We all feel a little groggy from time to time and need to press the occasional reset button. As a business owner and busy mom of two, I get it. How many times have I eaten leftover macaroni and cheese for dinner or grabbed some quick food on the go?There comes a time where I know I could use a gentle cleanse and change in eating habits to reset my pallet.
Why should you do a cleanse?
Are you experiencing:
- Sugar and caffeine cravings
- Poor sleep
- Low energy
- Looking to jumpstart healthier habits and weight loss
If this is you, it’s likely a cleanse could be a good move for you. Of course, always consult with your doctor first.
What Does a Seven Day Raw Food Cleanse Look Like?
The cleanse I want to share with you is one that consist of eating mostly raw vegetables and fruit for seven days and cutting out sugars, alcohol and caffeine.
- Graze on vegetables and fruits all day, ideally eating at least every 2 hours and drinking lots of water.
- Eat your vegetables raw or steam or sauté them with a little healthy fat like olive or avocado oil to get the most phytonutrients.
- Drink at least 6–10 glasses of water each day.
- Eat a large salad with full-fat dressing or vegetable stir-fry with a starchy vegetable for your evening meal.
Five Benefits of a Seven Day Plant Based Cleanse
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Improves focus and energy
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Enhances mood and sleep quality
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Supports detox and healthy digestion
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Jump-starts weight loss
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Reduces cravings
Kate Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD in an interview with the Cleveland Clinic reports the benefits of an occasional cleanse to be the increase in intake of vitamins and minerals from veggies and fruits as well as helping you identify food sensitivities by eliminating certain foods for several days and slowly reintroducing them.
Foods to Embrace on a 7 Day Cleanse
VEGETABLES:
Asparagus, Beets, Bell peppers, Bok choy, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Collard greens, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green beans, Jicama, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard greens, Radishes, Spinach, Swiss chard, Watercress, Winter squash.
Limit the following to no more than 1 serving per day: Avocado (limit to 1/2–1 per day) Sweet potato (limit to 1/2 per day)
FRUITS:
Apples, Apricots, Berries, Cantaloupes, Nectarines, Papayas, Peaches, Tomatoes, Limit higher sugar fruits like Bananas, Cherries, and Oranges
BEVERAGES:
Non-caffeinated green or herbal teas, Filtered water, Fresh vegetable juices (although best to eat whole vegetables and fruit), Sparkling water, Unsweetened beverage, Zero-calorie beverage
FATS:
Healthy fat like extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil = 1 to 2 tablespoons per day for salad dressing or sautéing.
CONDIMENTS: All herbs and spices—fresh and dried. Veggies can be dipped in mustard or fresh salsa.
SWEETENERS: Stevia
Foods and Beverages to Avoid
VEGETABLES: Canned vegetables
FRUITS: Dried fruits and Coconut
PROTEINS: Meat, Fish, Tofu, Beans
BEVERAGES: Alcohol Energy drinks Fruit juices Soda Dairy and Dairy alternatives (Almond, Cashew, Coconut, Pea, and Soy milks, etc.)
FATS: Avoid all other oils, like coconut oil, and commercial salad dressings.
OTHER: Grains Nuts or Seeds, refined sugars; added sugars including agave, honey, and maple syrup; and artificial sweeteners.
DELICIOUS RECIPES TO INSPIRE YOU
Why mostly raw foods?
Many of us have been eating the typical Modern American Diet (MAD) which consists of lots of meat, dairy, complex carbohydrates and sugar. Before the industrial revolution and the development of processed foods, we ate a natural and organic diet. There was actually no term for organic at that time because we weren’t using the chemicals we are using now. We did not have to deal with high levels of pollution and toxins that surround our current environment. Now, our bodies are overloaded and overwhelmed with processed foods and external toxins.
Going back to eating more plant based foods, which humans ate for the majority of our existence, helps our body sync up with the nutrients it needs to stay well.
Eating raw foods as opposed to cooked preserves more of those nutrients and enzymes so our body can benefit the most from eating them.
While you might think otherwise, cooked foods are usually harder to digest than raw foods, plus cooking nutrient-dense foods tends to destabilize some of their valuable enzymes and destroy certain antioxidants and vitamins. Raw foods also help alkalize the body, reduce acidity, and have less of a chance of fermenting in the gut and causing inflammation/autoimmune reactions. – Dr. Axe
Believe it or not but once you adjust your taste buds and diet, your body actually starts craving those foods! You are receiving nutrients your body craves to rebalance and repair itself.
What happens during a cleanse?
No matter life change you make, there is expected to be a period of adjustment. When you decide to do an internal ‘spring cleaning’, you will be giving the body a chance to rest from over working and you will be getting rid of more toxins and sugar /caffeine cravings.
The junk in our body that is stored up in our fat cells, organs or lymphatic system and starts to get released during a cleanse and reintroduced to your bloodstream and then out of the body. This is why people might feel like they are starting to feel worse rather than better. It’s kind of like a workout at the gym. It feels hard when you are doing it but when you are done you feel so much better!
Remember these symptoms generally only persist for a few days!
Cleanse Supplementation
Want to take it up a notch? Pair your healthy eating with cleansing and supporting herbs.
I like to use a convenient daily packets of herbs and probiotics that have been carefully created to help support your system during a cleanse. You take one packet in the morning and one in the evening.
