To cleanse or not to cleanse?

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by Angelle

Please note that this information is provided as a guideline only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own intuition, nutritionist, physician or trained professional. If you have special circumstances or in doubt whether this is for you, consult a professional before starting a program/cleanse. Good luck!

There is nothing quite like the euphoric feeling that results from a
good cleanse. That feeling of being so clean physically and clear
mentally. So why not try them all…

The Fast: This is first cleanse I ever tried and still do it from time to time. Fasting is a period of abstinence from all food or specific items.

The first few days of a fast can be rough due to the quantity of waste passing into the blood stream. I felt tired, hungry, and headachy. After the third day of the fast, there was little desire for food and my energy was back up. I felt light and clear.

http://falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm

The juice fast: Juice fasting is a type of fasting and detox diet in which the practitioner consumes only fruit and vegetable juices.

I can only do this for 2 days then I get sick of juice and get really hungry and end up eating worse then I did before the fast. Be careful of drinking to much fruit juice and becoming a sugar addict.  http://altmedicine.about.com/od/detoxcleansing/a/juice_fasting.htm

The raw diet: The raw food diet is a diet based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, and seaweed. Food is Not Heated above 116 degrees F.
I love the raw diet I go 2 weeks to a month on this a feel amazing but it tends to be hard on my digestion to stay on this cleanse.

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/dietandfitness/experts/nutrexpert/articles/0,,282_598387,00.html

The lemonade cleanse: No solid foods are allowed, nor are any supplements. You consume only the Master Cleanse elixir to keep you hydrated.The plan calls for you to drink 6 or more servings daily of the lemonade drink. The only other options are a “salt water flush” of 2 teaspoons salt mixed in a quart of water in the morning, and an herbal laxative tea at night, if needed.
I didn’t feel the beniftis that results from this, as I felt from the other cleanses. And I ened up craving sugar sugar sugar?! Maybe it was all the syrup? And I still have trouble taking down anything that has cayenne pepper, yuck!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-lemonade-diet-master-cleanse-diet

The olive oil cleanse: involves drinking a combination of olive oil, Epsom salt and some type of fruit juice over several days.
Never again!! after following the directions to a T. I never felt so sick in my life as a result of drinking Epsom salt, dry heaving olive oil and not being able to leave the bano. I was so hungry the next day I ate an entire vegan pizza for breakfast.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gallbladder-cleanse/AN01283

Colon cleanse: Colonic irrigation or colon hydrotherapy, also known as a colonic, is an alternative medicine practice which involves flushing the colon with warm filtered water. The colonic removes a buildup of waste which supporters of the practice believe is harmful for digestive and general health.

I love this but only do it once a year If, I really need it. I generally feel tired after. I take really good care of myself and eat very cleanly to replenish my system.

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/coloncleanse/a/colonic.htm

Detox tea: Yogi Detox tea is the best! I take it before bed.

The complete cleanse supplements: These don’t work for me other than make me bloated and you can’t really eat while taking them.

The coconut oil cleanse: A coconut oil cleanse is a method that replaces regular food with coconut oil, usually for about 3-7 days.

I love this but only made it 2 days. On the first day I felt tired and moody but not really hungry. By day 2 I was happy and felt great. I’m going back on this one…

This entry was written by admin, posted on November 3, 2009 at 9:39 pm, filed under Food, Nutrition, Santa Barbara and tagged , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Q & A Detox

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By Teri Tom, RD

For an article in Woman’s Day Magazine.  Can you answer?:

Q:  I’m looking for qualified health experts (dietitians, nutritionists, nurses or doctors) who can comment on some of the more popular detox and cleanse diets out there and give their recommendations about the dos and don’ts of each (from the master cleanse to detox teas)–are they healthy or not? What are the recommendation and warnings about them?

A:  This is a loaded question, as my usual stock answer applies here as well—“it depends…”  On what the person is trying to do, where their current health is, pre-existing conditions, etc.  I think the Master Cleanse for a limited time is not a bad way to reset your taste buds and caloric intake and to give your poor Gastro Intestinal Tract a break. But if you have any issues with blood sugar, be careful.  I also think gout can be an unpleasant side effect as you are breaking down muscle on so little calories, which can elevate your uric acid levels.  And if muscle loss is a concern, this is not the cleanse for you.  I just see too much muscle loss to recommend for some people.

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on October 31, 2009 at 10:16 am, filed under Food, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Nutrition and tagged , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.