CUARTA
SEMANA
UN NUEVO DESAFIO
Ya sabemos que esta es la parte mas dificil. Que la motivación no es la misma que antes pero, asi y todo, vamos descubriendo que aquellas semillas de presencia que fuimos plantando, empiezan lentamente a dar sus frutos.
Es momento de empezar a pasar un poco en limpio todo lo aprendido y recorrido hasta ahora y decidir como queremos seguir avanzando.
Ya sabemos que la intención de la detox nunca tuvo que ver con hacerte sentir exigidx o que tenes que probarle nada a nadie, ni siquiera a vos mismx.
Por eso es importante que ahora, según el lugar en el que te encuentres emocionalmente, decidas como queres seguir.
Las primeras semanas tienen que ver con plantar semillas, con experimentar esto de crear nuevos hábitos y de reconocer cuan poderoso es el alimento. Cómo puede realmente ayudarnos a remover toxinas y cuan importante es poder reconocer que nuestras emociones están muy ligadas al tipo de comida que nuestra mente nos pide. Las primeras semanas observamos, probamos y sostenemos la rutina siempre intentando hacerlo de la forma más amorosa posible.
Ya sabemos que para el cuerpo es un contraste ENORME y la mente no entiende nada.
Estamos MUY conectadxs al alimento en muchos niveles distintos, no podemos solamente enfocarnos en comer de cierta forma porque así como nuestro estado de animo cambia cada día, nuestros antojos también.
Entonces, cómo podemos aprender a encontrar un equilibrio que nos permita apoyar nuestras emociones sin dejar de prestarle atención al cuerpo?
Si sentis que todo lo que podes hacer en relación a La Detox hoy es tomarte un jugo de apio o verde al dia, perfecto. ESE es el lugar en el que tenes que estar hoy. Ahora si sentis que realmente queres avanzar pero todavía sentis cierta resistencia, podes elegir tomar la decisión de poner un extra de esfuerzo e ir en contra de la comodidad de la mente.
Ya sabemos que ella se asusta cada vez que intentamos cambiar o hacer cosas que nos hacen sentir bien. Va a intentar convencernos de que no lo hagamos y es ahi donde podemos decidir probar ir en su contra, a pesar de la terrible resistencia, e intentar dar un paso mas.
Que paso? El que VOS sientas que queres dar.
Si para vos pasar una mañana entera solo consumiendo frutas, jugos e infusiones te resulta un desafío enorme, intenta hacerlo al menos una vez en la semana. Un solo dia.
Ese dia tenes que saber que va a costar y que las excusas van a aparecer de todas las formas posibles pero de eso se trata. De que DE A POCO aprendas a atravesarlas y a enseñarle a tu mente que el control, amorosamente, ahora lo estas teniendo vos.
Recorda que NO VA A SER FACIL, que vas a sentirte incómodx y tu cabeza va a buscar la forma de que vuelvas a tu zona de confort sin parar PERO es importante, muy importante que lo hagas si realmente queres hacerlo porque sentis que lo necesitas.
Ya sabemos que esto no es una dieta y que obligarnos desde la tortura no sirve de nada.
OBSERVO SIN JUZGAR
POR QUE ESTOY HACIENDO LA DETOX?
CUAL ES MI VERDADERA INTENCION?
COMO ME HACE SENTIR HACER ESTO POR MI?
COMO ME TRATO CUANDO LAS COSAS NO SALEN COMO QUIERO?
QUE SIGNIFICA TRATARME BIEN?
PUEDO DIFERENCIAR LA VOZ DE MI MENTE VS LA DE MI INTUICION?
ESTOY RESPETANDO MIS TIEMPOS O ME ESTOY FORZANDO SOLO POR CUMPLIR?
EL ARTE DE RETOMAR
La idea de esta semana es que RETOMES, si es que lo sentis. Sobre todo si estas ultimas semanas aflojaste un poquito.
Ya nos vamos preparando para el cierre y me gustaría que puedas profundizar un poco mas la semana que viene pero para eso es necesario que esta semana intentes sostener estos hábitos el mayor tiempo posible
Recorda que esto es tan solo un paréntesis, un tiempo especifico que estas dedicando para poder enseñarle a tu cuerpo a nutrirse de otra forma.
