Remember, the three key words for any slayer, and in this case detoxer, ‘preparation, preparation, preparation.’ Having a well mapped-out plan will make a detox go much smoother and more enjoyable. The upside, you get to eat as much as you can stand on days 1 and 2. This sounds great, in theory. By the end of day 1, you’ll be sick of the site of vegetables..and by the end of day 2, fruits will be your nemesis. But trust me, you will feel so good and clean come day 4 that’ll you be so happy you forced this minor disruption in your daily life. Planning ahead is a must! You want to be able to let your mind rest, so having a menu planned prior to starting will make things simpler. You want to plan to do this on a 4-day set, where day 3 will fall on a day you can relax and lounge around – no major activities, no stresses. I realize in this fast-paced, active world it’s hard to just take a day to relax. Again, trust me, your body and mind will thank you for a day off. Detoxing is about more than just eliminating toxins from the body; for me it’s also about eliminating toxic thoughts and feelings from yourself as well. Stress, including stressful thoughts and feelings, causes hormonal release that is antithetical to the cleansing process. Detoxing is dependent upon optimal function of the liver. You want to focus on positivity, thus allowing the liver to function to eliminate the toxins that have been stored deep in your cells, instead of fresh stressors and hormones being released during the detox caused by stressful and negative emotions.
Day 1: Veggies day – Raw or mostly raw…only lightly steamed (preferable) or cooked. The idea is to have as minimally cooked food as possible ingested. It’s okay to have an apple or a banana, but try to have only veggies. You’ll be able to have fruit on day 2, all you can stand..and believe me, by the end of the day you won’t want to see a vegetable and you’ll be thankful for fruit day. One would think that as a vegan, an all-veggie day would be easy and delicious. I do have to say, it’s harder than you’d think..so preparation will make it manageable. You must omit traditional vegan staple foods like beans, breads, grains, veggies that take extensive cooking like potatoes, as well as oils that you would normally cook them in. I like to make a big bowl of a raw vegetable medley – like a fruit salad, but with veggies. I like tomatoes, red and yellow bell pepper, baby spinach, fresh green beans, carrots, cucumbers, with some lightly steamed broccoli – but any veg you like raw (zucchini, or that can be steamed in under 5 minutes like the broccoli will be acceptable. I also carry around a bag of baby carrots for a quick and crunchy munchie. You can use spices like garlic, cayenne, etc..but try not to use to much salt, if any. If you need a cuppa, try to keep it caffeine-free, such as a rooibus or herbal tea. Also, try to drink tea that you don’t have to sweeten – or use a natural sweetener like stevia leaves or just a tiny bit of nectar. I don’t really eat a ‘breakfast’ on day 1, just have a cup of peppermint tea…then start in on eating the ‘veggie salad’ once I begin to feel hungry. **If you suffer from hypoglycemia, and are worried about having a crash on day 1, you can include a glass of juice among your beverages.
Day 2: Fruits Only – I find it easiest to make a giant fruit salad and eat on it all day. You can also have smoothies, as long as they are fruit only – no yogurt or other additives that you might normally include (wheatgerm, flaxseed, brewer’s yeast, etc). Again, if you need tea, keep it caffeine-free (rooibus, herbal).
Day 3: Fasting day – When you wake, have a cup of herbal tea and a glass of juice, not smoothie (orange and grapefruit, apple, whatever). Relax, take a nap, stay warm – no heavy activity. In the afternoon, have another cup of herbal tea (chamomile, peppermint, nettle, or sage). In the evening, have a cup of sleepy tea (valerian or chamomile) and another glass of juice. You may experience light headaches and/or light nausea on day 3 – that’s normal (a cup of thyme or peppermint tea will help with that). It’s just the toxins being released into circulation to be eliminated. The more toxins in your body, the worse these symptoms will be. If you eat more processed foods, meat, and/or dairy, or live in a more polluted environment – these things can create a greater storage of toxins in the body. Another thing you’ll notice as the toxins are released is the whitening of your tongue. Again, this is normal.
Day 4: Return to food – Upon waking, have a glass of juice or a smoothie. You want to start light, perhaps some toast or a piece of fruit. Then, for lunch, have something light like tomato or potato and/or butternut soup, even a brothy soup like vegetable noodle. You want to avoid heavy things like beans or sweets. You won’t be able to eat much for the next few days, and when you do eat you’ll notice that you want it to be something good for you. You’ll also notice that your portions will be smaller than normal. You’re going to feel so good, you’ll want to start doing this every spring like I do. You’ll be amazed at how aware you become of the things you eat, and the toxins we put in our bodies on a daily basis – even if you already consider yourself super healthy.
