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
