Gypsy Girl’s
Guide Cleanse:
First of
all, I’d like
to point out that I’m not doctor, nutritionist or alike. Check with
your
personal doctor or nurse, if you find it necessary.
I’m just
a girl
interested in leading the healthiest and happiest life possible.
I put
together this cleanse based on my own online research, books and health
products available at sources that specialize on the subject of detox
and smart
cleansing.
Remember
the whole
purpose of cleansing is to nurture yourself and rejuvenate your body.
Choose
the best ingredients in your area and adjust the program to fit
resources near
you, your personality and your lifestyle.
I decided to experiment
with cleansing because I was
feeling fatigued, a bit overweight and low energy. In addition, I
noticed that
my digestive and elimination systems were overburdened, malfunctioning
and in
need of attention.
I recommend a 4-week
commitment, although the main idea
behind this is to get healthy and stay healthy. So, consider this
initial weeks
as a jump-start and a gateway to a lifelong journey and relationship to
your
body and wellbeing.
Everyone
has a
different health history, body weight, lifestyle and level of
commitment to the
process.
·
Moderate
weight loss (I’m 5 lb lighter now)
·
Healthier
and smoother skin
·
Shinier
hair
·
Regular/
Daily elimination
·
Relief
from feeling bloated
·
More
energy overall
·
Calmer
overall
·
Less
dependent on caffeine, sugars and salt.
·
More in
tune with my body and what is good for me
·
Overall
sense of expansion
·
Gained
perspective on how food affects my body, mind and spirit
·
Improved
self-love and self-care
·
I learned
that I will not die if I don’t eat solid foods for 1 week!
Main Resources:
Linda
Page’s book –
Cooking for Healthy Healing
Linda
Page’s website –
http://www.healthyhealing.com/
Whole
Foods Market - http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/wholebody/index.html
Gaia
Herbs website - http://www.gaiaherbs.com
Synergy
Kombucha - http://www.gtskombucha.com/synergy.html
ABC Aerobics -
http://www.amazon.com/Aerobic-Life-Bulk-Cleanse-powder/dp/B00014D2D2
***
I
personally felt that
it was important to ease into the liquid part of this cleanse (Week
Two), by
adjusting my body and mind to a lighter diet.
During this first week of preparation, I said “no” to:
·
Meats (no
red or white meats, no fish, no dairy: cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.)
·
Sugar
& Sweets (including “sugar filled” cereal)
·
Salt
·
Wheat
(breads, crackers and anything with flour)
·
Sodas
·
Frozen
Foods
·
Canned
Foods
·
Processed
Foods
·
Anything
with additives and preservatives
·
Hydrogenated
fats
·
Caffeine
·
Alcohol
·
You should add cigarettes
here, if you smoke
Additional
care I
introduced as of Week One:
·
No use of
microwave
·
Nasal
Wash
·
At least
15 minutes of sunshine every day
·
Resting
and avoiding stress as much as possible
·
30-45
minute walks everyday
·
Journaling
about the process – a way to stay motivated and in tune with your goals.
To go
further, say no
to the toxins in your surroundings as well:
·
Household
chemicals and cleaners
·
Compounds
leaching from certain plastics
·
Indoor
and outdoor pollution
Food
choices:
The list above sounds
harsh and you may think there is
nothing left to eat! However, it’s quite the opposite. You are free to
choose
from all kinds of veggies (steamed or raw), fruits (fresh or dried),
whole
grains (barley, quinoa, brown or wild rice, grits, oats), potatoes,
beans,
lentils and herbs.
Cooking
time:
You also
may get the
feeling that you have no time to prepare proper healthy meals. In
reality
though, it takes almost no time to prepare a raw salad.
Also,
steaming is a
fast process. The least you steam your vegetables the more you’ll be
preserving
their nutrients. Most cut vegetables only need to steam for a minute or
two.
Thicker pieces might steam for two to three minutes. Potatoes will take
15 to
30 minutes.
So you’re
saving time
by taking on this healthier meal plan! Not to mention it will by you
extra life
years down the line!