I suppose this goes without saying, but I suppose I should just to be thorough – DRINK TONS OF WATER DURING THE DETOX!
If you are on any medications for various health conditions, please consult a physician before commencing any type of detox or cleanse. This is not a way to lose weight, though you might see some water weight reduction afterwards. Please be smart when embarking on such an endeavor as a cleanse/detoxification.
Happy Detoxing!
That’s a really interesting post. I’ve been trying to detox a few times with fruits only but could only manage until the afternoon. I think I’m going to try this one and see how I go. It’s hard as you said when you have a busy schedule but the benefits are well worth it! Thanks for sharing!
Casey and I tried doing a full day of strictly fruit and veg and it was much harder than I expected. Your brother made it through no problem. We’ll have to give your detox a try… thanks!
ps- I like the new photo 🙂
I did this detox successfully and since I am hypoglycemic I was worried going in. However, I did partake in fruit juice everyday to maintain my sugar level. I have to say, the vegetable day was the worst. It is hard to imagine as a vegan disliking vegetables after eating them for an entire day but I did! Fruit day was a welcomed change and having a fruit salad all day was refreshing. I thought for sure I was going to starve day 3 but I wasn’t even hungry (which has never happened to me before!). I felt refreshed day 4 and happy to have survived my first detox!
Ooh. I’m so glad you posted this! I’ve been very curious about doing this, and I am gearing up for doing it… probably a week when my husband is travelling so he doesn’t have to deal with grouchy, hungry me. Awesome!
great post! I’m going to try it next week.
Fabulous Elizabeth! Let us know how it turns out for you!! 🙂
Hi Sara,
I’ve struggled to find an explanation online of how exactly fasting helps to remove toxins from the body. I’ve read a bit about how fasting moves toxins into the bloodstream, but I’m not sure how this works. How best can I move these released toxins out of my body? Any info or a direction to a good website would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Benjamin
Hi Benjamin,
The best way to answer your question is with what I’ve learned in my molecular/cellular/metabolism classes. As you may know, the liver functions to filter toxins, as well as metabolize various compounds (toxic or otherwise), within the body. When a toxin enters the liver, after being ingested orally, absorbed through the skin, or made within the body as a byproduct, the cells filter the toxin into bile. These compounds that have been filtered are then released back into circulation where they are either reabsorbed within the small intestine, or eliminated through the kidneys. It is the bile that makes the fat-soluble vitamins bioavailable in the small intestine, and it’s the bile that gets eliminated as waste is fecal matter – where toxins in said bile are thus eliminated from the body. During a fasting state, the gall bladder (which further modifies bile) stores and concentrates bile, which increases the amount of toxins eliminated, and nutrients reabsorbed into the body. Keeping your liver in tip-top shape (minimal alcohol intake, eating organic fruits and veg, living in a low polluted city, etc) will help eliminate the toxins in an efficient way. You can also do a regular detox (like once in the Spring, and then again in the Fall). And your liver can only work as fast as healthy as you keep it. For example, take two vegans – one who grew up in NYC and the other who grew up in small town suburbia USA. Though they eat the same diet, but live in different levels of pollution, they’re bodies eliminate toxins at different rates. The more pollution in ones system, the longer it will take to eliminate them. Of course, certain foods are known to boost detoxification (to a relative extent, mind you) such as dark leafy greens (kale is a big one) and naturally diuretic items like dandelion root tea (which should NOT be consumed on a regular/daily basis, only occasionally). And of course, exercise will keep the cellular metabolism in your body at its peak, which aids in the absorption of nutrients and production of bile (since those are metabolic byproducts), not to mention that sweating eliminates toxins as well.
About.com has a good run down of the liver and its functions, in layman’s terms. If you want something more technical, I can recommend some journal publications. Hope this helps! 🙂
that makes sense to me now that when i mentioned some of my recent digestive issues to my mom the first thing she mentioned back to me was gall bladder… i honestly toned it out thinking yeah whatever… but now it makes sense!
