Essential Oils: Essential Oils (The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Uncovering the Healing Benefits of Aromatherapy) (15 page)

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

The only equipment that you would need for this seven day smoothie cleanse are a blender, cutting board, storage containers and a knife. A high speed blender is generally recommended. You may have to prepare your day’s recipes in two batches in case you are using a smaller blender.

You may want to invest in some Ziploc bags or small containers that can store your cut veggies and fruits.

STARTING YOUR SEVEN DAY CLEANSE

Well, well….you understand the benefits the seven day smoothie cleanse offers…time to begin it now!

By the way, if you are still judgmental about cleansing because you have always thought that it is ‘extreme’, it may not work and therefore may not be worth the effort, it’s time to think again.

Take a closer look at the real you – is the real you jealous of all the healthier people around? Alright, you are obviously doing your part – eating organic when your can, staying away from gluten/soy/corn when you can, meditating when you can and generally paying attention to yourself. But you still have that feeling of ‘something is missing’.

It is time to go for the cleanse – yes, your body is craving for detoxification!

Let us look at some of the emotions that you may go through during these seven days. The process of cleansing involves a blur of hunger, self-control, nervousness, enthusiasm and victory. Here are the five stages in which we can summarize the entire process:

Stage 1: Enthusiasm
: At this time, you are totally excited about starting the cleansing program. You look at your first glass of smoothie and love the color. It tastes yum too! You are equally excited about your midmorning snack and look at the orange that seems to be craving for your attention. No, you can’t have that!

Alright, you will have a superfood smoothie!

‘This is going to be fun’, is what you tell yourself. After all, your motivation will get you through. This stage lasts for approximately 3-4 hours.

Stage 2: Hunger
: This stage sets in approximately four to six hours after beginning the smoothie cleanse. All that you can think about now is food. You visualize food: the food in your refrigerator, the food in the restaurant, even the food that your pet dog is eating! Wow! The burger that your sister is eating looks great…. and the salmon that you had last night was awesome too!

You now want to distract yourself otherwise fear that cravings will have their way. The next step is that your body deploys its panic / survival approach. And all you are waiting for is the sun to set so that you can sleep through your cravings.

Stage 3: Revolution
: It is just the second day of cleansing and you feel that you have lost loads of weight but still do not experience true happiness for obvious reasons:

• Your well-wishers may have told you that this weight loss is only going to be temporary.
  
• You are hungry, very hungry. In fact, you can feel your stomach cramping!
  

You start experiencing mild but continuous headache or discomfort. And because you want to motivate yourself, you read about all the people who recommend the seven day smoothie cleanse and the benefits that they achieved by practicing it.

You are now ready to face your blender once again.

Stage 4: Hesitation
: Towards the end of day two, sets in the stage of hesitation. You may find yourself asking questions such as ‘Would eating once piece of chocolate amount to cheating? Dark chocolate is considered healthy!’ or ‘Do I really want to do this?’ You become more sensitive and feel the most severe bouts of hunger.

Stage 5: Victory
: You still feel that hunger, though it is not so extreme on day three. You don’t feel so awful, much because of the water weight that you have lost. Your body has adjusted and the cravings have become less intense. You feel real close to victory and have been told by experts, ‘If you clear day 3, you can go many more days!’ You now decide if you want to go further and the usual feeling of triumph sets in.

Voila, you can do it!!!

And now here are some of the physical symptoms that you may experience while on a smoothie cleanse:

Hunger pangs
: The first three days of the cleansing ritual seem to be the worst ones when it comes to hunger pangs. Surprisingly, they just disappear on day four, encouraging you to continue with the cleansing ritual. You are now motivated to continue the prolonged fast.

Weakness
: But this was supposed to be fun and energizing, wasn’t it? Well, it is definitely fun and you will reap the benefits of increased energy. However, on the first two days, you may experience lack of stamina and feel sleepy and drained out.

Body odor and bad breath
: Both body odor and bad breath are common during the seven day cleanse. Addition of alfalfa sprouts to the existing smoothie recipes is recommended to eliminate body odor.

Nausea and giddiness
: In addition to the hunger pangs, you may also experience nausea and giddiness. Including some carrot and ginger into your existing smoothie recipes can work wonders here.

Bloating
: Fresh smoothies reach every fold in your small intestine, with the intent of cleansing your intestines and freeing them from all the bad bacteria in your GI tract. This may lead to a constant release of gas and significant bloating. Consuming loads of water with lemon added into it can aid in bloating. Try and chew your smoothies as much as possible to ease gas and bloating.

Diarrhea
: Diarrhea is not uncommon when you are on a smoothie cleanse program. All fresh fruits and vegetables have a laxative effect.

Pains and aches
: Elimination of toxins from the body can lead to tightness in some parts of your body. You may experience some withdrawal symptoms from salt, sugar and alcohol. These may include head aches and stomach aches. Your body starts working, continuous pains and aches may be caused due to the constant eradication of toxins from your body.

All the above symptoms should be considered as symptoms of a ‘
healing crunch
’ and should be welcomed since your body is involved in deep cleansing activities. Although these symptoms are inevitable, different individuals experience different kinds of symptoms. The key here is to listen to your body and act responsibly when it comes to your overall health.

