Healthy Gut Series – Part 5
Good Morning Everyone!
Types of Cleanses
A good cleanse will:
1. Reduce the load of toxins going into your body and help speed up the process of getting the toxins out of your body by adding in cleansing foods.
2. Remove the most inflammatory foods and help you identify which ones are the triggers for your body. These are the ones most commonly implicated in food intolerances and allergies.
3. Help heal your gut. Gut flora imbalance and a leaky gut are some of the greatest sources of inflammation in the body.
4. Give you tools that you can use in your everyday life post cleanse.
Here are some of the different types of cleanses:
Master Cleanse: (very intense)
This is the lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper cleanse many of you will have heard of. It can cause very severe detox symptoms. It enhances elimination with the irritation of cayenne pepper.
Pros:
- Cleans out your bowels very effectively
Cons:
- The high amount of sugar can contribute to imbalances in gut flora and insulin spikes that can cause you to store fat and lead to insulin resistance long term
- Doesn’t provide the body enough nutrients
- Doesn’t rebuild intestinal flora
- Doesn’t give you tools to help you live cleaner off the cleanse
- Many people regain weight immediately after going off of it
Juice Fasting: (intense)
In this type of cleanse one consumes only vegetable and fruit juices, water and herbal teas.
Pros:
- Helpful in giving your digestion a rest
- Provides nutrients for liver detoxification
- Helpful as a short term tool, especially if you already eat a very clean diet and just want to give yourself a boost and get back on track
Cons:
- High in sugar content
- Doesn’t contain any fiber or good fat
- Doesn’t rebuild intestinal flora
- Doesn’t supply you with tools for living cleaner
- Not a good way to maintain your weight if you eat poorly (*Yo-yo cleansing is not a good strategy)
Raw and Vegan Cleanse: (more of a clean lifestyle)
Raw foods are rich in enzymes, which aid the release of toxins and support the liver.
Pros:
- A very clean way to eat
- Better to do in the spring and summer months
Cons:
- Harder to do in the winter when people want heavier, more fattening foods
- Hard for many people to shop and prepare for
- Involves a lot of time and effort dehydrating and soaking your food, which many people may not have the time to do
Bone Broth Cleanse:
We can fast on animal broths, although it will usually require you to make your own broth. A homemade broth is highly nutritious, with 9g of protein in every 8oz, full of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. Commercially available bone broths don’t have as many benefits; many of them contain msg and lack most of the minerals you would get from homemade. However, The Brothery is a company that makes their own bone broth and sells it online. You receive it in frozen packages and each package is good for 6 months in the freezer. This is an option of convenience but it’s also more expensive than preparing your own. For more information visit – www.thebrothery.com
How to make a bone broth: start with the highest quality bones available, preferably organically raised and hormone-free animals. Add 2-4 tablespoons vinegar (depending on how large a batch you’re making), any vegetables you want to add, and water to cover. Let this sit for 30 minutes to an hour, then bring to a boil and remove any scum that appears on the surface. Continue to simmer anywhere from 4-24 hours, the longer the simmer, the more nutrients will be drawn out of the bones.
Bone broths are extremely nutritious, high in minerals and rich in gelatin and collagen. Adding an acid, like wine or vinegar, during preparation will help draw out the minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
How to do a bone broth cleanse:
http://www.toscareno.com/2014/12/05/broth-cleanse-2/
Benefits of bone broth:
http://wellnessmama.com/23777/bone-broth-benefits/
Dr. Oz’s 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse:
Dr. Oz’s 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse is based upon eating certain “detoxifying” foods that will keep your liver, colon, and kidneys running smoothly. The plan couldn’t be simpler to follow so you’re not always focused on what to eat next. You’ll need to prepare and eat the following meals and snacks two days in a row.
Here is a link to the complete shopping list and all the recipes:
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/48-hour-weekend-cleanse
To get the most out of Dr. Oz’s 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse, be sure to follow these rules:
- No eating after 7 p.m.
- Take an Epsom Salt Bath: This therapeutic bath will help you sweat out toxins and also contains magnesium to relax your muscles as well.
- Dandelion Root Tea: Before bed, enjoy a cup of dandelion root tea, an excellent way for your liver to excrete toxins from your body.
The Daniel Fast:
The Daniel Fast is a biblically based. The list of foods you are allowed to eat while on this cleanse is long and can be found at: http://draxe.com/daniel-fast/
However, the foods to avoid while on this cleanse include:
- Iodized salt
- Sweeteners
- Meat
- Dairy products
- Breads, pasta, flour, crackers, cookies
- Oils
- Juices
- Coffee
- Energy drinks
- Gum
- Mints
- Candy
For Daniel Fast recipes and more information on this cleanse, go to: http://draxe.com/daniel-fast/
**For more information on eating a clean diet, visit http://www.toscareno.com/eat-clean-diet/ where you can learn about how to give your body what it needs to thrive and not deprive yourself of your favorite foods.
For more information, visit these sites: