Cleansing Our Lives - Part 2

So, are you ready to do something really great for your body? Are you ready to give your liver a healthy break, give your immune system and digestive health a boost, AND rev up your metabolism for fat burning and weight loss? For the benefit of some male readers who periodically stop by this blog :) I will compare a cleanse to getting your car tuned up. We know our cars run better and are free from mechanical breakdowns longer - when we give them regular maintenance and tune-ups. If you never change the oil filter, eventually it will be so clogged with filth that it will compromise the engine. Our bodies are no different. So, think of a cleanse as a regular tune-up!

I would like to encourage you to consider a healthy 5 - 10 day cleanse every 3-4 months. See for yourself if your overall health and vitality are increased, your mental alertness and sense of well being is enhanced, and some extra weight(particularly around the middle) is lost. I am confident that when you experience the "lightness" that happens during and after a cleanse - you will look forward to it each time. And you will strive to maintain the results!

Last week I completed my own 10-day cleanse. In the past, I have done 5-day cleanses. But because I had malaria last winter, which can affect liver function, I wanted to do a longer cleanse. I used whole foods and support products from Advocare, a quality provider of weight loss, fitness, and wellness products.

I was skeptical about being on a cleanse for ten days - and wondered if my busy schedule would be compromised by the use of detox products for that long. However, I found the 10-day cleanse to be superior to the 5-day cleanse. And something I actually enjoyed!

GETTING STARTED

You'll first need to decide how many days you will cleanse. A cleanse less than 5 days is probably not long enough for maximum benefits. A cleanse longer than 2 weeks is not recommended. As a former nurse and continuing health and wellness advisor and coach - I recommend 5 to 10 days. A good cleanse can be accomplished through the use of whole foods and water only. However, if you can financially afford to do so, I highly recommend the Advocare 10-day cleanse program. Yes, I am an Advocare distributor :) However, I only became one AFTER I researched their products for nutrtional balance and safety and completed the 10-day cleanse myself. I feel I can endorse them. And the products were inclusive and made the process easier. If you do choose to accomplish the cleanse with foods alone, here are some tips!

Cleanse Tips

1. Morning is your body's natural cleansing time. Start every morning of the cleanse hydrated. Two glasses of filtered water with 1/2 lemon squeezed into them stimulates the digestive and intestinal tract, cleanses the liver after your overnight fast, energizes you and alkalinizes the body. Your body is healthier in a more alkaline state, rather than an acidic state which causes inflammation.

Hydration is highly important through the full ten days of cleansing. Your body will begin to release fluids and toxins by Day 2. It is crucial that you replace these fluids, or you could feel some common symptoms of impending dehydration - such as slight headache, low energy, muscle cramps (specifically in the calves). A minimum of 8 glasses of water each day is good.

Do not drink coffee, alcohol, juices, soda pop, and other sweetened drinks during the cleanse. Advocare uses a sugar free vitamin/mineral/amino acid energy drink in the morning, which is wonderful. Otherwise, lemon water and unsweetened herbal tea is what you would drink on a cleanse.

2. Use a good probiotic supplement each day of the cleanse (this is included in the Advocare cleanse). And I highly recommend taking a probiotic every day, after the cleanse, as well. A probiotic puts "friendly" bacteria into the intestinal tract. These beneficial bacteria encourage proper digestion and strengthen the immune system.

3. Eat 4-5 small meals per day of whole foods only. This means no sugar (except fresh fruit), white flour, refined and processed foods, fast foods, red meat, or bad fats/fried foods. Focus on eating ten servings a day of fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. Only eat starch foods (bread, rice, cereal, pasta) in their whole grain form. In other words, whole grain bread, whole grain brown rice, oatmeal/steel cut oats, wheat and oat bran. Eat only good fats (avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts) and avoid butter, margarine, mayo, and salad dressings (except olive oil/vinegar). Focus on lean proteins (turkey, chicken, fish, tofu, lentils/beans, whey protein shakes, nonfat Greek plain yogurt).

