These are really helpful points. I have been thinking about going on a cleanse. I even have a stash of Isagenix that I have never really used that much…I guess I better get to it!

I help people detoxify or cleanse all the time when I teach them how to stop smoking. (Check my website out Stephen–I can help you quit calmly, comfortably and permanently).

Whatever kind of cleanse or detoxification you are doing sometimes it feels worse before it gets better. So hang in there and give your body time to adjust.

Christopher – Oh, I bet you Spican enjoyed raw foods! I agree with you on the calories in theory, by the way, although I’m going to follow this program for a while and see what happens. I thought I’d be falling asleep all day on this little food. In fact, I actually feel very energized. If my energy level drops, I’ll definitely increase my caloric intake.

Irene – That is so funny, that we started at the same time! I haven’t run into too many detox symptoms yet … maybe that’s because I went for ten weeks without coffee, sugar, or alcohol earlier this year. So far, so good. Keep me posted on how it goes for you. What kind of program are you doing?

Brenda – Yup, I was tempted to just do the nine days, but you know me … jumping in all the way is my style! The shakes are not half bad, you’re right.

Wendy – You’re bringing up a good point. Often we encounter a ton of resistance just thinking about starting a cleanse! But you know what? It’s only a few days. If you’ve never cleansed, just do three days without something like sugar, or alcohol. Or do three raw days. Or one day of juice fasting. I don’t recommend a thirty day program if you’ve never done one. You need to build up those willpower muscles a bit.

So start with a small, achievable goal. There will still be resistance, but anyone can do anything for 24 hours, right? 24 hours of no sugar, for instance, is totally achievable. And when you do achieve your goal, it’s very empowering. And the next time, you go for a little bit more.

One thing I don’t recommend is going cold turkey on caffeine. Some people do it, but for me, it just creates misery. I wean myself off caffeine gradually over the course of a week.

Blessings,
Andrea

I really desire to do it, but can’t seem to make myself. How do you get to that point?

Still, I think that it is time for another detox. However, I’d have to schedule mine next year. An upcoming vacation will make it difficult to implement any. Most definitely, thanks for the reminder! All the best with yours

What a timely post for me! I’d started on my own 30-day detox program (of a different nature) just 4 days ago – talk about synchronicities! I’m beginning to feel the typical “side effects” of the program and it’s not fun, but I definitely found encouragement here. Thanks!

Christopher

For instance, for the first time in 10 years, I was without a cigar to light up the last two weeks. That’s the longest I’ve been without one and I love cigars! Is it a result of the raw food lifestyle? You bet! Is it something that is a permanent thing? Remains to be seen but two weeks without lighting up is a definite good sign.

I also get what you said about how we all have a relationship with food. That’s very true. And the cleaner we get inside, the more we will find we actually need less food and even less sleep. I’m finding out the sleep aspect to be true at this time. Lately I’ve been getting up at 3, 4 or 5 am and being wide awake at those times. At first I thought it was a result of my coming back from London but I’ve been home for a week since returning and still getting up earlier than anticipated. Something definitely is happening here.

I just did a detox session in an infrared sauna. Have you tried that? I recommend it. It’s different than a normal sauna at the local gym. It’s supposed to pull toxins out of your body and when you go to wipe yourself down after a 45 min session, sometimes you’ll see black on those towels. Somehow I didn’t see black on my towels after wiping down even though I had been smoking cigars the last 10 years. The therapist thinks it’s because the raw food lifestyle I adopted in September has cleaned out a lot of the toxins inside me. Who knows?

I also recommend a colonic to clean out your colon. A great way to detoxify your body.

Congrats on going this route to detoxification!! BRAVO.