By Mary Serphos

Why cleanse your body? Toxins, pesticides, chemicals in household cleaners and the use of plastics, Teflon pans, not to mention all the years of  emotional pain builds up in our tissues and organs as well as our blood. While the job of the liver and kidneys is to cleanse the body, quite often, they are overloaded and taxed to capacity. The symptoms of an overtaxed body can lead to lead to a loss of energy, weight gain, fatigue and brain fog to name a few.

Cleansing can include anything from a total fast or a juice cleanse to an elimination eating plan where certain foods and substances are eliminated for a set amount of time. The best foods to avoid are alcohol, tobacco, unhealthy fats, sugar, processed food and refined flour products. I often advise clients who are cleansing for the first time to take the cleanse gradually as to not "shock" the body into starvation mode which can lead to binging and overeating after the cleanse is over and can last for months afterwards. And if the goal is to shed the weight and keep it off, it is important to go into a cleanse armed with knowledge. For example, certain bodies do great on a juice fast while others don't fare as  well on this type of fast since the sugars in juice, even in green juices, turn into simple sugars in the body, especially if the fiber from the plant is eliminated while juicing. I always recommend using the whole fruit or vegetables when juicing and drink slowly.

How long should a cleanse last? Those who eat a healthy plant based diet can reap the benefits of a two to three day cleanse while those of us who are ingesting processed foods, sugar and unhealthy fats can cleanse for up to two weeks to get the maximum benefits. Again, it is best to cleanse with professional guidance and care, slowly eliminating foods and toxic substances over time. Please contact me if you have any questions- I am happy to answer them!