I've never really known how I felt about detox programs-- on the one hand, our bodies can clean themselves and 'detox' implies that we are DIRTY and wrong and this can be damaging to those with past/current ED's or poor body image.... On the other hand, our livers do a great job but sometimes, it gets overwhelmed! Think about it! The amount of preservatives, processed foods, pesticides and chemicals in our daily life is astronomical. The idea with this detox is, 21 days of "clean" to help "restore the body's natural ability to heal itself"
What are some of the benefits I've seen?
Keep in mind, I'm already vegan and eat pretty healthy-- and yet I STILL had a lot to learn and had many benefits!!
more energy
weird cause less food than i'm used to.... but I think its because of the no sugar and no processed foods
weight loss
I lost 10Â pounds
some of it is water weight (if you don't drink enough water, your body holds on to what you have (aka water weight) and so when you start drinking more water for a period of time, your body is like "oh.,, i don't need to hold onto it anymore because I'm getting lots everyday!"
and some of it is definitely fat
my Body fat percentage went down
When you hold toxins, it can be coated with mucus or held in your fat, and your body might not want to let go of that fat because it doesn't want to put that toxin back into your blood-- so if you have an environment in your body that will l help move that toxin out of there, you are able to lose fat more easily.
better skin
in the beginning it was a little bad (sweating out toxins, hormones from my cycle giving me acne -_- ) but it definitely cleared up towards the end (skin is the last place to see the nutrients.)
better digestion
I was much more regular, and had great, easy poops (had to be said)
true hunger
I thought I knew when I was hungry before-- now I truly know. It's amazing how much we just eat because we are bored-- even if we truly think that it is hunger, give it a little bit and see how you feel! I used to worry about eating too much-- now I have to make sure i'm eating enough (but with healthy fats, and an array of nutrients (Micro and macro) you should be fine) !!!
When I was hanging out with friends who were snacking, it was hard not to snack along with them even if I was full! Â I think that shows how much we depend on food for entertainment (which isn't a bad thing necessarily, but it should be something we a conscious of)
The main components of the cleanse are:
Meals
2 liquid meals, 1 solid
(Breakfast= smoothie/green juice, Lunch: solid, Dinner: blended soup!!) this helps with digestion, by blending the foods, giving your digestive system a little bit of a break
12 hours between first and last meal (give body time to detox overnight)
Snacks:
if you feel TRUE hunger, snack on veggies and fruits!
Foods
Avoid:
caffeine, processed foods, dairy/eggs, sugar etc. see here
Add in..
Water:
LOTS. Aim to pee every hour (you are detoxing, you need to get rid of the toxins instead of stewing in them)
garlic/Â oil of oregano/Â probiotic
( I took this everyday, sliced up garlic (swallowed like a pill) oil of oregano (pill form) and a probiotic!)
lots of fiberÂ
move that sh** along! literally! If you aren't pooping and peeing regularly you are just "retoxing" the toxins get sucked back up into the body
parsley/cilantro/chia seeds/spirulina
(help with the detox process, explained in Hungry For Change! (see below))
lemon water
(lemon and lime, are very alkaline in the body, which is what you are aiming for during this cleanse)
meditate
(not a food but still, mind and body)
educate yourself these three weeks! go out and buy some books or borrow from a library, watch some documentaries, etc.
Hungry for Change (doc on netflx, as well as a book), obv. Clean (the book), Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Fed Up, Sugar Coated, Food Matters, Food Inc,  Forks over Knives, (all on netflix)
if you want, you can buy the Clean Program kit (but its really expensive, and I do it without!)
learn from my mistakes and successes!!
Do the elimination diet if you eat many of the "avoid" foods in your regular diet!
I highly recommend meal planning and a grocery list.
----> I made a little binder with three weeks worth of sheets (three sheets) with grocery lists and meal plan! I also printed the pdf from above and added that to the binder!)
recognize that beans and brown rice/quinoa are your FRIEND (lunch)  they're cheap (mostly) and easy.
plan fun creative meals maybe twice a week- I started off thinking i would make something gourmet every day-- I had little to no time and it drained me!
the leftovers will feed you!!!! when you do do fun meals, I recommend making them on Sunday (or another free day) and then storing in your fridge- huge time saver.
if you feel hungry- check yourself. are you bored? are you thirsty? I found that I would feel hungry but then if I got busy doing something, 2 hours would pass by and I completely forgot about the hunger! If it is true hunger- time has passed by, water isn't filling you up, you got busy and STILL hungry, headache, etc. by all means, EAT! Eat some veggies with hummus, apple slices with almond butter, a handful of  cashews, .. etc.
CANT vs WONT-- Its not that you can't have it, its that you CAN but you are choosing not to.
keep in mind that this is only temporary! when you exit the cleanse, you should continue to eat a healthy lifestyle, but do not need to to this extreme!
Buy a protein powder that follows the guidelines ( i use plant fusion, unsweetened) Especially if you do the vegan version. Just to make sure you are getting everything you need!
SUPPORT SYSTEM:Â
Find someone to do it with! Having another person doing it with you can give you the support you need! Or even just having someone who will check up on you and keep you accountable!
WORKING OUT: If you choose to workout during the cleanse ( I did!)
MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING WATER
DOUBLE UP ON A LIQUID MEAL
----->(two bowls of soup instead of one, a very large smoothie instead of one glass, Post workout snack full of good fats and protein (apple slices with almond butter, veggies and hummus)
GO EASY
listen to your body, don't push yourself too hard, pace yourself.
I absolutely loved this experience, and i hope to be able to do this again next year! Not gonna lie tho, I can't wait to have some vegan ice cream <3333333
If you are interested in doing this cleanse, feel free to comment or contact me and I'd love to help support you or give you more information!!!
