I’m sure by now most of us have heard about the practice of doing a “body cleanse”. A cleanse is simply giving your body the ability to better detoxify itself by eating foods to aid in that. The “norm” for a cleanse seems to be 7-10 days… although there are some “super cleanses” out there for only 48 hours.

We all know there are times we eat things we shouldn’t… overly processed foods loaded with additives. Over time, things like this wreak havoc on your body. Think of it as a tap with running water. Now start adding tar to that tap…. Eventually the water flow will slow, and then stop. The whole concept of the cleanse is giving your body the ability to clear out that tar so you’re running smoothly again! Specific health benefits of cleanse include ridding your body of excess waste, (because really… who wants to carry THAT around), increased energy levels, stronger immune system, sharper mental focus, and clearer skin and shinier hair. There are cleanses that range from only eating certain foods to making special drinks and completely fasting. Different approaches work for different people, but the bottom line is that a cleanse should make you feel better, not worse. And if you’re trying to do something that just isn’t manageable for you, you’re more prone to failure… as well as never doing it again.

I’ll be honest… when I first heard of cleanses, I felt it would be a waste of time. After all, being healthy isn’t about what you do for part of the time, but all of the time. And really, how could something you only commit to for one week make THAT much of a difference? However, I’m a firm believer of “don’t knock it till you try it”… so in the interest of science, health, and something new to blog about… I’ve searched out a seven day cleanse that I will be taking part in. Today being day one. Each day I will write about what this particular cleanse has me do… how I’m feeling… if I’ve noticed any differences to my sleep patterns, energy levels, or weight, and exactly how many plates of nachos I’ve dreamt about. Next week I will post my results, so that you can decide for yourself if it’s something you want to try too!

 

*Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius  / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Source Url: http://gobelmont.ca/to-cleanse-or-not-to-cleanse/