Following a cleansing diet for a few days allows the body to rid itself of the excesses of winter and bring order both physically and mentally.
Strawberry monodiet, juice fasting, sap syrup cure. Although different, all these proposals, of which we hear more and more, coincide in their objective of purifying the body and granting it a break, which can benefit both to the body and to the mind.
Purification is a natural process that the body carries out permanently to eliminate unwanted substances, both from metabolic waste and from the air, food or the environment.
The body uses various systems to neutralize toxins, transform them, or expel them. But its functioning can be hampered by excess food, sedentary lifestyle, stress, lack of sleep, drugs or stimulant substances, which cause an accumulation of harmful compounds in the blood and various organs.
In fact, one of the causes of disease (obesity, diabetes, allergies, cardiovascular ailments, dermatological problems) can be the chronic presence of undesirable substances in the body.
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If we clean the house regularly and tune up the car or the cabinets at least twice a year, couldn’t we do something similar with the body?
Fasting is a cure with a history: cleansing is one of the oldest medical treatments. Hippocrates, father of medicine, already prescribed it, like Galen and Paracelsus, who defined fasting as “the greatest remedy, the inner physician.”
In this sense, Dr. Ródenas insists that he is a mainstay of naturopathic medicine: “Any treatment begins with a cleansing that frees the internal healing forces from obstacles to act in the face of a disease.”
Obesity, liver problems, circulatory disorders, headaches, rheumatism, allergic skin conditions, trauma or chronic ailments have in fasting and cleansing cures an effective therapeutic resource.
In addition, fasts have been practiced by great thinkers and philosophers, such as Plato or Aristotle, to achieve physical and mental efficiency.
WHY DO A CLEANSING DIET?
Many people have become accustomed to living with headaches, constipation, dull skin, and excess weight. All of them symptoms of an overloaded body that is asking for help to renew its energy and eliminate toxins that it cannot dispose of.
Following a cleansing cure is an opportunity for the digestive system to rest and the body to activate its mechanisms to get rid of what is left over.
The ideal is “to try that organic purification is accompanied by a mental renewal that allows us to move forward with new spirits,” says Dr. Pedro Ródenas, a naturopathic doctor. For this reason, it is advisable to carry it out on weekends or holidays, when you have time for yourself and it is possible to park commitments and schedules.
BENEFITS OF DOING A CLEANSING CURE
The effects of a cleansing cure are felt on a physical, but also mental and spiritual plane:
- It exerts a deep body cleansing that eliminates metabolic and toxic residues.
- It allows the digestive organs to rest.
- It has a regulating and revitalizing effect on all vital functions.
- Improves the skin.
- Supports weight loss and promotes the transition to more balanced dietary habits.
- Promotes optimal mobilization of energy.
- Strengthens the immune system by eliminating toxic substances.
- Mental clarity is gained.
- The perception of time varies and tranquility and peace are gained.
- By controlling the food, it gives security and reinforces the self-esteem.
WHEN TO GO ON A CLEANSING DIET?
The changes of season are ideal to make this stop on the way, especially the beginning of spring, when nature seems to be reborn and create itself. Gone is winter, a time when most people tend to move less and eat more.
The new station brings with it a magnificent assortment of vegetables, the basis of many cleansing cures.
On the other hand, “that the cures coincide with good weather is an advantage since while they are carried out you can feel colder due to the lower calorie intake “, explains Dr. Ródenas.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING A CURE
Before starting a cleansing cure, it is convenient to consider it as a pause and surround yourself with a calm and healthy environment.
These are some suggestions to prepare and perform it comfortably:
- By way of preparation, in the previous days it is convenient to abandon the consumption of toxic substances(such as tobacco), as well as fats, sweets and stimulants.
- During the cure it is advisable to dispense with stressful elements such as diaries, television or computer.
- Rest is a basic requirement in a fasting or cleansing cure, and the best guarantee that it will go well. The moments when it is needed should be attended with naps, breathing, meditation.
