With Spring, people feel the need to clean house, eliminate clutter and of course lose weight. As it gets warmer (even though it hasn't even begun to get warmer here in NYC!), you want to shed any Winter remnants and just feel lighter. People not only want to clean house but cleanse their bodies as well; so they opt to do a cleanse or detox program. But what does it mean to do a cleanse or detox and is there a difference? When I was researching this topic, I found some interesting things.
Most say a cleanse is a way to focus solely on cleaning out and clearing up the digestive tract, which includes eliminating toxins, parasites, fungi (like Candida). By doing a cleanse you can remove from your body waste buildup and feel energized, relieve pain, disease and allergy symptoms. With a detox program, it's said that you are solely eliminating toxins from the body, sometimes focusing on specific organs and/or the bloodstream. A detox program allows the body to hone in on self healing and stimulate digestive health. After reading these 'definitions', I still felt that there really wasn't much of a difference between a cleanse and detox; maybe just a slight difference in focus.
The key is finding which cleanse/detox is right for you and that will take some research and asking people you know...people you trust. You can do a cleanse or detox for 1 day or up to 21 days. If you are new to cleanses/detoxing, I would not do it for more than 3 days. Reason is, like anything else, you have to be disciplined enough to do either of these for more than a few days. It takes practice. Also, I challenge you to look at why you are doing the cleanse/detox; is it solely for losing weight? That's cool but I encourage you to dig deeper and open your mind to doing a cleanse/detox to also help you to connect to your spiritual self and remove toxic energies and emotions from within. Just another added benefit to a cleanse/detox-smile.
Once you've decided on which program to follow, you should prepare for the cleanse/detox...yep, you should get your body ready for this shift. Prior to doing the cleanse/detox, there are certain foods/beverages you should begin to ween off of like refined sugar, alcohol, refined carbs, caffeine as it can interfere with your body beginning to eliminate toxins. If you drink caffeinated beverages on a regular you may experience withdrawals like headaches, fatigue so decrease these items gradually. And drink lots of water; this helps to start the process of flushing the body of toxins and keeping you hydrated.
Now after the cleanse/detox you cannot just go back to eating what you ate before because it will be a shock to your system. Most recommend continuing a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, raw and steamed. Soups with only vegetables or broths will help your system maintain the cleansing and prolong the benefits of doing the program.
There are many benefits to doing a cleanse/detox as well: gives you more energy, you will feel healthier and sleep better, improved digestion and food absorption, to name a few. Below are some of the popular cleanses/detox programs:
BLUE PRINT CLEANSE
Offers a line of juice cleanses at various levels of intensity. I love the green juice! The levels they offer are RENOVATION, FOUNDATION and EXCAVATION. Founded by Zoe Sakoutis and her business partner Erica Huss, this juicing program isn't depriving and people rave about it. Can be done for 1 day and up to 5 days. http://www.blueprintcleanse.com
ORGANIC AVENUE
Founded by Denise Mari. I had the pleasure of sample their juices and they were amazing. They have 5 unique cleansing programs that keep your body nourished and healthy during and after the program. They also suggest you can do cleanse up to 5 days. Cost is pretty pricey but worth it. http://www.organicavenue.com
MASTER CLEANSE
Everyone I think has heard of this cleanse. It's a simple program: lemon juice, rich maple syrup and cayenne pepper in water and it calls for 6-8 glasses of this mixture per day. Also gives you a guide to ease into the program, what to do during and easing out of the program. http://www.themastercleanse.org
Or you can create your own cleanse/detox program by having a diet consisting of only fresh fruit and raw vegetables and lots of water. Look into foods that can assist the body with eliminating toxins i.e. green foods, lemons, oranges, limes, garlic and broccoli to name a few. The key is to only eat these foods for a period of one day or more, so as to clean and clear out your system.
So, do your research, ask questions (you can also ask me by using comment box below and I'll do my best to answer-smile) and most importantly, before doing any type of cleanse or detox program, please consult with your doctor; especially if you have pre-existing conditions or take medications.
Be well!
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