I recently attempted a liver/colon cleanse diet. I was feeling sluggish, bloated, and quite frankly a little toxic. The diet plan was quite simple in reality-no wheat, no dairy, no sugar, nothing processed, and a few specific supplements for 7 days. The intention being to support your liver and your digestive tract. Then, one day of fasting with a specific concoction that helps rid the body of toxins. Followed then by 3 days of stomach rebuilding and colon and liver supporting foods. In addition to the health benefits I was suppose to lose 3-8 pounds!! That was all it took to get me to the store stocking up on the raw vegetables.
I made it the first 6 days. I already have a heightened sensitivity to numerous things and add to that the fact that letting go of things doesn’t seem to be my strong point; I have to admit I was miserable. I was cranky, hungry, had a terrible headache, was stuck in the kitchen cooking forever and nobody else was eating what I had spent hours creating!
Although the diet included all whole foods, my body was screaming at me, as were the other people who had to live with me, so I stopped. This lead to me to really think about what my body wants. I’m generally relatively intuitive, but I have been known to be stubborn and impulsive from time to time. I am a firm believer in a whole foods based diet, and I strongly believe in following different detoxification plans. I know that raw veggies contain huge amounts of vitamins and minerals but so do lightly steamed ones. My body prefers them to be a little cooked. I know that animal protein isn’t always the best source and certainly shouldn’t be the only protein choice but my body has high protein needs so I ‘m going to eat it. I do not function on a plant-based diet despite my best efforts. I do have friend who is a vegetarian because through trial and error that is how she feels the best. I also had a chiropractor that continuously pushed the idea of salads and raw vegetables. I can only hope that his patients will educate him on their experience.
My experience tells me that intuition grants us the answers to what our bodies want. Pay attention and your body shows the way. Despite my failure to complete the diet plan, I am blessed to have been reminded of what my body likes and especially blessed to be reminded that my intuition will lead me if I allow it to. Because of that my body achieves greater wellness.
Amy McCae 