- But it should not be a cure for inactivity: walks in the fresh air, gentle stretching or moderate exercise are recommended.
- Communicating it to those who live with you is essential so that they respect the decision and collaborate.
- The first day it is convenient to favor the elimination of impurities. You can take a laxative infusion when you get up and go to bed, or apply an enema (1 or 2 liters of water or warm thyme or chamomile infusion).
- It helps to have warm, comfortable clothing on hand, as it can get colder.
- It is recommended to shower or bathe frequently to eliminate toxins that are expelled with sweat, as well as dry brushing the skin to remove dead cells.
- You have to be aware that a headache may appear in the first 48 hours, for different reasons. It can be relieved with acupressure: by lightly pressing the tender point between the thumb and forefinger for one minute.
- In case of bad breath or tartar tongue, although they are frequent during the cure, it is advisable to brush your teeth regularly and gargle with a mild mouthwash.
- After the cure, it is important to gradually return to the usual diet to consolidate the changes and incorporate new eating habits.
HOW TO DO A CLEANSING DIET?
If you want to eliminate toxins, you have to avoid the introduction of new ones while stimulating their drainage from the body. The most direct way to do it is by fasting , since it is a period in which only water is consumed, which is ingested to avoid dehydration .
But a strict fast is not within the reach of all wills nor is it the most appropriate in all cases: “Untrained organisms or thin people – Dr. Ródenas points out – benefit more from another type of cure or from a cleansing diet. It depends. From the starting point: any restriction, however small it may seem, is already considered purifying “.
That is why in this article we will not deal with pure water-based fasts, which require medical monitoring if they last more than two days, but with simpler forms of semi-fast that can be practiced safely in order to purify oneself. If you want to extend them for more than a week, the ideal is to have the advice of an expert or go to a specialized clinic or nursing home with experience in fasting.
In what all purification usually coincides is in the almost total suppression of fats and proteins, two nutrients consumed in excess, and in the incorporation of a draining element (fruit, broth, juice), since “the objective is to eliminate toxins from the tissues to pass them into the circulation and eliminate them through the urine “, says Dr. Ródenas.
A TIME OF PEACE AND INNER CONNECTION
A cleansing cure doesn’t have to be a restrictive experience. It can provide an intense sense of peace and inner connection, helping to clarify emotional issues. The renewal is both physical and mental.
Although many people approach fasting or cleansing cures simply to lose weight, it is convenient to know that the result is not only physical: along with the extra kilos or toxins, emotional charges are also mobilized, while faculties that seemed forgotten are recovered. The person feels more centered with it.
A LITTLE ORDER
In effect, purifying the body implies putting order, which leads to being more aware of oneself, of life and of emotions. As a consequence, self-esteem increases and decisions can even be made that until then remained parked.
“A new clarity and determination will surely be experienced,” says Dr. Ródenas.
The person is more aware of their capabilities and limitations, and will work with them while the purification process lasts.
INTROSPECTION
As Dr. Buchner said, “when the body fasts, the soul is hungry”, referring to the spontaneous tendency of those who fast to introspection. In addition to noticing how the attitude towards food changes, with fasting an access to the most intimate part of oneself is discovered and, therefore, a different orientation towards the surrounding world.
INCREASE
Behind fasting there is, many times, a longing for inner growth. This state of detachment is often experienced as a transcendent experience, which attenuates the ego and allows a glimpse of the spiritual essence.
REST
Accompanying the dietary cure with relaxation, rest, contact with nature, breathing, music or meditation allows you to live the process in a more authentic and profound way.
DO YOU STARVE DURING A CLEANSING DIET? THE BODY’S REACTION AND ENERGY LEVELS
During a cleansing diet, by ingesting fewer calories than are necessary to sustain normal activity, the body proceeds to metabolize fatty tissue and superfluous substances, which are reincorporated into the metabolic cycle to provide energy that is not received from food.
