Happy 2020! I hope you had a peaceful and restorative holiday. And if you didn’t – that’s OK; we’re here to help you rebound, recover and gently press reset. Whether you want to dial back in your nutrition, lose the 5-7 pounds most Americans gain over the holidays, or want to FEEL your best this decade (me! me!), it’s a great time to implement a cleanse. And while I’ve I’ve done many cleanses over the years, there’s one I’ve returned to time and again: the Metagenics 10 Day Metabolic Detoxification. Why?
- It’s a true detox; it cleanses heavy metals (I know of no other cleanse that does this), engages all three phases of liver detox, and clears the body of unwanted chemicals.
- You also get to eat real food throughout! (Tongue in cheek but two things a cleanse should never be is an exercise in starvation or an abundance of diarrhea).
- Also, it works: I’ve had patients regain energy, improve digestion, eliminate headaches, cut sugar cravings, improve sleep, identify food sensitivities, reset their palate and portion control, redefine their relationship with food and identify the psychology behind their eating habits. For me personally, my mood always gets a lift, my digestion improves and I invariably feel light and energized.
- I also see what else is out there in the world of cleanses: starvation diets, lots of chemicals/preservatives/additives and little research behind it. This is something different: a true medical food (which also means your HSA/FSA may cover it)!
Signs You Need to Cleanse
How to Make your Cleanse a Success
These tips are distilled from over a decade of cleansing, & 20+ times of doing this particular cleanse.
1.) Identify Your Goals. Are you looking for a major diet re-haul? Undoing years of bad habits? Be realistic that change takes time and you didn’t get to your current state overnight. Get clear on your goals and what you are trying to establish. Examples include:
- Simply feeling better : mentally and physically
- Identifying food sensitivities
- Cutting the sugar/alcohol/caffeine cycle
- Resetting your palate (steering away from salty or overly sweet foods)
2.) Prep, prep, prep. The number one reason people “cheat” on a cleanse is because they get hungry and haven’t prepped adequately. Also understand this: because this is a true detox, you will not feel amazing if you eat something not on these guidelines. Trust me, it’s not worth it. If you’re hungry and don’t have any choices available to you, you are much less likely to make an appropriate choice. Go grocery shopping before you start, batch cook your meals and pre-package your snacks. We have SO many recipes, shopping lists and support here.
3.) Taper. If you are giving up caffeine (and if you never have, you should) and you usually drink 2 cups of coffee a day, start to cut that back slowly. Start with 1.5 cups, then 1, then .5 a cup, then none. TRUST ME ON THIS. You don’t want a blinding headache on day 2-3 of a cleanse that renders you dysfunctional and irritable. You can replace coffee with green tea, then decaf or herbal teas. If you’re totally dying, go with organic (conventional = 32 chemicals per cup) black coffee (just a little!) and know that if you can have withdrawal from a substance, it is addictive in nature. This is why it’s good to periodically cut out caffeine, sugar and alcohol (or whatever else you have an addictive relationship around). Often, people are more hooked on the sugar and other garbage in their coffee than the caffeine itself. Removing these will allow your body’s natural circadian rhythms to take over – this means BETTER SLEEP and MORE ENERGY.
4) Keep on trucking. If you “cheat” or eat something off-cleanse, GET OVER IT. No one is perfect and people often eat the “wrong” things by mistake. This does not mean your cleanse is over and does not give you free reign to give up on the whole day. Make your next choice better.
5.) Take note. This can be a really powerful time to learn about your relationship with food. What did you learn about food in your youth? Was it a reward? There is powerful psychology at play here, and it often needs unraveling. Journaling can be a helpful exercise, as can noting if certain foods make you feel sluggish, energized or bloated. This is your body communicating with you. There is no such thing as “normal” indigestion or bloating, despite what the antacid commercials may tell you. It may be common, but is definitely not normal. Our body lets us know what it likes, we just have to listen.
6) Add foods back slowly. Here’s what not to do: Don’t “reward” yourself for your cleanse with a big meal or treat. The very first time I did this cleanse I ate ice cream the second I was off it. BIG MISTAKE. I was so ill, and ruined an opportunity to see what I was sensitive to by bombarding my system with sugar, dairy and who knows what else. This is especially important if you are looking to identify food sensitivities. Add one single food back (not something with soy, wheat AND eggs in it) and wait. Signs of a sensitivity can include a rash, headache, fatigue and certainly bloating or GI upset. The most common sensitivities include dairy, wheat, corn and eggs, in that order. (If you suspect multiple sensitivities- talk to me and we’ll figure it out).
7.) Adjust your sails. If you learn that dairy does you wrong (as I did above), avoid it. In the case of dairy, you can take enzymes, but if it’s a gluten sensitivity (which if you have an autoimmune condition like eczema, Crohn’s or Hashimoto’s – thats you, boo!) you really cannot cheat. Being mostly gluten free is like being mostly pregnant; you are or you aren’t. Gluten exposure affects your inflammatory response FOR SIX MONTHS, so if you are trying to heal, cut it out entirely. I promise, it’s not that hard and you will not miss it.
8.) Love your body. Use your newfound self-knowledge and ask yourself, “What’s the most loving choice I can make for myself?” It’s often not the Doritos or margarita. Cleanses can be a great way to kickstart a lifestyle change and are often the start of upward spirals. Once you reign in your nutrition, adding in exercise and even some self – development can seem that much more doable. Positive, loving choices beget more positive, loving choices. Remember, in the words of the great Jim Rohn, ” Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
Let’s Do It!
A final tip is to cleanse with an accountability buddy – or lots of them!
We’ll be doing a group cleanse 1/27-2/5. What you’ll get:
- 10% OFF 10 Day Metagenics Metabolic Detoxification Kit (includes medical food powder, shaker cup, cleanse capsules, instructions, diary).
- A dedicated Facebook page for our group
- Tons of support from me and other cleansers
- Online support with shopping lists, menu plans and recipes
Contact me to order (Must do so by 1/15/20)
