Feast Then Fast / Our Top 3 Tips For A Successful New Year Cleanse

Resetting our body’s systems after a period of binge eating can be beneficial indeed, but it is a highly individualised process that requires us to listen our body to understand what it needs. What we really want is to stop craving junk food and to feel re-energised! Here are our top 3 tips to successfully reset your body for the new year ahead:

1. Support the body, don’t shock it.

Going straight from eating junk food to extreme healthy eating can do some damage, and you risk autointoxication if your body has a higher level of circulating toxins. Before cleansing, start integrating cleaner foods back into your diet until you are back at where you were before falling off the wagon (including being back at your prior level of exercise). You also want to make sure your channels of elimination and detoxification are open - primarily your colon, skin, kidneys and liver - or else your body will fight the shift and you may experience harsh side effects. Once channels are open, getting rid of all the cumulative toxins stored in your body becomes easier and safer to do, thus helping you feel better while you cleanse.

2. Include intermittent fasting with your cleanse.

Sometimes your body needs a break from digestion. It can be beneficial to allow your body to rid what’s already inside of it and allow your digestive and immune systems a chance to recuperate, rebalance and strengthen themselves. A juice cleanse is technically already a form of intermittent fasting, since you’re giving your body a break from solid foods. However, if you’re feeling like your body needs more of a break, try extending the hours during which you don’t eat overnight from 8 to 12 hours. This could mean not eating anything between 8pm and noon the next day. Since your body will have a chance to focus on rebalancing your hormone levels, cleansing your blood and your cells, it can leave you with higher energy levels, better digestion and decreased sugar cravings.

3. Listen to your body.

Often people are scared to do a juice cleanse because they feel they will be starving throughout, but a cleanse doesn’t have to be just juice. If you’re feeling hungrier because you’ve had a light workout or used your brain more that day, try adding nutrient-dense fluids like blended soups, bone or vegetable broths and herbal teas. This will also help to supply your body with more of the nutrients it needs for the clean-up and healing process. Relax from exercise and rest up, then start again when you’re ready. Everyone responds differently to a cleanse, so be sure you’re helping your body in the way it needs to be able to release and reset.

Article by Jacquie, a graduate of Applied Holistic Nutrition from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition and a key leader within the Glory team.