Before
We can’t stress it enough: preparation is key! The more prepared you are before your cleanse, the smoother the transition will be.
A few days leading up to your cleanse, start reducing your usual indulgences: coffee, sugar, alcohol, refined starches and all animal products such as meat and dairy. Instead, start adding more fruits and veggies to your meals.
Three days before your cleanse, it is still ok to have some steamed or grilled fish but stay away from meat products. Two days before your cleanse, your meals should be consisting of salads with simple dressings and raw or steamed vegetables. Take advantage of your last day of solids with a lovely mixed salad or already start transitioning into liquids with a warming vegetable soup. Your goal for those three days is to really eat as clean as you possibly can.
Hydration is not only important during your cleanse, but also before. Replace your morning coffee with a cup of herbal tea or warm water with a pinch of freshly squeezed lemon, and try to drink at least two liters of water per day.
During
It’s important to stay hydrated, by drinking 2 to 3 liters of water a day. Hydration is an essential ally. So if you like herbal tea, drink as much as you like!
Try to keep your schedule as light as possible. Often, symptoms of fatigue are present on the first and second day of the cleanse! But this is perfectly normal! If you like to exercise, stick to moderate exercises such as yoga, pilates or a refreshing walk outside.
For an even more complete cleanse experience, you can remove impurities from your body by exfoliating your skin every morning before showering. You can also enjoy a massage or head for the sauna. Give yourself a mental break by sitting comfortably in the middle of your bed with a good book!
While we recommend eliminating all solid foods, we realize that sometimes you just can’t resist. Instead of throwing the towel, try this instead:
- Add a pinch of sea salt to your beverages for extra boost.
- If you feel like something warm, have a miso soup or vegetable broth.
- Have a couple of slices of cut up cucumber, celery or bell pepper, or a few raw almonds or dried fruits (natural with no sugar!)
- Also, don’t wait until you are really hungry. You are better of grabbing an apple when little hunger comes than rushing to a heavy fatty meal which you will not appreciate after all
After
Now that you’ve done all this amazing work on revamping your system, we want to make sure you are prepared to “break your cleanse” in an appropriate manner in order to maximize the effects of your cleanse.
It’s best to break your cleanse very gently. Just like during your preparation, start slowly and try to eat as clean as possible. Keep the pre-cleanse diet in mind and avoid the same list of foods such as meat, poultry, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods.
Start with fresh fruits and a salad with raw veggies on the first day, then slowly work your way up to cooked veggies on the second day. You can start eating animal products from day three onwards, but opt for steamed fish instead of beef, pork or chicken.
