Rentin’ Movies and Drinkin’ Smoothies

I am embarking on a three week cleanse and Brian commented that all I would be doing for the next month is ‘renting movies and drinking smoothies,’ to which I promptly replied, ‘Thank you, that will make an excellent blog title.’

I have wanted to do a full cleanse and detox for many years, but I could never seem to find the right one for me or the right time to do it. I realized there will never be a good time to do a cleanse; there is always something in the way. A birthday, a concert, a dinner, the Stanley Cup Playoffs (Yeah, that is a tough one. Watching hockey without a beer?!). But I set the date and am motivated and determined, so I will keep my commitment.

Why am I doing this? Mostly because I haven’t felt quite right for a good long while now, which has mostly manifested in the form of fatigue. I don’t wake up with the same energy I used to and I am experiencing some allergies which I have never had before. I am hoping a cleanse might remedy these issues and simply help me feel better and have more energy. Just as we spring clean our homes and our lives, I feel it is important to do the same for our bodies. Get all the toxicities out and start fresh.

The cleanse I have chosen is called the Clean Program, designed by Dr. Alejandro Junger. It appeals to me because you get to eat real food and it simply makes sense. I’ve seen too many people do all-liquid cleanses like the Master Cleanse and be absolutely miserable or unable to stay active while doing it.

Essentially, on the Clean Program, you have two liquid meals (a smoothie and a soup) and one regular meal and you can snack as much as you need. There is a list of foods you can and cannot eat during the program, which is called The Elimination Diet (this can also be used as a cleanse in itself). The foods you cannot eat are hard-to-digest foods and allergens like wheat, dairy, eggs, red meat, soy products, and sugar to name a few. I won’t lie, the ‘Exclude’ list of foods is long and begs the question, ‘what will I eat?’ I am an egg-on-toast, breakfast burrito, oatmeal, yogurt and granola, banana kinda girl for breakfast, none of which are allowed on the Program. The ‘Include’ list however, is also lengthy and consists of organic vegetables, brown rice and other grains like quinoa, beans, fish and lean protein, fruits and nuts. The great thing about Clean is that it is flexible.  It is recommended, and you will get the best results, by having a smoothie for breakfast, a solid meal for lunch and a soup for dinner. However, if your schedule doesn’t allow it, you can switch up the solid and liquid meals, as long as you make sure most of your days during the cleanse are in the recommended order. Having the liquid meal for dinner sets you up for optimal overnight detoxing.

The recipes in the Clean book are fantastic and adaptable.  Last night for dinner Brian and I had roasted cilantro chicken breast with an avocado, mango, and papaya salsa, brown rice and grilled asparagus, spinach and broccoli. If you are an active person, no need to fret, you can still maintain the same level of exercise, just be sure to double or triple your meal portions.

What is the point of cleansing you might wonder. Here are the five essential functions of detoxification from Dr. Junger’s book on page 133:

1. Reduce the workload of digestion – The small daily loss of energy funds to allergy responses, even if you don’t overtly feel them happening, is taking its energy toll and contributing to the dullness that most of us experience day in and day out. Consuming less solid food and leaving out irritants lead to a reallocation of energy to the processes of detoxification.
2. Restore the twelve hour window – After the signal to enter detox mode starts, around eight hours after your last meal, the typical modern body needs about four hours to do a deep cleaning. Few of us get this today, because we snack and drink until late at night.(Dr. Junger says if we want to do any one thing for our health, this is an important one.)
3. Rebuild the inner environment – Acidity is lowered, the intestinal flora is rebalanced in favor of the beneficial bacteria, and the intestinal wall gets a chance to heal. Creating this balanced and stable environment reduces cravings for the foods that cause toxicity which supports long term maintenance of a clean state.
4. Support the liver – Nutrients are delivered that ensure that the liver can perform phase 1 and 2 functions efficiently, keeping you safe.
5. Enhance elimination – Once toxins are released and neutralized, they must be discarded along with their mucus coating.

Currently, I am in the initial “Elimination Diet” stage of the cleanse, (eating solid meals only from the ‘Include list’) which simply eases you into the program. Next week I will begin the liquid meals, although I am already trying out some of the smoothie and juice recipes.  I consider myself fairly healthy to begin with (limited dairy, caffeine, red meat, sugar, processed foods etc.) so I am four days in and feeling good.

Wish me luck!

Here is an good interview with Dr. Junger if you’re interested in doing Clean yourself. Or, just go pick up the book, which has all the information you need. There is also a “kit” you can buy with supplements, but it is not mandatory.