Green Lemonade

When it comes to cleansing, let’s be honest, most of us just want to lose a few pounds. Don’t be embarrassed, I’m with you. Sometimes after traveling, a few fun nights out or after a long holiday weekend etc, it feels as if your jeans just fit a little tighter than they used to. And so the question, do you lose weight on a cleanse? Learn more from Jenny Nelson, Wellness Specialist & Coach for Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean Program below. She provides a few things to think about as you gear up for a cleanse with the goal of losing weight. Her specific commentary relates to Dr. Junger’s Clean Program, which I will be giving a shot starting on August 1st. Learn more about The Clean Program and enter to win a Clean Kit here.

Cleansing, The Clean Program + Weight Loss

First and foremost, the main goal of The Clean Program cleanse (any really any cleanse) is is not to lose weight. The primary goal of these 21 days are to rebuild and repair the digestive tract for overall optimal health and vitality.

Weight loss happens to be of the side benefits that often occurs, but it happens differently for each person, keeping in mind that weight loss is always greater amongst those who actually need to lose weight, since the body is constantly looking to find its own unique and ideal state of balance. So this means that if someone (often men who start the program) is concerned about losing too much weight on the cleanse, they can always add more calories during the program as well as strategically put the weight on again if some initially comes off in the beginning. Think of a house being stripped down to it’s foundation when being restored.

Everyone should make sure they’re eating plenty of good fats, clean proteins, and whole grains to find their ideal balance.

The body always wants to find it’s own unique balance which is why different things work for different people and not everyone will have the same results following the exact same plan.

Here are some of the suggestions and thoughts surrounding finding that ideal balance for our individual bodies:

1. Give your body a time to do its housework – usually overnight In The Clean Program, a 12 hour window begins for this housework from the evening “meal” (shake, juice or soup) until the morning shake. Keeping this period free of solid food is essential for detoxification, weight loss and boosting energy – as it gives your body a wonderful cleanse and the space to do all that intense gut work throughout the night rather than spend energy digesting food!




2. Snacking is fine throughout the day on “clean” foods (especially whole fruits and vegetables for optimal weight loss if that’s a goal of yours) but make sure you’re truly hungry and not just bored or eating to cover emotions or out of habit- drink a large glass of water instead if you feel hungry and wait 20 minutes and see if you’re still hungry- oftentimes we’re really just dehydrated!




3. Drink lots of fresh green juices and herbal tea as well to keep overeating in check – and eat anything (lunch or snacks) mindfully and slowly so it can register in the brain when you’re truly satisfied. If you’re using The Clean Kit, the Balance supplement will help control sugar and overall food cravings, stabilizing blood sugar levels. (Spirulina will have a similar effect if you are doing an at home version of The Clean Program and the powder can be used in smoothies, soups, grain dishes and salads as often as you like.) Either way, The Clean Kit or at home version of The Clean Shakes with Spirulina perhaps, the shakes are so protein rich and filling that snacking shouldn’t be needed too much throughout the day-but definitely make sure you’re not starving and uncomfortable.

   For more information on snacking and The Clean Program – which may be completed by following a step-by-step guide at home, or with the help of a Clean Kit – log onto the Clean Community site’s FAQ page and search for “Is Snacking Ok While On The Program.”

4. Make sure and eat enough. Remember that sometimes restricting calories too much can make our bodies hold onto excess weight as it thinks it has to prepare for a famine (primal and instinctive behaviors that are still working in our bodies!), so make sure you’re not letting your metabolism slow down too much- if you’re absolutely and truly starving (not just bored, eating out of habit, or dehydrated which can masquerade as hunger) then feel free to snack on fresh vegetable juices, whole fruits and vegetables (maybe with some guacamole or hummus), or an avocado eaten out of the skin (good healthy fat that will actually store in the body as energy and not fat which helps us lose weight in the long run), lots of water and herbal teas, etc.

   As mentioned above, good quality fats like avocados and coconut oil are great to incorporate, helping to metabolize fats and storing as energy in the body rather than fat- and keeping nuts to a minimum is often helpful for weight loss as well.




5. Keep moving – at least 20 minutes a day of stretching, dancing, walking, anything to move your body around-it doesn’t have to be super intense- just get that lymph flowing and muscles active so you can burn more fat and amp up sluggish blood! Especially if you work at a desk or computer and spend a large part of your day sitting with a compressed spine!




6. Finally, it’s highly recommended that you put the scales away – and let your body do all of the important digestive tract and detox work, and let the weight loss happen when your individual body is ready to let go, keeping the movement, hydration and healthy food choices going, and focusing on how you FEEL rather than what the scale says.
   
   
   Remember this: you might be heavier on the scale as your body loses the extra fat (not the protective layer under the skin) and fills out with lean muscle mass. . . . so learn to gauge it by how your body feels rather than the numbers on the scale, since the extra “weight” will be mostly bone and lean muscle mass.