Cleanse, Detox or Bust: How to put it all together
I started off the year by asking the question: Cleanse, Detox or Bust? I’m happy to report that I am no longer busting. My cravings and desire for sweets have subsided and I can control it instead of it controlling me. So how did I get here? Slowly and patiently by making small changes each week. I didn’t flip my life upside down overnight. I focused on one thing at a time to change and I stuck with it until it stuck with me and it just became part of the new program.
Program? What new program?
When your body is fed better quality food, it stops craving all the bad stuff creating a new program you will “crave”. I say this with quotations because it’s not really a craving. It’s your body realizing that the good stuff is making you feel better and you’re going to want more of that feeling so you stay on track, drink your water, eat your healthy foods and you now have a new program. You’ll be able to turn down all those foods that are going to steal your energy instead give you energy. This is the first step to getting healthy and staying healthy.
The Big Picture
So what’s my point? If we can incorporate some of the healthy foods I mentioned in the kidneys, liver and fiber blog on a regular basis then we are always cleansing &/or detoxing our bodies which is what it’s designed to do. We’ll get sick less, have more energy on a regular basis (be healthy by definition!) and the body will function as it was intended to function. Sadly we now have to work harder at it because it’s not as easy as it used to be when our soils were rich in nutrients and before processed foods became our mainstay. This evolution of food is requiring us to be more conscious of how we approach food. Food has become much more accessible, very easy to get and there’s a lot more variety now that we are a global market but we cannot rely on the nutrient content of these foods as we once could many decades ago. The immense quantity of food at our disposal does not ensure the quality of the foods we have available to us now. We have to learn how to choose our foods and what to choose to ensure we get healthy and stay healthy. If we choose wisely on an ongoing basis, we can enjoy life through good health and we can indulge in those foods that satisfy our senses from time to time without worry. I’m all for indulging from time to time but feeling good every single day should be our real goal.
Where to start
How do you decide what to change first? You have 2 choices, the way I see it, pick the one thing that’s the hardest for you to give up and really take on the challenge or start really small by picking something simple and easy for you change. This is your choice. Some of us like to climb the ladder slowly and steadily and others want to reach for the highest branch right from the start. Do what’s best for you. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wrong. You know yourself best. Make your choice and go with it!
Small changes - Big results
You can pick one meal a day to make changes to or pick one item of one meal to switch out, remove completely or add something to make it a healthier meal. You can also change the cooking method, for instance, instead of frying, try roasting or steaming. Add a green salad to a meal or add some nuts or seeds to your salad. Take a look at your salad dressing. Is it store-bought and contains sugar and preservatives? Why not try making your own dressings? Use some good quality olive oil, a little vinegar or lemon juice and pinch of salt. Just this small change alone can make a big difference. One small change per day or even per week will exponentially make a difference in your health and your life.
Take a look at this week’s Bits and Bites for a list of what some of the foods from my last 3 posts have in common and how easy it could be to support all the organs of detoxification and cleansing.