The cleansing herbs include:
- Alfalfa
- Contains vitamins- A, C, D, E, K, U, B-Complex, minerals, trace minerals, digestive enzymes, chlorophyll, fiber, amino acids (protein), beta-carotene.
- This variety of alfalfa from Shaklee is organically grown, sun & air dried that were harvested from plans that are 5-7 years old (this gives them a chance to pick up more minerals from deep in the earth).
- Alfalfa is a natural anti-histamine, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, analgestic & diaretic. It supports kidneys and bladders as well as being extremely alkalizing. Think of it as a super food.
- This is a Shaklee Signature Formula: originally developed by Dr. Shaklee
- Probiotic- Optiflora- DI
- Provides benefits via a proprietary formula with 10 billion CFUs of 4 bacterial strains, including Bifidobacterium lactis HN019.
- Helps by supporting intestinal flora balance, maintains regularity and reduces gas, bloating and constipation.
- Good gut health= better immune health.
- Liver DTX
- Contains active ingredients that help maintain bile flow, an integral part of digestion and protects liver from toxins.
- Milk Thistle– supports liver, promotes skin health, reduces cholesterol, supports weight loss, reduces insulin resistance, improves allergetic symptoms, limits the spread of cancer, supports bone health, improves cognition, boost immune system. –Medical News Today
- Schisandra extract (Schisandra chinensis) (fruit)- used as an adaptogen for improving resistance to disease and stress, increasing energy as well as normalizing blood sugar and blood pressure. It is also used to protect the liver from toxins. –WebMD
- Dandelion extract (Taraxacum officinale) (root and leaf)- rich in antioxidants, fights bacteria, antimicrobial properties. – Dr. Axe
- Reishi mushroom extract (Ganoderma lucidum) (cap and stalk)- has been used to help enhance the immune system, reduce stress, improve sleep, and lessen fatigue.- WebMD
- Turmeric extract (Curcuma longa) (rhizome)- antioxidant, improves liver function, has been used for pain relief and improving digestion. – Medical News Today
- Artichoke extract (Cynara scolymus) (leaf)- used to stimulate the flow of bile from the liver. –WebMD
- Contains active ingredients that help maintain bile flow, an integral part of digestion and protects liver from toxins.
- Gentle Laxative- Herb-Lax
- Natural and gentle laxative that encourages a mild cleansing action to aid the body’s natural processes.
- Senna leaf powder (Cassia angustifolia)- FDA approved laxative
- Licorice root powder (Glycyrrhiza glabra)- helpful for heartburn, used to lessen inflammation in the lining of the stomach. –WebMD
- Buckthorn bark powder (Rhamnus frangula)- gentle laxative that stimulates intestines.
- Alfalfa leaf powder (Medicago sativa)- great antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
- Fennel seed powder (Foeniculum vulgare)- for various digestive problems including heartburn, intestinal gas, bloating, loss of appetite. – WebMD
- Anise seed powder (Pimpinella anisum)- used for stomach upset, intestinal gas, may decrease swelling and inflammation. – WebMD
- Rhubarb root powder (Rheum palmatum)- used to improve movement in the intestines. – WebMD
- Blue malva powder (Malva sylvestris)- used to help constipation
- Culver’s root powder (Veronicastrum virginicum)- used as a liver tonic and to improve bile flow.
- Natural and gentle laxative that encourages a mild cleansing action to aid the body’s natural processes.
Who Makes These Herbal Cleansing Supplements?
Shaklee created this 7 Day Healthy Cleanse utilizing herbs. Shaklee has been in the natural nutrition and wellness business for over 60 years and goes above and beyond testing the safety and purity of each of their ingredients.
Here are few reasons I trust Shaklee:
100% Safe
- 350 tests against harmful contaminants
- 100,000+ quality control tests a year
- 3x the pesticide test required
100% Proven
- 100+ published scientific papers
- 100+ patentes
- Landmark Health Study done by UC Berkley which is one of the largest studies of long-term users of multiple supplements. The study showed that people who used Shaklee supplements had better biomarkers of key health indicators compared to non-supplement users.
Plus, they have a 100% money back guarantee. Doesn’t work for you, send it back for money back.
Based on a 7-day pilot study conducted by three Shaklee distributors—an M.D. and two nutritionists—in collaboration with Shaklee Medical Affairs, the results of the 7 Day Healthy Cleanse showed improved focus and energy, improved sleep and healthy digestion. It also helped jump start weight loss and reduce cravings.
Average weight loss of 6.8 pounds and a decrease in waist circumference of 1.62 inches.
How Do You Do The 7 Day Healthy Cleanse?
- Order you 7 Day Healthy Cleanse
- Receive from Shaklee a recipe book along with information on what you can have each day.
- Join the Cleanse Facebook community for support and recipe ideas.
- Choose your date to start and do some food prep to make the week easier for you.
- Go!
- Having completed your 7-Day Healthy Cleanse, we recommend you continue eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits as you introduce other healthy foods back into your diet.
- Keep up your healthy habits and stay energized by adding in a daily nutrition routine like Vitalizer™ and Life Shake™ for loads of vitamins, minerals, protein, and more. If getting to a healthy weight is your goal, you can continue with our clinically proven Shaklee 180® Program that has helped people all over the world lose more than 2 million pounds and over 1 million inches and counting.
†Ingredients tested in laboratory studies.