A FEW TIPS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE HEALING CRISIS

A successful cleansing program requires commitment and preparation. Here are a few tips that can enable you to successfully emerge as a winner through your seven day smoothie cleansing journey:

Preparation is the key

Preparation is the key to a successful cleansing program. You should limit or preferably eliminate the use of caffeine from your diet a few days before you start your cleansing ritual. This will prevent you from experiencing those headaches during the cleansing ritual. Caffeine can also lead to inflammation in your body and subsequent adrenal fatigue. During the pre-cleanse period replace caffeine with green tea so that you do not need caffeine during the actual cleanse. Pre packed and processed food should also be eliminated. These should be replaced with healthier options such as raw fruits and vegetables. Refrain from eating anything post sunset just the day before the start of your cleansing ritual. A glassful of juice or a cup of herbal tea can do the trick here. It can make you feel energized when you wake up on the day of your cleansing.

Here is the list of foods that should be removed from your diet during the pre-cleanse period:

• Coffee
  
• Alcohol
  
• Soy products
  
• Pre packed and processed foods (e.g. chips, crackers, salty snacks)
  
• Refined sugar and foods such as cakes, candies, cookies containing refined sugar
  
• Canned food
  
• Fried food
  
• Peanuts
  
• White flour
  
• White potato
  
• Gluten containing wheat, oats and grains
  
• Dairy: cream, sour cream, cheese, etc.
  
• Processed meat and red meat
  
• Packaged sauces
  
• Shell fish
  
• Soy sauce
  
• Vinegar
  

Yoga and meditation can help too
!

That’s true! Pushing yourself beyond limits is not advisable during the cleansing ritual, since cleansing is considered a time to heal. However, yoga is considered gentle and highly impactful; it activates your parasympathetic nervous system and stimulates your internal organs. Your parasympathetic system is responsible for healing, relaxation and rejuvenation. The temperature in hot yoga can eradicate toxins, bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. Practicing meditation can come in handy when you want to give in to your cravings.

Journaling, you can try that too
!

Do you want to experience an elevated mental productivity and a higher level of inspiration? Journaling can help you sail through your cleansing journey. You can capture insights, ideas and inspirations that can be referred to at a later stage for enhanced motivation. Make a note of all the positive changes that you notice during the day and the new experiences that you value.

Plan your start day

True! You need to be really strategic here. How about beginning your seven day cleanse on a Saturday, so that you have the weekend to prepare your body and mind and then the entire day Saturday and Sunday to help you sail through the ‘healing crunch.’

THE IMPORTANCE OF A PRE CLEANSING PERIOD

A light and healthy diet is recommended a few days before you start your seven day smoothie cleanse. This helps in getting through the hunger cravings that you would experience during the actual cleanse. Organic fresh fruits, whole grains, vegetables and eggs are recommended. Proper hydration is also important. You should stay away from gluten, red meat, dairy, processed food, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.

A great thing to do here is to try and get an idea of the green smoothies that you would be making during your cleansing routine. Why not shop accordingly? It just saves time and money!

You should stock up loads of herbal teas: you can consume as many as you like during the day. Remember, herbs are detoxifying. Lemon in hot water also helps in detoxification. How about boiling some ginger in a glass of filtered water and adding lemon into this? A perfect delicious detoxifying and alkalizing hot lemon drink!

Here is an example of a recommended shopping list during your pre cleanse period:

• Kale
  
• Basil
  
• Mint
  
• Ginger
  
• Parsley
  
• Apple
  
• Tomatoes
  
• Lemons
  
• Beetroot
  
• Cabbage
  
• Lettuce
  
• Kiwi
  
• Strawberries
  
• Blueberries
  
• Orange
  
• Watermelon
  
• Spirulina
  
• Spinach
  
• Chlorella
  
• Bee Pollen
  
• Flax seeds
  
• Chia seeds
  
• Goji berries
  
• Acai berries
  
• Himalayan Sea salt
  
• Probiotic drink
  
• Dry skin brush
  
• Guided meditation CDs
  
• Journal
  

A dry skin brush will help cleanse and detox your body by exfoliating the dead cells on your skin and stimulating your lymphatic system. This does a ton of good to your body’s natural defense system, your immunity!

Infrared sauna and massages are also great when it comes to detoxification during the pre-cleanse period.

Let your well-wishers know about your plans for the seven day smoothie cleanse and request for their support. Do not get detracted if they talk about your craziness here. Be rock steady with your intentions. You might just become an inspiration for them in the future!

Also, focus on limiting your social engagements. You don’t want to be tempted by a scrumptious spread of food or alcohol! Make sure you get the time to rest and reflect.

We have already discussed the impact of meditation and journaling during the cleansing period. You do want to stock up everything you need beforehand!

The most important point remains attitude. Setting up an intention for yourself really helps. Ask yourself those important questions:

• Why am I thinking about cleansing?
  
• What do I plan to achieve out of the seven day cleansing routine?
  
• What do I intend to heal during the next seven days?
  
• How will I define my success in this seven day cleanse?
  

Do check with your healthcare practitioner before starting the cleansing regime in case you are pregnant, on medication or have a serious illness.

CUSTOMIZED 7 DAY SMOOTHIE RECEIPTS

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SEVEN DAY CLEANSE FOR YOURSELF

There’s no generic or standard definition of a cleanse or detox. Some people may look at consuming smoothies only, whereas others may choose to do the modified regime that includes smoothies for two meals and a healthy meal for one meal.

Ideally, your cleansing program should be dependent on the kind of lifestyle that you lead. The aim should always be to move from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one. However, the smoothie recipes that you use during the seven day cleanse must incorporate ingredients that are best suited for your lifestyle.