By Nichlas Brandon
Excerpt adapted and revised from the ‘Sediment; Exercise; Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage‘ PDF.
‘Are You Filtering?!’ graphic created by Germaine Henderson.
The first goal and important milestone of the detoxification program is for the individual to achieve filtration of their lymphatic system. This is accomplished by restoring kidney and adrenal gland function (it is important to address pituitary gland weakness if identified, as it can inhibit adrenal functioning through inadequate production of Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)).
A question that is often posed is, “How long will it take to get my kidneys to filter?” which is up there with questions along the lines of “How long does it take before my health conditions are gone?”
Both are questions that are impossible to give definitive answers to as it depends on many variables. The most important variables include:
- What is the state of your kidneys, adrenals. and pituitary gland, prior to starting the program?
- How strict and dedicated will you be toward doing what must be done and how much effort will you put into following the program?
- How much stress, if any, is generated from your current lifestyle, and are you required to always be on the move?
- Are you willing to undergo water fasts, lemon juice fasts, grape mono-diets, watermelon mono-diets, etc., if implored to?
- How long will it take for you to withdraw from old habits (especially abandoning dairy products and limiting high protein foods) and implement new, health conducive habits?
- If any, what is the degree of sulfur accumulation within your body (check irides)?
It is due to the above that it can be difficult to estimate how long it will take. Some people begin filtering within as little as 7 days, while it can easily, but unfortunately take up to a year or longer for others. We are all on our own individual journeys and, admittedly, it will require some to put in much more work than others to achieve the same results.
If you are not filtering within 6 to 9 months, you may consider incorporating and/or doing one or more of the following:
- Embark on multiple short or extended fruit mono-diets (e.g. grape/watermelon/orange)
- Embark on multiple short or extended fruit juice fasts (e.g. grape juice/lemon juice/orange juice)*
- Embark on short beetroot juice fasts (2-3 days); can be combined with asparagus for stronger effect* **
- Incorporate stinging nettle herbal infusions as a potent, daily kidney tonic (additional information on herbal infusions here)
- Use 2 ‘Kidneys & Bladder’ formulas; increase dosage taken; alternate between the 4 different formulas (K & B I, II, III & IV)
- Raw kidney bovine glandulars
*Freshly made juices – not store bought.
**Be advised that beetroot juice is very potent and strong on the kidneys; bouts of pain may occur. End the fast and recuperate if needed.
Blood Pressure:
Have your blood pressure [on both arms] monitored periodically to be used as a partial indicator of adrenal/kidney function. This helps to determine whether it’s the kidneys that are weak, the adrenal glands (remember pituitary) inhibiting the kidneys from filtering, or both. For further information, read this PDF.
Blood Test:
If you’re going to have blood work done, please be sure to have your Creatinine and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) levels tested. Both values are helpful in determining kidney function. Compare your values with the reference ranges found here.
In addition, try to reduce the overall stress in your life to the best of your ability, as well as practicing relaxation and meditation.
Kidneys & Bladder Formulas
Kidneys & Bladder Tonic I (Alcohol Tincture) / Glycerin Tincture / Capsules):
(Ingredients listed in order of most to least)
- Dandelion Leaf
- Corn Silk
- Juniper Berry
- Goldenrod
- Couch Grass Root
- Parsley Leaf
- Horsetail Herb
- Stinging Nettle Leaf
- Cordyceps (agaricus)
Kidneys & Bladder Tonic II (Diuretic) (Alcohol Tincture):
(Ingredients listed in order of most to least)
- Cleavers Herb
- Buchu Leaf
- Herb Robert
- Hydrangea (whole)
- Ho Shou Wu Root
- Marshmallow Root
- Pipsissewa
- Fenugreek Seed
- Parsley Leaf
- Stinging
- Nettle Leaf
- Prickly Ash Bark
- Asparagus Root
Kidneys & Bladder Tonic III (Capsules):
(Ingredients listed in order of most to least)
- Buchu leaf
- Agaricus (cordyceps)
- Goldenrod herb
- Pipsissewa
- Hydrangea root
- Parsley leaf
- Couch Grass
- Burdock root
- Cleavers herb
- Dandelion leaf
- Cornsilk
Kidneys & Bladder Tonic IV (Diuretic) (Alcohol Tincture):
(Ingredients listed in order of most to least)
- Cleavers herb
- Burdock root
- Corn silk
- Gravel root
- juniper berry
- Marshmallow root
- Asparagus root
- Ligustrum berry
- Nettle leaf
- Chaste tree berry
- Parsley leaf
- Chickweek herb
To see the full amount of sediment present:
Pee into a jar and leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours (4 hours at least, up to 24 hours if desired) allowing the sediment to settle to the bottom. You can also leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re not filtering, you will not see anything settling to the bottom. The best time to check for sediment is first thing in the morning. Some people, however, may see more sediment in the evening, which could be due to an increase in adrenal function in the evening or as a result of astringents ingested during the day.
“Just wanted to show [the] difference in sediment when you let it sit, settle and brew. First pic just cloudy, second pic same sample just left for 24 hrs. Camera flash used both pics. It really does amplify sediment particles.” ~ R. W.
Provided below is a series of pictures of what urine sediment looks like once the kidneys begin filtering at varying levels of efficiency. Click on any image to enlarge.
Extending thanks and appreciation to those who have shared their pictures for educational purposes.