Cleanses are evil and make me feel like crying. Not only does your body not need to cleanse, it can be bad for your emotional health as well
Raise your hand if you've ever done a cleanse?
Now keep your arm up if you enjoyed it...
Anyone? Anyone?
Ok, so I'm sure there are people that enjoy them - and that's fine - but the vast majority feel pretty crummy while they're on a cleanse.
In fact, cleanses make me cry. Not just because they are miserable to be on (think: nausea, fatigue, and other unpleasantries) but because your body just doesn't need them.
[clickToTweet tweet="Cleanses are evil and make me feel like crying. Not only does your body not need to cleanse, it can be bad for your emotional health as well" quote="Cleanses are evil and make me feel like crying. Not only does your body not need to cleanse, it can be bad for your emotional health as well"]
Without going into too much scientific detail (that's a post for another day), your body isn't going to stay full of toxins and evil things if you don't cleanse it. That's just not how well-functioning bodies work. They are designed to process and excrete your toxins without the help of a special juice or pill or your cleanse of choice.
But more important than that is the effect a cleanse can have on your outlook of food.
I believe it's so important -- so so very important -- that food is a pleasure to be enjoyed and not a method to punish or reward ourselves.
When we eliminate food groups or go all the way and just drink juice, we take away the enjoyment of food. Now food has this strange power over our thoughts.
This strange power can lead us to think things like... "This food has toxins and I need to do a cleanse to get rid of it. Now I feel guilty for eating [insert food that is delicious but has very little nutritional value]" or "I shouldn't be eating this tasty food that has a lot of sugar in it" and the list goes on...
One should never feel guilty for eating something, unless it's like your neighbor's arm or your best friend's dog or something. Guilt should be reserved for things like stealing, lying, cheating, etc. -- guilt should not be because you ate something that brought you joy but wasn't the most nourishing choice.
Can we bring the joy back into our food? Can we just let food be something that nourishes our bodies and occasionally nourishes our soul (I'm looking at you wine & cheese)?
Now, if you like juice and you find that it gives you energy and makes you feel like sparkles & rainbows, go for it! Just don't expect magic to happen when you only drink juice for days.
If you're looking to fill your body with nourishing meals that taste amazing, I've included 20+ of some of my favorite recipes that give me tons of energy, lots of nutrients, and keep me satisfied:
Roasted Shrimp, Okra, and Tomatoes
Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
Absolutely! Anything you do needs to be based in real food, you can always clean up your diet without going to cleanse land!
Meme says
Exactly! Real food for the win!
Vasu Thorpe says
Amen, Sister!