what exactly is a cleanse? [part 1 of 4]

It’s pretty impossible not to be bombarded by media claiming this detox or that cleanse – especially as of late. Even popular magazines tout different detoxes and celebrities swear by their cleanses.
 

While I love the fact that cleansing and detoxing are becoming more mainstream, there are still lots of myths, fears, and confusion when it comes to cleansing.

 
Today’s post is the first in a 4 part series on cleansing where I hope to debunk these myths, teach you about cleansing, and show you how to safely and simply follow a seasonal cleanse.
 

As a yoga teacher and health coach, I hear lots of concerns and hesitations from my students, family, and friends around the concept of cleansing and detoxing.

“Oh I don’t think I could not eat for that long”
“It takes too much time and energy”
“I have too many social commitments”
“I have a job”
“I don’t have a juicer”
“I won’t have enough energy to workout”

 
I get it. I can completely relate to all of the above. In fact, I held all of these (and more) before I tried a cleanse for the first time a few years ago.

I was very skeptical and honestly quite afraid cleansing would lead me down a rabbit hole of strange diets and banish me from social functions. I didn’t think I had the time or energy to fit it into my already busting-at-the-seams life.

Long story short, after I took the first step of committing to my first cleanse, I realized that it wasn’t as difficult as I was making it out to be in my head. I just had to be open minded and willing to do a little planning. The payout was more than worth it.

I’ve seen such great results firsthand for myself and others and I want to show you how it can be accessible and doable for you – regardless of how busy your lifestyle is. The first step in doing that is laying the groundwork and getting clear on what the heck a cleanse is.
 

What is a cleanse?

There are lots of definitions out there and my own take is this:
 

Cleansing or Detoxing is a practice done for a certain period of time with the purpose of returning your body to a cleaner state of being to help increase overall health including but not limited to digestion, energy levels, weight loss, and skin conditions.

Along with many definitions of cleansing or detoxing, there are many different types of cleansing (which in my opinion is what leads to so much confusion…).
 

There are fasting cleanses where you eat very little if anything (ex: the Master Cleanse) as well as product cleanses where you consume a specific type of supplement and/or shake product (ex: the Clean Cleanse). And lately juice cleanses have become quite the rage – either homemade juices or systems like the BluePrint Cleanse.
 

The type of cleanse I follow and endorse is a whole foods or clean-eating cleanse. There are a few reasons I recommend and personally use this type of cleanse:
 

1. You can find everything you need at a grocery store and/or health food store.
2. You don’t need to buy any expensive kitchen equipment.
3. No extra ‘branded’ products or supplements are necessary.
4. It’s completely customizable.

A clean-eating whole food cleanse is based on an elimination diet that helps your body and digestive system re-boot. It pretty much is what it sounds like – eating whole, real foods that aren’t processed while avoiding dairy, gluten, white sugar, coffee and alcohol.
 

Yikes. No dairy? No coffee? And no night time wine?? Then why in the world would you want to take part in a cleanse?
 

Good question. I’ll have multiple answers for you next week.

In the second part of this series, I’ll dig into the benefits of cleansing and what you can expect to happen while cleansing. I’ll share all about the good as well as the potential side effects you might be nervous about.
 

Your turn! Let me know in the comments below: What’s your biggest hesitation, fear or question when it comes to cleansing?
 

Do you have any friends, family or coworkers who might benefit from a cleanse? Share this article and series with them! They’ll thank you (and I’d so appreciate it).