Posted on 30th Jan 2009 @ 3:28 PM

Flor Essence has long been known as a highly effective detox aid.  We interviewed Bev Maya, Health Expert from Flora Health and member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, the oldest body of practicing medical herbalists in the world.  Here's what she had to tell us....

How long have you been working as an herbalist?

I graduated as a Medical Herbalist from the College of Phytotherapy in the UK in 2000, and have been in active practice since then in my own clinic in North Vancouver. I started working in the area of Women’s Midlife health in 2002,  as a part of an integrated health team  clinic in Vancouver along with six Medical Doctors where I still practice today. Before becoming a herbalist I was a Research Chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, so I learned a great deal about the benefits and limitation of drugs on overall health.

 

When did you first hear about Flor Essence – under what circumstances?

My first experience with FlorEssence occurred about a year before I graduated as a Medical Herbalist. I was working at a dispensary in Vancouver helping clients with their health concerns. A man came to see me who recently had surgery for prostate cancer and was having trouble breathing. He and his family suspected that his cancer had spread to his lungs, so I judiciously started working with him on good nutrition along with supportive respiratory and immune modulating herbs. One of his daughters asked if FlorEssence would help. Upon researching the herbal combination, I decided to recommend it for the man’s condition. Laboratory tests confirmed that his cancer had spread to both his liver and lungs. He decided to undergo extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments in conjunction to ongoing herbal support including FlorEssence. During the course of his cancer treatments, he maintained his weight, hair, appetite and did not have any radiation burns as many of his fellow patients suffered. I was amazed at the protective effect that FlorEssence had on him and the speed at which he recovered from the medical interventions. Even though he did not survive his cancer, he was able to minimize the damaging effects of his treatment and enjoy a good quality of life with his family until his death several months later.

 

How many years of experience with Flor Essence do you have in your own practice?

I have been using Flor Essence for a multitude of medical conditions for approximately ten years.

 

What would the top three reasons be to use the product?

When possible, I like to recommend the use of FlorEssence as a gentle but effective supportive to cellular health. Daily use of FlorEssence insures that potentially harmful toxins are quickly removed from the body before it can cause damage. And as I mentioned previously, a multitude of toxins are out there. In today’s environment, we need every protective measure we can get! For those who suffer from mild, chronic symptoms such as those listed below, FlorEssence will make an immediate difference. fatigue

• headaches
• gas and bloating
• acid reflux
• frequent infections
• poor quality of sleep
• sinus congestion
• irritability
• constipation or diarrhea
• inflammation
• aches and pains
• dry or irritated skin
• blemishes
• body odour

Anyone who has a chronic and progressive disease, Flor Essence is a must.

What is the difference between Flor Essence and other detoxes on the market?

There are lots of detoxification preparations available in health food stores. Many of them promise weight loss, better complexion, stronger hair and nails, regular bowel movements, increased energy and the list goes on! But when I look at the ingredients of those detoxification kits, most of them contain very strong stimulating herbs aimed at “purging” the body of unwanted toxins. It assumes that the primary elimination organs are in prime working order and ready to do the work of cleansing. And believe me, cleansing is a lot of work!  In order to feel better instead of worse during and after detoxification with these types of detox kits, the vitality of the body must be very high, in other words, the person’s “constitution” must be very robust. But this is not the case with most people seeking relief through detoxification. Usually, their primary elimination organs (liver, kidney and digestive tract) are inflamed and not functioning at their optimum level. In addition, they most likely are carrying many toxins (heavy metals, food additives, pesticides) in their cells that need to be released slowly so that the elimination organs can handle them properly. Flor Essence is the only herbal combination on the market  that deeply supports the body in a way that normalizes and balances the core function of  each organ system including all the elimination organs, so these organs can function properly to create optimum health. FlorEssence gets to the very “core” of imbalance so that the body is able to heal itself.

Do you regard it as very important to take a detox regularly for everybody to remain in good health, or is the effect of detoxes overestimated, or influenced by trends and popular beliefs?

I recently put together a presentation for a conference focusing on the role of detoxification in today’s environment. I had always advised people that generally “toxins are everywhere – in the food that we eat, air that we breathe and in the water that we drink”. But I was appalled when I look at the statistics – toxic emissions of several chemicals known as carcinogens are increasing yearly. I came to the conclusion that there should never be a question of “if” you carry toxins in your body but rather “how much” you retain in

your cells. Even living in the far reaches of the world does not protect you from all the elements that we share with our neighbours on this earth. It used to be that you could adeq

uately detoxify your body through healthy nutrition and a balanced life. But I do not believe this to be the case any more. The systems that are in charge of keeping our cells “clean” cannot keep up with the load. It is critical to receive help from outside sources, and the herbs in FlorEssence can provide the added support that is critically needed.

