Cleansing for beginners

If you are thinking, “Do I even need a cleanse? Doesn’t the body do that automatically?'“ then this post is for you. First of all, you are correct. The body was MADE to naturally cleanse and detoxify all day, every day. That is the beauty of it. Without ever having to think about it, we enjoy the benefits of cleansing through breath, sweat and excretions 24 hours a day. The body is amazing, when you stop to think about it. So why do people bother with detox programs and cleanses?

The answer lies in the vast amount of toxicity that modern humans are forced to deal with. If you have ever seen the I Love Lucy episode with the chocolate factory, your liver is working much like Lucy that day. As the chocolates come in slowly, Lucy is able to box them and keep up with her job. As they start to come in faster and faster, though, she is overwhelmed, and starts storing them anywhere she can just to keep up. In the same way, your liver is processing toxins as they come in. When they come in fast and furious, the liver gets overburdened, stores toxins in the fat cells (where they are safe from causing you harm) and is unable to complete efficiently the job it knows how to do. That’s where cleanses come in. They slow down the conveyor belt, and let the liver catch up on its work.

I know the words cleanse and detox send some people right for the hills, even if they have never tried one. They sound like a definitely miserable experience. After having been through countless versions of cleanses over the years, I am here to tell you they are worth every second. We are so busy that we don’t realize how much toxicity our poor bodies have to deal with until we start removing some of those roadblocks. We are walking around with smiles and getting to work and doing everything we have to do, but our bodies are trying to handle: 1) stress from physical toxins in food, water, medicine, air, beauty supplies, and household cleaning items, 2) emotional stress from relationships, 3) mental stress from financial worries, 4) physical stress from injuries, being overweight, chronic illnesses and inflammation. What a burden to bear! And without our conscious effort, it’s quite possible that your Lucy never gets a break.

That is usually when we start to see symptoms - you know, those things we often ignore so we can keep going to work and burning the midnight oil? Our bodies speak to us through symptoms, cravings and emotions, and the louder they get, the more urgent it is for us to pay attention. If you are feeling lethargic, experiencing brain fog, weight gain, skin conditions, headaches, bloating and other digestive discomforts, it may be time to step in and pull out some of the obstacles impeding your body from naturally cleansing.

If you are new to this concept, it is best to start slowly, by adding in one thing at a time. My first suggestion is to examine your water intake - both quality (see my audio class on water) and quantity. Then, look at adding in water first thing in the morning - before coffee or tea. We wake up dehydrated, as our bodies use up a good deal of water overnight to cleanse (hence using the bathroom when we wake up). It is important to rehydrate the liver and brain to be able to function efficiently for the day. Coffee and tea dehydrate, so when we start with one of those, it is nearly impossible to catch up throughout the day.

For some, that step alone may take a bit of time. If you are already there, then add the juice of one lemon to your 16 ounce glass of early morning water, and support the liver in its effort to move toxins through and out of you. If you are ready for more, try my Wellness Jumpstart (for true beginners) or the 7-Day Real Food Reset (for those ready to start making more substantial changes). Both programs are doable for anyone at any time, and do not involve major effort, hours in the kitchen, or painful deprivation. The focus is always on what is working, what feels good, and what we want to see more of in our lives. Diets are unhelpful inventions that do not serve us in the long run; a few days of cleansing here and there could make a world of difference in our overall health, happiness and wellbeing.

Note: Both programs are free for FYL.com All-Access Members