What’s a straightforward ‘detox-like’ way to do a cleanse?
Written by Tracy Bell, Co-Founder & CEO
I’m part way through a week-long cleanse. It’s got me in a really good mood - Feeling clear and energized. It’s nothing crazy or super restrictive. I kept it simple. Did the prep at home with my Vitamix, some jars, and a nut milk bag.
I needed a nutritional reset. We have an important few weeks ahead and I want to feel at the top of my game.
As we all know, the core inputs/outputs we can control are: nutrition, sleep, movement, and mindset. For me, when I get on track with foods that fuel, the rest comes easier.
My criteria was simple: what’s a straightforward ‘detox-like’ way to do a cleanse at home and still (1) get a baseline of essential nutrients to perform at my peak, and (2) feel satisfied throughout the process and motivated to keep going the whole week.
Here’s where I landed:
- Vitamins & minerals: Fresh pressed juices
- Protein: chia seeds, bone broth
- Carbs, fibre: green smoothies
- Fats: nut milk
OVERARCHING FLOW: Fast till noon. 12-8pm Drink all the nutrients. Fast 8pm till noon.
AM: Water, Millennia TEA, black coffee
PM: Juices (from fresh veggies, herbs, fruit) x 2-3 servings (ie. jars of pressed juice)
PM: Lemon water variations w/chia seeds x 1 serving
PM: Bone broth x 2 servings (~20g protein total)
PM: Nut milk x 1 serving
*Water and hot tea all day
Full transparency: I don’t know if this qualifies as a proper “cleanse” or “detox”… those words land like ‘depravation’ or ‘restriction’ for me and I don’t want to do that to myself. As with most everything in life, I want my food decisions to be fun and adventurous.
My overarching philosophy of food is simple: Nutrients first.
First, the foods & supplements that fuel daily wellness (and support my desired dietary outcomes of increased energy, clarity, mood etc.. by extension). After that, I’m easy on myself. If I make less-than-optimal choices, I listen to my body and get back on track. Or I do something like this longer ‘cleanse’ to challenge myself and experience a bigger shift.
I’m sharing all this simply because, like so much in life, we give ourselves such a hard time about food.
This time last year I weighed 20lbs more than what is healthy for me. My clothes didn’t fit right and I was uncomfortable in my own skin. It took 7 months to reach my proper set point... seven months of conscious choices. Also, redefining my relationship with food and its functional role in supporting my grandest vision of self.
That identity shift and upgraded belief system about food’s role in fuelling my plans was more powerful than any nutritional regime. The work that followed around learning, testing, and making new choices became an experiment or game more than some painstaking process toward self improvement.
I’m trying to be lighter about everything these days, and to gamify different aspects of life. It’s a way to tackle challenges and add an element of fun and lightness back into the fundamentals of everyday life.