Sostener hábitos nuevos no es un proceso lineal que podemos sostener a lo largo del tiempo fácilmente. A veces si, pero en general, el proceso incluye la expansión y la contracción. Es parte y hay que aprender a aceptar y honrar esos momentos.
No se trata de arrancar una carrera cada lunes forzándonos a comer de cierta forma, resistiendo como una tortura todos nuestros antojos y necesidades para después caer por el mismo peso de la resistencia y mal tratarnos por esto mismo. NO.
El sentido de La Detox es que aprendas a estar para vos en los momentos en los que SI podes y queres ocuparte de vos como en los momentos que NO, entendiendo que, mientras te trates bien, ya estas nutriendo la parte mas importante de tu cuerpo, que es tu corazón.
COMO PROFUNDIZAR?
Dependiendo de cómo fuiste manejando y sintiendo estas ultimas semanas, ahora podes decidir si queres profundizar o no. Solo si sentís que tu cuerpo esta listo, que necesitas y queres experimentar un reseteo un poco mas profundo, podes elegir un día de la semana para hacer un día entero solo a base de jugos y licuados o jugos y frutas.
Lo que importa es que si lo vas a hacer, te prepares previamente.
Mínimo necesitas haber sostenido cuatro días seguidos sin ningún ultra procesado y es fundamental que estes yendo al baño regularmente antes de profundizar en la desintoxicación
Si tu cuerpo no esta eliminado como corresponde, todas las toxinas van a reingresar a tu torrente sanguíneo, por eso chequea que estes yendo al menos dos veces al baño o una pero solo si sentís que eliminas suficiente.
La intención es darle un descanso a tu aparato digestivo e hidratarte muy bien. Ayudarte a aflojar todo lo que estuviste acumulando en tus intestinos todo ese tiempo y asi poder eliminar mas toxinas y desinflamar el cuerpo.
POR FAVOR NO sometas a tu cuerpo a hacer nada para lo que no se sienta listo. Hacerlo forzadamente solo puede ser contraproducente para tu cuerpo físico y emocional también.
No te sientas mal si no te sentis emocionalmente preparadx para hacerlo, a mi me tomo muchos meses encontrar la voluntad. Tenete mucha paciencia
PASOS A SEGUIR ESTA SEMANA
Esta semana TE PROPONGO INTENTAR sostener los pasos de la semana anterior y si lo sentis, profundizar un poco mas.
LA SEMANA ANTERIOR INTENTASTE PROFUNDIZAR UN POCO MAS Y LA INTENCION FUE QUE SOSTUVIERAS VARIOS DIAS SIN COMER NINGUN ULTRAPROCESADO
sI SENTIS QUE TE HIZO BIEN, QUE TU CUERPO ESTA RESPONDIENDO Y QUE EMOCIONALMENTE NO ESTA SIENDO UN DESAFIO DEMASIADO GRANDE, ESTA SEMANA PODES INTENTAR PASAR AL MENOS UNO O DOS DIAS SEGUIDOS TOMANDO JUGOS Y LICUADOS O JUGOS Y FRUTA ENTERA.
SIN ENSALADAS NI ALIMENTO COCIDO DE NINGUN TIPO, NINGUN FRUTO SECO NI SNACK MAS QUE FRUTA O JUGOS.
LO MAS IMPORTANTE ES QUE SI VAS A HACERLO, TE ENFOQUES EN TOMAR MUCHO JUGO Y COMER MUCHA FRUTA, SIN MIEDO, SIN LIMITES MAS QUE LOS QUE TU PROPIO CUERPO TE PONGA
SO.. THE NUTRITION!
ZINC - healthy hair growth, strong nails, proper DNA replication, wound healing, high immunity.
Hemp hearts, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, lentils, oats, red meat, poultry, grass fed dairy.
Vitamin E - healthy skin, good brain function, vision, immune health.
