Day 3
Pre-cleanse Prep Day 3
Nutritional bandits gum up our body signals, confuse our internal conversation, create a toxic overload in the body, and rob us of our health when consumed regularly. Today we take a look at "nutritional bandits" 3 and 4, caffeine and sugar, and listen to a YouTube video titled “Gentle With Myself”.
Nutritional Bandit 3: Caffeine
"Caffeine is an addictive drug that is just one more source of toxins for your liver to process. If you want to maximize your chances of staying healthy, do not drink or eat anything that contains caffiene."
- 101 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH
Caffeine is a chemical stimulant that increases activity in certain parts of the brain and central nervous system. It is is found in:
Coffee
Tea
colas and sodas
Chocolate and cocoa
Herbs such as yerba mate and guarana root
Analgesics such as Excedrin and many over-the-counter stimulants
Billions of people consume caffeine everyday, with coffee being the second-most consumed beverage on earth second only to water. While there is some evidence for the positive effects of a SMALL amount of caffeine (no matter what you may read on the internet, magazines, etc.), unfortunately it is often consumed in LARGER quantities for its stimulant effect which allows people to push themselves beyond their normal capacity. And since most caffeine products have no nutrients to support that increased activity it can be very depleting.
As with any drug, caffeine is highly addictive — requiring more and more to produce the same effect. It also creates the “fight or flight” stress response causing the body to become highly acidic - which is the basis for all disease.
Common health problems are headaches and migraines, irritability, stomach and digestive problems, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart palpitations and heart disease. It over-stimulates the adrenals and then weakens them with persistent or chronic use causing hormonal imbalances and is a major factor in breast, uterine and prostrate cancer. It is a nervous system stimulant, affects blood sugar balance, restricts proper functioning of the liver, constricts arterial blood flow, depletes B vitamins, calcium, and potassium. And, with regards to coffee, it's REALLY dehydrating - and contains rancid oils from roasting the beans, irritating acids, and toxic chemicals used in the growing and marketing of it. In general, it wreaks havoc with our system and, because it causes the stress hormone cortisol to be released, it makes it very difficult to shed extra weight.
"In reality, caffeine doesn't give you energy - it gives you stress. I see so many people that try to eat well and exercise intelligently, but have trouble making progress because of a stress filled life. The total stress is cumulative, so coffee becomes fuel for the fire."
- SCOTT HAGNAS, CROSS FIT PORTLAND
HERE ARE SOME LINKS IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION:
HEALTH EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON THE BODY (PLUS HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES)
DEPENDENCY AND WITHDRAWAL — DETOXING FROM CAFFEINE
Acid/Alkaline Rating: Highly acid forming!!!
If you are consuming caffeine frequently, begin to reduce the amount to lessen the withdrawal symptoms when you eliminate it completely for your 2 week cleanse. This is especially an important one to reduce gradually as detoxing from caffeine usually causes a pretty severe headache.
If you’d like a caffeine-free energy boost, try Eleuthero Root (aka Siberian Ginseng) or Ginseng Root Extract, or Peppermint or Licorice Root tea — all of which are non-toxic and actually GOOD for you and your adrenals! (Please note that none of these - or caffeine for that matter - are recommended for people with high blood pressure.)
Nutritional Bandit 4: Sugar
"Treat sugar like an illicit drug, a kind of legal form of heroin, a dark force to be avoided,and a substance whose use leads to physical ruin."
- DR. FRANK LIPMAN
Sugar has been branded more addictive than heroin. It is slowly killing us and is found in:
sodas
pastries
candies
cookies and all baked goods
syrups
jellies and jams
many condiments
baby food and more
While pure maple syrup and raw honey are considered to be healthier choices when it comes to sweeteners, refined sugar (raw, brown, natural, sucanat, and white sugar) are all stripped of most nutritional benefits and add nothing but calories to your body. In addition, they leach minerals and nutrients from our bodies, and turn into unhealthy fat when digested. (It’s also important to note that most processed foods contain added sugar and/or break down into sugar in the body as well.)
ALL forms of “sugar” are highly addictive, offering a false energy lift that lets you down even lower than you started. They also cause the body to become highly acidic - which is the basis for all disease.
Common health problems are diabetes, hypoglycemia, high cholesterol and heart disease, obesity, inflammation, nearsightedness, eczema and dermatitis, digestive problems, bacterial and yeast infections, tooth decay, nervous system disorders, mental illness, and cancer. It promotes the storage of fat, depletes the body of calcium and B vitamins, over-stimulates the hormonal glands, the pancreas and the adrenals, and depresses the immune system.
HERE ARE SOME LINKS IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION:
SUGAR DETOX: 4 WAYS TO BALANCE SUGAR CRAVINGS
8 STEPS TO KICK YOUR SUGAR CRAVINGS TO THE CURB
AGAVE: A TRIUMPH OF MARKETING OVER TRUTH
Acid/Alkaline Rating: Highly acid forming!!
If you are consuming “sweeteners” frequently, begin to reduce the amount to lessen the withdrawal symptoms when you eliminate it completely for your 2 week cleanse. For the Cleanse Program we will eliminate ALL forms of sweeteners — including honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut palm sugar, etc.
If you would like to use something to sweeten (perhaps in your herbal tea), you can use PURE Stevia. It doesn't have any adverse effect on your blood sugar and can be found at many stores or online. (Trader Joe’s has an ORGANIC powdered Stevia that is pure, but the REGULAR Stevia they sell has other ingredients so choose carefully.)
Gentle With Myself
“Remember this is not about perfection. It’s about having a bad day and picking yourself up with love. It’s remembering that tomorrow is a new day. Regardless of your slip-ups, you don’t check out, you don’t quit, and you don’t overburden yourself with guilt or self-loathing. You might want to reread that last sentence.”
— JO SCHAALMAN AND JULIE PELEAZ
I’m sharing this beautiful song by Karen Drucker with you today as a reminder to be gentle with yourself in this process:
Check-in:
If you have time and haven’t already done so, I encourage you to read the extra links provided today, especially if these “nutritional bandits” are big ones for you. Again, knowledge is power! Tomorrow we’ll be looking at refined & processed foods and gluten — 2 more big ones!
Remember that we are GRADUALLY reducing these “nutritional bandits” and starting to focus on fresh organic vegetables and fruits, non-gluten whole grains, raw nuts & seeds, legumes, and good quality protein and fats. We’ll get into more specifics about those next week, but for now just start moving in that direction. If you want to get some ideas for “cleanse friendly” foods and recipes in the meantime, visit:
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