 

It is said that Flor Essence works very deeply, in the innermost of our cells. Is this according to your experience and how can you eventually explain such an deep cleansing effect with regard to your knowledge about herbs?

If we look at the origin of disease at a body tissue level, toxins come in contact with mucous membranes including the digestive tract (stomach, intestines and colon), respiratory tract (ears, nose, throat and lungs), urinary tract (kidneys and bladder), and genital tract (ovaries, uterus or testes and prostate). When toxins affect one of our “tracts”, a change occurs in all mucous membranes by reflex action. We are really just “doughnuts” with exposure to the outside environment from our mouth to our anus and all the openings in between. If the body is in optimum health, these areas have built-in defense mechanisms that work together to combat invading toxins (including pollutants, food additives, bacteria, fungi and viruses). When our defenses become overloaded due to sub-optimal health, invading toxins disrupt the delicate pH (acid base balance unique to each body tissue) balance. Ongoing pH disruption leads to inflammation and congestion which increases permeability of the membranes commonly known as “leaky gut” syndrome, where the “mesh” that allows nutrients into the bloodstream become enlarged and allow toxins to re-enter the body from the colon. Over a period of time, unwanted toxins entering the body leads to dysfunction of the immune (our defense system) and endocrine (pancreas, adrenals, thyroid and reproductive organs) systems which causes the onset of auto-immune conditions such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis as well as endocrine disorders including hypo or hyper states of gland function (late onset diabetes, hypo/hyperthryroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome and infertility). Further dysfunction overloads the DNA repair system allowing for increased DNA mutations leading to the loss of programmed cell death allowing undifferentiated tissues  to grow out of control.

 

The herbs within FlorEssence work synergistically together to reverse this progression of disease and restore balance to tissues. Eventually, every cell in the body will reap the benefical effects of FlorEssence. Here is a summary of the herbs in FlorEssence and their combined actions:

 

Action	Herb(s)
Alleviate toxins	Burdock, Slippery Elm, Blessed Thistle, Watercress
Re-establish pH balance	Slippery Elm
Decrease membrane permeability	Slippery Elm,Turkey Rhubarb,  Red Clover
Flood body with nutrients & antioxidants	Sheep sorrel, slippery elm, Turkey Rhubarb, Red Clover, Watercress
Maximize elimination pathways	Sheep sorrel, Turkey Rhubarb, Blessed Thistle,
Re-set immune function	Kelp
Parasympathetic NS activity	Red Clover
Increase tissue perfusion	Burdock, Sheep sorrel, Turkey rhubarb, Kelp
Decrease mutations/apoptosis	Burdock

 

 

The nutrients contained in FlorEssence are part of a matrix that the body recognizes as food, so the naturally occurring phytonutrients can be immediately absorbed and utilized.  It is known  that it takes 70 days for complete turn over of all the cells in the body. For this reason, I recommend that Flor Essence is taken for a minimum of 3 months. As essential as a multivitamin, Flor·Essence is a powerful addition to your daily health regime.

 

It is said that Flor Essence can even help us get rid of Miasm’s – inherited genetic pollution’s from diseases of our ancestors, for example Syphilis and Tuberculosis.  Does this make sense for you?

Absolutely. It is now known that, although our genetic make-up or DNA sequence is very slow to change (as slowly as evolution itself), the way in which our DNA is “presented” in the nucleus of the cell is dependent on proteins that either close or open the DNA strand. These protein structures can be damaged over generations, hence disease propensities are inherited as well. That being said, it has been found that phytochemicals suchs as  antioxidants can protect these protein structures as well as repair damage. This allows an improvement of the integrity and functioning of the DNA leading to the resolution of inherited “Miasms”. Since the mechanism  of action of the herbs in FlorEssence have been recognized as regenerative and protective to DNA, it has the possibility of resolving inherited miasms.

 

What do you think is the most basic reason for lack of energy, health problems and early aging – do you see any common patterns among your patients?

Our world is not the world that our grandparents or even parents grew up in. Since the industrial revolution, commerce has taken priority over protecting and nurturing our self and our environment. As a result, we are constantly bombarded with environmental toxins from the air that we breathe, water that we drink and the foods that we eat. Lack of sufficient water prevents toxins from being removed from our body. Our protective mechanisms just can’t keep up with the onslaught.

In addition, most activities that we are involved in on a daily basis stimulate our “fight or flight” response in our nervous system. Examples of these types of activities include working long hours, pushing past fatigue to get our “second wind”, and watching violent shows on television. Once our nervous system believes there is impending danger, our innate healing mechanisms are shut off and sleep is profoundly disrupted.  Foods that we eat such as sugar (including pasta and bread) and caffeine – containing foods such as chocolate, coffee and tea all support the stimulation of this response.