Sunflower seeds, almonds, avocado, papaya, mango, olive oil, avocado oil, bell pepper, sweet potato, spinach, pumpkin.
Copper - energy levels, build connective tissue, bone & blood vessels, nervous system function.
Cashews, pineapple, leafy greens, spirulina, quinoa, dark chocolate, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, sesame seeds, oysters, liver.
Selenium - reproductive health, thyroid function, well regulated metabolism.
The best source is brazil nuts, 1 nut provides the necessary RDI. Other sources are alfalfa, cruciferous veggies, sesame and tofu, coconut water, red meat, poultry, oysters, eggs.
Magnesium - blood/lymph fluid balance, blood sugar regulation, muscle & nerve function, protein synthesis.
Coconut water, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, banana, dark leafy greens, cashews, almonds, avocado.
Iron - red blood cell production, digestive health, enzyme production.
Dark chocolate, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, cashews, chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin seeds, figs, raisins, prunes, quinoa, oats, tofu, red meat, shellfish.
SUPPLEMENTS
I highly suggest continuing to supplement B12 & DHA after the course - this is essential for anyone who is plant based, or predominantly plant based.
B12 is best taken in the morning on an empty stomach, and DHA/EPA is best taken with meals.
Regarding herbs, you can always continue drinking herbal teas - choose your favourites, or rotate based on what felt good for you.
Dandelion, burdock and milk thistle are all great liver supporting herbs to continue using regularly.
For women, chaste berry, red clover, raspberry leaf, liquorice, rooibos, peony flowers & shatavari are all great for hormonal health.
Potassium Iodide you can use on and off - not constantly, but 4 weeks on, 6-8 weeks off, and repeat like this for 6 months. Take 3-6 months off, and you can again repeat that same cycle.
Regarding herbal tinctures, these can be taken at any time, but are most effective alongside practices/periods of detoxification, and should not be taken daily for extended periods (3+ months). An approach that works well is 6-8 weeks of using tinctures, and 6-8 weeks off. Although they don’t need to be used year round.
If you have anti-parasite herbs, or other herbs you didn’t finish using during the course, you can take them now - in the mornings alongside water before other juices/foods, anti parasite herbs you can also take again in the afternoon between lunch and dinner, and before going to bed.
You can use these anti-parasite herbs for 4-5 weeks, take 4-6 weeks off, and then take them again for 4 weeks (optional).
Activated charcoal should not be a daily part of your routine anymore, you can use it during periods of detoxification, and after enemas (bentonite clay and diatomaceous earth can also be taken in the mornings with activated charcoal during periods of detox).
The psyllium mix/pudding is something that can be taken on juice fasting days if you ever decide to incorporate one/some in the future.
If you decide to do macrodosing, incorporating DHA/EPA and lions mane mushroom alongside is very powerful for supporting the creation of new neural pathways.
REGARDING FOOD AND DIET
As we talked about in the zoom of week 5 - it’s important you find the diet that works for you, try not to put yourself in any box or confine yourself to an idea, explore and experiment with different approaches, to create what makes you feel best.
What your body wants & needs will likely change over time & with the seasons, sometimes asking for more density, and other times asking for more lightness.
Do your best to follow it’s rhythms, it’s an ongoing process of trust and connection.
If you feel hydration in the mornings helps you, then great, that might be something you continue some or most Fays after the course, but if you feel a more dense breakfast suits you better, there’s nothing stopping you rom doing what works.
The contents of what you explored these weeks are not how you need to approach life, they are simply a way of doing things that can create particular effects in the body. Your body will always need different things, and so will your mind, be flexible, and trust that your own body, and your ow feelings, are always the best source of direction & guidance.
As we talked about in the zoom, and it aligns with what I said above about food - your body is the best source of direction in terms of when and how long to detoxify for.
The changing of the seasons is a great time to do a quarterly cleanse, it will help align your biology with the rhythms of nature, as well as connect with yourself.
This can be as simple as a few days, or may be a few weeks - it’s entirely up to what you feel is necessary and appropriate.
