Cleanse Guide – Leading Up To The Good Vive Getaway Retreat
This is a very simple cleanse, which basically just cuts out the ‘muck’ that may cause symptoms of digestive discomfort and bloating, energy highs and lows, fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, sinus issues, skin breakouts and redness as well as muscle and joint pain.
Do you ever feel irritable, annoyed or angry for no apparent reason, or find that you have an inconsistent and irregular mood? Do you wake up and feel sluggish and lethargic some mornings, no matter how much sleep you had?
Do you feel tired and bloated after eating, randomly and without knowing the cause?
Cleansing, or detoxifying our bodies helps us to break down stored toxins, balance blood sugar levels (which helps reduce inflammation and facilitates weight loss), and improve energy levels, skin, hair, nails, mood, digestion and the process of elimination.
It also helps us to store and assimilate the appropriate amount of nutrients so that we gain the maximum amount of energy and vitality from our foods.
Toxins can be internally produced by the body (endotoxins), such as oxidative stress, free radicals, emotional stress and some hormones, or produced from sources outside our bodies (exotoxins), from the
environment.
These exotoxins may be industrial chemicals, pesticides, plasticisers, artificial food additives, pharmaceutical drugs, heavy metals and lifestyle toxins, e.g. caffeine, sugar, alcohol and recreational drugs.
The liver is an incredibly complex organ; to a large extent our health and vitality is determined by the
health and vitality of our livers. It is important that we nourish and look after it.
This is a guide, to help you slowly detoxify your body for the next 8 weeks before the retreat begins. Incorporate this into your daily life as much as possible, and create an awareness about how food makes you feel. Be gentle with yourself and allow your body to work through the detoxification process. Eat fresh food, drink plenty of water and take part in gentle activities like yoga, walking, cycling and swimming.
Pre Prep
Spend the weekend before you begin cleaning out the pantry and re-stocking it with delicious, healthy, nourishing foods.
Cook some dishes for the week and freeze them.
Chop up a bunch of veggies and stick them in the fridge.
Pre make bliss balls or little snacks for the day ahead
Buy Tupperware containers to store food appropriately if needed
Make sure you have a decent water bottle and filtered water (even if it’s the one in a box from the supermarket!)
The more prepared you are, the closer you already are to success.
Your cleansed diet is going to include the following:
An abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables
Lean proteins such as eggs, nuts, beans and pulses
Small amounts of organic dairy (if tolerated)
Nuts and seeds (all animal produce should be organic and free range/pasture-fed where available and affordable)
A small amount of grains such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, spelt, sourdough bread and oats
Lots of herbs and spices to make all your food taste incredible and be beneficial
Purified or spring water, herbal teas and coconut water
Little treats now and again like organic dark chocolate and homemade raw desserts
Your cleansed diet WON’T include the following:
Canned or tinned fruits, or non-organic dried fruits (due to the high level of preservatives or sulphur dioxide, which may damage our livers and cause digestive issues)
Canned vegetables
High sugar food products like lollies, biscuits, ice cream, frozen yoghurt, muesli bars and low-fat
products like diet yoghurts and milk
No quick microwave meals or anything meal you can eat out of a cardboard box
Smoked and cured meats (at least while in the beginning stage of the cleansed meal plan)
Sauces like tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, high-sugar relishes and jams, bottled salad dressings
Soy milk and unfermented soy products, textured vegetable protein and gluten containing and artificially flavoured vegetarian meat alternatives
Fried foods, margarine, soy oil and trans-fats
Alcohol and coffee (for the first few weeks at least), cordial, soft drinks, bottled fruit juice, energy drinks and anything sweetened artificially
Anything with artificial sweeteners, flavourings, colourings and preservatives
While you’re on your cleanse, it’s important that you try as best as possible to avoid exposure to toxins and chemicals, from pesticides on your fruits, to eating out of plastic containers, to breathing in regular, conventional aerosol deodorants.
if it’s possible try and buy organic or chemical free food and use natural personal and household cleaning products.
Amazing Detoxifying foods
Veggies from the brassica family (broccoli, cabbage etc.) that help to improve the detoxification pathways and balance our hormones, brightly coloured fruits and veggies for all the beautiful nutrients and antioxidants they contain, plus lots of lean proteins for their crucial amino acid content.
Eat your greens! They provide numerous essential nutrients for optimal health, energy, vitality and detoxification, such as B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K, chlorophyll and beta-carotene.
Enjoy bitter foods, which help to improve bile flow and therefore fat emulsification.
Bitter foods include rocket, endive, chicory, asparagus, radish, lemons, limes, grapefruit and apple cider vinegar.
Beetroot and globe artichoke are also beautiful foods to include in your cleansed diet.
Beetroot helps to flush the blood of toxins and globe artichoke flushes the liver and helps with excess fluid retention, reduces high cholesterol levels, protects the liver, helps with fat metabolism and also improves digestion. Beetroot also helps to detoxify the blood and circulatory system.
Fibre is also crucial in the detoxification process (especially if you’re trying to balance your hormones) as without adequate fibre, toxins may be recycled through the digestive system.
