Choose Peppermint† if any if the following applies to you:

†Certified Organically Grown, all others Wild Harvested with care or High Quality herbs

Digestive Stimulator™: Comfortable Regularity
Digestive Stimulator is a natural herbal stimulant that tones, cleanses, and purifies the entire digestive system. The dosages will vary for each person to assure that one's bowels are moving at least three times a day. During this program it is vitally important that one has regular bowel movements to keep the Toxin Absorber moving through the intestinal system.

An herbal supplement of
Cape Aloe leaf, Aloe Vera leaf, Cascara Sagrada bark, Chinese Rhubarb root†, Triphala† (Amla fruit, Chebulic Myrobalan fruit, Belleric Myrobalan fruit), Barberry root, Dandelion root†, Fringe Tree root bark, Meadowsweet aerial parts, Plantain aerial parts†, Ginger root†, Fennel seed†, Peppermint leaf†, Fenugreek seed†, and Licorice root†.

†Certified Organically Grown, all others Wild Harvested with care or High Quality herbs

Shaker Jar for Mixing Toxin Absorber™

Shaker Jar to mix Toxin Absorber™ with juice. We recommend organic apple juice. Apple juice makes the main formula of this cleanse, Toxin Absorber™, much easier to drink. You can try to take it with water, but we have found it tastes much better and goes down smoother with apple juice. Apple juice also has its own cleansing powers and helps with the rejuvenation process.* You can also drink apple juice at any time during this cleanse if you feel you need a little more energy or a change from just water.

It will take a total of 8 quarts (2 gallons) of apple juice to take all of your packets of Toxin Absorber™. If you wish to drink apple juice between times of taking Toxin Absorber™, you will want to have more quarts on hand. When you buy your juice, be sure it is from organically grown apples so as to not introduce new toxins while cleansing. You should be able to get your juice at the local health food store or supermarket. Best of all, make your own fresh juice using four organically grown apples each time you take a packet of Toxin Absorber™.

Our Printed Instructions Make it Easy

Users Guide
The Users Guide (printed version included) gives detailed instructions and tips for every part of the program. It also has a large section of common questions and answers to help you along the way.

Users Guide Contains

• Before You Start
• Quick Start
• Pre-Cleanse
• Main Cleanse
• Breaking Your Fast
• Questions & Answers (39 most FAQ's)
• Formulas
• Index to Over 300 Topics download PDF (2.6 MB)

Dosage Calendar
The Dosage Calendar is your daily companion. It has a page for each day of your cleansing with complete dosage instructions. download PDF (.5 MB)

Benefits of the Colon Cleansing Kit
A generally accepted benefit of colon cleansing is based on the theory that the hardened mucus that is lining the intestinal wall greatly reduces one's ability to absorb nutrition. Because you are not able to absorb proper nutrition this feeds the cycle of craving more food and stronger flavors. When in fact what your body really wants is better nutrition. Unless this cycle is broken, no amount of will power will successfully change one's dietary habits in the long run.

After removing this intestinal build-up, it has been observed that people feel the body has returned to a more natural state. It has also been observed that people have much greater discernment of how foods actually affects them. This opens the possibility to fully appreciate the "true taste" of foods. At this point, people have found they can easily make dietary changes and really feel (& taste!) the difference!

How will I feel during the cleanse?
Each person feels differently as they cleanse. Some feel very energetic and more alive while cleansing; others not until after they have completed their cleanse. It is also possible to alternate between feeling great and not so great. There may be occasional discomforts called “cleansing reactions”. The more closely you eat an all raw diet of fruits and vegetables and/or their juices while cleansing, the more likely you will experience strong cleansing reactions. If the body is ready, some will even experience a “health crisis”. This can happen during the cleanse, but more likely will occur sometime later when you have built up your strength. All these experiences are the body’s wisdom at work focusing on the areas that need to reach optimal health. Any discomforts of cleansing are only temporary, and may lead to more energy, vitality, and renewed health.

