4 Ways to Make a Spring Cleanse Bearable
I've been on a cleanse for the past 18 days and it has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Over the course of the past (nearly) three weeks, I’ve experienced sugar-withdrawal headaches, intense sugar cravings and in week 2 I was basically hangry the whole time. But this week, I'm over the hump of feeling bad (and there is an end in sight). I’ve also experienced the welcome benefit of rising earlier, which does not come naturally to me. Since I have an outsized (but objectively excellent) morning routine, the extra hour in the morning means I can truly luxuriate in it.
I have been doing this once a year for the past few years, usually towards the beginning of the year as a way to reset and get clear on what I want for the year. I sign up to restrict myself to a certain way of eating for a certain amount of time and exist within the relative safety of that. Since all the guesswork of cooking for myself is taken out of the equation, it actually helps me to find direction and purpose in other areas of my life. It creates some mental space, which is always a plus.
Why I Did It
The reason I wanted to do this cleanse is three-pronged:
I wanted to kick the out-of-control chocolate habit I picked up in the pandemic. Though I am in a long-term relationship with chocolate and will never stop eating it as long as I live till death do us part, it’s important for me to take breaks from time to time.
Something I was eating was making me feel sick every day. It wasn't an unmanageable type of sick, but it was unpleasant and I was getting bored with it. I don't have a gall bladder and I have to be so careful about what I put in my body for this reason. This pandemic has made me feel like I could be a lot more cavalier in my choices and still be fine. Not the case.
Sleep. I experience insomnia and since sugar can stay in your system up to 6 hours after you eat it (I KNOW WILD RIGHT), I knew that doing this would help me sleep better and more soundly. I also don’t love all the other stuff it can do to our bodies.
I no longer reach for the things I used to reach for in my former life pre-liver transplant (cigarettes, booze). Ultimately, that's a positive. And though I don't refer to myself as a 'sober' person, I am for the most part a sober person. And that means I feel all the feelings all the time and that can be really tiring. Sure, I have the option to numb out with social media and food (and I do! I’m only human), but I find it extremely rewarding to take time away from both in order to stay sane. These pandemic years that we find ourselves in often feel like a pressure cooker: we have very few outlets to ground us. I noticed about mid-way through 2020 that I was using food as a way to gain a sense of control when things felt so completely OUT of control.
As a result, I often reach for food as a way to self-regulate. I've always done it. This is common - and totally normal! Self-flagellation is absolutely NOT the way to go when it comes to what we eat ever, and most especially when living/existing/surviving/thriving through a global pandemic. Humans are going through a lot, and it makes sense to want to self-regulate with food. But for me, in lockdown, it's definitely become a crutch. By spending 21 days restricting my diet in a safe way (what the hell else do I have to do), I've been able to recognise where I've been trying to fill a hole.
I have been guided by the nutritional counsellor and chef Sarah Pachelli, so I have felt safely held through the entire experience. I call this cleanse a rollercoaster because I've been confronted with feelings of anger, sadness, frustration, elation and happiness. This is not a way to eat all the time, which Sarah continuously reminds us of. And I don't think it's always safe to promote cleansing as the solution for everyone. So much of what we think of as cleansing is harmful and adds to the proliferation of diet culture.
Also, as a transplant recipient who takes immunosuppressants, my digestion has at times been teetering on the brink of disaster. I have also had C-Diff which can have long term consequences for digestion, and it has definitely been a journey for me to find what works and heal my gut. Here's the thing: as someone who lives with a disability and who is on medication, I can't always just decide to 'heal my gut' and then it heals. The truth is: our immune system is directly linked to gut health and my immune system will be suppressed for the rest of my life. That's fine! I've made my peace with that. But I have to tread very lightly when it comes to engaging in practices that are supposed to heal me. Healing, for me, is not a destination. It's an ongoing relationship.
How to Make it Easier
If you do decide to cleanse, I thought I would put together some tips to make sure you do it safely and effectively.
1. EAT
This is obvious but it may not be popular: there are so many people out there lauding the benefits of fasting. I am not one of those people. Make sure you eat REAL food. No master cleanse, juice cleanses, bullshit fasting cleanse. This is not 2009. In 2021 we eat, we take care of our bodies safely and we understand that starving ourselves is not cute. Make it make sense. Food is healing and given half the chance, your body is going to heal itself.
2. PREP
You know when you go to the supermarket and you’re STARVING and so you make all the worst decisions and buy all the worst food? If you don’t set yourself up for success on a cleanse, then you may set yourself up to fail. Take the weekend to prep your food for at least the first three days of the week so you can open your fridge and know exactly what to reach for. Also, cooking makes you invest in your well-being. It adds intimacy to what is on your plate. It is an act of self-love. When you’re in the thick of it and having cravings, having the awareness of the hard work you put in will make you WANT to eat the same soup for the third day in a row.
3. HYDRATE
This cannot be stressed enough. Again, set yourself up for success. Have a water bottle or a glass of water nearby at all times. Fill your teapot with lemon and fresh ginger and keep it full throughout the day. You will have hunger pangs: sometimes you’ll be hungry, other times you’ll simply be thirsty. If you get hungry, drink a glass of water and then see how you feel.
4. MOVE
Move your body. You don’t need to do high impact exercise, especially since at some points you may feel very tired. You can take a long walk, dance to a song for a few minutes or do a low impact workout if you feel tired. If you do have the energy to do some high-octane movement, by all means, go for it. Movement is good for digestion with is good when cleansing.
5. CHEW YOUR FOOD
At mealtime make sure you spend a good amount of time chewing each bite. When we chew our food properly it creates our body’s natural digestive enzymes which are extremely beneficial to digestion. Also, make sure to eat slowly and in a relaxed environment. This means no screens! If you usually scroll through social media at lunch or eat dinner in front of the TV, try to give yourself the gift of simply eating whilst you’re eating. When we eat quickly (or if we’re stressed) stressed it can cause digestive distress and metabolic upset!
If you’d like to do your own cleanse, I can create a personalised 3, 5 or 7 day cleanse for you depending on your needs! Contact me at nora@noraelogan.com or book directly here.