Adrenal over stimulation from too much time in “fight or flight” mode causes other parts of the endocrine system to be out of balance, since it “steals” the precursors to hormones that the reproductive, thyroid and pancreas requires. This may show up in the body with symptoms such as low energy, PMS, hot flushes, night sweats bloating, insomnia, a sluggish metabolism, low body temperature, poor circulation, sugar balance problems (hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia) and even compromised fertility.

The key to regaining health is through the intake of whole food nutrition as well as supporting all the systems that aid in the elimination of toxins. Calming down the nervous system is also key in bringing the system back to normal. FlorEssence helps achieve balance in all the key systems in the body.

 

Does Flor Essence work only because of its cleansing effect, or is it other reason why it can be recommended for particular health problems – for what kind of illnesses or conditions will you in particular mention?

Many chronic health problems are a result of a high “toxic load” – that is to say that our cells are sequestering high concentrations of toxins that interfere with the routine functioning of that cell. For this reason, I will often start an individual on FlorEssence at a low dose (10mL twice a day) for 1-2 months. After this time, it is common for patients to report a resolution or improvement of many of their symptoms.

As a natural medicine practitioner, I strive to treat the disease process rather than symptoms. It is common for me to recommend the use of FlorEssence in many conditions including gout, ulcers, gallstones, kidney stones, arthritis, bronchitis, nephritis, asthma, chronic digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, all auto-immune conditions as well as all conditions resulting from hormone imbalance.

 

Cure or maintenance, how do we know if we need it just as a cure or if we need to take it for a longer period of time?

Health and disease are in a continuum with each other. Dysfunction in cells from mutation to DNA starts in a minority of cells and progress to the majority when proper preventative measures are not taken. The mutated cells produce more mutated cells, which increases the population of mutated cells causing further dysfunction. The daily use of FlorEssence supports healthy cellular functioning to minimize the errors that the cell makes causing a lower amount of mutations. This means better overall health in the body. So, I believe there is never really a true “cure” but rather a return to normal functioning of cells given the appropriate support.

 

Does it take long time before it works on your patients?

Patients who have a low toxic load respond very quicky to FlorEssence – sometimes in less than a week. Those who have suffered from long-term chronic and multiple disease processes may respond more slowly. I usually tell the patient to expect results after a minimum of 3 months treatment. Since health also depends on proper nutrition and lifestyle, the speed at which a person would notice a positive change also depends on these factors. In many cases, patients report better sleep, more regular bowel movements (if suffering from previous constipation), and even increase focus and creativity!

 

Do most people get severe detox-reaction, and how do you guide them through that?

Due to the ability of FlorEssence to support both phases of liver detoxification and reactive oxygen species quenching, the incidence of a healing crisis is very low. Some people with severe liver dysfunction may need added antioxidant support such as Pomegranate plus (grapeseed extract, resveratrol, green tea extract, curcumin, rosemary). If a patient experiences a “healing reaction”, I usually stop the use of FlorEssence for a couple of days and add in a suitable antioxidant three times a day along with Epsom salts baths to facilitate the removal of toxins from secondary means (sweat glands, lungs and skin). After establishing antioxidant support, I start FlorEssence again at ¼ to ½ the dose and increase slowly.

 

If I don´t get a detox reaction, is it working or not?

If a person does not experience a “healing reaction” that simply means that their primary elimination organs are adequately neutralizing toxins and excreting them through the bile and urine. This is a good thing!

 

Does the detox reaction depend on my body´s status or are there other parameters?

At an even deeper level, FlorEssence is very unique in that it supports both “phases” of liver detoxifcation and contains very high amounts of antioxidants, which serves to balance

Action	Herb(s)
Balance pH	Slippery elm, Sheep sorrel, watercress (Fe)
Liver detoxification & regeneration: Ph I & II	Watercress, Blessed Thistle
Liver detoxification: bile secretion	Blessed thistle, Sheep sorrel, Burdock
Antioxidant detoxification	Burdock, Turkish Rhubarb, Red Clover
Inhibit “recycle” of xeno- & endo-hormones	Inulin (50%) Burdock Alginates in Kelp, Slippery elm
Improve elimination pathways	Blessed thistle, Sheep sorrel, Burdock Turkish Rhubarb, Red Clover Slippery elm
Support immune function	Kelp (polysaccharides) Slipper elm, Turkish Rhubarb (tannins) Burdock root (lymph drainage)

 

Are there any contraindications for using the product?

Yes. Do not use FlorEssence if your are pregnant or breast feeding – this is not the time to detoxify your body since toxins will go through the placenta to the baby and in the breast milk. Also, do not use FlorEssence if you are on kidney dialysis or have had an organ transplant.