What is a “cleansing reaction”?
Whenever the body releases toxins or balances unwanted guest populations faster than it can eliminate them, and/or the liver is functioning weakly, you may experience some discomfort until you regain your balance. This usually lasts anywhere from an hour to one or two days. The common signs that signal a cleansing reaction might be any of the following: headache, itching, rashes, aching muscles and/or joints, fever, sweating, body odor, bad breath, mouth sores, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sleeplessness, extreme tiredness. Don’t worry. The cleansing reaction usually passes quickly and does not harm your body. It is only a sign that soon you will be feeling better than ever.*

What can I do to help myself during a “cleansing reaction”?
Sit down, relax and drink a cup of Refreshing Green Tea Blend. Using two tea bags, let them steep for five to ten minutes, adding honey as desired. Green tea is helpful in absorbing toxins before they can react with your cells and gives you a little “pick-me-up”.* Need more help? Try distilled water, wheatgrass or peppermint tea enema, and/or a hot bath. Follow with a splash of cold water. A sauna helps to eliminate toxins even faster through the skin. Peppermint tea helps nausea. Valerian capsules help sleeplessness. Decrease your Digestive Stimulator by one capsule on a particular night, if you had diarrhea that day. Yarrow tea helps fever and sweats. Toxin Absorber is good for any digestive upsets.

What is a “health crisis”?
A heath crisis is more than a cleansing reaction. Most all of us have absorbed toxins from our polluted environments, but not all of us have suffered with trauma or health problems. A cleansing reaction shows itself in generalized body symptoms while releasing toxins. A health crisis shows itself in the reappearance of old signs associated within specific areas that have undergone injury or health problems.
You may also experience the cleansing reaction signs while undergoing this work. The body’s wisdom is such that as you clean out and regain energy, the body directs that energy to these old health problems. The body only does this when it knows it can handle it. Once again, the signs may be mild to severe, but only as much as your body can sustain at that time. It can last for a few hours, to a few days, and more rarely, for a few weeks.
The health crisis mimics the symptoms of your particular past experiences, but in a much shortened version. It is always preceded the day before by feeling “on top of the world” rather than by feeling “out of sorts”.
The health crisis passes quickly. You will come out of the health crisis feeling better than ever, having successfully rejuvenated the areas of your body.*

How do diet changes affect my cleansing?
If you elect to make healthy changes to your diet, it will release more energy for cleansing and intensify the strength of your cleanse. If you choose not to make any changes, and that is OK, you will still experience benefits. It will just take a little longer to get completely cleaned out, but you will be proceeding at a pace comfortable for you. Consult the chart “Controlling the Strength of Your Cleanse” in users guide. There you will find the most appropriate next step for you to take in lightening up your diet. This will definitely help your body in its task of cleansing. You may note that the chart lists a diet of raw, organic fruit juices as having the strongest cleansing effect on the body. You would be advised, however, to not jump to the top level of “juices only” unless you are already a raw foodist. However, it would be beneficial to add freshly made, organic fruit and vegetable juices to your present diet. The important point to keep in mind is that while diet changes do effect your cleansing, there is no need to move up more than one step at a time on the chart. It is best to proceed gradually and observe how your body reacts. That way you can stay in control and comfortable.

What if I don’t change my diet, will I still benefit?
If this is your first experience with a natural health program, you will find the Internal Cleansing Kit™ fun to take and may notice an immediate increase in energy.* Once you have experienced the positive changes of a cleanse, you may be ready to go deeper. If so, try cleansing the next time, with healthier diet modifications for an even more powerful cleanse.

Testimonial:
"I had been drinking city water for several months when I started my fast. On the third day, I woke up in the night and my water tasted like pure poison!! What it actually is!! I couldn't believe I'd never tasted it before." - Shalom Volchok, owners son

Other benefits that have been reported to us include deep emotional catharsis leading to an amazing clarity. One theory on this says that emotions can become trapped along with the intestinal debris and when they are released one may relive old emotional experiences leading to a great freedom of internal energy.

