With December and the season of goodwill fast approaching, people are getting ready for that time of year which generally seems to involve lots of drinking and eating and enjoying the festivities. This then seems to be followed by the January detox / cleanse, of which there are hundreds if not thousands of variations. There are also many celebrities doing some sort of cleanse or detox including Gwyneth Paltrow who does a one week cleanse a few times a year eliminating dairy, caffeine and processed food and eating fruit and vegetable juices and soups and Megan Fox who cleanses her body with apple cider vinegar and water (Detox for the Rest of Us). But are they the same or different? As I am currently doing a cleanse I wanted to find out more.
While it may seem that detoxes and cleanses are the same, they’re actually work on different areas.
What is a detox?
Detox refers to the liver and kidneys, and their primary function to remove harmful toxins and chemicals from the body. The goal of a detox is to enhance the body's own detoxification pathways, while eliminating any negative effects on the body from pesticides and additives in our food. The liver is the body's main detoxification organ.
What is a cleanse?
The main purpose of a cleanse is to clean out the digestive tract, including the colon, from undigested food particles, toxins and parasites. A cleanse is often a gentler way of releasing toxins, often by adopting a simpler diet for a period of time. This means you have to avoid sugar in all its forms, confectionery and chocolate, high amounts of fructose in fruit juices and smoothies, Avoid white flour products, alcohol, gluten, diaryand caffeine.
A detox and a cleanse both eliminate toxins from the body which is so important, especially after the festive season. Signs of toxicity include:
· Fatigue
· Headaches
· Joint Pain
· Food Sensitivities /or allergies
· Mood Swings
· Anxiety and Depression
· High Blood Pressure
· Constipation
· Bloating
It is important to get some professional advice to make sure the programme you choose is right for you especially if you are on any medications or have a medical condition.
My Journey – Day 10
I chose the programme by Wild Nutrition which is a 28 day cleanse and today I am on day 10. I feel like I have so much more energy and my head is much clearer, whereas before I had a bit of brain fog which has lifted. My lower back pain caused by my osteoporosis has reduced significantly and has allowed me to be a lot more active and not having to worry about the ache at the end of the day.
I did not go on this cleanse to lose weight but you naturally do shed a few pounds as you are not eating sugar, processed foods or drinking alcohol. A small glass of wine for example has around 85 calories.
I am really enjoying trying out new recipes for me and my family. Last week I made a beautiful beetroot and ginger soup and today I am going to try my hand at making a spinach and watercress soup served with a boiled egg, courtesy of a recipe by Wild Nutrition.
As I have already mentioned, we will be running this programme in January, if you are interested please click here to send me your details.