A fresh start for the year – a New Year Cleanse you can do at home

 

Thanks for asking me to put together a New Year Cleanse for Synthesis. I know how confusing it can be for most of us when it comes to the subject of cleansing or de-toxing. As a practicing doctor of Chinese medicine and Naturopathy for over 2 decades I have seen my fair share of cleanses and done many myself.

While many swear that this cleanse or that detox works the best, or that all you need to do is to take this supplement or that one, what they all have in common is:

• eating less
• eating more simply
• eating better
• eliminating junk food / sugar / refined food / acid forming food, dairy, gluten, preservatives and chemical additives etc, caffeine, alcohol and other artificial stimulants.

If you use your common sense you're going to generally feel and be much better off after doing any sort of cleanse or detox, simply because you have eliminated all of these types of toxic or toxin producing substances.

It is not so much what you do, but rather what you don't do!

That being said, if you also add some of the following insider tips to your programme, you're going to have excellent results with cleansing out the body, mind and spirit.

Remember, even de-toxing takes hard work. Consider what it takes to spring clean your house it's at least a hard days work and you may feel totally exhausted afterwards.

Be aware, there are times when your body is very weak and so if you do an extreme water or cold juice fast for a week or two you may feel worse because you body is just too toxic and weak to de-tox so intensively.

Taking into account that it takes a lot more nutrients to repair and rebuild diseases cells as it does to maintain them, you really need more nutrients on a cleanse than when you are not on one!

While some people with stronger constitutions (something that almost all de-toxes don't take into account is your constitution) can handle the extreme types of de-toxes, many can't, and some can even end up worse. So without further ado I want to share with you a cleanse that works for me and most of my clients. It's gentle, sensible and achievable, yet still pushes you to challenge yourself. It involves dedication but gives great results.

The Synthesis 7 Day Gentle Detox:

Cleansing the body with raw foods, juices and herbs is an excellent way to boost health.

Just like the vehicles we drive to work, our bodies also need servicing. Contrary to urban myths, the body does not automatically cleanse itself! Our bodies are bombarded daily with acidic, fast foods, chemical based personal care products, environmental pollution and stress. This results in pH reduction (acidity), low immunity triggering infections, metabolic changes, weight problems etc. and our organs can become congested with toxins and acid waste… resulting in dis-ease.

Truly one does not need sickness to be a motivator to cleanse (detox) - prevention is the ultimate cure!

Preparation is an important part of any cleansing program, therefore it is best to be ready for some of the reactions that may occur during cleansing. Head-aches, tiredness, irritability, fever and pain are a few of the reactions as toxins are released from the tissues. If you would like more information on this Healing Crisis. Most of these reactions can be limited by increasing water consumption, bowel movements, therapeutic sweating (sauna), dry skin brushing and herbal teas, which in turn allow toxins to leave the body faster and not be re-absorbed through the intestines.

Generally it is excellent for anyone to cleanse the body. Severe cases, especially those who are suffering extreme debility and chronic disease, are best monitored by a health care professional. That being said, most health professionals and almost all doctors have very limited understanding of the science of de-toxing (go figure?) so really it's up to you to take responsibility for your own health!

What to consume during your 7-day Raw Food Cleanse

Many cleansing diets (true fasts) are extreme on the body and only allow consumption of lemon water exclusively, whereas this system uses raw foods and juices to de-tox the body.

Only consume the foods on the following lists, this means no cooked food or animal products are to be consumed during this week.

During the cleanse drink only:

• Herbal teas
• Coconut water
• Diluted citrus (lemon/lime/grapefruit/orange) juice
• Vegetable juice
• and of course lots of fresh filtered water to flush your system out.

Vegetable juices are used rather than fruit juices as they are far more compatible to the de-toxing body. A small portion of fruits such as apples, citrus and pineapple can be added to your veggie juice cocktails to add some much needed flavour and zest if you need them. However the juicing of fruits is best avoided during this cleanse (not recommended in a normal diet either) as juicing fruits removes vital pulps, pectins and fibres in fruits that help digestion of its high sugar content.

