As the science of the body continues to grow, we have become more attuned to how impurities effect our health, and we have discovered ways to rid our bodies of these impurities in order to promote physical health. This is called “detoxification.”

In very many ways, the same holds true with, not just our body but our soul. The impurities of our sins, which I call “toxSINS” for this article, can cause a lack of spiritual health.

Physically speaking, a detoxification is a necessary process to promote full body health; this is especially true if you are not the healthiest eater. The detoxification process removes harmful or toxic substances from your body, leading to better health and a great starting place for a new healthy lifestyle. If you experience any of the following, it is the likely time for a physical detox.

Spiritually speaking, a detoxification (or purification) of our soul is a necessary process to promote a healthy and fully alive relationship with God. If you experience any of the following, it is the likely time for a spiritual detox.

In this article, I have linked the science of the body with the “science of the soul.” In other words, another way to understand spiritual health is to look at how it closely corresponds with physical health. Here, I give a brief summary of the “signs one needs a physical detox” and link them to the “signs one needs a spiritual detox.” Lastly, I offer the remedy for both.

 

Depression

Physical – It is established that certain foods and patterns of thought can affect the body and make you feel depressed. Depression is also a sign of toxin build up in the bowels, liver, and brain.

Remedy: Eat more yellow and orange foods.

Spiritual – A sign that the build up of toxSINS has left little room for the the full and life-giving indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our soul is that we are no longer giving to others out of a sense of fullness. We feel empty or weary—our inner tank is running dry. ToxSIN build up, if left undetected, can turn into burnout, if we continue to give out in Christian service whilst not being replenished by supernatural grace. If left untended, this toxSIN build up can impact our emotional, mental, and even physical state.

Remedy: Go to Confession

 

Insomnia

Physical – Toxin build up (especially estrogen build up) is a common cause of insomnia. If you find it difficult to sleep at night, it is time to look into a liver cleanse.

Remedy: Drink the juices of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.

Spiritual – When “toxSINS” enter our soul, the atmosphere of heaven—righteousness, peace and joy—seems to evade us. Instead, we find it easier to give way to negative thinking. We falter in our ability to resist and ‘cast down’ destructive thoughts and emotions. These are what can cause our restlessness, as we lay awake at night worrying about everything, losing confidence that God will provide.

Remedy: Go to Confession

 

Lethargy

Physical – Lethargy often occurs with insomnia. If you commonly have lethargy, it is also a sign that your body is carrying extra unneeded weight in the form of undigested and incompletely digested food.

Remedy: Eat less. Avoid eating anything but low-to-moderate glycemic fruit at night.

Spiritual – As “toxSINS” build up in our soul, we begin to turn away from what God wants us to do in our life. Spiritual sloth or loss of spiritual desire is one the best signs that our soul is loading with toxSINS. We don’t live by feelings alone, but there is a difference between doing something merely out of obligation and doing something because you delight in it. When you delight in the Lord, nothing else compares. Someone passionate for God finds pleasure in the things of God. When we are filled with toxSINS, we lose the joy of pleasing God, and shift toward pleasing ourselves.

Remedy: Go to Confession

 

Indigestion

Physical – Indigestion is a bloated feeling that makes you almost feel like you are pregnant. If you have common indigestion problems, there may be blockages present that make a properly functioning digestive tract impossible.

Remedy: Eat less. Drink more detox fiber and herb shakes along with enzymes and probiotics.

Spiritual – A build up of “toxSINS” can block the free flow of God’s supernatural grace through us to those around us. We are called to receive and freely give this supernatural grace, primarily through the three offices of Christ we received in Baptism. Priest – We are called to be powerful intercessors for others. Prophet – We are called to allow grace to inspire our speech in calling others more closely to God. King – Our very lives are meant to powerfully inspire and lead others to seek and draw near to God. The supernatural grace needed to “power-up” these three offices can become “stopped up” by the addition of toxSINS to our soul.

Remedy: Go to Confession

 

Stress

Physical – If you chronically feel stressed out, it may be a sign that your body needs a detox. Your body is trying to tell you something is wrong.

Remedy: Exercise more and meditate.

Spiritual – Are you feeling overwhelmed by circumstances? That could be a sign that you are under attack. When we allow more impurities of toxSIN to enter our soul, we weaken our spiritual defenses, and we can become more prone to attack from the devil. The word circumstance comes from two words: circum (encircle) and stance (stand). In other words, you are standing encircled by what’s going on. It doesn’t take long for feelings of being overwhelmed to lead to hopelessness. The Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). It also tells us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). If the enemy can get you to lose hope, he can get you to stop living by faith.

Remedy: Go to Confession

 

Mental Fog

Physical – When your body can’t function properly, your brain can’t function properly, this causes mental fog or the inability to focus on tasks.

Remedy: Drink green juices. Flush out your bowels with enemas and colonics. Drink more water.

Spiritual – A build up of toxSINS can kill off the dynamic relationship we once had with God. We begin to lack the excitement we once had in our relationship with God. Our devotional life—connection to God through the Bible and prayer—has either been reduced to a rote exercise, is occasional, or has ceased to exist at all. We once found inspiration and new insights through our prayer and study, but now it is a laborious task where nothing seems to get into our mind or soul.

Remedy: Go to Confession

 

Body Odor

Physical – If you just smell all over, and you do not know why, it may be time for a detox, this is especially true if you live a healthy lifestyle. Bad smell equals detox time!

Remedy: Cleanse your bowels, remove animal products from your diet for a period. Add probiotics and medicinal mushrooms to your regime as well.

Spiritual – According to David in the Psalms, it is the joy of our salvation that results in us leading people to God (Ps 51:12-13). When we are loaded with toxSINS, it affects our relationship with those who do not know Jesus. We are not bubbling over; we have lost our joy. People are not seeing something in us that causes them to thirst for God, and we lack motivation to share with them, feeling we have nothing to offer. Worse than that, with the build up of our toxSINS, we can begin to repel people from us as we cast a kind of “spiritual odor” of negativity and selfishness. When toxSINS enter in, we begin pulling away from godly relationships. Look around. Have you pulled out of relationships with people at church or with people in your small group? Are more and more of your friends carnally minded rather than spiritually minded? If so, you are stumbling around the battleground and the enemy has a target on your head.

Remedy: Go to Confession

Obviously, the point here is that the Sacrament of Confession is critically important. While we can never be perfect in this life, we *can* be “perfectly pure,” once we have offered our sins with true contrition in this Sacrament, and the priest prays the words of absolution over us.

Do you want a healthy spiritual life? Do a “Spiritual Detox.” Go to Confession, and go often.