The body therefore lives on its own reserves: first it uses the circulating glucose, then the glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, and after 48 hours it obtains glucose by burning the fat stores.
“Even in water fasts, hunger is felt especially the first day and disappears afterwards, coinciding with the increase in the blood of a metabolic by-product called acetone , originating from the mobilization of fats and responsible for inhibiting the central hunger located in the hypothalamus “, explains Dr. Miguel Pros , a naturopathic doctor.
Besides hunger, fatigue is the main fear of those who start a fast or cure. But everyone is amazed at the energy and vitality they feel. The first two days some weakness may be noticed but afterwards the person is lighter and the fatigue diminishes.
Taking advantage of these days to take gentle walks and adapt physical activity to the possibilities of each one promotes sleep and heart function, and helps burn calories.
“Fat and protein deposits usually allow a person of normal weight to fast for up to four weeks, since they are the two nutrients that are usually abused,” recalls Ródenas, who insists, however, that such long cures should be done under medical supervision “to monitor pulse, blood pressure, and temperature.”
If you do a monodiet or a juice fast for up to a week, you also have the nutrients provided by food.
ARE THERE ALTERATIONS DURING CLEANSING DIETS?
Keep in mind that as toxins are released back into the bloodstream they can lead to headaches, nausea, and the reappearance of old conditions.
They are a good indicator that the body is doing its job and coincide with the moments of greatest activity and metabolic effort to eliminate them.
These alterations are more intense the stricter the fast and after the first days they disappear to give way to a pleasant feeling of peace and control.
FIVE DIETS TO CLEANSE
1. CLEANSING DIET WITH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
It is advisable to follow this cleansing diet for a minimum of fifteen days and it can be extended longer. In fact, it is the diet that Dr. Pedro Ródenas proposes to his patients as a prior step to any treatment. If it is prolonged, it can lay the foundations for a definitive diet or serve as the starting point for a weight loss program.
Although the purification is gentler than that achieved by fasting with juices, for example, it has the advantage that it has hardly any side effects (if any headache, which may be due to caffeine withdrawal) and some tiredness. Plus, you don’t need an in-or-out transition diet.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
- On an empty stomach, take a cup of vegetable broth(with plenty of onion and celery) along with the juice of a lemon and a tablespoon of brewer’s yeast.
- After half an hour he has a fruit salad for breakfast.
- At mid-morning, a piece of fruit is taken, and half an hour before eating, a cup of vegetable broth.
- The meal consists of an abundant salad and as varied as possible (with vegetables, sprouts, seeds, seaweed) and vegetables (boiled, steamed, and pureed or in soup), accompanied by some boiled whole grain cereal (rice, oatmeal, couscous …) or potato. The dressing used is extra virgin olive oil with herbal salt and vinegar. For dessert, you eat an apple or a pear.
- Snack is like breakfast. Half an hour before dinner, a cup of vegetable broth is drunk.
- To end the day, dinner follows the food guidelines.
It is important to note that in this cleansing diet there is no limit of quantities. In addition, it is recommended to drink a liter of water outside of meals.
All purification coincides in the almost total suppression of fats and proteins, and in the incorporation of a draining element (broths, juices, fruit).
2. OATMEAL CLEANSING CURE
The Dr. Miguel Pros proposes a cure based on oats for its purifying effect and wealth in silicon, which helps mobilize toxins. Something to which its high fiber content, soluble in type, also contributes, which gives it a mild laxative effect and favors the reduction of cholesterol.
On the other hand, its high content of B group vitamins gives it an important toning action on the nervous system. And it provides good doses of carbohydrates and also proteins.
Other advantages of oatmeal are that it is digestive, that it is easily prepared and that it has a pleasant taste.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
The oatmeal monodiet scheme, which is recommended for a week, is very simple.
He has an oatmeal shake for breakfast and an oatmeal cream for lunch and dinner, with a fruit for dessert.