The most important thing with your detox, is that you try to focus on detox at the right times - which means moments of your life when you can give the process the necessary attention it deserves, as well as a time when you won’t be too distracted or influenced by external factors, so that you can put the time and energy into your own food/juice preparation, as well as spending some time alone to connect with the mental/emotional process.
With that in mind, let’s have a look at how you can continue to implement some of these practices.
Regarding food, you can use the approaches to eating we explored, whenever you like - if there are days you feel your digestion slower, or you just want to come back to a more simple way of eating, then you can use the approaches from the preparation weeks, and weeks 1 & 2 - such as juice + fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch, and cooked meal for dinner.
You can also use the 1 meal a day strategy anytime you feel you need it - it can be a great way to help the body catch up if digestion is slow. Just be sure you’re eating enough calories in the form of fruits and juices throughout the day.
Fruit days or fully raw days are also okay to incorporate at any time you feel your digestion is slow, or you need to keep food more simple.
All of these approaches you may still find helpful to use on some days of the week, try to let your body lead you.
In regards to some of the other practices, let’s have a better look.
Juice fasting: A one day juice fast can be done semi regularly to help keep your digestive system functioning optimally if you feel it’s a helpful practice for you. Try to do it after a plant based day of eating that was relatively simple.
1-5 day juice fasts can be helpful to do around the change of seasons, not everyone will feel the need for this, but for those who have health issues they’re still working on, this can be a great way to keep making progress with them. Always prepare for and exit your juice fast as recommended during the course.
During juice fasts you may use enemas and other practices you were using during the course, then return to normal again slowly after your fast.
Water fasting: you may continue to implement 18-36 hour water fasts semi regularly, it is best to take a plant based day of eating before the fast if it is longer than 20 hours.
Continue to choose a day when you can rest, working is not a good time to water fast.
You can use enemas during your water fast.
Dry fasting: you can use dry fasts if you want to, but they should be used at moments you are also focusing on hydration in your day to day life.
Last of all, enemas: you can continue to use enemas if you feel they’ve been helpful for you, they have been for us. Use them in combination with days of more simple eating, or alongside a day of juice or one main meal a day. You may go through periods of feeling to do some enemas, and then you may feel long periods that you don’t need to do them. It’s completely down to your body, try to connect with what it needs physically, not what you think mentally.
All of these practices and approaches can be used semi-regularly if you feel they’re useful for your health, but if you feel well, that your health is good, that you have no issues, then there is no need to push.
Follow your body, if there are signs or symptoms, keeping some contact with these practices may be helpful, but remember that detox is not always the answer to physical symptoms, there are other important elements of our health we have to attend to as well - exercise, nutrition, stress, community/friendships/relationships, time in nature, sleep quality, and so many other things.
36 hour water / herbal tea fast.
If you did a 24 hour fast last week, and you felt stable with it physically, mentally and emotionally - you may try 36 hours this week.
This means, if you finish eating at 7pm on a Friday, you would wake up on Saturday, and would drink only water, or water & herbal teas (you may add a little lemon/lime if you feel like it, but no honey).
You would go to sleep having eaten nothing, and the next morning, anytime from 7am (36 hour mark) - you could break your fast.
You might wake up feeling quite tired and lethargic - that’s normal, you will slowly come back to life after getting something back in your system.
Again, move slowly and carefully during your fast - always stand up slowly.
You would break your fast with 2L of juice throughout the morning, drunk slowly, best split into 500 ml portions (1L green juice minimum, not too sweet, then 1L of any other juice or coconut water, or even 1L more green juice).
Then continue your day with whatever approach feels best for you.
You may try one 36 hour fast this week.
If 36 hours feels like too much, you can still use the 16-24 hour fast.
You may also use 16 hour intermittent fasts some days even if you do the 36 hour fast. Again, respect your body, don’t push it, just do what feels right.
juice fast
This week, you may try anywhere from 1-3 days on juices again, and if you like, you can combine this with your water or dry fast.
If you do a water or dry fast, you may put it in the middle of your juice fast, if that feels like a possibility for you.
That would look like:
1 day of juice
36 hour water fast / 24 hour dry fast.
