When we cleanse we’re giving our digestive system a break so it’s not overloaded with the work of digesting, metabolizing and excreting all the stuff that we put in there. If our digestive system has less to deal with, it frees up energy that can be used in other parts of the body. Cleansing is also a great time to reframe our ideas about food and make sure we’re really seeing it as fuel.
My intention with cleansing is to reset after I’ve had a period of time of not eating as well as usual, for example if I’ve been traveling, on holiday or out of routine.
I tried a juice fast, but it didn’t work out for me, so I’m not going to tell you how to cleanse that way.
My tips for cleansing are:
- Increase your water consumption by at least double because we can resolve a lot of cravings when we’re well hydrated.
- Eat food as close to its natural form as possible. For example, eat a potato rather than potato chips.
- Eat a potato daily when you’re trying to reset. It will satisfy all sorts of cravings. Don’t load the potato up with all kinds of junky stuff, add flavoring like salt and pepper or a little bit of ketchup.
- Eat a ton of greens and a variety of other seasonal, local vegetables.
- Eat when you’re hungry and not when you’re just bored.
There are other ways to cleanse. I know lots of people have wonderful cleansing rituals where they just drink water and nothing else. There’s a lot of studies that have shown that fasting is great for your digestion. There’s also evidence that it’s great for suppressing cancer cell promoters and boosting immunity.
What are your favorite ways to cleanse and detox? Send me your comments to lara@movementbylara.com because I love hearing from you.
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