Keys To A Successful 3-Day Cleanse

Post by: Sharon McDonald in All, Whole-istic Health

Consistent action is what keeps our health vibrant, constant, and helps our bodies adjust to the changes we have going on inside and outside. That's why I've put together a 3-day cleanse to help clear out bad habits and get you back on your healthy track.

This gentle cleanse will help your body be high functioning as the miracle machine that it is. Positive thinking right from the start, so, with that said, it's time to get you back on track with your healthy body and healthy mind, right?

Here are 12 reasons to do a gentle cleanse:

Gently ease back into life after a holiday
Eliminate toxins
Aide the body in a state of ‘FUNction’
Gives the body space and time to heal
Reset the body’s digestive system
Reset the body's lymphatic system
Aides the body in boosting the immune system
Fills the body with nutrient dense foods for energy
Helps decrease inflammation
Gives the gut a rest
Allows the bowels to rest
Cleans the pallet from sugar-laden fluff

Many of you are rolling your eyes thinking “starvation” and eating foods that taste terrible. Think again! This foodie and recovering anorexic has taken an oath to eat well the rest of her life and LOVE it!! A gentle cleanse is just that, gentle.

Here is the scoop, your body can effectively detox while eating delicious, whole, and nourishing foods. We are simply removing any foods that would typically cause inflammation in the gut and bowel. I have included cooling foods that are packed with nutrients, vitality, and living energy so that the gut can heal and you can manage this super simple process.

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 from both ends lately (like I do often), a three day cleanse can have you feeling a tiny bit tired as toxins begin to leave your body. A helpful 'food for thought' tip, please try to cleanse on 'non-demanding' work days or days you can allow your body and mind to rest at the same time.

Guidelines For Simplicity:

For three days, you will have a filling and a nutrient dense smoothie or shake for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a warm buddha bowl for dinner. In general, eat as much as desired at each meal–enough to feel satisfied until your next meal.

'My expertise tip...avoid snacking between meals. If you’re feeling a wee-bit hangry, dizzy, moody, nauseous or uncomfortable during this cleanse, it may be due to low blood sugar. That can be managed by including good fats at mealtime.

If you cannot wrap your mind around 3 square healthy meals and need a snack, try ½ an avocado with lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper on it.

Hangry Tip: Make lunch your largest meal of the day. Either a salad with many greens or a Buddha bowl with loads of roasted pumpkin or sweet potato and kitchari.

I learned about kitchari (Kitch-uh-ree) when traveling through India in 2017 for a month. It is a traditional Ayurvedic detox food containing a mixture of rice, beans, and gorgeous spices. It’s high in protein, very easy to digest and healing for the digestive tract and cooling to the organs. Split yellow mung dal beans (called split peas in the supermarkets) are much more digestible and detoxifying than other beans, like lentils, whole mung beans, and others. If you don’t eat pulses, then you can make the kitchari without the mung dal beans.

How To Make Your Cleanse Successful

I want you to understand that food is a mental thing. I get it. We control love and live through food. However, a key element to your body feeling full and fulfilled with your cleanse is to focus on your meal without distractions. Try not to eat in front of the computer, while reading a book or watching TV.

Water is vital for our organs. I would suggest aiming to drink 2 liters of plain, filtered water each day to ensure proper hydration. If water is not your thing, try putting essential oils in it. Check out these essential oils that are delicious in water: Tangerine, Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, Lime, Cinnamon or Cassia and a metabolic blend from doTERRA called, Slim and Sassy, they will help flush toxins from your system as well.

Did you know that 75% of the population, suffer from mild dehydration? Chronic dehydration leads to poor health, aches and pains, low energy, mental fogginess, and even serious diseases of all types. Our brains and organs need water and good fats to be vibrant and healthy, water is definitely essential.

Pure water helps our bodies detoxify. The water helps separate blood platelets and floods fatty tissues where toxins often accumulate, this is where “brown fat” stays stored, just under the skin and causes that “ripple” or “cottage cheese” effect so many of us do not like. Even “creping” is a form of dehydration. While undergoing any kind of detox protocol, drinking more pure water is vital. I also love Ashley Black’s Fasciablaster.

Pro Tip: Drink warm water, especially in the morning. My go to is a drop of ginger and 3-5 drops of lemon essential oil under my tongue. This combo softens the intestinal tract, moves the lymph and hydrates the body’s cells much more effectively than cold water. There are certain digestive teas which are also wonderful for cleansing, such as calendula or dandelion root.

Foods To Avoid

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 to set your intention and just have quiet space.
Optional: Upon waking, do oil pulling with coconut oil (adding copaiba essential oil or DDR Prime, a cellular blend from doTERRA if you can).
Brush your teeth (my favorite is On Guard Tooth-whitening Toothpaste).
Drink 2 cups of warm water with the juice of half a lemon (or the 1-5 drops of lemon essential oil under the tongue) to gently cleanse the digestive tract and kick-start your metabolism.
BREAKFAST: Have your green smoothie or a trim shake with a scoop of TerraGreens 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 bone broth half an hour later.
After dinner, try to begin your wind-down. Don’t spend hours in front of the TV, your phone scrolling, or a laptop or tablet. This is a timeout for your entire body and mind.
No screen time at ALL for the last 30 minutes prior to getting into bed.
A wonderful option: Have a shower before bed, dry-brushing if you can prior to getting in the shower. Apply organic oils such as fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond, jojoba or apricot kernel oil mixed with pure 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, cedarwood, vetiver or frankincense or doTERRA’s Serenity, a calming blend that is one of my go-to sleepy oils.
Lights off by 10 pm. Your body repairs and detoxifies while sleeping, so be sure to get plenty of rest throughout the cleanse.

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):

Use Mostly:

Alfalfa
Baby Spinach
Cucumber
Endive
Rocket
Raddichio
Watercress Fresh green herbs

Use Some:

Roasted Pumpkin sweet potato
Roasted Sweet Potato
Kitchari
Avocado

Use A Little

Strawberries
Olive or Avocado Oil
Organic balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar with the mother
Sesame seeds

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 like pastries, biscuits, junk food, lollipops, or alcohol.

I recommend that you go gently into your following days, committing to crowding in more healing behaviors such as eating more vegetables, healing broths, waste elimination beverages such as dandelion root or calendula teas. Juicing is one of my favorite ways to end a fast before putting food in my belly. Using green apples, lemons, celery, cucumbers, and kale is a great way to boost the cleanse and refresh your system with the goodness of fresh greens.

I hope you share with me your success, how are you using your essential oils for releasing weight, toxic thoughts or just everyday cleansing tips you have!

Have a healthy glow kind of day friends!

Oxo

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