Cleansing Made Easyby Amy Day, ND Spring is here! For many, this means scrubbing the house, getting rid of junk and getting out for some fresh air. This is also a great time of year to renew your selfcare efforts by doing a cleanse. While an individualized and medically-supervised program is best for treating health conditions, most people can benefit from the following simple, one-week cleanse you can do at home.
Clean Up Your Diet
For the week of your cleanse, take a break from all sugar, simple carbs (like white rice and white flour), alcohol, caffeine and junk food. This is a great time to break bad habits and learn that you really can get by without these things. If you depend on your caffeine, you may want to wean slowly to avoid the withdrawal headache. Any improvement you make to your diet is beneficial, so improvise as needed.
You should also increase the nourishment that you receive from each meal by focusing on organic, whole foods. Every day include plenty of fresh vegetables, a couple pieces of fruit, beans, whole grains and healthy fats. See the recipes below for tasty ways to include liver supporting foods such as bitter greens and beets. If you eat animal products they should be organic, free range or grass fed, and eaten in small amounts. Also, try to drink 10 glasses of pure filtered water per day (ask us about Multi- Pure if you are looking for a filter).
Move It Out
What you are getting out of your body is just as important as what you are putting in. The body has many organs of elimination that assist with cleansing such as the bowels, kidneys and skin. Be sure that you are getting the fiber and water needed to have bowel movements every day and to urinate about every 2 hours. You should also sweat daily either with saunas, hot Epsom salt baths or exercise.
Take a Break
Get out of the daily grind by taking a hike, exercising, meditating, journaling, etc. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, too. By the end of the week you should feel refreshed and inspired to stay healthy.
Other Options
We at San Francisco Natural Medicine offer two other options for your spring cleansing. First, you can detox with the doctor! I will be guiding a group cleanse (and will be doing the cleanse along with the group) in order to provide a more involved program. It will include more liver and digestion support, food allergy elimination, self-care exercises, and the support of group meetings and an e-mail chat group. See front page for details. The other option is to see one of our doctors for an individualized plan with one-on-one support. We offer both 10-day and 21-day programs and can tailor your cleanse specifically for your health concerns. Our doctors can help you to address digestive problems, allergies, hormonal imbalances, skin disorders, fatigue, joint pain, stress and more. Please call for an appointment or for a free 15- minute phone consultation.
The above suggestions may be helpful for a variety of symptoms, though they are not intended to treat any disease. If you have a health condition, please check with your doctor before beginning any type of cleansing program.
Greens with Miso Dressing 1 large bunch greens (kale, turnip,mustard, collards or chard)
3 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. dark toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs. dark miso (barley or soy)
1 Tbs. rice syrup
1 Tbs. mirin, optional (if omitting,double the rice syrup)
1 tsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Wash greens and remove tough stems from leaves. Boil greens for 5-7 minutes in 1 quart salted water, until just tender, then immediately plunge them into cold water. Drain, gently squeeze out excess water, slice thin, and set aside.
Toast sesame seeds over medium heat in a dry skillet, stirring constantly until they are fragrant or begin to pop. Grind seeds in a spice grinder or food processor until about 3/4 of them are broken. Mix oil and miso. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Mixture will be thick. Gently toss greens with dressing to coat, add sesame seeds, and serve at room temperature.
Russian Borscht
A superb liver and gallbladdertonic
Saute in large heavy pot:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
Add: 2 cups diced beets
2 cups diced potato
6 cups water
When beets are tender, add:
3 cups cabbage, sliced or shredded
1 small can tomato paste
beet greens, chopped
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 Tbs. cumin; 1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. seasoning or sea salt
Continue cooking a few minutes.
