Day 1
Pre-cleanse Prep Day 1
The program begins with 9 days of "pre-cleanse preparation" - so you can mentally and physically prepare before starting the actual 2 week "cleanse". This portion is packed with information to support you in making BIG changes, so be prepared to spend about a 1/2 hour per day on the material. After that, it’s more about “doing” rather than reading. Go slow, take your time, and feel free to email me with any questions you may have about the information.
Throughout the program you will see additional “links if you would like more information”. These are there for you if you have the interest and time to read them or if you feel that you need more information to support you with the topic at hand. However, feel free to skip them, especially if you begin to feel overwhelmed. You’ll have access to all of the information in the future, so you can always go back and read them later if you desire.
Let’s get started…
Why Holistic Nutrition?
“What we eat has a profound and lasting influence on our health. Food becomes either our greatest ally or our greatest enemy. The decision is ours. Adults and children alike must know that what we eat is the foundation to either illness or health.”
– RAY STRAND, M.D.
DNA IS NOT DESTINY! Inherited genetic tendencies only account for 25% of our total health picture. We are in control of the remaining 75% - 25% positive attitude and 50% diet, supplements, and lifestyle choices. So, the best and least expensive kind of health reform is taking responsibility for our own health.
The Greek physician Hippocrates said that FOOD should be our first and foremost important medicine.
Achieving optimal health is only possible when our internal systems have a consistent supply of everything they need to function well. Poor health is a sign of a core imbalance that must be healed. Chronic stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, environmental toxins, emotional burdens, hormone shifts, inadequate detoxification, altered brain chemistry, GI issues, inflammation, and impaired adrenal function are the major root causes of core imbalances. Remove the imbalance, provide the body with the nutrients it needs, and the body will begin to function more efficiently and health will be restored.
So, no matter what the health condition, we start with EATING FOR HEALTH…
Detoxification
"Detoxification does not have to be an unpleasant experience and does not have to be performed while on a fast. Actually the best approach is to detoxify gradually."
~ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NATURAL MEDICINE
Detoxification is how our bodies handle waste.
Our detoxification system, which includes our liver, kidneys, digestion, circulation, lymph, lungs and skin, is responsible for processing toxins. Toxins are any substances that create irritating and/or harmful effects in the body, undermining our health, or stressing our biochemical or organ functions. They occur on two basic levels. Externally we breathe them, ingest them, or come into physical contact with them. Internally our own body produces them through normal everyday functions. In addition, our thoughts, feelings, and stress all generate even more toxins.
The ability to detoxify and eliminate toxins largely determines an individual’s health.
Normally, a healthy functioning body is created to handle certain levels of toxins in a continual process in the body. However, an excessive intake or production of toxins OR a reduction is the process of elimination is where we get into trouble. As toxins accumulate, they slow down our metabolism, rob us of our energy, reduce our immunity, and can even lead to serious illness.
Optimally, one should cleanse and detoxify the body 2-3 times a year for general maintenance. During a “cleanse” the body, in its infinite wisdom, decomposes and burns only the substances and tissues that are damaged, diseased, or unneeded. As a result, one experiences increased health, energy, and vitality. Just as we need to balance activity with rest, it’s a good practice to give our body a vacation from the substances that stress it, so it can do its job better.
What Is Nutritional Cleansing?
"There is no more powerful way to improve your health than through a nutritional cleansing program."
~ CELLULAR CLEANSING MADE EASY
Nutritional cleansing is a gradual and supportive process where we boost the body's natural detox capabilities using certain nutrition and lifestyle guidelines that have been found to be effective for flushing the body of built-up toxins. First, we intentionally minimize/remove certain toxic foods, habits, and influences for a designated period of time. Second, we intentionally bring in healthy foods, habits, and techniques that are well known to cleanse, nourish, and regenerate the body.
This approach allows the body to both cleanse and build health at the same time.
A nutritional cleanse is akin to a human body oil change. We would never consider driving our car decade after decade without changing the oil. Our bodies need regular maintenance as well. Each of us is exposed to hundreds of toxins every day - from the food we eat, to the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to the items we touch. If we don't regularly cleanse our bodies of these harmful impurities we struggle to maintain good health.
Since ancient times, people have practiced cleansing and purifying to attain better health, a sharper mind, and heightened spirituality. This practice helps the body wash away the impurities that drag our energy and health down and can cause us to gain weight. In addition, nutritional cleansing brings the body into a balanced state so it can readily absorb quality nutrients at the cellular level, creating an environment where the body can heal itself.
Imagine the sense of vitality and well-being you'll experience when not asking your body to operate when bombarded with toxins and lugging around a lot of extra weight. Plus the changes that take place during a full body nutritional cleanse tend to be lasting changes as it promotes healthy dietary habits for the long term.
The Importance of Acid/Alkaline Balance
"All sickness and disease can be attributed to the over-acidification of the body."
~ DR. YOUNG
Over-acidity is very common today. It gives rise to an internal environment conducive to disease, as opposed to a pH balanced environment which allows the body to resist disease.
pH (potential of hydrogen) is the measurement of the acidity and alkalinity of the body. The scale ranges from 1–14 with 1 being very acid, 7 being neutral, and 14 being very alkaline. It is important to understand that we are not talking about stomach acid or the pH of the stomach, but rather the pH of the blood. The ideal blood pH level is 7.35, or slightly alkaline.