4. You should have protein, vegetables and carbs (fresh fruit and/or whole grains) at each meal. Each meal should have a minimum of 15 grams of protein and no more than 30 grams of carbs. Protein consumption is extremely important in a cleanse to help with the preservation of lean muscle mass. Advocare uses a high protein/high fiber meal replacement shake for one of your small meals. It is a balanced, low calorie meal that you can add fruit to for a yummy shake!

5. You should take a high fiber supplement for 6 of the 10 days during the cleanse. There are many options for this that can be purchased at a pharmacy. Most are meant to mix with water or unsweetened juice. Best time for taking these high fiber supplements is morning. Advocare's cleanse includes a high fiber drink and herbal cleansing supplement.

6. Exercise is important! Not only for the usual reasons we all know but because exercise also keeps everything moving through the intestines! A 20-30 minute daily walk is a great place to start! If you are already involved in an exercise program or regular gym workouts - continue these during the cleanse. Combining cleansing and exercise yields better results than either does on its own.

7. Cleansing is not fasting! If your energy depletes or if you feel hungry, you need to have a snack - something that will stabilize your blood sugar, while not compromising the cleanse. If this happens, grab a handful of raw nuts, an apple, pear or celery pieces. And I will now give you a piece of GOOD NEWS. There is such a thing as "nutritional supplement chocolate!" Yep! Any chocolate that is over 72% cocoa is allowed! There is minimal sugar in these dark chocolates - and pure chocolate is an antioxidant AND a health food. It also balances "feel good" hormones in the brain, puts you in a good mood, gives you a boost of energy, curbs your hunger, and makes it easier to lose weight! Granted, two small squares is your portion size - but it does make a healthy snack! This health benefit is only true for dark chocolate, and not milk chocolate, which contains loads of sugar - sorry :)

These tips will help you get started! If you would like to explore the option of doing the Advocare 10-day cleanse - please click on the title of this post, and it will take you to my webpage where you will see the cleanse products bundled for easy purchase. If you purchase that cleanse, I will coach you through all ten days! If you are planning to do a cleanse on your own, feel free to email me with any questions, and I'll help you through it.

Whatever your choice - remember that your body is a wondrous gift from your Creator -who desires that the vessel be operating at its healthiest capacity so you can fulfill the plans and purposes He has for you! YOU are wonderfully and fearfully made!

Next time, I will talk to you about the post-cleanse period, maintaining your results, and will share a few post-cleanse testimonies to encourage you in your efforts.

Be healthy and blessed!
Cheryl

Cleansing Our Lives - Part I

I apologize for the little delay in posting to this blog. Okay, yes, 8 months is a long delay. So, maybe we'll call it a sabbatical. This seems like a good, educational word that justifies a...8 month delay.

Since November, I've been to Africa, caught a mild case of malaria there, became a Zumba instructor, slid into the next decade of my life, remodeled and otherwise decluttered and simplified my home, put a "For Sale" sign in the yard, picked out a future home in another state, and celebrated my dad's 90th birthday. What a great season of life this is!

Talking to many over-40 women, I've learned that one of the characteristics of this season in life is the urge to declutter, downsize, simplify, and become more mobile. As opposed to the nesting years, these decades after 40 hold new promises of passions reignited, new goals formulated, previous goals met, and redistribution of time, place and efforts.

In my own journey through this newest decade, I find myself searching for the peace and clarity that comes with a cleansed state of being. Cleansing of body. Cleansing of mind and heart. Cleansing of spirit. I believe, in part, this is the result of the long term effects of living in a toxic world.

Living in a modern culture means we are bombarded. We breathe air that is polluted, we drink water that contains harmful contaminants, we eat foods that are nutrient deficient and immersed in pesticides and chemicals. Studies show that there is only 19% oxygen in the air we breathe - even less in large cities where only 13% oxygen is available. This is far less than in ancient, biblical times.

