Most of us are not aware of our toxicity levels because we become polluted over time, gradually forgetting what it feels like to be healthy and energetic. Recently I was talking to a client whose medical doctor had told him, "There is nothing wrong with you, but there is really nothing right."

A sure sign of a body in need of a program of detoxification, colon cleansing, and therapeutic nutrition is a chronic disorder such as a Candida overgrowth, high blood pressure, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, fibroids, arthritis, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. For many of us, frequent bouts of gas, bloating, or feeling generally run-down are signals from our body that we need to detoxify. Even in the absence of specific symptoms, aging itself reduces the body's ability to detoxify. And, unfortunately, our world is getting more toxic every day.

Each of us not only accumulates environmental toxins year after year, but we also accumulate metabolic wastes, or the wastes of running our bodies day after day. Cleansing is inherent to the proper functioning of our bodies, but given the way in which most of us take care of ourselves, a regular colon cleanse can be central to your good health. An excellent movie, Super Size Me, brings home the sad truth of how our bodies do suffer from our lifestyle choices.

It is necessary to prepare for a colon cleanse. Most people don't realize that a truly effective colon cleanse program is always started with a therapeutic nutritional program. Most of us lack the necessary nutrients needed by our body, especially our liver, to cleanse. Many of us take supplements or think we ought to because we are aware of our increased bodily needs for nutrients. However, most of us are not aware of the important fat-soluble nutrients that are needed for cleansing and the requisite rebuilding. These fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamin A and D, and Activator X, bring needed nutrients into our cells for an effective total body detoxification and are the very substances that rebuild our colonic mucosa. Additionally, the liver needs ample high-quality protein in order to function optimally. For these reasons, a dietary program that includes healthy fat, plenty of protein, and individualized amounts of carbohydrates, as is laid out in my book, Ten Days to Optimal Health, is needed before you embark on a colon cleanse program.