As of late... I’ve had a myriad of questions that have addressed the topic of Cleansing. I know if you are walking around with a respectable pulse you’ve heard of one or all of the following. The master cleanse, the juice cleanse, the 7 day detox, the 14 day cleanse, Apple Cider vinegar and lemmon water diet, fruit juice cleanse, and a slew of others that have crept their way into the fitness magazines, infomercials, or your local yoga studio (so sad). Well before you reach for that liquid diet or 1/5 serving of calories to maintain your current muscle mass…let’s talk.
This one is going to be short because it pretty cut and dry. Cleansing crash regiments…. you don’t need it.
The end.
Ohh…you’d like me to justify my point? OK, here it goes.
Your body is built to cleanse. That’s what is does naturally…it’s not something you can jumpstart, cheat and skirt around in a 14 day plan. What goes in must eventually come out, and so goes the vicious cycle. Altering what you eat is a great idea….but focus on whole foods consisting of dark leafy greens, colorful veggies some fruit, some nuts and organic proteins raised in sensible/ friendly manner.( your cow or chicken should be able to roam in the field, feed on clean grass and lay down in something other than his own feces) And make this choice for life, not a two week period that satisfies your short term goal of fitting into those Jordash tapered white wash jeans …GOD that’s a hot visual.
Instead shoot for an eating regime that puts you in a place to high kick without sticking…yes, this is a real add.
Did I just date myself? Yes, yes I did. But…I digress….
Whole food, healthy portions, and lots of water will do a great job of fueling your body and trust me baby…you were born this way…you will rebalance and cleanse very well. Your body will rebalance itself/ unless you have a major digestive issue: IBS, Crones, Leaky gut, food allergies or lower G.I. issues. If this is the case seek out a naturopathic doctor to evaluate your issues and set you up with a program for rebalancing.
We probably all have toxins accumulated in our system. And what is the best way to deal with them? I believe undertaking several long-term measures are a better approach than drastic short-term steps (although perhaps a minority of those trying a drastic diet may notice some benefits such as mental clarity or a sense of wellbeing, others may get worse). Probably because you stopped eating the shit you normally do and not because of strict regimen of lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cayenne, etc, etc. The body does not like going off balance too much and for too long. Our body tries to maintain homeostasis, a balanced state where everything is functioning properly. Fasting, or these drastic detox regimens alter this homeostasis, often in a harmful way. Liver glycogen stores are depleted, alterations occur in the mineral and electrolyte balance in the blood, muscle and bone tissue start breaking down (reduced metabolic rate), changes occur in the acid base balance, alterations occur in the fatty acid composition of cells, and immune function may be impaired.
Let me explain it in another way. If we try to live with honesty, treat yourself and others with respect, and not lie or steal…. a cleanse: is in direct violation of these principles. You are stealing and robbing your body of the nutrients it deserves. You are lying to yourself because you will never be able to maintain this standard you are setting for yourself for an extended period of time. You are tricking your body (master cleanse/simple sugars) into an altered state of stress and manipulating your body’s natural talents to survive and burn fat, in a quest for vanity. And trust me when your body finds out…i.e. after the fast is over.... it will NOT BE HAPPY. Just substitute “cleanse” for “masturbate” in the following picture and you get the idea…woooooww.
The weight / clarity/ clean feeling will not last and you will end up in a deeper hole than when you started. With fitness and nutrition there are no short cuts as with life. Trust me the easy button just doesn’t feel that good unless you climb up a mountain to push it.
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Disclaimer *Again I am not a medical doctor, and while I have played one onstage, this article is an summary of many studies, and opinions through out the nutritional and medical community. Take everything with a grain of *sea salt, and find your own truth. Find what speaks to you. shanti!
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