By now you probably know the truth about fad diets: They simply do not work! Dieting stresses your body, increases your cortisol level, and leads to faster weight gain once you give up and start eating more calories. Dieting makes you feel deprived, so you want all the foods you aren’t “supposed” to have, and your cravings are even stronger than usual.
Give Up Dieting and Reset Your Body
Give up on dieting, forever? Sounds pretty crazy, doesn’t it. But creating balance, relaxing, enjoying your food, and learning to love whole foods from natural sources can make a huge difference on many levels. Your body will finally be nourished, you’ll have plenty of fiber so you always feel satisfied, and you won’t be missing important nutrients. Your stress level will plummet when you feel free to eat whenever you feel hungry, and you’ll feel confident enough to have a previously forbidden treat every now and again.
It All Begins with A Cleanse
The fastest way to reset your body is by detoxing while providing essential nourishment. This isn’t the same as a diet or a quick juice cleanse; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Gently cleansing your body with a regimen of whole, plant-based foods that are easy to digest is an easy way to eliminate so-called “foods” that lead to false cravings. Resetting with a cleanse begins with re-teaching your taste buds to prefer fresh, natural foods. At the same time, it involves clearing old toxins from your digestive tract and your fat cells, where they are stored. Once the toxins have been removed, your body can focus on healing itself and restoring balance.
Many people feel apprehensive about cleansing, and that’s not at all surprising! After trying things like lemon water with cayenne pepper, cabbage soup for weeks on end, and other crazy regiments that feel like some kind of weird starvation / torture combination, the average person is ready to throw in the towel. Rest assured, healthy cleansing is all about satisfaction and balance.
During a high-quality cleanse, you focus on filling your body to the brim with organic vegetables and fruits in every color of the rainbow. You get high-quality protein and rich Omega-3 fatty acids from superfoods like Chia, flax, and cacao (yes, it’s chocolate!).
At the same time, you avoid things like:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Dairy products
- Meat and fish, especially the processed kind
- Refined salt (sea salt, Himalayan salt, and other natural, healthy salts are OK in moderation)
- Additives and preservatives like MSG, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, etc.
- Concentrated carbohydrates like the ones found in baked goods and pasta
- Fried foods
- Processed foods of any kind
- Products that contain gluten
- Most fats and oils, with a few exceptions, e.g. avocado, raw nuts, and seeds
Seasonal vegetables, dark leafy greens, fresh fruits and berries, and certain superfoods should make up the bulk of your diet during a cleanse. One of the easiest way to stay full and ensure that your body gets the nourishment it needs to reset itself naturally is to make smoothies and enjoy them throughout the day, either by themselves or alongside whole-food based snacks.
Water and herbal detox tea help too, flushing toxins from your system and hydrating you at the same time.
When you enjoy a natural, whole-foods based diet, you’ll come to see that food is an ally. It’s a source of nourishment, with none of the stress, restriction, or insanity that comes with most diets.
