As a Naturopath I probably shouldn’t share this story but hey, we are human too! I recently had a visitor from out of town and after a week of pastas, sugars, too much coffee and hardly any fruits and vegetables my body literally felt like garbage. Trust me, I am all about balance and the occasional indulgence but this had gone on too long. My alarm clock went off on Monday morning and I couldn’t get out of bed. I felt bloated, had no energy my face started to break out and I decided- yes it’s definitely time for a cleanse! So what is a cleanse? I have heard many variations of them as well as many horror stories so today I want to try to explain why I think my way of cleansing is right for me and how I am going to approach it.
Now I know what some people think about cleansing because I have heard it all! “Starving yourself and loosing weight that quickly is not healthy”, “Oh I tried a cleanse one time and became so constipated that I couldn’t function!”, “Are you just going to have liquid for a month?”, “A cleanse? Is that when you do the cayenne and maple syrup thing?”… The list goes on for all the misconceptions about cleansing because there is such a large variety of options out there and most importantly, many people are doing cleanses incorrectly. You should never starve yourself on a cleanse because, yes – you will loose weight, but you will put it on faster after you finish because it may alter your metabolism. The goal of a cleanse should be to adopt a healthy lifestyle, remove toxins, and kick start your bodies natural ability to clean itself out.
My theory on cleansing is that you should eat plenty of healthy foods because this is where your nutrients come from. All the things we need for cleansing our bodies comes naturally in many whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, and these contain our powerful antioxidants and cleansing enzymes! Sure we can add some herbs, teas and supplements if prescribed properly, but why not start with cleaning up our diets? Our bodies are bombarded with toxins on a regular basis and our organs are constantly working to detoxify these. By adding liver, colon, lung and kidney friendly foods, we are thanking our hard working organs and giving them a treat! If we remove the clutter like sugar, white flour, gluten, dairy, alcohol and caffeine, and we replace it with bright colored fruits and vegetables, healthy nuts and fats, lean meats, and TONS of water we are doing our body a lot of good. If you are constipated or have a terrible headache during a cleanse you most likely are not drinking enough water. There are some days where your energy will dip and you may get a withdrawal headache from caffeine or sugar but for the most part you should feel healthy, light and have energy if you are cleansing right!
Along with your body you should also cleanse your mind by decreasing time watching TV, making sure you get lots of sleep, have a regular exercise routine and connect with your self using your regular spiritual practice if you have one.
We don’t necessarily need to buy a box cleanse endorsed by the newest fitness guru or juice everything we eat in order to cleanse our body. For some people, especially those suffering from chronic disease like fibromyalgia, a cleanse of this nature can be too intense and actually worsen your health status. Each individual may have their own specific ailments to treat or unique goals they are trying to achieve with their cleanse. What works for one person may not be suitable for the next. If you want to start a cleanse catered specifically to your needs talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about what is right for you! Until then I will share with you a sample day of what I am doing.
Day 1:
I started my morning off with a large glass of water with lemon then went for a brisk walk outside.
Breakfast was a smoothie with almond milk, 2TBSP ground black chia seeds, 2 handfuls of spinach, 1 scoop greens powder, 1 scoop protein powder and 1 cup of frozen blueberries
I did dry skin brushing before my shower, which was alternating hot and cold to get my lymphatic system up and running.
After doing some work I had a snack, which consisted of carrots, cucumber, grapes, oranges and of course…water.
Lunch was a bowl of buckwheat noodles with kale, collard greens, spinach, bok choy, tofu, sesame seeds and sprouts topped with a blend of almond butter, water and organic miso.
I had a light afternoon, which consisted of reading and relaxing as my body was feeling slightly tired and I wanted to listen to what it needed.
After another brisk walk outside I then came home to make dinner, which was quinoa topped with organic chicken, broccoli, carrots, kale and peppers with a coconut milk sauce mixed with curry, turmeric, ginger, garlic and onion.
My sugar cravings hit after dinner so I had a few scoops of my homemade chia pudding, which has quinoa milk, coconut milk, almond milk, chai tea spices and cinnamon. I also had a nice cup of milk thistle tea and was off to bed by 10!
I hope your next cleanse feels as good as mine!
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