The Gentle 3 Day Cleanse
While I am a firm believer that when it comes to your diet and lifestyle it isn't what you do some of the time that counts, it's what you do consistently the majority of the time, I know from speaking with many of you that you're feeling extra-flat with your health right now.Whether too much Christmas pudding or pavlova, too many tummy-full sleeps on the couch, too many vino's or late nights or too many meals and snacks on the run, there's a lot of over-indulgence guilt in January every year. The fact is, too much stodge can adversely affect your emotional state too. So you may be on a bit of a merry-go-round right now, feeling flat, restless, and unhealthy.So it's time to get back on track with your healthy body and mind. Right?That's why we are going to gently ease back into the new year with a beautiful, healing and healthy three day cleanse.The body is an incredible miracle, and does function day to day to help eliminate toxins and remain in a state of 'function', however a cleanse gives the body space and time to speed up the healing process, and supports resetting systems like the digestive, lymphatic and immune system.Going on a cleanse may sound full-on, and many think they must fast, starve or consume foods and drinks that taste terrible, however a gentle cleanse need not be like that at all.Your body can effectively detox eating delicious, filling, whole and nourishing foods. During this three day cleanse, we are going to give the digestive system a rest allowing the elimination of toxins by eating simple, easy-to-digest whole foods.We are also removing any foods that would typically cause inflammation in the gut and bowel.January is the middle of Summer here in the Southern Hemisphere, so the cleanse recipes below mostly include cooling foods that are packed with nutrients, vitality and living energy.The reason this cleanse is only for three days is because this makes it really manageable firstly in your head (you already know you can do this right?), but it also makes this cleanse super simple for completing during your working with. Prepping food is simple and you can get it all done before you've even started.If you're new to eating 'clean' or have been burning the candle lately, even a three day cleanse can have you feeling a little tired as toxins begin to be eliminated from the body, so try to cleanse on non-demanding work days or days you can allow your body and mind to rest.
Cleanse Guidelines
For three days, you will have a filling and nutrient dense smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch and a salad warm buddha bowl for dinner. In general, eat as much as desired at each meal–enough to feel satisfied until your next meal. If possible, avoid snacking between meals. If you’re feeling hangry, dizzy, moody, nauseous or uncomfortable during this cleanse, it may be due to low blood sugar.If you do feel like you're super-hungry, or you feel like you're dizzy, or completely zonked and flat, you may have low-blood sugar to add additional protein to your meals, such as a small amount of plain, organic chicken or turkey. If you need a snack between meals, try ½ an avocado with lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt.Make lunch your largest meal of the day. Either a salad with many greens or a buddha bowl of roasted pumpkin or sweet potato and kitchari.Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic detox food containing a mixture of rice, beans and spices. It’s high in protein, very easy to digest and healing for the digestive tract. Split yellow mung dal beans (called split peas in supermarkets) are much more digestible and detoxifying than other beans, like lentils, whole mung beans, etc.If you don't eat pulses, then you can make the kitchari without the mung dal beans.I whole-heartedly recommend that if you aren't vegetarian, that you add bone broth within your kitchari, instead or combined with the water element.Here's a post describing the benefits of bone broth. It's a beautiful, healing and sealing, nutrient dense power-house that your digestive system and immune system will thank-you for.A key element to your body feeling full and fulfilled with your cleanse diet is to focus on your meal without distractions. Try not to eat in front of the computer.Aim to drink 2 litres of plain, filtered water each day to ensure proper hydration and help flush toxins from your system.Most of us, perhaps 75% of the population, suffer from mild dehydration, which if chronic leads to poor health, aches and pains, low energy, mental fogginess, and even serious diseases of all types.Pure water helps our bodies detoxify. The water helps separate blood platelets and floods fatty tissues where toxins often accumulate. While undergoing any kind of detox protocol, drinking more pure water is necessary.Drink warm water if you can. It softens the intestinal tract, moves the lymph and hydrates the cells much more effectively than cold water. There are certain digestive teas which are also wonderful for cleansing, such as calendula or dandelion root.Although you have the recipes provided for all of your meals below, below is the list of foods to avoid during the gentle three day cleanse.
Gluten – bread, biscuits, baked goods, etc.
Dairy – milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.
Sugar – white sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar, etc.
Soy – including tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame, soy sauce, tamari, etc.
Shellfish
Caffeine – coffee, black tea, green tea, energy drinks (if you're a big coffee drinker, think about trying chicory root or dandelion root tea)
Alcohol
Anything processed
Daily Routine:
Wake up early enough to give yourself time and space for a relaxed morning
Optional: Upon waking, do oil pulling with coconut oil (adding oregano oil if you can)
Brush your teeth
Drink 2 cups of warm water with the juice of half a lemon (or one drop of lemon essential oil) to gently cleanse the digestive tract and kick-start the metabolism
BREAKFAST: Have your green smoothie for breakfast
LUNCH: Eat a medium bowl of kitchari for lunch, or a salad bowl - with kitchari if you like - using the recommended ingredients below.
DINNER: Eat a salad for dinner or a salad bowl with kitchari.
Follow with a cup of broth half an hour later (leave this out if you are vegetarian)
After dinner, try to begin your wind-down. Don't spend hours in front of the laptop or on your phone (no scrolly-scrolly).
No screen time at ALL for the last 30mins prior to getting into bed.
Optional but wonderful. Have a shower before bed, dry-body brushing if you can prior to getting in the shower. Apply organic oils such as jojoba or apricot kernal oil mixed with essential oils after you get out of the shower. Oils to be included in this aromatic dressing that will calm, soothe and allow for a restful sleep would be lavender, vetiver or frankincense.
Lights off by 10pm. Sleep is when your body rests, repairs and detoxifies so be sure to get plenty of rest throughout the cleanse.
Recipes for your cleanse
Salad Bowls (see below)
Salad BowlsHere's a link to my fave bitter salad combo! So simple and easy.Building your salad bowl. Build your salad bowl on bitter greens and simple to digest vegetables such as the following (all organic if you can please):Use Most
Watercress
Endive
Raddichio
Rocket
Baby spinach
Alfalfa
Cucumber
Fresh green herbs
Use Some
Roasted sweet potato
Roasted Pumpkin
Kitchari
Avocado
Use A Little
Strawberries
Olive Oil
Organic balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Sesame seeds
Gentle three day cleanse, kitchari recipe. Renew, rest, heal.
After Your Cleanse
One of the most common and damaging ways to end your cleanse would be to dive straight from your healing and renewing foods, to a binge or splurge on something heavy, inflammatory, or toxic such as junk food, lollies or sweets or alcohol.What I would recommend is that you go gently into your following days, committing to crowding in more healing behaviours such as eating more vegetables, healing broths, waste elimination beverages such as dandelion tea or calendula tea.I hope you enjoyed this cleanse framework and the recipes and ideas that come along with it.Have a wonderful day!