If you missed the Spring Cleanse timing, it’s okay. Pre-summer cleanse is just as beneficial. Good bye to dishes of fully cooked, warming foods, root veggies and stews, we are heading into a season where our bodies and moods crave more salads, greens and raw vegetables and fruits dripping with juice upon biting into them. We are blessed with inherent knowledge, you might call, instincts, what foods to eat to cleanse our bodies and prepare for the heat of summer(unless you are in foggy and cold parts of San Francisco…). It’s a time of renewal.
I know there are tons of different cleansing programs and products out there, so I thought I would share the basics I’ve learned from others that actually worked without too much of a strain on a normal day to day social interactions. With the amount of chemicals/pesticides, pollutants and environmental toxins, cleansing should be part of our routine. While our bodies are resilient and evolve to survive, they have not evolved fast enough to keep with with this amount of free radicals within and outside of our bodies. That’s why diseases & cancers affect even the young despite the advances in medicine.
Cleansing restores our body’s natural ability to eliminate toxins while reducing the amount of its stress on the body.
Best not to do anything extreme or extremely fast. Also do not fast unless you are medically supervised or is able to rest frequently and monitor the blood pressure and hydration levels throughout the day. If you do attempt to fast, you should be in an environment where someone can check on you on routine basis just in case you need help. Anything extreme and fast can shock the system. Best to gradually ease into your cleanse. Before doing a cleanse, go over your plans with your MD and be sure that the plan is within the safety zone of your particular physical condition. Take the time to learn about healthy eating and work on changing your lifestyle. Having slowly changed your habits for even just a month before can greatly help your body release toxins.
Just as in easing in, ease out of your cleanse. Basic 1 week program to start off, anyone can do with some effort and a commitment.
This is a very abbreviated version but for a week, cut out all refined sugar, dairy, gluten, alcohol, coffee, tea (herbal okay), meat, eggs and fish. Taking these substances out gives your body a chance to detoxify. Study ways to eat a variety of vegetables and legumes using spices with detox aiding properties:
turmeric
ground ginger
dried parsley
dried rosemary
cayenne pepper
fenugreek
fennel seed
Then ease into moderate macrobiotic based and inspired diet. I love Michio Kushi’s macrobiotic philosophy but unless we have a chronic or acute illness we are treating, I cannot be enslaved to its dogmas. I use it as a general guideline but not a bible. We are omnivores after all unless you opted to be a vegan or vegetarian(And there are a lot of good reasons to go that way too!). If you are an omnivore, after the week to 10 days, you can go back to moderate eating of meat and fish and such rich foods as butter and cream – did you say, ice cream? (there are ice cream substitutes such as almond ice cream and coconut milk ice cream – both great alternatives!) ah, all those sinful? but foods that you have somehow associated with pleasure, unless you are really compelled to, need not cut them out entirely if those things give you a smile or flashback of heart warming scenes from the past – if you want to cut them out entirely, then, that’s your choice and good for you. But if not, need not feel guilty or ashamed or somehow weak willed – it’s okay – don’t beat yourself up for that choice – it’s all good. You can be eating all organic but if you are ridden with fear (is this going to make me fat? is this right? is this really organic? wish I could eat that REAL chocolate instead of this carob- a poor substitute, etc.) then eating non-organic junk food with gratitude and smile on your face relishing each bite, is SO much better for you. That’s why you hear about these whisky drinking smoker living a good life past 100 or something – They were not only given good genes but also knew a way to LIVE without fear. Believe in your inner wisdom. If it gives you a little lift psychologically, nothing wrong with occasional small portion “sinful” foods. Most important to pay attention to the quality and the freshness, and eating them mindfully with gratitude for the life sacrificed to give you life and sustenance. Each serving, portion controlled.
During the cleanse, you’re giving your liver a chance to rest. The same goes for your digestion – you are allowing that process to rest. Energy used for digesting is freed up and harnessed as a healing agent of change.
So during that week, what do you eat? Delicious veggie, prepared with some thoughts – like baby bamboo shoots, sprouts, all colors of peppers, squash, leafy veggies. Nuts of all variety & seeds, avocados, hummus, raw coconut oil and cultured veggies. Add wonderful fermented foods that are sweet and savory. Miso soup with variety of sea and land veggies is lovely replacement for coffee in the morning. Or Amazake oatmeal. Love fermented foods – Savory or Sweet as in Sweet Sake(a bit like rice pudding but delish fermented sweetness, savory as in Miso, natto(fermented soy beans in brown rice sushi roll with cucumbers – lovely) and pickles of various radish, carrots, eggplants, cucumbers, etc – very flavorful with plenty of UMAMI).
There are also many non-gluten grains such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, etc. that are delicious and nutritious! You can still use salt if it’s raw – So many tasty alternative to supermarket salt abound. Most all of your food should be organic (okay, not have to be hypersensitive about this – wash off with Vieggie Wash that removes wax and chemicals, as an alternative. You are trying to cleanse, so find foods that are nutrient/mineral rich not contaminated with pesticides and chemicals. Let common sense dictate and not $ signs but goal of optimal health rule your selection. Sure organic is more expensive but so are pills and hospital stays.
Day 1 & 2 (ease-in phase) Add in one or two green smoothies/juices with your food. Minimal fruits in the green smmothies if any. You can have cooked veggies & gluten-free grains today.
Day 3 All raw food day. Drink green smoothies & juices all day and for dinner have whole grains salad.
Day 4 & 5 All raw juice & smoothie day. Have only green smoothies & juices and make sure you are drinking a lot of water.
Day 6 (ease-out ) Same as day 3
Day 7 (ease-out ) Same as day 1 & 2.
This is a basic cleanse. It is do-able while maintaining work schedule. However for a more serious cleanse, you should choose a time period you can rest a lot. You also must be relaxed so reducing your stress levels is important. If you don’t relax your body will have trouble ridding the toxins.
To ensure success: I recommend, of course yoga, such as Restorative, Hatha or even Gentle Vinyasa. If very well rested, hot yoga or Saunas help detox as you sweat. Japanese style OFURO/hot tubs soaks are lovely too. You lose good and the bad when you perspire so be sure to drink plenty of coconut water.
Recipes to follow:)
Did you know that honey, aside from being a great natural sweetener is wonderful to use as an ointment to heal cuts and burns?
