When I first decided to eat healthier, I also decided that a full cleanse is how I wanted to start. I didn’t want impurities slowing me down. I wanted to cleanse my body so that it could be a vessel for health food options, forsaking all things that were deemed bad for ingestion. I decided I would complete a full body detox cleanse. Now I hear some of you now, “What is a detox? And why would you deprive yourself of food?”
A detox is a way to get rid of toxins and chemicals found inside of your body. You ingest these types of things everyday though liquids, processed foods and even breathing the air outside. When left inside of your body, these toxins and chemicals can have negative effects on your liver, kidneys and lymph system.
The best way to get rid of toxins is to eat raw foods and drink plenty of water. My first detox was a water cleanse. For four days straight, I only drank water. No, I didn’t have a piece of gum, I didn’t have a peppermint, I didn’t even drink herbal tea. I had water only. Although my intentions were to simply clean out my system, I ended up losing 9 pounds. I focused on spiritual development during those four days, asking God to help me reach my goal and give me guidance and strength to execute it. My cleanse was a success.
Since that first cleanse, I have performed a couple of more. The latest one I did focused on detoxifying through raw foods. During this cleanse (which lasted a full week), I was only allowed to eat raw fruits and vegetables initially, and by day 5, I could incorporate nuts and beans into my diet. It was challenging to say the least, but I figured if I could do drink water for four days, I can eat raw foods for a week (and it probably helped that I am a vegetarian). I also had an incredible amount of energy so you would think I would be weak from not eating… not even!
If you decide you want to cleanse your body, here are some things you need to remember:
- Thoroughly research diverse detox plans and pick the one that would be best for you. Some are liquid based, others incorporate foods. The choice is up to you.
- Mentally prepare yourself for what you’re about to do. It is not an easy task. It takes much prayer and meditation plus a strong will to go about a detox the correct way. In no way shape or form should you have the mind frame to “cheat” a little. It defeats the whole purpose of the detox in the first place.
- Purchase all necessary materials before you start. The last thing you want to do is walk into a grocery store while on your detox and be overwhelmed by all the food selections. It’s not fair to you, so don’t put yourself in a compromising position.
- Have a support system. That could consist of one person or thirty people; your pet, your journal, God, something! Go in knowing that you are going to complete the cleanse and you are going to do it right. Know that if no one is supporting you, I am 🙂
- Ween yourself into the detox and ween yourself out. I am the type of person to pretty much go all the way in – head first. That approach does not work for everyone. If this is your first time cleansing, stop eating carbs/sugars first, then meat, then veggies, etc. until you have reached the point where you want to fully start your detox.
- Change your way of eating. It is purposeless to take on a detox if you are going to go back to eating Big Macs and fries. Change your way of eating so that your body isn’t cleaned in vain. Trust me, your body will thank you!
Being an addict of all things sugary, processed and fried, I was a little apprehensive about doing a detox. You point out some very important ‘things to know’. To me, the most critical was the mental preparation. I had never attempted a detox, so I was worried about any ‘relapsing’ or simply, not being able to go through with the process. I had to accept the challenge mentally before I could attempt the detox physically. For 7 days, I did a raw fruit/veggie and water detox. I had a big race coming up so I wanted to get rid of anything that could be seen as a setback. Snacking though out the day, I was able to maintain my level of energy and workout like I normally would. Thoughts of Taco Bell and Haribo gummy bears did frequent my daydreams, but I was not about to give up. I stayed the course and in the end, I felt great and lost a few pounds along the way.
After all was said and done, I realized a few things: 1) I could, in fact, survive life without gummy bears and Dr. Pepper 2) I could do anything as long as I put in the effort and 3) Vegetables aren’t that bad after all.
Anyone who is even remotely considering a detox would find all of this information extremely helpful. I’ll tweet it!!!
Great read!
This definitely helped me. I’ve been going back and forth on detoxing. I’ve seen so many ppl do it ( the unhealthy way) and regret it. I’ve been wanting to try it but didn’t know where to start. This read definitely encouraged me to research it further.
MCS – Thanks for your additions! What you said is truly insightful and encouraging.
Sally and Jameka – I am hoping that this will prompt some thought and action in the detox direction. It is not as bad as people make it seem! Researching it definitely helped me understand both sides of the story before diving in. I really enjoyed my experience and will do it all again and again.. and again..