It’s like Spring cleaning but for your body, and many of us partake at this time of the year right after several weeks of over indulging in food + drink.  We say this year will be different, we won’t stuff ourselves nearly so much at the office parties and celebratory get togethers around Christmas and New Years but how many of us really have the strong willpower to say NO to that scrumptious looking piece of chocolate cake?  Having said that…

Are you confused about the difference between a detox and a cleanse?

Many people use the terms detox and cleanse interchangeably. But there is a slight distinction between the two. It’s that distinction that will help you to make the appropriate investment of your time and resources to reach your optimal health goals.

In a detox, the goal is to remove the foods and food categories that are muddying the waters. We’re taking out the substances that slow you down, make you sick, clog your sinuses, cause bloating, make you retain unnecessary weight and leave you feeling tired and foggy. Who wants any of that?! Sometimes the things we’re removing are foods and sometimes they’re more than foods. . . behaviors or beliefs, patterns and habits that are holding us back. The protocol all depends on the intent of the specific detox.

So if that’s a detox, what’s a cleanse?

A cleanse is all that and more. We’re definitely removing the substances that leave you feeling high and dry in the ways I mentioned above. Yet we’re also going in a bit deeper. We’re delving into a certain area to detoxify and actually working to CLEAN it. We use food and supplements and herbs and practices to get those internal organs functioning to the best of their abilities.  And because many of our organs are so easily regenerated, the healing you bring through these intense cleanses serves you well throughout the entire year.

Your gut is your deep-seated intuition. Intuition tells me that healing the gut is the very first step in remedying almost any health issue.

As you are well aware there are many, many cleanses out there to choose from.  The most well known is the Master Cleanse. But for convenience sake I’m going to direct you to the trustworthy website belonging to none other than Gwyneth Paltrow. You know the one I’m talking about.  I believe that she (and the people who work on her site) will have one of the best cleanses to tell you about.  I mean who better to give us advice on a 21 day or a mini 3 day (for newbies) post New Years cleanse?  But to be on the safe side, always check with your doctor beforehand.

If you’re interested refer to this link:

http://goop.com/a-new-years-cleanse-and-why-its-important/

Slim down.

Feel great.

Thrive.

Source: Andrea Nakayama for Replenish PDX and Goop.com