Cleanse the Body pt.1
How do you use food to cleanse your body?
“We are bio-individuals”, as Joshua Rosenthal would say, and this means our bodies have different needs. The key to any of my cleanses is listening to my body. It’s one thing to learn about a new trend and force that onto your body, but it’s another thing to learn about different ways to fuel your body and intentionally try them out until you find a combination that works best for you. It’s taken me a long time to figure out what nutrition combinations work for me and my body, and I’m sure that I’m far from perfection. But that is absolutely fine. We are all a work in progress and the more quickly we can accept that, the easier it is to be present and enjoy life.
I thought I’d start by sharing my diet, in all it’s intricate glory lol
No corn
Low to no gluten
No dairy, except the occasional goat cheese
Generally low FODMAPS
… and YES, sometimes I choose not to follow these rules & deal with the consequences because I want to enjoy a certain type of experience or food
Getting comfortable sharing those bullets with people has been a lifelong uphill battle. I used to feel so uncomfortable about it because I wasn’t truly “diagnosed” with an anaphylactic allergy. People would say things like “you ate dairy yesterday last time we hung out though”, or “gluten intolerances aren’t real”. Tests were usually inconclusive or showed different flare ups on different occasions. The shame and guilt that comes from someone you love judging you for what you eat is destructive and incredibly disempowering.
Your diet is something to be proud of, not ashamed of. Too many times, I hear stories of people feeling uncomfortable talking about their food allergies or intolerances in front of family, at a restaurant, or out with friends. Instances when you don’t want to order something separate, you don’t want to be an inconvenience, you don’t want to be “that person'“ the waitress has to answer a bunch of questions for. I get it, but what I’ve come to learn is that people who care about you have your best interest at heart, and it’s okay to let go of those who judge you or refuse to understand your situation. Luckily, science is catching up and we now know that some people have sensitivities for a number of reasons, beginning when you’re in the womb, and intolerances and sensitivities can develop at different stage of your life. What people should say to you when you express concern about your intolerance is “congratulations, you know your body so well!”
OWN YOUR GUT MICROBIOME. Your gut biome holds the key to so many nerve endings that power your body, so why not treat it right?
What do I do to keep up with my gut?
Meal Prep: This is a non-negotiable for me. I feel WORLDS better when I am eating nutritious and delicious foods that I know will not bother my stomach. Knowing every ingredient in my meal, all the way down to the oils, also gives me a massive sense of self-empowerment. Learn more about my thoughts on meal prepping here.
Breathe: Learning how to calm the gut is a great way to soothe the system before and during digestion so you can avoid unnecessary digestive issues. Learning how to calm my body before eating also taught me a lot about how stressed my body was without me even knowing. Join one of my relax and restore yoga classes to learn more about this.
Listen to my body: Sometimes I just have to trust my gut and listen. If I eat something that doesn’t agree with my stomach, I journal about it immediately. Try not to focus on the negative: “this hurt my stomach and that sucks.” Instead, “great, now I know I should stay away from xyz”. Keeping a food diary is a great way to get started if you’re just beginning to figure out what foods work for your body. In my 3 month program, we’ll do a food diary together and create a go-to meal plan that works for your body.
What do I do during a cleanse?
try meal prepping, follow the steps above
try a new food, journal about how you feel
try taking out sugar, keep a food diary of how you feel during the day
try limiting caffeine, journal about how you feel on day 1 vs. day 5
try eliminating alcohol, what substitutes can you find?
try incorporating more whole foods into your diet instead of processed foods, get creative with recipes
If you are interested in further discussing how to cleanse your body using food, sign up for a free nutrition & wellness coaching consultation with me via the link below.