I think I am going to give this a try… it will probably be difficult with all of my running, but I love a good challenge
Hey Nicole!! Awesome, I’m so glad you want to give this a try! And yeah, I know you do run quite a bit…and that’s perfectly fine. Since you get to eat as much as you can stand on days 1 and 2, the only days I would suggest taking off running is days 3 and 4 – simply to not overwork your body and possibly induce an immune reaction. Day 4 you could probably go for a long, slow walk…but I wouldn’t recommend running hard or long. I know it’ll be hard, but you can take 2 days off of running for the overall benefit you’ll feel after going through the detox 😉
[…] you have the time, the 4-day Springtime Detoxifying Cleanse is absolutely wonderful! As is fresh fruit…tons of fresh […]
[…] On This Day In History: 4-day Springtime Detox […]
I’ve been wanting to try a detox like this, but the only thing is I am SUPER busy – and since I don’t have a car, I bike everywhere. It’s only a few miles between my jobs and home — so maybe it’s still ok?
I would think it would still be okay.. Since you’re used to biking everywhere, it’s not like you’d be putting your body under any unusual stressors. I just wouldn’t recommend too much activity on the fasting day (day 3). Keep me posted Betsi!
Hi, I completed a four day cleanse a few years back with a friend. Unfortunately, I do not remember all of the limitations for each day of the cleanse. In my search for the four day cleanse I had previously done I stumbled upon this one. Looks like winner. I think I will prefer this one because the other one was as follows: Day one: Fruit and Fruit Juice only, Day two: Liquids only, Day three: Vegetables and Vegetable Juice only, And Day Four: Liquids. Because this cleanse only requires one day of fasting instead of two it looks like a winner. My workout partner and I are looking to start the cleanse this week. based on the advice given to the other bloggers, looks like we will be needing to lighten our workouts.
Hey Montrice! Yeah, you definitely want to hold back on the workouts. The cleanse is the time for your body to rejuvenate and heal, and if you stress it with a normal workout (when you would normally be eating more food) then it can have the opposite effect and make you feel lethargic and exhausted at the end. If no other day than the fasting day (day 3), try to lighten the workouts or even take a day off completely.
Keep me posted on how it turns out!
I have continued to workout. I found the instructions for the cleanse I had previously completed. Turns out it is the Seneca Indian Cleanse. I have been able to keep my normal workout schedule, for I workout after I leave work at 5am. Today is the last day of the cleanse and I am feeling good.
about how many pounds can you lose?
Hey Victoria, happy new year!
This cleanse isn’t really about losing weight – since it’s only a 4 day cleanse. It’s more about starting with a clean slate to enliven the cellular metabolism, detoxify the body, give the digestive system a rest, etc. You may drop a couple pounds in water weight, but you probably won’t lose any fat. Using it as a platform to eat more fruits and veg will, over time, help you lose weight..but the cleanse itself may not.
What should I eat on day 4. for the dinner?
Hey Michelle, you want to eat something light..easy to digest. A fruit smoothie isn’t a bad idea, a light and brothy soup (or blended soup like Velvety Tomato) is also nice. You can do a veggie medley, but try to avoid to much of veg like broccoli, cauliflower, or beans since they can be a bit intense on digestion. I’ve even had some Fruestuck (tomatoes and toast), with a light herbal tea..and that was a nice re-entry to the world of solid food.
[…] quite fond of my springtime detox, and was feeling a bit weighed down and sluggish as the season transitioned into Autumn. So I […]
My friend and I are starting this tomorrow…wish us luck 🙂
Woohoo!! Good luck! Keep us posted on how it goes 🙂
Day 1 with vegetables was the worst for me! I haven’t been working out the past few months (and I drink sugary coffee daily and do beer on the weekends) so the roughage from the veggies got me feeling pretty crappy after the toxins were circulating in my system. Nausea, headaches, the works! Day 2 with fruits was awesome…so refreshing, and Day 3 is going well so far. First time I’ve ever really had herbal teas…pretty darn good! My tongue is really white (which I know is normal!) And I haven’t really been hungry today. Can’t wait until day 4 and feeling fresh and energized!
That can happen.. some detoxes are like that for me on day 1.. sometimes day 3 is my worst, it just really all depends. Glad to know day 2 and 3 are going well! You’re going to feel AMAZING tomorrow! Wohoo!! 🙂
I finished it! Very satisfied and very happy! I feel good, and have already noticed that I don’t want as much at a meal AND I want healthier things. Thanks for the blog and the cleanse!
YAY!! Isn’t it amazing how good we can be to ourselves when we take the time to be aware 🙂 — Thanks for keeping us posted on your cleanse!
I am in day 1 of your detox program. Wish me luck as I am already getting sick of the veggies, and I am only 4 hours in!!!