1 day of juice
During juice fasts is still a great time to do enemas.
This is quite a deep practice, please only explore it if you feel your body and mind are in the place for it.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Remember not to do your coffee enemas past 3 pm, so that any caffeine which makes its way into your system is gone by the time you sleep. Any other types of enema you may do at any time of day on juice or water fasting days.
The psyllium mixture you may keep taking the same as last week.
Try to use the neti pot a few times, especially if you haven’t already, it’s very helpful if you’ve had issues in the head or sinus area throughout your life - regular colds, flus, sore throats, tonsillitis, sinus congestion.
seeds of change
You’ve made it this far and what you’ve done for yourself is a BIG thing, so PLEASE don’t forget that.
What you did was plant a seed of Self love and presence that will keep growing regardless of what you do. You don’t even need to water it or take care of it, that’s the beautiful thing about planting seeds of change. They just grow out of that inner love that’s inside of each one of us.
This goes beyond food, and juices and enemas, this was a moment in time that you dedicated time for yourself, and for deepening the connection with your body in a very respectful and loving way..
Sometimes we take these changes or attitudes for granted, but the fact that something in you wanted to do this for yourself is a miracle.
Whats a miracle? Anything that’s born out of love instead of fear.
We know how hard it is to decide to do something as big as this for ourselves, and the fact that you put your energy into it, is showing you all this love inside of you, and that you can actually do miracles any time you get in touch with it.
That’s the whole purpose of this kind of practices, to show you that when you push a little bit hard and go against your mental blockages, you can find this inner strength capable of creating miracles any time you want. Getting in touch with your self love its all that matters, all the medicine that we need.
You are the medicine, never forget that :)
OPTION 2
JUICE FAST
If you feel comfortable, you may do a 1-3 day juice fast. This means aiming to drink 4L of juice per day. If your body doesn’t want to drink 4L, that’s okay, save what is left for the next day. But I encourage you to make 4L of juice each morning.
This can be slightly modified too, you can do 3L of juice throughout the day, and one big (or two small) mono fruit meal/s in the late afternoon/early evening.
Juice fasts can be ended as per a normal day - start your morning with water / juices / fruits on the day after your fast, and choose whatever approach suits you best for that day.
A juice fast is a GREAT time to do enemas.
OPTION 3
16-24 hour water / herbal tea fast.
The first thing to say about this option is this - you NEED to respect the process, only do a water fast if you can rest ALL of your fasted period. Please be slow and gentle with all that you do.
Do this approach on your DAYS OFF, not whilst you’re working.
Your blood pressure can vary during a water fast (not for everyone), as the electrolyte balance in the blood changes, this means you may get dizzy when standing up - you MUST stand up slowly to avoid getting dizzy. Your energy levels may also be impacted.
Go from lying down/resting, to seated with a straight back, take a few breaths seated, and THEN stand up SLOWLY.
If you are living in an environment where you have friends or family that worry about you, or have created tension or stress around what you’re doing, don’t use the water fast for more than 16 hours. This practice is not well understood, and doing it will likely cause more problems than it’ll solve!
These fasts are also a good time to do enemas.
This approach means drinking only water or herbal teas/infusions (or both) for 16 - 24 hours.
If using herbal teas/infusions, you may add some lemon/lime and/or honey, if this helps you pass the day.
You should drink a minimum of 2L of water / herbal teas during your fast (if more than 18 hours), it can be a greater quantity too - sip throughout the day, don’t chug lots of liquid all at once. There is no limit to how much you drink, simply follow your body.
LET´S SEE HOW A FAST WOULD LOOK
Let's say you plan to do a 24 hour fast where you won’t be eating for most of Saturday - you should try to finish eating by 5:30pm on Friday night.
This means at 5:30pm on Saturday, you’ll have completed 24 hours fasting, and will be able to break your fast then.
If your fast is less than 20 hours, you can continue with any approach to your day that you like, as long as you drink 2L of juice.
Now, when breaking your fast (if it’s more than 20 hours), there are 2 options I suggest for you:
1.5L of green juice - cucumber, celery, apple, lemon parsley & cilantro, or, 1.5L of fresh coconut water - at 5:30 PM (or earlier if less than a 24 hour fast).