***
The
liquid fast below
is completely based on the instructions per Linda Page’s book – Cooking
for
Healthy Healing.
Tip:
Recycle 500ml
water bottles! Reuse them by filling them up in the morning with the
prescribed
juices below. One 500ml bottle of each juice/ broth will be good for 2
consecutive days.
Mix psyllium husks in a
glass of juice or water.
I used ABC aerobic bulk
cleanse (see resource list) mixed with warm water or
half a bottle of Synergy/ probiotics drink (see resource list).
“Psyllium is a
bulk-forming
laxative and is high in both fiber and mucilage (viscous or gelatinous
solution
from plant roots, seeds, etc.). The laxative properties of psyllium are
due to
the swelling of the husk when it comes in contact with water. This
forms a
gelatinous mass and keeps the feces hydrated and soft. Drink quickly
before it
thickens and follow with plenty of water. The resulting thick bulk
stimulates a
reflex contraction of the walls of the bowel, followed by emptying.
Psyllium is
the primary ingredient in many bulk-producing, nonirritant laxatives,
which are
milder and much safer treatments for constipation than stimulant
laxative herbs
such as senna and cascara sagrada.”
Breakfast
(7:15 am)
(Prep the night before!)
Soak dried figs, prunes
and raisins in water; add 1 TB.
molasses, cover, leave to soak over night.
In the
morning,
discard dried fruits from soaking water and drink a small glass of the
liquid. Drink it about 10-15 minutes after the "rising drink" in the
morning.
Mid-morning
(10:30 am)
Take a
glass of Aloe Vera
juice with herbs/juice. I actually mixed the Aloe Vera juice with one
once of
apple juice for taste.
Aloe encourages new skin cell growth throughout the body, it soothes and heals the skin externally, and it also heals the esophagus and intestine internally.
Lunch
(1 pm)
Take a small glass of
potassium juice or glass of fresh
carrot juice.
“This is
the single
most effective juice for cleansing, neutralizing acids and rebuilding
the body.
It is a blood and body tonic that provides rapid energy and system
balance. For
one 12-oz. glass: Juice in the juicer 3 Carrots, 3 Stalks Celery, 1/2
Bunch
Spinach, and 1/2 Bunch Parsley.”
Mid-afternoon
(3 pm)
Large
glass of fresh apple
juice
Late
afternoon
(5 pm)
Small
glass of fresh
carrot juice or glass of personal best v-8 juice
“This is
high
vitamin/mineral drink for normalizing body balance. A good daily blend
even
when you're not cleansing. For 6 glasses: Juice 6 to 8 Tomatoes (or 4
cups
Tomato Juice), 3 to 4 Green Onions with tops, 1/2 Green Pepper, 2
Carrots, 2
Stalks Celery with leaves, 1/2 Bunch Spinach, washed, 1/2 Bunch
Parsley, 2
Lemons, peeled, (or 4 TBS. Lemon Juice).”
Supper
(8pm)
Large
glass of apple
juice or papaya juice
Before
Bed
(10 –11pm)
Repeat the herbal
cleansers that you took on rising with a
cup of mint tea.
For more fruit and vegetable juices/ tonics, go here:
http://www.healthyhealing.com/recipes-drinkjuice.html
“If you don't
have a juicer, make potassium broth in
a soup pot. While not as concentrated or pure, it is still an excellent
source
of energy, minerals and electrolytes. For a 2 day supply: Cover with
water in a
soup pot 3 to 4 Carrots, 3 Stalks Celery, 1/2 Bunch Parsley, 2 Potatoes
with
skins, 1/2 Head Cabbage, 1 Onion, and 1/2 Bunch Broccoli. Simmer
covered 30
minutes. Strain and discard solids. Add 1 teaspoon of Miso soup base.
Store in
the fridge, covered.