What we know and don't know about Colon Cleansing
An article by Shalom Volchok, son of Blessed Herbs Co-Founders

The purpose of this article is to provide a clear picture of what is known and unknown about colon cleansing and to allow you, the consumer, to make an educated decision whether it is something you want to do for youself. It is divided into three parts. Part One covers our experience with colon cleansing in general and specifically the Colon Cleansing Kit. Part Two covers the observational data gathered by two Naturopathic Doctors who studied and used colon cleansing extensively as well as some observational data from ourselves. Part Three presents the view from some medical professionals that colon cleansing is useless and unproven.

Part One: Our experience and point of view on colon cleansing by Blessed Herbs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Colon Cleansing Kit was created by my mother, Martha Volchok. She is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild and has been a practicing herbalist for over thirty years. About twenty-five years ago she had extreme digestive disorders and started using colon cleansing to assist herself. Since that time she has continued with, at least, yearly cleanses. She has used many products and different herbal combination. Four years ago she decided to create the Colon Cleansing Kit, a product of her own, based on her years of self expermination. She says:
"I have tried many different herbal formulas for colon cleansing over the years, but it wasn't untill I decided, as a professional herbalist, to create my own formula that I got everything that I wanted -strength of action combined with gentleness- to make colon cleansing as thorough and comfortable as possible." (read full article here)
The benchmark for any colon cleanse is the ability to consistently produce thick, dark and rubbery bowel movements, the sign of a successful cleanse (view photos). Martha created such a cleanse in the Colon Cleansing Kit. The process is simple consisting of two formulas and a system for taking them.

After she had created the Colon Cleansing Kit my dad, myself and six or seven of our employees were the first to use the Colon Cleansing Kit. We all followed her recommended system, which included a five day liquid only diet, and all of us saw similar thick, dark and rubbery material being passed in our bowel movements. This was our first observational data that the Colon Cleansing Kit was indeed performing as a great colon cleanse should. At this point I want to clarify the difference between observational and experiential data and "scientific data". First, the governing scientific bodies and major medical journals want proof in the form of double blind, randomized, placebo controlled, crossover trials. That is what I mean by "scientific data". Scientifically speaking they don't like observational data. However, even some of them are starting to recognize the limiting nature of this mindset. I recently read an a study from the British Medical Journal (a major medical journal, no less) making fun of this strict process. My favorite quote from that study is below:
"Conclusions: As with many interventions intended to prevent ill health, the effectiveness of parachutes has not been subjected to rigorous evaluation by using randomised controlled trials. Advocates of evidence based medicine have criticised the adoption of interventions evaluated by using only observational data. We think that everyone might benefit if the most radical protagonists of evidence based medicine organised and participated in a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, crossover trial of the parachute." (read full article at www.bmj.com)
That said, we are currently working on creating one of these trials. However, traditional holisitc practices, like colon cleansing, resist the narrow view needed to conduct one of these scientific studies. The benefits of colon cleansing are different for everyone and even if we create a successful study on the Colon Cleansing Kit we must pick "one" benefit to study and there is no guarantee we will be able to conclusively prove anything that is relevant to you or your health.

All that said. I want to emphasive the importance of YOU taking responsibility for you own health. Not just here, with your decision to use the Colon Cleansing Kit, or not. But with every decision you make in your life. It's your life. For me embracing the responsibility for one's own life is the the principal that I see at the heart of holistic living. I urge you to not hand it over to us or anyone else. Only you know what is right for you.

With that mindframe we believe you, the consumer, should have access to other people's experiences with products that are not yet and may never be proven in that scientific way. Remeber these are other people sharing their experiences. Even the Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) are just sharing what they know for themselves to be true. It's your job to apply this information to your life and accept that colon cleansing is not "proven" like mainstream medicine. It's a different process. The process is people sharing what they got, you applying that information to your life, making an active decision and then taking full responsibility for your decision. Remeber, this is not just about our product. Do it when you go to the doctor or the acupuncturist. Do it always.