Yay Nicole!! Keep me posted on how it goes.. and yep, by the end of the day you’ll be glad day 2 is fruit day.. then by the end of day 2, you’ll never want another piece of fruit EVER! until day 3 when you don’t eat anything..then it’s like, damn.. i just want a small bite of something.. you’re going to feel amazing!! 🙂
After eating nothing but vegetables on day one, I couldn’t wait to for the day to end! I can see why you would feel so good at the end of day four. You can eat what you want!
I have one question. I forgot that I wan’t supposed to have caffeine and was drinking green tea on day one. What effect would that have in the detox process?
It’s not terrible if you had some green tea on the day one, or even if you consumed it throughout.. Caffeine is a toxin to the body, so basically as your body is detoxing, you’re putting toxin right back in it. The tea won’t have any negative effects on the body, the detox just won’t be as effective. Think of it like hand-washing dishes while hosting a dinner party. You can wash while you serve, but the dishes will keep coming in and you never really get 100% clean kitchen.. If you washed the dishes without hosting a party, you’d clean all the dishes much sooner. It’s certainly not terrible having guests, but it makes the cleanup a little harder and take a little longer. 🙂
Are bananas ok?
Bananas are fine..
I’m on board! Sign me up. 🙂
I’m on day one and have a terrible headache! Suggestions?
Hey Tanner,
That’s actually pretty normal – that’s the toxins being released into your system..to be flushed out. I’d recommend some tea – preferably something that will flush the system faster..say dandelion tea or even a thyme-rosemary blend. For headaches, I’ve done thyme-rosemary before..take a few fresh sprigs (if you have them, but I think dried herbs could work too) and steep in hot water, covered, for about 10 min. Then I drink it with the sprigs still present.. Other teas that can alleviate headache can include peppermint or chamomile. Even just some hot water with lemon to help flush the body.. If the headache doesn’t subside or worsens by end of day tomorrow, cease the detox and just try again in a week. In the intermix (if you have to cease), try to eat more fresh fruit and veg to make the detoxing part easier. But it’s perfectly normal to experience headache and even nausea in the beginning of a detox – depending on how toxic your body is to begin with (which could be due to food choices, beverage choices, geographic location/pollution, etc). Let me know if you have any other questions..
-Sara
I was looking for something like this to get over the holiday hump (so much food, family, and booze – ha ha). I am just finishing up day 3 now, and I have to be honest, I am not dying to eat. I thought for sure I would be starving. Question though: How can I tell if it “worked?” You mentioned headaches, nausea, and a white tongue. I didn’t really feel any of those symptoms. I was a bit tired yesterday, but I attributed that to not having my morning cup of coffee. I am excited to see how I feel after juice and toast in the morning. Thanks!!
If you’re not starving or dying to eat.. I say go one more day on the fast if it’s feasible for your schedule. And not really feeling any of the symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t work.. just means you probably weren’t as toxic as you thought. I’ve gone through detoxes without any symptoms, but other times it’s excruciating by day two. Sometimes we can tell if it “worked” by simply feeling cleaner ~ digestively speaking. I also sometimes feel cleaner in my veins – like my blood can flow a bit easier (which I know sounds a bit weird).
Thank you so much, Sara! Of course, this morning when I woke up I felt a bit nauseous. Apparently I spoke too soon. 🙂 I liked how feasible this was, and will definitely try it again late spring. Happy New Year!
Hi, Sara. I just have one more thing to add: I feel like the cleanse went deeper than just detoxing my insides. As I went to introduce food back into my day yesterday, I was more cognizant of what I was eating, I ate less, and felt truly satisfied sooner. I had more tea and am still not craving coffee. Also, the time to myself on the fasting day really did center me a bit – block out everything going on around me. It was a real success, more than what I had anticipated. That’s again!!
Yay Kristen! That’s exactly why I recommend finding quiet space on fasting day ~ detoxes are meant to cleanse the mind as well as the body. And we do become more aware of what we use to feed our body when we consciously make the choice to allow our digestive system to rest. I’m so glad it was a success on many levels! 🙂
Happy New Year!
The last day was absolutely the hardest. I couldn’t hold back any long by the time I was finished my dinner, I ended up caving for some ice cream. I reason that I had earned it by running five miles earlier in the day, but really I don’t think I had an excuse.
I am going try this Monday, can I still take my vitamins and milk thistle or should I stop that for the 4 days
I would think the vitamins would still be fine to take on days 1 and 2, but I’d omit the milk thistle for the duration (simply so you don’t overtax the liver) and omit the vitamins on fasting day.