If hungry after your juices, you may follow with a simple salad containing sprouts, grated carrot, tomato, cucumber, mixed greens, a little drizzle of olive oil, ¼ - ½ an avocado, lemon, herbs, salt & pepper. And if desired, a boiled or steamed potato, or a roasted sweet potato. Eat at around 7pm (if a 24 hour fast, if less than 24 hours, eat earlier if you can).
1.5L green juice or coconut water (as above) at 5:30pm (or earlier if less than 24 hours).
Mono meals of fruit, or more juice, until you feel satisfied - watermelon, melon, oranges, pineapple, grapes, papaya are best choices for solid fruits.
Try not to over eat solid food, as your digestion will be less strong after 24 hours without eating.
You may try one 20-24 hour fast this week, or 2 16-20 hour fasts.
SO LET´S GET INTO IT
OPTION 3
DRY FASTING
You may try a 12 - 16 hour dry fast this week too if that feels of interest.
This is also best done on a day that you don't have to work.
A dry fast simply means not eating or drinking for a period of time - ingesting nothing.
During a dry fast, our body gets a complete rest - our organs don't have to process any food or liquid, which allows deeper healing to happen in the digestive system and organs of digestion.
Dry fasts are also a great way to reduce inflammation in the body, they really encourage the body to clean and replace the fluid spaces between the cells. Essentially, you are sucking out the fluid from all different parts of your body - because your body needs to use it (alongside some potential toxins or waste contained in that fluid) - and then when you rehydrate with juices, you’re filling those spaces with all the good stuff.
Now, if you do decide to try 12-16 hours this week…
The best way to begin a dry fast is after a fruit or juice day, because the extra hydration makes the dry fast much easier.
Take it slow, don’t push it too far if you feel really weak or tired - if it becomes unmanageable, stop your fast as recommended below.
To break a dry fast, the best way is always green juice (similar to juice listed above for water fasting) or fresh coconut water, always including some lemon in both.
So, let’s look at an example dry fast, of 16 hours:
Let’s say you finish eating or drinking at 7pm on Friday.
The fast starts from when you finish eating/drinking.
So you would not eat or drink until 11am on Saturday morning (16 hours later).
You would break your dry fast with 500ml - 1L lemon water (drunk slowly).
Followed by your green juice (2L, split in two portions of 500ML if you tend to get bloated, drunk throughout the day).
After that, you can either move to a mono fruit meal, continue with juices, or eat a dinner of your choosing (the day after a dry fast it’s important you drink MINIMUM 2L of juice).
After you’ve taken your juice, it’s a good time to do an enema.
For the rest of the day, you can take whichever approach to eating that you like.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
You may notice interesting things happening in your body during dry and water fasts, you might feel a deep sense of relaxation, or notice that your system is functioning differently - see if you can tune into what's going on whilst you fast.
Water fasting days are a very good time to do an enema/s.
Never do an enema whilst on a dry fast, wait until you have rehydrated at least 2 litres of fluid after the fast ends (for dry fasts of more than 20 hours), but it is very good to do an enema after a dry fast.
Both water and dry fasts can be very helpful for anyone with lots of bloating or inflammation (anywhere in the body).
Any questions, let us know!
START THE DAY WITH 750ml or 1l LEMON WATER and supplements (as suggested on supplement page)
1L OF ANY TYPE OF JUICE (CELERY, GREEN, ORANGE, ETC)
select one of the options and apply those instructions for the rest of the day
PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS
So, one of the keys to your success during these weeks is going to be your preparation & organisation.
Always having enough of everything you need at home to make all of your food & juices will make your life SO much easier. It’s so hard to make the best choices when you don’t have what you need. Having to go out to the shops everyday because you forgot something, or ran out of something is tiresome - you’re already expending a lot of energy and willpower with the changes you’re making, and it’s important you don’t make things overly difficult by not having what you need.