Daily plan:

Breakfast: Fresh fruit eaten whole (do not mix many different fruits togethers, acidic, subacid, sweet, citrus fruits and melons all digest differently and can cause fermentation when eaten together in fruit salad. Fruits are best enjoyed when eaten alone.)

Lunch: Fresh vegetable juice (low to no fruit).e.g. carrot, cucumber, celery, beets, spinach, cucumber, cabbage, string bean, asparagus, parsley, coriander, parsnip, ginger etc.

(dinner can be swapped with lunch)

Dinner: Raw salad with sprouts, and a small portion of avocado or soaked seeds or nuts (almonds, brazil or walnut nuts only - all other nuts must be avoided). Dressing to be made from cold pressed vegetable oils of flax or hemp only, lemon juice, unrefined sea salt and whole black pepper, with Italian herbs to taste. Home-made coriander and vegetable chutneys can be added also.

Note: A Plain Organic Miso or Vegetable broth with ginger may be taken for those suffering from internal cold as an alternative to the salad on alternate days only.

Herbal teas to be taken:

The Synthesis Organics Purify Tisane is an excellent addition to this cleanse as it is gentle, yet powerful enough to promote the removal of toxins from the body. I recommend drinking 1-2 litres of this Tisane through out the day. Drink cold or warm as desired.

Naturopathic tips:

The Synthesis Dry Skin brush is a health secret that hopefully is no longer a secret because it really needs to be known. It is simple and very effective in stimulating the lymph to detox, increasing circulation and allowing the skin to open so it can detox.

Brushing daily in the shower cubicle (dry without the shower running) before showing, you can also do it before a sauna, which is my next tip. If your local health gym does not have a sauna then perhaps searching the internet or ask around as to where you can find one and try to have 2-3 sauna's a week in the evenings. These are excellent for assisting in your detox.

Using a Synthesis Zeolite Detox Face Mask is also an excellent way of removing toxins and when your detoxing, your body is going to eject toxins much faster from your skin and face, so performing a clay mask is going to reap massive rewards. Perform several times during your week cleanse for best results.

Daily Yoga breathing and asana practice and meditation is highly recommended, if you can’t get to a class, then get a DVD or watch some gentle hatha yoga practices on Youtube. Make sure its gentle and avoid power or intense yoga when cleansing, as they over stimulate the nervous system. Daily Yoga will support your body to clean more effectively while supporting your nervous system and emotional states during the detox.

Walking and swimming are also highly recommended especially for those unable to perform the yoga practice. Get bounding with a Rebounder (Lymphaciser). These cute miniature trampolines are not for kids; they are probably the best thing since sliced bread (which is a no-no on the cleanse by the way :); when it comes to pumping up circulation, lymphatic detoxification and improving venous return in your legs, while also burning calories and fat!

There are 6 trillion cells that make up the body, so they all need to be stimulated for complete detoxing and of all the exerecises tested by NASA for rehabilitiing astronauts after long journeys in space, this one shaped up as the best! Wow, cellular exercise is a proven science. You can get them from your local sports store. There are different qualities of units and while the cheaper ones are cheap they can be rather jarring for some, so try to obtain a quality unit.

There are tons of workouts with music you can do on YouTube too. And finally, get a massage 1-2 times during your week cleanse. Not only will it support your lymph and circulation to de-tox, but also - you totally deserve it!

The 8^th day (Breaking the fast, break-fast) What you eat after the cleanse and how you introduce this food into your stomach is extremely important. If done suddenly it can shock your digestive system. On the 8^th and 9th morning consume fruits as normal, then at lunch steamed vegetables and pulses may be consumed and then again at dinner.

Wait till the 10^th day if you are going to introduce grains and dairy and other animal products. Remember to take some before and after photos if you would like to see the dramatic changes in your health.

Please send us your glowing before and after photos! We would love to share in your experience.