Cleansing with food

Yesterday, I wrote about cutting out supplements to detox so that means you have to rely on food but what if you are eating poorly and not getting enough nutrients? Do you go from one extreme to the next?

Going vegan is likely the best option to do a food reset but instead of jumping right in, perhaps you can start off with simple things. Cut back on sugar—this is usually the hardest for many people even if you are eating healthy overall, sugar does sneak up on you in multiple ways (see my earlier post on sugar in archives). Next, you could cut back on dairy as for many dairy tends to be inflammatory. If you see positive results after both, then you are well on your way to starting your food cleanse. Finally, if you want to take it one step further, cut back on meats and see how your body does on plant based alternatives like seitan and the many other options available today. If you have given up meat, now you are vegetarian. Vegan is just one more level up.

Being vegan means you are not only eating vegetarian but also avoiding eating animal products like dairy, eggs, etc. By eating vegan, you are allowing your body to utilize nutrients from foods that may positively impact your skin, cardio, and brain health to name a few. Also, remember if you are eating vegan (and vegetarian), since you aren’t eating dairy or animal products, you definitely need to supplement with a multivitamin and specifically vitamin b12 so add that into your diet—so this clearly would violate taking supplements while detoxing but nonetheless is good advice if you do choose a vegan lifestyle.

Some products to add into your vegan diet include plant-based protein shakes, dark chocolate, pumpkin, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and leafy greens. Lots of options are out there to keep you full. By cleansing this way you are still eating food and getting nutrients into your body versus relying on a magic cleansing supplement to work over 3, 7, 14, or 21 days.

Speak with your doctor to find out if veganism is for you.