If you (like I have done before) have overdone the food during Thanksgiving this gentle cleanse may help you get back to normal quickly. I have learned over the years to limit my intake of the bad (for my body) foods to just enough to let me enjoy the day. My teacher was a week of feeling like crap after a weekend of pies, cakes, dressing, creamed corn, green bean casserole, sweet potato soufflé and canned jelly cranberry sauce. I learned to limit my intake and cleanse what I did eat gently.
I still smell the pumpkin pie and turkey! I love this time of year. It rings of comforting nostalgia, the crisp air, Pumpkin pie, apple cider and cinnamon, can you smell it? I can close my eyes and think back to being 8 years old in moms kitchen and the aroma of pumpkin pie and sweet potato souffle make me smile, it just makes me feel good regardless what kind of life I am having. I also think the act of kindness and charity at this time of year seems to give a greater meaning to life. It’s not all about me, it’s about us. There is much to be grateful for.
Some people don’t over do it and find way to have a healthier Thanksgiving Day meal. This is just one day or at most one weekend of a change to your normal healthy (hope you are eating healthy) dietary routine. Don’t get all worried about it. Enjoy it, try not to over do too much and get back to normal as soon as you are able.
However, if you feel like your body is sluggish and you over did the food this is a great way to get your body back to form and feeling better.
For many of us, the Thanksgiving week-end is a detour to our bodies normally dietary intake. We end up eating a lot of foods that pollute our bodies. Regardless how hard you try you must give in a little to those sumptuous tasting yet not very healthy foods, it’s Thanksgiving after all. After three or four days of eating a few of the normally avoided foods my body is rebelling and I feel bloated and heavy and I can’t wait to get back to a clean body. Frankly, by the time Sunday arrives I have had enough and my body is in shock from all the calories, simple carbohydrates and excessive protein. For those of you that eat fairly healthy and would like to get your body back to normal as quick as possible try this short and simple approach. If you don’t eat healthy this would be a good way to start.
This is not intended to be a total body cleanse. If you have been eating a poor diet for a long time you will need to do a different and more intense cleanse, however that type of cleanse should only be done under the supervision of a qualified health professional.
The question is, how do we get our bodies back to normal as quick as possible after the holiday? It’s fairly simple. We need to aid our body in cleansing out the junk through a light diet and exercise. The diet will help in the cleanse and exercise will get our lymphatic system moving the junk out. The lymphatic system is part of our cellular waste and toxic material removal system. It relies totally of the movement of our muscles to pump our lymphatic fluid throughout our body. Unlike our circulatory system that depends on our heart, our skeletal muscles do the job for the lymphatic system. For example; when your arms and leg muscles contract, they squeeze the lymphatic fluid through the lymphatic system. The body is so amazing.
An infrared sauna can also help remove toxins through your sweat.
Suggested Dietary Changes for 3 days
Day 1 Healthy Liquids Only (Vive!™ ,cleansing lemonade, warm green tea)
Day 2 Healthy Liquids and select vegetables and fruits only
Day 3 Healthy Liquids, select vegetables, fruits and a few cooked vegetables.
Day 4 Slowly add other healthy whole grains, beans and nuts and seeds back to your diet.
Recipe; Cleaning Lemonade ( taste very good, you can drink this everyday if you wanted to)
- 110 ounces of purified water or spring water (make half of this from organic green tea)
- 1 to 1.5 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice ( I use the juice and pulp from 7 lemons )
- 6 ounces of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- optional- 4 ounces of blackstrap molasses (this is optional) add to mix if exercising or sweating from working out or exercising
- Stevia as sweetener, sweeten to your taste preference
Cleansing Routine
Day 1
On Monday I will start a liquid only diet for 24 hours. The contents for my day are; Vive, the cleansing lemonade and warm green tea. My diet will consist of 2 scoops of my Vive!™ with 12 ounces of water 3 times that day, 40 ounces of cleansing lemonade, consumed throughout the day and 24 ounces of warm green tea. It does not matter when you drink the lemonade or green tea. Vive is taken at breakfast, lunch, late afternoon and early evening, no later than 7:00PM.
Exercise at a comfortable pace for 45 minutes to 1 hour. We want to get the lymphatic system moving so it can pull toxic waste out. If you can get a little sweat going, even better. If you can only walk for 5 minutes, walk for five minutes 2 or 3 times every day and slowly build up your time till you can walk comfortably for 30 minutes at a time. Only exercise if you have your doctors OK.
Day 2
On Tuesday, reduce the Vive intake to 2 times that day, continue the cleansing lemonade and add raw vegetables and fruit to the diet. Continue to exercise and sweat. If you have a NutriBullet put it to use making smoothies with veggies and low sugar fruits.
Breakfast is 1 Vive shake
Mid morning snack will be a small to medium apple with almond butter.
Lunch, Have a salad with spinach, romaine lettuce, orange bell pepper, carrots, zucchini squash, onion, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, and portobello or crimini mushrooms. Dressing will be balsamic vinegar and olive oil. You can add spices of your choice. If you prefer put it in the NutriBullet for a smoothie!
I eat a salad several times per week and some days I will have one at lunch and dinner! A salad is hard to beat for building health as long as you do not use unhealthy dressings. A dressing high in sugar content or those that contain high fructose corn syrup can neutralize some of the health benefits that a salad provides. Using too much salad dressing, even a healthy one can sabotage the benefits from lower calories a salad naturally offers. Also look for salad dressings using olive oil in place of soy or other vegetable oils. They are healthier.
Mid afternoon I will have another Vive shake.
Dinner, a big salad.
Mid evening snack; a smoothie with 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries with 1 to 2 cups cup almond milk and stevia for extra sweetness. Blend and enjoy
Day 3
Vive is consumed twice per day on going. I continue drinking the cleansing lemonade ongoing, I like it.
I will add back a little cooked food to my diet. Cooked food is optional. There are many days I do not eat any cooked food. The schedule is the same as day 2 except for dinner. You can switch lunch and dinner at any time. Many people say it is best to eat your heaviest meals at mid day. I grew up eating my largest meal at dinner and most of the time I have continued that tradition. It is best not to eat at least 2 hours before bed time.
Dinner; steam 1 large head of broccoli, 1 cup asparagus spears, then saute in olive oil 3/4 cup onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 cup of diced mushrooms, 1 whole red yellow pepper, 1 whole tomato (optional) and 2 cups diced purple cabbage.
Evening snack; mixed fruit
Ongoing days
Slowly add your normal foods back to your diet, hopefully healthy foods! Continue to drink at least 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water per day. Be sure to include beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds with your daily dietary routine, they provide great health benefits. Exercise must be a regular part of your daily routine.
This is a great time to keep the healthy eating going. variety is the key to being happy when eating very healthy. Use a variety of Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds and a few whole grains along with your vegetables to keep meals interesting. If eating meats keep them free range and organic lean cuts. Fish should always be wild caught and eggs should be free range organic eggs.
Healthy Wishes
Wally Bishop C.N.C., I.N.H.C., C.I.C.P.
Vive
www.wellnesswithwally.com
The contents of the email or written communication are not medical advice and should not be considered as such! This blog is for informational purposes only. Please consult with your physician or health care provider if you have medical issues and before changing your diet or lifestyle or taking herbal or dietary supplements. Never start an exercise program with getting your doctors approval. Never quit taking medications unless advised to do so by your doctor. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.
