What Does a Modern-Day Cleanse Look Like? A Seasonal Approach to Vibrant Health & Habits

Happy Spring! Whether you’re in a part of the world feeling warmer days and seeing sprouting leaves or still buried under snow (hello, Utah!), I bet you’re feeling the energetic shift that accompanies this quarterly change of seasons. With this comes an opportunity to realign ourselves with the practices that best serve us and our state of wellbeing, in our physical bodies, emotional worlds, in our spiritual practices and our mental health and wellness. A modern-day cleanse focuses on being in-tune with the body as an ally, taking a seasonal approach to refreshing your habits to support your vibrant health. This seasonal check-in is a tool for feeling absolutely radiant, full of zest and vitality, at your very best, on-track to define and reach your goals and dreams in all areas of life.

In my experience, the reset with the greatest impact is a week of ultra-clean eating at the start of each new season. We’ve all heard the buzz and commotion about trendy detoxes and cleanses, many of which are quite the opposite of health-enhancing, don’t encourage a healthy relationship with our bodies and regard them as hostile, inefficient enemies that need to be whipped back into shape through harsh regimens of deprivation and discomfort. Notice all the common war-like jargon? We’re not at war with our bodies and our wellness!! The truth is that our bodies are typically efficient self-cleaning beings. I want to talk about a modern-day approach, as we live in a sea of outdated, harmful information when it comes to fads and trends. The information I’m providing is rooted in well-researched holistic health care, some of which stands the test of time, and some of which is informed by the latest solid research by the world’s leading functional medicine experts, nutritionists and doctors. This information is NOT medical advice and I am not a medical professional. As a reminder, it's always a good idea to touch base with your trusted doctor/health professional when making changes around your health.

I’m proposing an entirely different approach than the body-as-filthy one that somehow still prevails: one of body, mind and spirit LOVE. It’s a way to come back to a grounded, neutral state in which we can experience our natural homeostasis of health and wellness, and what it feels like to thrive…how it feels to wake up daily feeling rested with sustained boundless energy that doesn’t dip or slump throughout the day, to feel tired at night in tune with our circadian rhythms and experience deep, solid, uninterrupted, sound sleep, and to feel a sense of natural calm in our minds and spirits as well. Expect to hear the messages your body is telling you during this process, listen to them, and take pen to paper and capture the information you’re receiving. You will learn so much valuable information about yourself, your edges, and even your needs. You will practice cultivating resilience as you learn to consciously, and eventually gracefully, move through a touch of adversity, an invaluable skill largely missing in today’s world.

Cleaning out the unnecessary and health-compromising items in your diet can bring up some emotional “stuff.” This is typical and to be expected when it comes to cleaning things out and not having the usual crutches you rely on day to day. Many people are addicted to the rollercoaster cycle of having caffeine in the morning to energize and wake up, and enjoying wine or a cocktail in the evening to wind down. I was guilty of this during certain periods of time (hello, pandemic Zoom happy hours!), until learning how destructive it is to health, on all levels, and how it creates hormonal imbalances that throw so many of our systems off-kilter. We have the power to replace this artificial attempt to balance our nervous systems and find peace, which has the opposite effect than what we’re craving with healthier, more conscious practices.

These crutches harm us more than they help, though it might not feel that way in the moment! They mask the truth and reality of what we’re feeling and experiencing in life, especially if they become habits and not occasional indulgences. Common culprits are caffeine, alcohol and sugar. And once you ditch them and feel the benefits, it’s tough to go back and abandon all the perks of living a rested, calm, efficient and balanced life. Again, find the balance that works for you. This isn’t about serial, regimented deprivation.

You can achieve these results in one week if you choose to eliminate everything at once. You can also go slowly, eliminating one category each week and building on your success week after week. I opt for ripping the Band-Aid off and going for it, as the results are shocking and magnificent, even when there’s a bit of discomfort getting used to things in the first 2-3 days. If you find yourself feeling emotional, whether it’s sad or angry, or even grief-stricken, that’s normal and it will pass. Don’t get too hung up on it, just breathe, lean into self-care and love, and keep going.

The program I find the most success with is Dr. Sara Gottfried’s 7-Day Hormone Reset. It’s based on two of her books, The Hormone Cure and The Hormone Reset Diet, and does the exact same thing in 7 days as opposed to 3 weeks as instructed in the books. Your hormones are completely reset after seven days! At every meal you’ll eat a balance of healthy protein, vegetables (healthy, “slow and low” carbs), and healthy fats. It’s best to eat organic (always), as you’re cleaning out your system and don’t want pesticides interfering with the process. To begin, eliminate the following for seven days: meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, gluten, gluten-free substitutes, grains, sugar in all forms (including honey, agave, coconut sugar, etc), fruit, seed oils (use coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil), and all processed foods (even if they have simple, whole-food ingredients). You can have wild-caught fish and organic, high-quality eggs, beans/lentils and tempeh in addition to all the veggies you want. Check out Dr. Sara’s website for more info about this eating plan. Her course in the link above includes daily emails and a Facebook support group with trained facilitators to answer your questions.

Planning is the key to success here. If you’re like me, all hell breaks loose if I’m starving and feel an energy crash because I waited too long to eat, and reason and perspective fly out the window, leading to poor food choices. So plan ahead, slowly cut back on caffeine for a week or so before beginning this cleanse to avoid headaches, make a big pot of soup, a batch of beans or lentils, clean and prep your veggies for roasting, grilling and quick salads with homemade dressing (such as extra virgin olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic and fresh herbs), keep an assortment of raw nuts in the fridge, and even some cooked tempeh – it’s delicious sliced and browned on each side in a cast iron skillet with a dash of olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic granules and Himalayan salt.

Get ready to feel like you’ve possibly never felt before: RADIANTLY AMAZING. I’ve felt so great eating this way for much of the past 25 years, I’ve done it for months and years at a time, adding in small amounts of dairy, alcohol and caffeine. Your body will tell you when you’re overdoing it, so pay attention to any symptoms you experience. Aches, pains and skin issues disappear, your oral health improves, your sleep is productive, bloating and cravings disappear, you mood perks up, and your energy is consistent and limitless! A quarterly reset with each new season ensures that you don’t get too off-track before reining things in again. And the best news is you can have a bit of organic dark chocolate with 70%+ cacao content! Try making cocoa using dark chocolate, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, cacao powder and a bit of xylitol, a sweetener made from the birch tree that does not spike your insulin levels - that’s a cure for any craving!

Here’s a sample daily meal plan that is very satisfying, delicious and in alignment with a clean eating seasonal reset:

Breakfast:

Protein shake (1 c almond milk, 1 Tbsp raw cacao powder, 2 chunks of fresh or frozen coconut, 1 Tbsp raw almond butter, 2 scoops JJ Virgin Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder, ice)

Lunch:

Bowl of lentil soup (sauté in extra virgin olive oil: onions, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, kale, 2 c red lentils, salt, pepper, 1-2 bay leaves, spices you adore, 6 c water or veggie stock – Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 20 minutes - freezes beautifully! Try Souper Cubes, they make freezing liquids so simple.)

Dinner:

Big salad full of raw and cooked veggies (cooked veggies keep you full longer), handful of raw nuts, homemade dressing, with tempeh or wild-caught fish

Eat organic, eat enough, and keep going! Being hungry is a sign you’re not eating enough and/or balancing your meals properly – increase and play around with amounts of protein and healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts & seeds). A balanced meal should keep you full for 4-6 hours, without needing a snack in between. And you don’t have to stop at seven days! I’ve eaten this way for 6-12 months at a time, and it is the key to avoiding disease, protecting your brain health, and feeling your absolute best.