The words cleanse, detox and rejuvenate are all consistently being thrown our way, and for a very valid reason as well. Cleansing helps us clean the body from the inside and gives the body the boost you feel it may be needing.

You know the body is due for a cleanse if any of the following symptoms arise:

*Tiredness

*Lethargy

*Feeling ‘heavy’ in the body & mind

*Lack of positivity

*Lots of illness/dis-ease

*Lack of feeling at ease

There are all sorts of cleanses and detox’s out there so take your time and experiment with the one that works for you. It’s of utmost importance to set your mind strong before you get started. Feeding your body thought’s like ‘I’ll give it a try’, ‘I’ll never be able to do this for a whole week’, ‘It’s going to be so difficult’, is not going to make the cleanse any easier for yourself. Remember that the body listens to what you say and think. Lie to it if need be to make things easier for yourself. This is called the placebo effect. Whatever you believe will work. Your ‘internal pharmacy’ is incredibly powerful!

If you feel you need the support, ask a friend to join in on the cleanse or have a nutritionist guide you through one. Be aware of spending time with people who are NOT supportive of your goal, this will only make things harder. There are also many books and videos you can use to keep you on track (recommended list below).

I’ve experimented with all sorts of cleanses. The intensity of the cleanse really depends on what your diet is like in your everyday life. In my opinion going from eating meat & processed foods regularly to just raw veg could be a bit too drastic on the system. I would advise to gradually cut down on your meat, fish & processed food intake (alcohol,diary products coffee, sweet & savoury snacks) before you do the cleanse. This allows your body to slowly adjust and it won’t feel like you’re letting go of too much all at once, which the body doesn’t respond all that well to.

Slow n Steady wins the race.

Once you feel you’ve taken a week or two to ween the body off of meat, fish & processed foods, begin to search for some recipes on salads and soups. Take a trip down to your local health food store and veg shop to stock up.

I personally found that raw food worked best for me, but I have experimented with all sorts so choose something that isn’t too drastic, that you can imagine yourself following. There are HEAPS of great healthy cookbooks, recipes and even youtube videos to help you out, it’s so attainable that there really is no excuse for not finding what you need right at your fingertips.

Also, be sure to implement some yoga & light exercise which will propel your cleanse into an even better space. Be sure to get to sleep at a reasonable hour and wake up just after sunrise. Be supportive of yourself. The gains are well worth the ride. I always feel ‘electric’ during a cleanse, it’s like I can physically feel all the cells in my body booting around to some disco ;). I found that initially I went a bit mushy in the brain while my body was letting go of toxicity buildup, so hang tight. The courage comes in breaking through the barrier. Once that barrier is broken the mind is as sharp as that good knife you love so much. Your body & mind will soon be working at their optimus levelus. You’ll notice your eyes and days grow brighter as the haze fades away. Your friends will notice how awesome you look and how brainy you’ve become 😉

Remember how you feel is not only great for you, but great for everyone else you spend your time with. Energy is contagious.

Think BIG

ACT small

My suggested daily cleanse program:

*When you wake up, head to the kitchen for a nice glass of fresh lemon squeezed in room temperature water.

*Oil Pull (optional but so effective in aiding the release of toxicity)

1 tablespoon of coconut oil swooshing around in your mouth, pulling between your teeth for 20 mins. All the toxins are drawn out of the body, the bacteria is cleared from your mouth, your teeth will feel and look squeaky clean. DON’T SWALLOW! Once you spit out the white foam that’s built up from the ‘pulling’ be sure to rinse your sink with something antibacterial and give your mouth a good rinsing too. For more on oil pulling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaX-TYtI0qw

*Meditation/ Yoga/Light exercise

*BREAKFAST smoothie (ideas for recipes in books below or just google away)

My favourite is:

GREEN MACHINE

*1/2 an avocado

*1 stalk celery

*bunch of parsley

*bunch of rucola

* 1/2 grapefruit

* 1 tsp coconut oil

*1 tsp wheatgrass

* 1 cup of water

*Whiz it up in your blender of choice and send it down the hatch. Be ready for a burst of GREEN

*Drink  PLENTY of water throughout the day. Feel free to add in lemon juice, a cucumber slice, a piece of parsley or basil to flavour it a wee bit. Sometimes I throw in some berries too.

* LUNCH

*Salad with vegetables in season. You can choose to steam some of those veggies too. My favourite is steamed asparagus and broccoli set on a bed of crispy green leaves. Sprinkle on a bit of shredded coconut and add on this dressing…

TAHINI & GINGER DRESSING

1 x teaspoon TAHINI

1 x teaspoon coconut oil

1 x pinch of sea salt

a wee bit of chopped ginger

1 x squeezed lemon

*More and more water. Pamper yourself with a massage, or reflexology during your cleanse as well.

* DINNER

*Raw soup

Choose vegetables of your choice. Chop them up nice and small and place them in your blender with some water and spices. Easy peasy and very filling.

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Let your creative side play around with different vegetable combinations for the salads & soups.

On the very last day of your cleanse I suggest preparing a litre of water with the juice of x 1 lemon squeezed into it and 1 x tablespoon of sea salt. Mix it up and drink it within an hour. Be sure to be beside a bathroom for the final release *wink*wink*

S H I N E     O N

Recommended list of videos, books & blogs:

* A documentary on the placebo effect and how important your thoughts are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5ZU0GSoeo8

* A great book on the food systems and supper foods (this was like a bible for me):

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sunfood-Diet-Success-System/dp/1556437498

* Healthy Recipe Book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Honestly-Healthy-your-body-alkaline/dp/1906417814

* Healthy food blog with recipes

http://nadisunshine.wordpress.com/

* CLEAN – a great book on cleansing and why we should do it. Incredibly supportive to read during your cleanse to keep you on track.