Thinking about doing a cleanse? Concerned about whether you’ll be able to go without actual food for a few days? What about exercise? As a healthcare professional, I wanted to be able to share my own experiences, so I decided to do a cleanse myself. After having completed three separate cleanses, I can definitely provide some insight including several surprising things you may not know.
Caffeine Is Allowed
Most cleanses recommend cutting out caffeine completely during your cleanse. If it’s not possible to forgo your morning cup of coffee, you can still have your caffeine fix by drinking green tea. I drank green tea with honey or agave nectar since artificial sweeteners should be avoided. Though I still love coffee, drinking green tea definitely has its health benefits and can ward off withdrawals during a cleanse.
You Can Still Eat Solid Foods
If you’ve never done a cleanse before, it is recommended to choose a plan where you eat raw foods in conjunction with the cleanse. Going from eating regular meals to only drinking liquids is a difficult transition to make. As a result, I’ve chosen to supplement my cleanses with raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Eating foods in their natural state can enhance your diet cleanse since it is believed that cooking certain foods diminish their nutritional value.
Exercise Cautiously
You can still work out but you’ll need to ease up on the intensity while cleansing. Strength training exercises like yoga or light weight-lifting are safer than heavy cardio workouts. During my cleanses, I avoided long runs and instead did squats, lunges, and planks. You can boost energy before exercising by eating raw nuts or unsweetened dried fruits. Certain plans also offer juices designed for working out as well.
Diet Cleanses Come in Different Forms
There are a variety of cleanses available to choose from. The very first cleanse I tried involved packets of powder made from dehydrated fruits. All I had to do was add the powder in a blender with raw fruits, vegetables, and juice to make a detox smoothie. I’ve also done traditional juice cleanses where I received bottles of cold-pressed juices to drink throughout the day.
Your Taste Buds Will Thank You
One of the unexpected effects after doing a cleanse is how my taste buds had “reset” themselves. I was able to really distinguish between foods that tasted salty, sweet, savory, etc… I’d have to say that this was the most positive result because I learned to enjoy healthy foods more thereby establishing better eating habits.