Fibre allows them to be swept up and eliminated through the bowel. Adequate water intake also helps this process.
Dandelion root ‘coffee’ + dandelion leaf tea
Let a dandelion latte be your new best friend!
The dandelion ‘coffee’ made from the root is really high in nutrients (vitamins A, C, K, B1, B6, calcium and iron) and is a great liver tonic.
Dandelion coffee and regular coffee have some similarities; they’re both dark in colour, bitter and strong, so chances are, if you like coffee, you’ll enjoy dandelion coffee.
The tea made from the leaf acts as a diuretic but the high levels of potassium make it safe, meaning you won’t excrete valuable electrolytes.
Pair dandelion leaf tea with some peppermint leaves and you have the perfect post-dinner beverage
Rooibos, green + rosehip tea
Rooibos tea is incredibly high in antioxidants for glowing skin, calcium and manganese for strong teeth and bones and has a mild sedative effect, meaning it’s great if you’re feeling a little stressed or ‘wired and tired’.
Green tea helps to speed up our metabolism and if you add some fresh ginger, can improve mood and concentration.
Rosehip tea is high in vitamin C, which helps collagen production (think tight, glowing skin) and nourishes our adrenal glands.
The adrenals produce stress hormones and small amounts of sex hormones.
With a bad diet, hectic lifestyle and no ‘down-time’ you’re at risk of running yourself (and your adrenals) into the ground.
Take the time to nourish and support them with some delicious rosehip tea
Chlorophyll
This deep green plant concentrate is very cleansing and acts as an internal deodoriser, flushing out waste and toxins.
It contains magnesium and is very alkalising, while also being a great gargle if you get a sore throat.
Drink about 1 tbsp. in a glass of water in the morning, or add it to your water bottle and sip throughout the day.
Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice
These are all highly alkalizing, improving liver function and therefore overall digestion.
Choose one and take it in some warm water before breakfast, as a salad dressing with some olive or flaxseed oil and even after dinner if you’re feeling a little bloated.
Epsom salt baths
This is a beautiful, nourishing and relaxing way to detoxify and cleanse your body and your mind.
It helps to ease a sore and aching body as well as relieve stress, anxiety and insomnia.
Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulphate, is well absorbed through our skin – our largest organ.
This is another way to ensure proper electrolyte balance in your body after a hard workout, as well as give yourself an excuse to just bliss out.
Aim for around 2 baths a week, preferably right before bed (so you can just collapse – relaxed beyond belief – into your bed straight afterwards).
Use a handful of Epsom salts and stay in the bath for at least 20 minutes!
Lymphatic massage (or dry skin brush)
Lymphatic massage can accelerate the detoxification process by cleansing the lymphatic system.
Dry skin brushing is another wonderful way to remove toxins and increase circulation, as our skin is a major organ of elimination.
You can get good natural-bristle brushes from health food stores.
Try doing it before your shower. It can feel a little uncomfortable the first few times, but soon your skin will be glowing and it will all be worth it
Move in a circular motion across the skin
Cleansed Food List
Fruits
All fruits! Except tinned. Limit dried fruits as they’re super high in sugar.
Veggies
All veggies! Except possibly the nightshade family if you’re sensitive to them.
Lean proteins
(Limit meat to 2-3 times per week max, but if best results will be if you try to eat vegetarian as much as possible in the lead up to the retreat)
Organic Beef
Organic Chicken
Free Range Eggs
Fresh fish
Nuts and seeds
Limit to ½ cup per day – raw or activated (soaked)
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Coconut
Chia seeds
Hazelnuts
Linseeds
Macadamia nuts
Natural nut butters/spreads
Pecans
Pepitas
Pine nuts
pistachios
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Dairy + substitutes
Natural cow or goat yoghurt and kefir • A small amount of haloumi, aged cheese or a little bit of feta, 1-2 times per week
A small amount of organic cream (e.g. for your baked apple and honey cream dessert) – no more than 1-2 times per week
Rice milk
Nut milks (e.g. almond)
Goat milk
Beans
Ensure they’re prepared correctly before cooking, by soaking them for up to 24hrs in water with either salt, lemon/lime juice or apple cider vinegar so they’re easily digested and absorbed.
Broad beans
Butter beans
Chickpeas
Lentils
Lima beans
Grains
Amaranth
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Millet
Oats
Quinoa
Sourdough bread or gluten free bread (from a bakery, not supermarket)
Wholegrain corn, rice and buckwheat cakes and crackers
Natural sweeteners
Coconut sugar
Organic honey (small amounts)
Organic pure maple syrup (small amounts)
Dates
Beverages
Pure, filtered water – lots!
All caffeine-free teas
Green tea (max. 2 cups per day)
Dressings + condiments
Apple cider vinegar
Garlic, freshly crushed
Homemade guacamole and hummus
Lemon and lime juice
Olive oil and flaxseed oil
Sea salt (Himalayan or Celtic for high mineral content)
Tahini
Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
Use a variety of herbs and spices in your cooking
Fats + oils
Cold pressed oils are preferable.
Coconut oil (use for cooking at high temperatures)
Flaxseed oil (don’t heat this oil, just drizzle over salads)
