You change the oil regularly in your car to help it run better and so it lasts longer. Flushing out the old gunk that builds up putting in new fresh fluids is part of all regular car maintenance programs. So doesn’t it make sense that you should do the same for your body?

You have already learned how your body is not just a machine. It is much more dynamic and powerful than that. So to follow the metaphor a little further: detoxing or doing a cleanse is just like doing an oil change for your body. It cleans out your body’s systems and rejuvenates them. This keeps your body working well and will keep it working that way for longer.

I recommend you detoxify or cleanse your body a minimum of twice a year, quarterly if you are really want to enjoy super vital health.

The benefits of cleansing are:

• more energy
• clearer thinking
• healthier looking skin
• better sleep
• weight loss
• the healing of chronic pains and conditions

All of this by ridding your body of accumulated toxins and boosting your immune system. Another natural consequence of cleansing is after you finish a cleanse, you almost always return with healthier eating habits. Once you are cleaned out, you naturally want to eat healthier and the unhealthy foods are not as appetizing to you.

If you have never done a cleanse before, don’t be intimidated by it. Cleansing doesn’t mean you will be fasting or that you will be starving yourself. You don’t have to associate cleansing with headaches, feeling grumpy, hungry, and miserable the entire time. There are simple approaches to cleansing for you to begin with that will give you all of the benefits of detoxing your body without any discomfort.

Here is a simple way to cleanse your body that doesn’t require any herbs, shakes or supplements of any kind and that is very effective for most people (but ask your health care practitioner to recommend a cleanse that would be best for you based on your body type, your lifestyle, your physical condition, your mindset, your goals for it, etc. if you work with one):

5 Day Cleanse Program

• Eliminate all “whites” in your diet – all white refined sugar, all dairy, all white flour and all white rice. You can even try to cut out all breads altogether for these 5 days to get even more benefit. Otherwise, just stick to whole grains and brown rice.
• Eliminate alcohol intake
• Eliminate caffeine – no coffee, black teas, sodas, etc. (to ease yourself off your caffeine habit, switch to drinking green tea for a few days before you begin the cleanse – this will reduce the caffeine withdrawal symptoms of headaches, irritability, etc.)
• Drink 64-128 ounces of water each day – your will need more water to help flush the toxins out of your body during this time. If you are not a regular water drinker, be sure to drink at least 64 ounces of water. If you are already properly hydrated, still increase your water intake to aid the cleansing process.
• Eat only organic fruits, vegetables and meats
• Do not eat meat, chicken, fish, etc. on Days 2-4 – this will give your digestive system a break so it can cleanse further. Animal protein can be very difficult for your system to digest and letting it rest for a few days will help your digestion. You can also challenge yourself to eliminate animal protein for the whole 5 days if you wish.
• You can continue to take your regular supplements during this time.

The aim of this 5-Day Cleanse Program is to give your body a chance to rest from the overload of what we dump into our bodies on a daily basis. This week is the break your body needs to finally get rid of that gunk that is built up inside of you.

Watch how your energy levels increase, how your thinking clears up, how your sleep improves and how good you feel throughout this week.

By doing this type of cleanse, often people are surprised at how emotionally attached they are to food. It highlights when you use food as a reward, when you eat certain foods when you feel bored, anxious or upset. You may feel “deprived” because you are not allowed to eat the foods you usually like to eat. These five days will test your discipline and you may start making excuses to cheat on this cleanse. Realize that food is not a reward and it is not an entitlement.

Food is certainly something to be enjoyed, but shifting from “eating to live, rather than living to eat” is a healthy perspective shift to make. Pay attention your emotional state and learn from what comes up for you. It could change your attitude towards the foods you eat and the way you eat forever by doing this cleanse.

*Exerpted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health challenges. For more information, email drjay@drjaywarren.com or visit www.DrJayWarren.com.