Which brings me to SAFETY. Have you ever stopped and asked yourself what "safe" means? What does "safe" mean? Again we feel this is your responsibilty to decide. Take for example, prescription medication. It is highly tested and supposedly safe, yet an article in the Journal of American Medical Association says that approximately 106,000 people die every year from non error, adverse effects of medications (article available at: www.jama.org - $30.00). That means prescription medication is the sixth leading cause of death in the USA. I'm not saying don't take prescription medication. I'm not telling you to take or not take anything. I am inviting you to use a three step process I feel is the heart of a healthy, holistic life. One, take responsibility for you own health. Two, educate youself about your options (there are always options). Three, make an educated choice and take full responsibility for that choice. Four, (I know I said three) don't blindly trust us or anyone else!

When it comes to the safety of the Colon Cleansing Kit. This is what we know. Over 10,000 people have now done our Colon Cleansing Kit. We offer a satisfaction guarantee and just under 2% return the Colon Cleansing Kit to us. Some people return the kit because they didn't get the results they wanted and others complain of cleansing reactions such as: headaches, bloated feelings, constipation, abdominal pain and sore eyes. Cleansing reactions are part of cleansing and are not the same as "side effects" normaly associated with medication. These cleansing reactions are regarded by those experienced with cleansing as the body dealing with whatever it is releasing during the cleanse. That said, if you experience anything you are not comfortable with during the cleanse you should stop immediately and only continue with the supervision of a holistic practitioner who is familiar with cleansing. The herbs in the kit have been safely used for hundreds of years and observational data suggest the Colon Cleansing Kit is safe when used as directed. Again you're the one putting it in your body. Take that responsibility.

Part Two: Observational data supporting colon cleansing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When it come to these thick, dark and rubbery bowel movements produced by our Colon Cleansing Kit, and a few other programs, we don't know what they are in scientific terms. In observational and experiencial terms a substantial amount is known. That is what I am going to share with you now.
Below is an excerpt from Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management, (Escondido, CA: Bernard Jensen, D.C., 1980), by Dr. Bernard Jensen, DC, ND, Ph.D.

Bernard Jensen is one of the pioneers of using colon cleansing to improve a person's quality of life. If you buy this book there are some amazing stories of things he saw accomplished through colon cleansing and removing this rubbery matter. In fact it was out of this book that my dad made my mom her first "colema board" over twenty-five years ago. You can buy this book on amazon.com and some large bookstores.
"The heavy mucus coating in the colon thickens and becomes a host of putrefaction. The blood capillaries to the colon begin to pick up the toxins, poisons and noxious debris as it seeps through the bowel wall. All tissues and organs of the body are now taking on toxic substances. Here is the beginning of true autointoxication on a physiological level. One autopsy revealed a colon to be 9 inches in diameter with a passage through it no larger than a pencil. The rest was caked up layer upon layer of encrusted fecal material. This accumulation can have the consistency of truck tire rubber. It's that hard and black. Another autopsy revealed a stagnant colon to weigh in at an incredible 40 pounds."

Another leader in cleansing is Dr. Richard Anderson, ND, N.M.D
Dr. Anderson has also written two books on cleansing which can also be purchased at Amazon.com or most large bookstores. He also has tremendous personal experience with colon cleansing and conveys much of this in his two books: Cleanse and Purify Thyself Volume 1 & 2.
In an internet article on "colon plaque" he says:
The phrase, "mucoid plaque," is a coined term that I use to describe various conditions found throughout the body, especially in hollow organs and the alimentary canal. It is a substance that the body naturally creates under unnatural conditions, such as attack from acids, drugs, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals.

An article written by Marc Leduc on his independent website dedicated towards healthy living.
http://www.healingdaily.com/colon-kidney-detoxification/colon-health.htm

An article written by Kristina Amelong, CNC, CT documenting intestinal buildup and its effects on the body. http://www.optimalhealthnetwork.com/tek9.asp?pg=cleansing

The experience of colon cleansing by Martha Volchok, AHG.
"...I observed all of my bowel movements and studied them as a scientist would. After my first cleanse, I got out just what Dr. Jensen showed in his book, Tissue Cleansing through Bowel Management. Not only that, but popcorn kernels came out and I hadn't eaten any popcorn in years! Having something come out after all those years, gave me more faith in Dr. Jensen's work. I reasoned that if the popcorn was that old, how old was the rest of the stuff coming out? Surely some of it was from that same time period.