All around us is toxicity. And so it is no wonder that in this season we seek to rid ourselves of what has accumulated over many years. To be honest - cleansing or detoxifying is not an isolated act, where we drink a distatesful greenish-brown potion and set up camp in the bathroom until all is well again. No, that would be more like pre-colonoscopy! Cleansing - if we believe God created us as body, soul, and spirit - means looking at the big picture of our lives and purposely seeking to rid ourselves of that which is harmful. Whether that means ridding ourselves of unhealthy body fat and toxins, old mental scripts, or spiritual strongholds - periodic cleansing is simply good for you.

In the next month, I would like to discuss whole body cleansing - starting with physical cleansing and then emotional and spiritual cleansing. All are intricately connected - because body, soul and spirit are intricately connected and cannot be compartmentalized. To cleanse the body, for example, without also working on matters of the heart and spirit - will be an incomplete process. But for the purpose of these posts, we will handle them separately.

PHYSICAL CLEANSING

The good news is that our bodies were created with a natural detoxification system - called the liver. The liver does most of the work - but can only handle so much before it starts to break down. If we continue to overload our bodies with toxins and unhealthy foods - eventually the liver will be overworked and unable to function effectively.

In addition, most alternative medical practitioners believe that the center of physical health is in the intestinal tract. When the intestinal tract is healthy - the body maintains health. When it is clogged with toxic wastes, health is compromised.

So, the liver and the digestive tract work in unison to flush out the ill effects of unhealthy foods, chemicals, and byproducts of a toxic world and modern lifestyle.

After many years, this toxic build up can cause a variety of diseases and ailments such as headaches, fatigue, allergies, anxiety, immune weakness, depression, circulation problems, insomnia, constipation, eczema, asthma, colitis, gastritis, bronchitis, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity and even certain types of cancer - just to mention a few! Obviously, there are many other reasons why we might suffer from these ailments - however, a toxic body can certainly contribute to the ocurrence of many illnesses and diseases.

THE BENEFITS OF CLEANSING

After a time of physical cleansing, most people typically feel the positive, short term effects immediately. A few of these effects include: greater energy and stamina, improved mood, a better ability to handle daily stress, increased mental clarity, a more positive outlook, and weight loss!

By ridding the body of accumulated toxins, you give your liver a break - and you improve your intestinal health and function by removing impurities and wastes. This allows the body to properly metabolize food and repair itself.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CLEANSE?

If you Google the word cleanse, you will find hundreds of websites discussing just as many variations of a physical cleanse. From extreme colonic procedures to full juice fasts and detox tea - there are many ideas about how to accomplish a cleanse.

My experience in the field of nursing, specifically in weight loss management, forces me to be skeptical of extremes. Therefore, I support a gentle cleanse that involves the consumption of frequent, small meals of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, healthy fats) along with proper hydration (filtered water with lemon juice added), nutrient supplementation (digestible fiber, probiotics, vitamins/minerals) and exercise. Unhealthy foods (refined sugar, red meat, refined flour, processed foods, bad fats), drinks (soda pop, sweetened juices) and alcohol are eliminated during the cleansing period.

I recommend completing a 5 to 10-day cleanse every 3-4 months.

I am currently on Day 8 of a 10-day cleanse. I chose to do a whole food cleanse in conjunction with Advocare supplemental products to support me during these ten days. Currently, I can tell you that I feel...FANTASTIC! My energy level is soaring, and I've lost pounds and inches as a nice little bonus.

Next week (yes, I promise it will be next week!), I will share about the completion of my 10-day cleanse and give you some testimonies by a few women who have benefited from the same cleanse I'm on. I will also give you a list of helpful hints to get you started on your own cleansing plan!

I hold up my high fiber drink (it doesn't taste bad, really!) and say, "Cheers! Here's to a healthier you!" Your liver will thank you later!

Enjoy a healthy day!
Cheryl