experience. I was over the moon happy!
I didn’t weigh myself until around day 7, but I didn’t need to. The changes were already evident in my clothing. My bras and blouses were loose and I didn’t struggle with buttoning up my pants. My co-worker remarked on the glow in my skin. This was the encouragement I needed to keep going to see this through to the end.
I hope that I can be an encouragement to others and stick with this lifestyle. If you’ve been thinking of living a plant-based lifestyle or even simply eating better and with intention, start with a parasite cleanse.
- VISIT Dr. Bobby Price’s website at www.drbobbyprice.com and purchase the cleanse. You may want to do the 28-day herbal cleanse which can come with group support depending on the openings of his challenges. I’d recommend that if you are in really bad shape. I took the 14-day, but will probably take it again within 4 months. Follow Dr. Price on Instagram at http://instagram.com/drholistic
- READ THE F.A.Q. Page!! This will give you all the answers you need about the detox. I didn’t read it until the day of the cleanse which almost cost me wasted product. Read through the website thoroughly to get an understanding of the process.
- SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE. For this cleanse, when it comes to eating, stick to fruits and vegetables. Dr. Price has a food list that he sends to customers. Also, pick up his book which has a wealth of information in it as well. If you are truly lazy, then order salads, veggies bowls, and more minimal meals. Stay far away from meat, dairy, sugars, and processed foods,
- PREP. Get all of your tools beforehand. You may have some of these items already lying around at home. I designated a time each evening to ‘put the kettle on’ and brew my herbs. I then sat them to the side overnight and then removed the herb ball in the morning. If you don’t have an herb ball, use a strainer to remove the herbs from the jar. In the mornings I would refrigerate my jars while getting ready. That’s totally optional.
Here’s a few things that I ordered to my door (links below): >
>>> BALL MASON JARS
>>> HERB BALL (so helpful!)
>>> STRAINER
>>> CARRY-ON BAG for lunch. Another option HERE
>>> TEA KETTLE
- DON’T BE HARD ON YOURSELF. You will not be this holistic health guru overnight. You WILL slip up many times. Remember that for most of your life, you’ve taken your body through a process. Well reversing all of the damage done is sure to take you through a process. Give yourself grace but also remember your WHY. Learn how to love food in a different way and to make it work for you. That means find inventive recipes, great seasonings, health conscious restaurants, etc. Think about this. Many times we treat our possessions (car, house, clothes) with BETTER RESPECT than we treat our own bodies. Let’s change the narrative.
- FIND YOUR BALANCE. I feel it necessary to say this because at the end of the day, all of our internal systems are different. What makes one person sick, doesn’t have an effect on another person. I don’t believe we should fully deprive ourselves. Fact is, a system doesn’t break down because of one slice of cake, lol. The issue is we are flooding our bodies with excess sugar, meet, dairy, etc. all day every day. So, try your best to cleanse, and then build a nutritional system for yourself where your body can thrive.
To get you started, here’s a few informative articles on the importance of gut heath, what parasites are, and how the key to detoxing helps to restore your body.
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11321/10-signs-you-may-have-a-parasite.html
https://wellnessmama.com/1969/bugs-in-your-belly/
https://blog.paleohacks.com/signs-you-have-a-parasite-and-what-to-do-about-it/#
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/improve-gut-bacteria#section9
https://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-5-heal-your-gut/
I had to be present while on this herbal cleanse and reading is a great way to do so. One book I found at home (I purchased it at a book fair and almost threw it away!) has been a godsend. On the surface it seems cheesy, but actually the book serves as a workbook and challenges you to work on your relationship with food.
Here are a few books that you should read on your journey to optimal health:
Cheers to your health and living a fruitful, abundant life!
What do you think?