I understand even more, now, after years of observing the material that comes out whenever I do colon cleansing. I have observed that the material coming out now has become progressively lighter, less smelly, and of a consistent texture; rather than initial dark, hard, rubbery, foul smelling stuff. There was time when I would see some chunks of the hard rubbery stuff mixed in with the type of stuff I see today. Whenever I do my yearly cleanse now, I see clearly the striations on the outside of stool that reflect the same indentations from different parts of the intestinal wall; both small and large (colon). Could this be an actual thin layer that had accumulated directly on the intestinal lining? These markings are never present on my everyday bowel movements. The stool from my colon cleanse has a thin, outer layer that is decidedly a different, deeper color than the inside of the stool. It is also much firmer and cannot be pulled apart; whereas the inner portion of the stool looks remarkably like the Toxin Absorber drink and it is possible to pull apart easily (see photo)." (read full article here)

Part Three: The other view on colon cleansing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are some doctors who say there is no buildup in the intestines and colon cleansing is a complete hoax. I feel their point of view is valuable and you should be exposed to other opions. I know this information and I still do colon cleansing. Your decision is yours for you to make.
The following is a quote from Quackwatch.com saying that "mucoid plaque" doesn't exist:

"I have seen several thousand intestinal biopsies and have never seen any "mucoid plaque." This is a complete fabrication with no anatomic basis. The small and large intestines normally secrete mucus for lubrication, but it does not form into any type of 'plaque'." (find site here: www.quackwatch.org)

Dr. Richard Anderson's responds to such statements in his book Cleanse & Purify Thyself: Book Two, (Mt. Shasta, CA: Christobe Publishing, 1998), page 88-89:
"Surgeons and regular doctors are not trained in the subject of mucoid plaque and therefore remain unaware of this important bowel condition. The mucoid plaque is usually less than one-fourth of an inch in many areas of the bowel (except in heavy meat and dairy eaters). It usually develops from a semi-transparent liquid solution (mucin) and may look like it is part of the intestinal wall itself as it takes on the exact shapes, striations, and bulges of the intestinal wall. Until the mucoid plaque begins to mix with fecal matter, it's colon and texture may appear similar to healthy bowel mucosa. Unless one knows what they are looking for, it may be difficult to identify, especially by sight. Therefore, to doctors using endoscopy and to surgeons, it is unnoticeable unless they are familiar with the many different appearances mucoid plaque may have."

You may have seen the following quote on other colon cleansing sites. In fact we once had it on our own site before I realized the information on John Wayne and Elvis was probably false:

The following was reported in January 11, 1999 issue of USA Today:
"Most people who eat the standard American 'goo and glue' diet have about 5-10 pounds of matter stored in the colon. It's said that, according to the autopsy, John Wayne had 40 pounds of impacted fecal matter in his body at death. Elvis reportedly had 60 pounds."

This quote has drawn a large amount of negetive attention to colon cleansing on the internet (example view: www.snopes.com). I tried researching it and found that the information on John Wayne and Elvis is very hard to verify and is most likely false. I was able to find the complete article from the USA Today and the quote was part of an article talking about the journalist experience at a health spa. Someone at the spa told her that information and she quoted it in her article. I think it is unfortunate that so many sites in their enthusiasm to prove the benefits of colon cleansing grab such information without verifying the source. Even I was guilty of this. In hindsight I see this reflects poorly on what we do know and the real experiences of people who have done colon cleansing. The fact is colon cleansing is not widely accepted by the medical profession and I think it's OK to share that with consumers. I think this gives more validity to the experiences we do know. Again I'll say it is critical thinking that is the key to holistic health. It is not accepting what someone else proved or disproved.

If you want to know more about colon cleansing and the many benefits experienced by thousands of people I suggest you read Cleanse & Purify Thyself: Book Two, by Dr. Richard Anderson and also Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management by Dr. Bernard Jensen.