Prepare your juices ahead of time, for today & the next day, especially if you have work early in the morning. Cook extra sweet potatoes or chickpeas to have in the fridge for the next day if you know you’re busy. Or again, prepare your lunch/dinner the evening before so you have it ready, because when you’re tired or stressed, making the best choices is difficult if you haven’t already organised it for yourself.
Plan ahead, make shopping lists of what you need, know which days you’ll have time to do your shopping, and which places you need to go.
Another important tip that can help both with time & money is buying in bulk.
You’ll be using a lot of apples, cucumbers, carrots, oranges & celery (maybe pineapple too if you can find a good source) - so it can be a good idea to seek out places that you can buy in bulk - you may be able to find markets, wholesalers or stores that can sell you produce by the box, which will make things cheaper than going to the supermarket for everything.
Do a google search for wholesalers/markets in your area, as well as for middle eastern, Asian/Indian & Mexican owned/run grocery or convenience stores, as they’re often much more friendly, and tend to be helpful when it comes to doing business and helping you out. This was the case for me when I lived in the UK, it saved me a lot of money, and I always had a great time meeting & interacting with the people there.
Speak to the staff/manager, make it be known that you want X amount of oranges, or a box of celery, often they’ll sort it out for you, and you’ll save time & money.
Make sure, or at least try, to keep your fridge always clean and organized. Having a nice visual experience every time you open up your fridge will make you feel inspired and more connected to the process. Digestion starts with your eyes!
Structuring our food throughout the day.
Let’s have a look at how we’re aiming to order our meals throughout the day during the course.
We’re looking to move from least to most dense foods throughout the day, as this will keep our digestive system moving most effectively, and will also impart this cleaning/hydrating/brushing effect on the intestines that I talk about in the video.
We’ll share some meal/day examples below, but practically, this means:
Each morning starting the day with 1L of lemon water - 1 lemon (or equivalent of lime) per litre, or more if you desire - feel how your body reacts to it, lemons and limes are great detoxifiers, 1 lemon may be enough, or you may notice your body craving more, try to find what feels best for you.
Next moving onto juices, fruits & smoothies:
We’re aiming for 1L of juice each day as a minimum, this is the first part of our breakfast. Then moving on to smoothies or fruits.
Drinking juices before (separate from) fruits & smoothies. Drink/eat (chew) smoothies by themselves, and eat fruits by themselves.
When eating fruits, use the fruit combining chart for your combinations, and also explore eating MONO MEALS sometimes (see below) - for a deeper cleansing effect from what you eat.
Lunch this first week should be a salad - with some cooked foods, or completely raw - it’s up to you. It’s important you make sure you’re eating enough (see below). Steamed/roasted veggies and some carbs like potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils or chickpeas
You may want to eat some more fruit 60-90 minutes before eating your lunch if you’re not used to eating large volumes of food. This will help you feel more satisfied, and should also help with sweet cravings.
If you find yourself getting hungry after lunch before your dinner, add more of those denser foods like potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils or chickpeas to your lunch.
Dinner again should include a salad, but this time with more cooked foods, you can use any of the cooked foods on the list of 250 foods from Ollie's ebook.
*mono meals & eating enough.
A mono meal means eating just one type of fruit as a meal.
The best fruits to mono meal are water rich, & detoxifying fruits, such as: oranges/mandarins/tangerines/grapefruit, pineapples, grapes, papayas, watermelon/other melons, pears & apples.
Mono meals act as great gut & lymphatic cleansers - when a fruit interacts with the body alone, without being mixed with another fruit, the unique properties of that fruit (think enzymes, level of acidity, mineral/vitamin balance etc.) can have its own unique effect on the body. When we mix multiple fruits, we may have access to a wider variety of nutrients in one meal, but when we eat a mono meal, the cleansing properties of that fruit can have greatest effect.
In regards to eating enough, here's a little example to think about. 100g of watermelon has around 30 calories, whilst 100g of whole wheat bread has around 250 calories. So comparatively, you’d have to eat 800g of watermelon to get the same amount of calories contained within 100g of bread, quite a difference… when eating whole foods, especially fruits, you have to eat A LOT more than you might be used to.
