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I did my first cleanse about a year and half ago.  It wasn’t presented as a cleanse, but as a way of eating to help my body heal from all of the stress and anxiety I had been

Melissa w/ Thrive Whole Living

experiencing.  For me, it was an eye opening experience.  In just threee short weeks many of my symptoms had dramatically improved or disappeared and I felt amazing! 

A year and half later I’m ready for a refresher.  Personally, I prefer a cleanse that focuses on putting healthy, whole foods into my body.  I’m not a fan of mixing up concoctions or taking powdered drinks.  It makes me nervous when I don’t know what’s in something or how it’s going to effect my body.   This time around I’m planning to ry the 7 Day Whoel Foods Cleanse with Melissa at Thrive Whole Living.  I’ve received a lot of questions from others about why I’m doing it and the safety of cleansing.  Below is a guest post from Melissa explaining the concept. 

What is a cleanse or detox?

A detox, by definition, is the process of clearing, neutralizing, or transferring toxins from the body. Our bodies get sludgy and inefficient with all of the junk we throw back over the days, weeks, months and years of our lives.

A toxin is any substance that causes harmful effects in the body leading to intolerances, allergies, and general illness. They can be found in water, food, air and from our natural bodily processes.

The standard American diet is overloaded with sugar and salt, is highly processed, artificial and devoid of nutrients. Our air and water sources are constantly becoming more polluted. Our bodies were not designed to clear this amount of toxic waste on their own. These toxins can show up as bad breath, body odor, fatigue or skin eruptions. If we never give it a rest and let things balance out, little symptoms could lead to serious trouble. The idea is that by giving our body a break from toxic bombardment, it will go through a detoxification process to clear irritants from our system.  This process happens naturally, we just have to set the stage…

 WHY cleanse? 

Eating the Standard American Diet of fast food, convenience and snack foods can over time make our body under function. Each bodily system needs the appropriate amount of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytochemicals to carry out its assigned job well. Whether it is digestion, clearing mucous from the nasal passages and lungs, carrying a virus out of the body, or just maintaining the right brain chemistry to produce positive thoughts, all of these functions need the right support.

Holistic nutrition is designed around the notion that the body can heal itself if we give it half the chance. Bombarding it with gummy bears and beer is hardly the chance it needs. Most foods sold today are cram- packed with artificial colors, flavors, salt, sugar, modified fats (trans fats), and even genetically modified foods. Then they are ‘enriched’ with the vitamins we need to survive. I like to call these Franken foods.

 The thing is, this diet of ours… the Standard American Diet if you will, is not feeding us what we need to feel our best. We are over-stuffed with calories and junk and under-nourished of the vital ingredients that make us thrive.

SO why cleanse? 

To give your body a break from having to clear out these frankfoods or junk from your system everyday. Your body’s elimination system is probably running overtime. And if it is… you’ll know it.  You’ll experience:

• bad digestion
• gas, bloating
• diarrhea several times a week
• acne
• rashes
• psoriasis
• sinus congestion
• frequent colds
• allergies
• kidney infections, etc.  

What’s in it for you?

Key Health Benefits of Detoxification:

• Feel young, look great
• Increased vitality, energy, and stamina
• Reduction of allergic symptoms
• Improvement of digestive functions
• Better concentration, clarity and mental focus
• Enhanced mental performance
• A sense of calm and ease
• Increased resistance to illness
• Reduction in risk for many chronic diseases
• Reduced symptoms of chronic toxicity
• Weight loss

So what to do? 

• Do your research
• get support
• make a plan 
• get prepared

Choose a cleanse that feels right to you and learn all you can about it. Think seasonally and get intuitive about what your body needs.

Getting support while cleansing is VERY important. Changing your food habits can be one of the hardest things you do. It is easier to give up when it only affects yourself. Doing a cleanse with a friend, partner, family member or group will hold you more accountable and help you make it through. Enlist professional help like a health coach or expert in the type of cleanse you choose to do

After going through this process you will feel lighter, more clear and present. Imagine a shiny, happier you! If this sounds great then pick and plan to do your cleanse soon. It’s definitely worth the effort!