The #1 thing you might be doing wrong during a detox

It’s January now and you’re probably feeling the urge to do some sort of juice cleanse, detox, or Whole30 type diet to reset after a long holidays season of eating and drinking. Or maybe you’re already a few days in and wondering how the heck you’re going to make it to the end of the week without crying and binging on the candy bowel on the office manager’s desk.

First things first, you are absolutely awesome for prioritizing your health and wanting to do what’s best for that beautiful body of yours. That’s where it all starts – the intention to have more energy, sleep better, and feel better in your body.

I want to make sure you are armed with the best tools and information to give your body what it needs and feel really good while doing so.

Cleanses and detoxes can be really great to give our digestive and detoxification systems a break if we’re feeling out of balance.  They are a good tool to use to become really mindful of what we’re putting in our bodies as well. I’m a total advocate of them if done with intention and in accordance to what works for you specifically.

For example, a 5-day juice cleanse would wreak havoc on my blood sugar and energy levels, make me feel absolutely crazy and is definitely not something my body needs at this moment.  Plus, I would probably only make it ½ a day and then feel bad about myself for not completing it and get all guilty. I do, however, notice when I’ve been eating more carbohydrates and indulging in more alcohol or sweets than usual and prioritize incorporating vegetables at every meal for the next few days to come back to my foundation. It’s an ebb and flow for me, and never something that is strictly black and white anymore.

The intentionality and mindset behind the cleanse is the most important piece, and what I see frequently is people getting stuck about what to do after the cleanse or diet has completed.

Although any form of dietary restriction is challenging, sometimes having the black and white of rules and restrictions of what you can and can’t eat is easier than navigating the grey area of food choices.

Everyone’s “why” behind a cleanse might be a little different, so it’s important to get clear on that first. Did you have a wild and crazy holiday season and need a break from cocktails and cookies? Do you have digestive issues or symptoms of disease and want to experiment with dietary changes? Do you want to shed pounds?

Then ask yourself what are you doing to do after the cleanse has finished. If you are completing a Whole30, is it running out to eat that fried chicken and waffles that you were weirdly dreaming about during your 30 days? Will you go back to eating anything that crosses your path after your juice cleanse because you are just so damn hungry?

In my opinion, the most important part of the cleanse or diet is the reintroduction portion which is always the part that gets looked over the most. A cleanse allows your body to reset so that you area able to “clear the muddy waters” and really tune in to how food affects you.

I strongly encourage setting up a gradual reintroduction process of foods (such as dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol etc.) to gather data about how each of these things works in your body rather than go out and eat all of the things for the next three days of your “freedom.” With that data you can really understand how dairy affects your body, how much and what kind you can have, and how it works in your own unique diet.

Cleanses can set you up to feel like you are either “on the wagon” or “off the wagon” which is why they can be pretty ineffective if done in a haphazard way.  Gathering this information is really powerful because it helps us carry these good habits and new knowledge forward into our everyday lives so we can make empowered choices.

If you need guidance with the reintroduction process and finding the best ways to incorporate healthy, whole foods into your diet email me to set up a time to chat! I’d love to help you get out of the cycle of “on the wagon” and “off the wagon” and to a place of food confidence and freedom. Click the button below to book in a free 30 minute discovery session to chat. I'd love to hear from you!