If you’re wondering ‘What do I do on a cleanse?’ the answers are pretty easy. Aside from using the supplements in your kit, the rules are simple: Eat, Drink, and Relax.
Eat.
One of your first stops on your new path is your grocery store. You don’t have to feel hungry or eat “weird food” when you’re on a cleanse. All you have to do is concentrate on eating whole foods that are healthy.
The answers are found on the outer edges of the store, where you’ll find fresh, lean meats, hearty whole grain breads, and delicious fruits and vegetables. (Frozen fruits and veggies can easily be part of your dinner plans, too. Modern freezing techniques preserve most of the original healthy components of these foods, and they are convenient to store and make.)
As a general rule, avoid processed foods and refined flour and sugar.
Processed foods have added chemical preservatives which can have negative effects on your health. The more processed a food is, the less likely it retains its beneficial nutrients, like enzymes and vitamins.
Eggs are a great source of protein, biotin, lutein, and other nutrients, but they have a fair amount of cholesterol, too. If you enjoy eggs, “go easy” on them. Or, try the low-cholesterol version in your grocery store, usually right next to the eggs themselves.
Drink.
From recommendations about hydrating, you could easily get the impression that you’ll need to have your own water cooler with you all day long. Not so. 8 ounces of water is really less than you’d imagine. And having 8 glasses per day doesn’t have to feel unusual or uncomfortable.
One cup equals 8 ounces. At home, take a 1 cup measuring cup fill it up with water, and pour it into a water glass, or better yet, a coffee mug or tea cup. Doesn’t really look like much, does it?
That’s because many coffee mugs average a 12-ounce capacity or more. And, the official size for a “serving” of tea is actually 6 ounces. (That’s why tea can taste weak when we make it at home with individual teabags. We’re probably adding too much water.)
Either way, once you really look at how much 8 ounces of water is, it won’t seem like such a big deal. Nonetheless, drinking more water during your cleanse is important, because you’re probably adding more fiber to your regimen than you were getting beforehand.
Relax.
You’ll want to dial back the heavy exercise. It might sound counterintuitive, especially if you’ve started your cleanse as a way of getting into shape, but intense workouts can “shake things up” in the digestive sense of the word. And, since you’ve probably reduced your caffeine intake, you may feel that you’re running a little more slowly anyway. Take this time to take it easy—your energy levels may not be what you’re used to.
Diets for all seasons, not just a cleanse
Another effective way to continually improve your diet is to begin by adding foods to your diet, instead of taking away or removing foods. For instance, if you currently do not eat many fresh fruits or vegetables, (or only reluctantly do, because of the Whole Body Cleanse recommendations) begin by adding just one piece of produce to your diet each day. Make it something you enjoy, such as an apple or an orange, or even a handful of blueberries.
Once you master that, you can work up to two, then three, and so on. To maintain the benefits of your cleanse after you’ve completed the next two weeks, stick with the aspects of the diet that most appeal to you—make them part of your life, not just a temporary fix. Consider this cleanse the first step to a new, healthier you, not just a break from the usual.