Since I’ve been nursing/pregnant for the past 5 years (how many times have I mentioned that over the past week?!!) and finally I’m NOT, I felt it an appropriate time to focus on eating very simple, whole, mostly raw foods, to give my body a little breather, and to reconnect to my senses. Before childbearing duties hit me, fasting (which I consider the best form of “cleansing” if you want to call it that) was a regular part of my religious practice. I did it at least monthly for religious/spiritual reasons, but there were certainly physical benefits as well, and I missed being able to do this because of pregnancy/breastfeeding.
So for the past week I’ve been doing a cleanse and it has been an enlightening experience. It’s caused me to realize when I’m truly hungry, and given me an opportunity to “reset” my taste buds (when I eat food I really TASTE it) and appetite. I became more aware that often I eat compulsively, or for other reasons other than the fact that my body needs food for calories/nutrients. Also, I noticed my cravings for sugar were completely gone, and I became satisfied eating much significantly less food than I’m used to (although I am ready to go back to eating normally again!).
What I would have liked to have done is a water-only fast. I’ve researched water-only fasting a bit, and believe there is a great deal of benefit that can come from a supervised water fast, but since I still remain a very active person, I didn’t find that practical as I don’t have the luxury of sleeping and resting more than usual (which is a good idea while fasting) or consuming only water, while also teaching fitness classes (sometimes several in a day) and taking care of my busy young children.
So my cleanse has consisted of mostly juicing and raw foods during the day and starches/veggies such as sweet potatoes, squash, and millet at night. I also used some herbs/psyllium husk (Arise & Shine brand) that are helpful for a cleanse.
I should note though, that I think cleansing has often been misused. Instead of addressing learning how to eat properly on a day-to-day basis, people turn to expensive and sexy cleansing products and regimens and do the occasional cleanse and then go back to their less than ideal ways, thinking they are okay, that somehow these “cleanses” will counteract destructive eating behaviors.
Bottom line, in my mind: what you eat day in and day out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is much more important than doing an occasional cleanse. I think people often are willing to shell out money for fancy cleanses and products that have high (and often empty) promises. Also, I don’t think cleansing is a great way to lose weight (at least permanently), but an appropriate cleanse and/or fast may be helpful for other things.
The most important thing we can do is to learn how to eat optimally. That said, I do think there are physical, and more important spiritual benefits to periodic fasting/”cleansing,” or periods of refraining from foods or certain foods.
I am looking forward to returning to a wider varieties of foods again. I’m coming back with a greater appreciation for the taste and texture and fillingness (is that a word?) of food, as well as I better sense of what true hunger is.
RECOMMENDED READING for more info on water-fasting/conquering addictions (particularly food addiction): The Pleasure Trap, by Douglas Lisle. PhD.
For more on cleansing, I recommend checking out my friend Leanne’s Vibrant Life Cookbook, which includes all the info you need to do a 7-,9-, & 11- day cleanse.