“Soups,
clear
broths and hot tonics are a very satisfying form of nutrition during a
cleansing fast. They are simple, easy, inexpensive, can be taken hot or
cold,
and provide a means of "eating" and being with others at mealtime
without going off a liquid detox program. This is more important than
it might
appear, since solid food, taken after the body has released all its
solid waste,
but before the cleanse is over, will drastically reduce your diet's
success.
Broths are also alkalizing and help balance body pH. Hot tonics are
neither
broths nor teas, but unique hot combinations of vegetables, fruits and
spices
with purifying and energizing properties. The ingredients provide
noticeable
synergistic activity when taken together — with more medicinal benefits
than
the single ingredients alone. Take them morning and evening for best
results.” Cooking
for Healthy Healing
For more
Broth
recipes, go here:
http://www.healthyhealing.com/recipes-soupsalad.html
***
During my rebuilding
phase, I combined an organic simple
diet based on recipes from “Cooking for Healthy Healing” with GAIA
herbs
SUPREME CLEANSE kit.
The GAIA
kit is
self-explanatory, but here is the breakdown of what it entails:
Take 1 heaping teaspoon of GAIA Rejuve Powder (Pysillium husks) in 8-10 oz. of warm water. Shake well and drink quickly before the liquid thickens.
Breakfast
(8 am)
East a
small cup of
plain low fat yogurt and fruit (strawberry, blueberry and banana) or
drink a
Smoothie of soymilk and fruit.
Mid-morning
(10:30 am)
GAIA
herbs as
prescribed in kit (Scudder’s Alterative & Red Clover) + organic
fruit juice
(apple) or Aloe Vera juice.
Lunch
(1 pm)
GAIA
herbs as
prescribed in kit (Sweetish Bitters) + raw veggie salad. A dessert
plate of
cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, sprouts, a slice of
tomato and a
couple of slices of avocado (I love avocado!).
Mid-afternoon
(3 pm)
GAIA
herbs as
prescribed in kit (Scudder’s Alterative & Red Clover) + juice or
fruit or
veggie snack
Supper
(8pm)
GAIA
herbs as
prescribed in kit (Sweetish Bitters) + a small plate of steam veggies
with tofu
+ sm salad
Before
Bed
(10 –11pm)
Repeat the herbal
cleansers that you took on rising (GAIA
Rejuve Powder).
If you like, drink a
cup of mint or chamomile tea for
relaxation.
***
Additional
Care and
Tips:
In
addition to the
extra care mentioned on Week One:
·
No use
of microwave
·
Nasal
Wash
·
At
least 15 minutes of sunshine every day
·
Resting
and avoiding stress as much as possible
·
30-45
minute walks everyday
·
Journaling
about the process – A way to stay motivated and in tune with your
goals,
emotions, cravings, etc.
You can also maximize
the benefits of your cleanse by
introducing and maintaining the following practices during and after
the
cleanse:
·
Drink
water and more water. Add lemon or herbal tea to keep it fun:
dandelion,
licorice, peppermint, chamomile will support your cleanse.
·
Eat light
meals and small portions. Incorporate cleansing foods in your diet:
beets,
artichokes, lemons, onions, garlic, apples, avocados, spinach, berries,
carrots, cabbage, celery, etc.
·
Think
fiber – We don’t consume enough fiber to get the elimination job done
well.
·
Take on
walks, yoga, stretching and breathing deeply.
·
Rest. Lie
down when you have to.
·
Get help
from probiotics and enzymes. They support your immune system, keep your
flora
replenished and help you eliminate toxins. Enzymes are good for your
digestion
and metabolism.
·
Ask a
friend or family member to join you. It helps having the support and
accountability.
·
Take 2
showers per day and use cleansing body washes.
·
Use a
loofah during your shower/bath or start a practice of dry skin brushing
before
that.
·
Enjoy a
hot bath, hot tub, sauna and massage. The main job of the skin is to
sweat to
eliminate toxins via our pores.
·
Save
energy and focus on your internal process while cleansing. Save
vigorous
exercise for after the rebuilding phase.
***
Good
luck &
Happy Cleansing!
Gypsy Girl’s Guide