Health

What to Consider When Doing a Cleanse

1. Plan ahead. Planning is key to a successful health journey. The most common feedback I hear from my health coaching clients who struggle to stay on track is “I didn’t have time.” We all lead such busy lives, and also things beyond our control come up. Plan as much as you can, and then be flexible and creative to still meet your goals.
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2. Set goals you can keep. I know how this sounds, but this is not at all settling or having a low standards for health. Incrementally increase your goals to achieve success. Outright lofty goals can be so overwhelming. It’s hard to stick to them. Don’t set yourself up– set yourself up for success.
 
 
3. Consider your health. Your current status of health is crucial. If you are on medication or have any particular condition, you will need to consult your physician before doing a cleanse. Cleanses are good, but they are not one-size fits all. Doing a juice cleanse for instance, may not be enough.
blood oranges and white jean shorts
 
4. Don’t do it for weight loss. Weight loss is often a bi-product of doing a cleanse, but it should not be the objective. You don’t want to change a cleanse into a crash diet. You’ll put undue pressure on yourself and your body. A cleanse will help your body perform optimally by removing toxins and boosting metabolism. It can definitely jump start your weight loss journey, but I feel strongly that it should not be a weight loss technique.
 
Green smoothie cleansing drink
5. Don’t cheat. We can reason our way out of anything. We humans are crafty this way. This is why #2 is so important. Setting goals you can reasonably stick to instead of ones you will later disregard when they matter most. Take the raw/vegan challenge, for instance. I knew that I would not want to do raw food all day. I’m stuck in a ridiculously cold, over air-conditioned building for almost 10 hours each day. All I really want when I get home is warm meal, and not cold food. I felt it was much more reasonable to do what I’ve seen others do which is raw before 4pm. This gave me to opportunity to enjoy a warm, sensible vegan meal each evening.
 
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6. Get rest and lots of water. Sometimes as your body is adjusting to a cleanse and ridding itself of toxins, you may feel a bit tired. The tired feeling will not last, but it is good to plan for it and get to bed early the first few days. You should also consume lots of water, though I won’t tell you how much that is. Your water intake should be based on a lot of factors: your weight, level of activity, and the weather, to name a few. I’ve never been a fan of just blindly doing a gallon of water a day drinking challenge. For what? Not everyone needs that. I think the water intake needs a little more thought. But let’s just for now stick to a minimum of 8 glasses per day to be safe. 🙂
 

Stay tuned for a follow-up post and video next week of what I ate during the cleanse and more tips!

So that’s it! These are just a few tips and tricks that you might consider if you’re thinking of doing any type of cleanse. I hope it helps you decide if a cleanse is best for you, and makes you think more in depth about how you might need to customize your plan. If you have further questions, comment below!

xoxo,

Fifi