Some recent emails we received about the Colon Cleansing Kit
From: "M.A."
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 09:13:38 -0700
Subject: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I can't even begin to express my gratitude without extreme emotion for the blessed gift that the creators of Blessed Herbs have given the fortunate people such as myself. I ordered your colon cleanse and began doing it with hopes that "this time" these products would really work! I have done so many of them out there and have had good results but nothing that I felt really cleaned out the years of debris that I knew was lodged in the colon.
I just completed my 8th day...and I am amazed at the old rubbery mucoid, waste that has been coming out. One movement... Oh my gosh! Out came over (what seemed) 14-18 inches; no I didn't measure it—of compacted black-green, rubbery, gnarled and spine-like looking substance! It amazed me...there was no smell...it was truly compact and it felt just amazing to know that it was OUT of my body!!! And many more have been expelled since! I LOVE this cleanse! I feel just incredible! I have lost 12 pounds in 8 days and I am so thankful to you and everyone who has helped me through this healing and healthy journey!
Light and blessings!
M.A.C.
Arizona

From: "E.N."
Date: August 13, 2004 1:04:29 PM EDT
Subject: Amazement Oh My GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
If I hadn't seen it for myself I never would have believed it. You know the term seeing is believing well that statement couldn't be more true. I ordered the cleansing kit about a week ago and it actually took me four days to figure out how many Digestive simulators it would take to keep me on track with three bowel movements in a day's time and when I finally reached eight I said to myself I must really have serious stuff going on inside of me. Well at this point I was all excited about getting started with my five day fast. So here it is day one wasn't so bad, yet I was little concerned because nothing was happening I even said to my co-worker " It's a good thing there's a 100% guarantee on this stuff because I maybe calling them for my money back. However I decided to go ahead with it so day two I was feeling terrible I had headaches, my stomach felt like it was turning upside down and when it came time for my second dose of Toxin Absorber I really didn't think I was going to make it through the drink but I did, well 20 minutes later I was made into a believer I felt like I needed to use the bathroom but not to the point of cramping. However when I went in and handled my business I couldn't believe what I saw come out of me I was so shocked I actually called my female co-worker into the bathroom and begged her to look well she finally agreed and we were both at awe. Now that I have two more days to go I find myself more excited than I've ever been about having a bowel movement.
Thank you for such an awesome product.
Sincerely E.N. Louisiana

Date: January 4, 2005 4:45:14 PM EST
Subject: RE:
Hi...it's a truly remarkable product you have. I have tried several products in the last 5 years and yours beats them by miles the headaches,tiredness and constipation have all gone. I had thought hitting 50yrs it was natural to slow down but now I'm speeding up thanks to your kit
Best wishes S.

Subject: Re: Result from your product
Date: December 7, 2004 1:56:44 PM EST
Just a few lines to let you know that we received the product in excellent order and also completed the fast two weeks ago, My husband and I did the total cleanse - i.e. cutting back for 2-3 days and then just the apple juice and vegetable broth with Miso and the powders for 5 days. The results were amazing. We both felt so well. I did not feel hungry at all and my husband played golf - 18 holes on 3 days and still managed to keep to the apple juice and broth plus lots of water. The stuff that came out us was truly amazing as you predict in your brochure. I felt very relieved to be rid of all that junk!! ...
Thank you for a wonderful product. We are recommending it to other members of our family to use after Christmas and we will certainly make in an annual event. Thank you and all good wishes for a wonderful family season to you all.
M. and A. D.

Subject: A Big Thank You from the Heart...
Date: February 26, 2005 12:13:10 PM EST
My husband and I have just completed the 5 day colon cleanse and have started the internal cleanse.
We both want to say how much we appreciate your products and the love that goes into the whole package. When we receive our orders in the mail and open them up, the love that comes from everything is so wonderful. We feel totally cared for by your company...right down to all the little details.
Thanx for bringing such awesome products to this world that help us all stay healthier!
Love,
L.P. and R.T.