Our pH is one of the most important elements affecting our health and bodily functions. In fact, pH influences every physiological activity in the body. When we become too acidic, it draws alkaline minerals from the bones and tissues to neutralize these acids — leading, in the long term, to thinner bones and lower muscle mass. Overly acidic tissues also make one susceptible to inflammation (a known risk for many chronic diseases), impair enzymatic reactions in cells, and overload the lymphatic system, impeding the body's natural detoxification process. The body also tries to excrete these toxins, but when it becomes overloaded, it leads to all kinds of aches and pains, health problems, and weight gain as it tries to protect itself by surrounding these toxins with fat and water.
“When alkaline, red blood cells deliver oxygen to the tissues, collect carbon dioxide, and convey nutrients throughout the body. Each red blood cell is surrounded by a negative charge so they frantically bounce off each other delivering their goodness at high speed. The body is bursting with energy, has a bullet proof immune system, rapidly disposes of fat, and the skin, bones, and cells regenerate keeping us young.”
“When too acidic, red blood cells lose their negative charge and stick together. They sludge through the body at slow speed struggling to absorb water, nutrients, and oxygen. They can’t expel unhealthy toxins so poisoning starts, and we feel loss of energy even though we're getting enough sleep. We gain and hold onto fat, attract disease and viruses, and age quicker than we should.”
The pH scale is logarithmic - so pH 6 is 10 times more acidic than pH 7, meaning pH 5 is 100 times more acidic than pH 7, and pH 4 is 1,000 times more acidic and so on. Can you imagine how much more alkalinity it takes to neutralize/buffer something that is 1,000 or 10,000 times more acidic than pH7?
Diet, stress, emotions, lack of exercise, and over-exercise all lead to over-acidity. Anything that is stimulating can leave an acidic residue in our body, and any activities that are calming and relaxing can make us more alkaline.
What we eat and drink plays a major role in determining our pH level. The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the Standard American Diet, which is far too high in acid-producing foods like meat, eggs, and dairy, and far too low in alkaline-producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid-forming; and we use artificial chemical sweeteners which are extremely acid-forming.
While some acid forming foods are good and necessary for health (like most sources of protein), balance is the key. A good balance would be approx. 70% alkaline forming to 30% acid forming. Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet is the opposite of this and is a major factor in the health challenges we experience. One of the best things we can do to correct an over-acid body is to clean up our diet and lifestyle.
(Please note that it is the “end product” of digestion and assimilation that result in either an acid or alkaline forming effect (also referred to as acid ash or alkaline ash) not the pH of the food itself. For example, while a lemon is an acidic substance in and of itself, it produces an alkaline forming effect in your body.)
ALL of the “nutritional bandits” we’ll be reducing and then avoiding are acid forming, so following the guidelines of the 23 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER YOU! program will naturally begin to bring you into balance.
Supplements: (optional)
While you will receive significant benefit from just reducing or avoiding the “nutritional bandits” from your diet for a natural cleanse, you may want to give your body some extra support along the way and make the most of the journey, especially if you are new to the cleansing process.
4 REASONS TO PURCHASE A CLEANSE SUPPLEMENT KIT:
Herbs to help remove hardened toxic material from the gastrointestinal tract walls
Fiber supplement to attach to toxic material and remove it from the body
Herbs to support the organ systems involved in detoxification
To help keep us focused on our program
There are MANY cleanse supplement kits available for sale. Most are pretty gentle and last anywhere from 7-21 days. Renew Life is a 14 day whole body cleanse that would work perfectly with this program. People have reported that they are able to stick with the “cleanse” better when using the supplement kits. However, it is optional. Due to the herbs and fiber included in them, some people’s life/work situations don’t allow them the opportunity to take the numerous bathroom breaks that it requires. However, I strongly suggest that you at least support your system with some extra Buffered Vitamin C AND an herbal Detox Tea while it’s working hard to deal with the extra toxins you will be eliminating.
In addition, for general health, I suggest taking a good quality, high potency vitamin and mineral supplement with extra antioxidants, a fish or plant-based omega-3 supplement and, for vegetarians, a B-12 supplement. Formulas I like are Source Naturals Life Force Multiple (capsules), Vitacost Mega EFA or Deva Vegan Omega-3, and Pure Encapsulations B-12 Liquid.
If you are working personally with me as a nutrition client, then we will be discussing supplements for your special needs. But, if not, the above ones are a good place to start.
For more info about general supplements for optimal health, click HERE.
Getting Started
We begin by taking some time to educate and prepare ourselves. We do this by assessing where we are now, and then by starting to REDUCE the “nutritional bandits” that rob us of our health when consumed on a regular basis.
Click on the button below to download and print the You Are What You Eat questionnaire. After filling it out, reduce anything in the “daily” column by 1/2 for a few days, and then in 1/2 again for the next few days. Ideally, it would be great if you could get your consumption of these down to no more than 3–4 times next week. In the days to come, I will discuss each of these categories so you can learn more about how they rob you of your health to assist you in letting them go.
(PLEASE don’t go “cold turkey” off of any of the nutritional bandits - as it will probably result in a severe cleansing reaction, cause you to feel quite unwell, and possibly sabotage your efforts to improve your health.)
Check-in:
WOW! I know that’s a LOT of information – maybe even more than ½ an hour today! Take some time with it (and even re-read it) to help you understand it more deeply. I truly believe that nutrition education is the foundation for being successful in making healthy choices.
Be sure to print and fill out today's questionnaire and put it on your fridge as a daily reminder of what you need to start reducing.
Tomorrow we'll take a look at the first two "nutritional bandits", unfiltered water and alcohol, and an inspirational article titled, The Body Is Natural.
Feel free to comment below or email me to ask questions or share your thoughts and experiences ~ I’d love to hear from you!
Blessings, JoAnn