I want you to think of any piece of technology or machinery that you need to use on a daily or weekly basis…your car, your phone, your computer, your lawn mower, your home…..Anyone of these items gets used on a regular basis and usually needs a thorough cleaning every now and then. Your car gets a regular checkup and oil changes and oil filter replacements to improve performance and remove waste. Your computer and phone need to be regularly updated and scanned for viruses that might be clogging up their system AND your home… well, any homeowner can tell you, it’s constant work; changing filters, fixing dishwashers, replacing old worn out pipes, watching out for mold, etc.
The same concept, but slightly more intricate and extensive can be applied to the human body. Think of your body as a machine that’s been running non-stop since birth. There are areas of your body that get clogged, “dirty,” stuck and full of all sorts of toxins. So, it seems quite obvious that your body might need a “reboot” or cleanse every once in a while too.
Unfortunately, however, the word detox and cleanse are used quite often these days and it has become quite a fad for people to do a “cleanse” without having awareness of what they are cleansing and why. It’s important to have a goal for what you’re trying to accomplish. Are you feeling tired, sluggish, bloated, do you have chronic headaches, are you not sleeping, do you feel emotionally stuck…the list can go on and on.
After acknowledging what symptoms you are experiencing, that you know are not healthy and that you want to try and rid yourself from, it’s important to be aware what these are symptoms from and what possible behaviors may be causing them? In some cases, many people know the answer right away… “I’ve been eating really terribly and feel bloated and foggy” or “I am so addicted to sugar right now, I can’t stop myself” or “I’ve been drinking a lot more because of the Holidays and know it’s not good.”
In other cases, one might not even be aware of the reasons for their symptoms OR they might not even ‘feel’ their symptoms because their body and mind are literally so clogged that they can’t even ‘feel’ what’s going on in their body.
It’s important to examine whether you’re looking for a Digestive cleanse, a Liver detox, Kidney, Gallbladder, Colon, Parasite, Sugar, Candida, Heavy Metal, Pollutant Cleanse, EMF, Emotional Cleanse…and on and on it goes.
One can see how this can get quite complicated and often the need for an expert would be helpful for the best results.
HOWEVER, nearly everyone can benefit from a Digestive Cleanse as an initial means to detox your body. Giving your digestive system a break from the hard work it does on a regular basis has a number of benefits including less digestive stress, gas, bloating, pain and discomfort. Depending on how long you cleanse, you’ll also likely also feel less tired, have more energy, your skin, hair, and nails will look and feel better, you’ll sleep better, and you’ll be happier and more peaceful.
A digestive cleanse can be done in numerous ways. The first way is to reduce or eliminate processed foods, inflammatory food and increase vegetables, fruits, and water during your cleanse. It can also be done with Juice fasting, which does give the body a big break from almost all digestive processes of breaking down food, plus filling your body with fruits and veggies. A Juice Cleanse, however, is often very difficult to maintain for longer than a 3-5-day period for most people and especially for active people and for those that workout, it can be dangerous if not done properly.
A Digestive cleanse might also include proper supplements including turmeric, fennel seed, betaine hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes and others. These all play a role in proper digestion, but do NOT replace a poor diet.
There are numerous other ways to consider cleansing your digestive tract and then recolonizing your gut microbiome in a way that increases your overall health, but it’s important to remember that all of this can become very different from person to person.
To do a generic cleanse without a look at your exposome, including stress, sleep, overall health, your day-to-day diet, fitness routine, resting metabolism and schedule, might not get the results you’re looking for.
Once a digestive cleanse is complete, one might consider looking into the additional cleanses mentioned above, but the professionally planned digestive cleanse is recommended prior to any other cleanses.
Coach Seana is a Holistic Lifestyle Coach offering several services to help you be the healthiest version of yourself. She can be reached at earthfitnf@gmail.com