At mid-morning and mid-afternoon, a serving of fruit, a vegetable broth or an infusion is taken. Water is always drunk outside of meals.
To prepare the oatmeal smoothie you just have to mix the following ingredients:
- One or two glasses of oatmeal drink
- Two tablespoons of rolled oats
- Half a banana or half an apple
- 250 ml of blueberry juice
To prepare the oatmeal cream you need:
- 400 ml of water
- Three tablespoons of rolled oats
- 50-100 g of vegetables (carrot, leek, green bean) finely cut
Put the oats and vegetables in a pot with cold water, bring everything to a boil and cook for five minutes over low heat, stirring. It is crushed off the fire and virgin olive oil is added to taste and a pinch of salt.
3. STRAWBERRY MONODIET
The monodies are cures practiced with a single food. Although they act more gently on the body than a fast, they give digestion a break and achieve effective cleansing.
Its advantage is that you lose weight quickly, allow you to repair specific food excesses, facilitate digestion and, in addition, the monotony generated by eating the same food manages to reduce the portions.
A good option is to do it on the weekend or, at most, for three or four days. It can also be done one day a week, for six weeks.
The strawberries, rich in water and vitamins are detoxifying, bactericidal, diuretic and slightly laxative.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
Take 1.5 to 3 kg of strawberries divided into several doses throughout the day (every two or three hours). It is preferable that they are organically grown or wash them thoroughly to remove any traces of pesticide.
As they are short diets, the appetite does not disappear, so eating strawberries frequently helps to satisfy it.
Strawberries can be combined with orange, grape or honey juice. People with a delicate stomach tolerate them better when combined with vegetable yogurt.
You can drink warm water between takes or an infusion.
4. FASTING WITH BROTHS, JUICES AND INFUSIONS
It is an adaptation of the fast by Dr. HF Otto Buchner, the physician and therapist who supervised the most fasts (over 100,000). It is distinguished from absolute fasting (with water) by the contribution of fruit juices, vegetable broths and infusions, which guarantees a minimum of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and proteins .
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
The fast lasts seven days; During the first, 1.5 kg of fruit, varied from time to time, well ripe, is consumed , distributed between three and five servings.
From the second to the fifth day the scheme is the same:
- For breakfast, one or two cups of infusion of medicinal plants(chamomile, mint, rose hip, anise or a mixture of all) with a teaspoon of honey.
- At mid-morning, drink plenty of mineral water with lemon juice.
- At noon, vegetable broth or a glass of freshly made apple and carrot juice.
- In the middle of the afternoon, take one or two cups of herbal tea (as at breakfast).
- By night, a drinking glass of fruit juice to taste diluted mineral water or a glass of vegetable juice or a cup of hot broth.
Afterwards, two days of transition diet are carried out.
In the first, an infusion is taken for breakfast and, in the middle of the morning and in the afternoon, a ripe apple; at noon, a cream of oat flakes (recipe in the oatmeal cure) and for dinner, a vegetable soup with whole wheat bread. On the second day you can add a salad with vegan cheese or vegetable yogurt at noon, plus bread throughout the day and nuts.
5. CURE OF SAP AND LEMON SYRUP
This cure reduces the inconveniences of traditional fasting with plain water since the sugars and calories provided by the concentrated sap provide enough energy to keep the mind awake and not feel tired.
Sap syrup is usually made up of maple sap (rich in sugars and mineral salts) and palm sap (rich in potassium).
The sugars and calories in the sap syrup provide enough energy to keep the mind awake and not feel tired during the cure.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
The complete cure lasts from seven to ten days, in which 8 to 10 large glasses of the preparation are taken daily, one every two hours.
The preparation consists of:
- A glass of mineral water
- Two tablespoons of sap syrup
- The juice of half a lemon
- A pinch of chili powder
It is also allowed to drink one or two infusions of mint to the day.
Once the cure is finished, it is advisable to gradually return to the usual diet: the first two days, juices and vegetable broth; the third, fruit and salad.
