Wisdom Wednesday - Do a Cleanse

Photo from One Step At A Time

Ever wonder why that new thing you are doing is just not working?  Like the healthy eating, juicing, all natural and pure supplements and exercising are not kicking in the way you would like?  Sure, you notice a difference, but where is the WOW factor in this new lifestyle?

It is quite possible that your body is so bound  up with toxins and junk that you need to do a cleanse, a fast, a detox (or whatever other name you want to give it) before you will really see results.  It is a lot like hitting the reset button on your electronic device.  Everything is cleared out and you get to start with a clean slate.  That is what 'cleaning out' your body does, it resets everything. 

Looking at your past and current lifestyle will depend on how long you need to hold down the reset button and how often you need to reset, again.  If you have been eating clean for quite some time then simply doing a few meal replacements or a short 3 day fast could work for you.  On the contrary, if you eat out a lot and drink fluids other than water, fresh juice (made at home) and herbal tea then you probably need a week long fast or longer.  If you are dealing with heavy food addiction, smoking and alcohol you probably need to start with baby steps (replace 2 meals a day with juicing) then go into a longer fast.

If you have health issues it is always advisable to seek a doctor's permission before beginning a new or strict program, and it is always good to note that this blog is not intended to diagnose illness or provide cures.

What does a fast or cleanse do?  I'm glad you asked! 

• It helps to retrain your taste buds (out with the junk, in with the fresh)
• Helps your body to remove addictions to artificial food preservatives and additives (and possibly other addictions as well).  Things such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, caffeine...
• Removes daily toxin build up from living in a world full of chemicals
• Cleans out your colon so you can absorb ALL the good nutrients you consume.
• Improves mental clarity
• Improves skin tone
• Increases energy
• Allows the body to alkalize and fight disease
• Give the gut a rest from digesting food all the time
• Jump starts weight loss
• Jump starts weight gain in an underweight and malnourished individual.
• Jump starts building good muscle tone for those exercising (don't train during a fast, but after the fast is over you can hit it hard and see the results)
• Help men experiencing issues in bed to be reawakened
• Aids in overall well being

Now don't get me wrong.  Fasting is not easy.  If your body is particularly bound up with toxins you will experience some detox symptoms the first few days.  But somewhere along the way you will begin to feel better, then feel great.  That is the point where you can be sure you have detoxed your body long enough, but feel free to go longer, or just detox more often!  Some do a 1 day detox monthly, others a 3 day detox quarterly, and still others a 10 day detox annually.  You decide what is right for you.

Here are some good juice fasting resources:

• Watch why Kristina started a fully raw diet.  Short and very informative.  Click here.
• Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead website with fasting info and healthy eating guidelines.
• Watch the film Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Hulu for free (with commercials) or get it on Netflix.  Film is all about juicing and follows people's lives.
• Watch Forks Over Knives on Hulu for free (with commercials) or get it on Netflix. and check out their website  Film is about plant based diets and gives a ton of great info.
• Check out Fit Life.TV

And so much more. 

Juice Fast recommendations:

• Breakfast meal replacement only
• Lunch meal replacement only
• Juice breakfast and lunch then eat a healthy dinner
• 3 day juice fast only
• 5 day juice fast only
• 10 day juice fast only
• 21 day juice fast only
• Juice for 3 days only after traveling or a stressful life event

By-the-way, only juice organic fruits and veggies.  And juice veggies WAY MORE then fruit.

Try it, you just might like it, and see some real health benefits!