SOME IMPORTANT TIPS
Chewing - whilst you’re eating, really try to bring your awareness into your mouth, try to be as present as you can be with the sensory experience - feel the textures, taste the flavours, connect with your food through the feedback your tongue is sending to your brain.
It’s important we chew our food into as small pieces as we can, and for anyone with digestive issues, putting focus into this should improve your digestion a lot.
The more we chew, the more nutrition we’re able to extract from our food. When you watch the digestive system video, consider that the more broken down your food is, the more you’ll be able to extract from it with your villi.
Wait to drink after meals, ideally, don’t drink anything for 60-90 minutes after your lunch and dinner, as liquids interfere with digestion.
Don’t drink with meals, again, water, or liquids interfere with digestion, by diluting stomach acid and enzyme concentration. If you’re thirsty during meals, you are likely dehydrated, and you can add some cucumber slices to eat with your meal to provide water.
Squeeze some lemon or lime onto each of your salads/cooked meals, especially if they contain fats. The enzymes in these citrus fruits are great in supporting the digestive process, particularly of fats, as they act as an emulsifier. If you think you have a sluggish liver, poorly functioning gallbladder, or notice you don’t digest fats well, this tip should be helpful.
Use cooking methods like steaming, boiling or baking as they’re easiest for the body to digest.
Avoid cooking with oils, you can still cook in a pan (ideally not using non-stick/teflon), but use water as a substitute for oil when cooking. Keep a glass of water next to you as you cook, and add water whenever necessary as it evaporates.
Lower the fat content of your diet, fat is an incredible macronutrient, it’s essential for the body, but during this period of detox we’re keeping the amount of fat lower than what we would be eating usually. This helps us to cleanse the liver, gallbladder, & lymphatic system more effectively.
Try to avoid eating at night, the best time to have your evening meal is sometime between 5-7pm. But of course, if you’re busy, or that doesn't work, adjust according to your schedule. If you sleep late, try to use the rule of not eating within 3 hours of going to sleep.
Use less salt where possible, you’re not here to torture yourself - you still need to enjoy your food, but do try to go easy with the salt, don’t exclude it completely, but cutting it down for a period can be helpful, especially if you notice you have a lot of water retention or inflammation in your body.
Include sprouts & some raw foods alongside each cooked meal, sprouts are some of the cheapest foods on earth if you grow them yourself, it’s very easy, all you need is a sieve or a colander. Once they’re ready, just store them in a container in the fridge.
Sprouting lentils, chickpeas, mung beans or alfalfa is an easy way to add some living foods to your meals, they’re also full of enzymes that will help with digestion.
Good raw veggies to include with your meals that also give a great brushing action on the intestines are raw cabbage, carrot, beetroot, & kale (small amounts), and sprouts.
All beans, grains and legumes should be soaked in water for 12-24 hours before being cooked - as this releases phytates and enzyme inhibitors - which are compounds that make these foods more difficult to digest. They can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days once cooked
EXCERCISE & SLEEP
Sleeping at night time is when we heal and regenerate, we already discussed not eating at night, but a few other things you can do to optimise your sleep are as follows:
Don’t look at screens 60-120 minutes before getting into bed.
Make your room as dark (black) as possible.
Sleep with a window open if you can to allow some fresh air in.
Turn devices on aeroplane mode at night so you aren’t disturbed, this also decreases the EMFs the phone is producing.
Turn off your wifi router at night - this can stop you from being tempted to check your phone at night, or as soon as you wake up, but it also means you won’t have as many frequencies interfering with your own brain waves as you sleep.
Movement is really important throughout our detox, if you can do some form of exercise at least 3 times a week, that would be great. It doesn’t need to be anything heavy, especially if you’re feeling tired, even some gentle yoga, or a relaxed swim is amazing.
Also try to walk a little each day if you can, it helps with digestion and movement of the lymphatic system (if you work on your feet all day, this one you don’t have to do everyday).
If you have inflammation or water retention in your legs, you can lie down and rest your legs up against a wall for 5 minutes in the morning or evening (or both). It can help a lot with draining fluid.
