There are hundreds of different internal cleanses, focusing on everything from cleaning parasites and candida out of the body, to improving pH balance, chelating heavy metals, or improving allergy symptoms or weight loss. Each cleanse is unique in its goal, approach, and the length of time it must be followed. Ultimately, however, most cleanses can be broken down into either dietary cleanses or cleanses that require supplements.
Can Changing What You Eat Be a Cleanse?
One of the simplest and cheapest ways to cleanse is to modify the foods you normally eat, but not in the sense of a traditional “diet” in which calories, fats or carbs are counted. The most important thing to consider is how easily foods digest and whether all elements of a food can be properly processed by your body. Most whole foods which have not been modified or heavily processed are aids in cleansing. Foods that contain modified or artificial ingredients are more toxic to the body.
Successful weight loss diets work because in addition to decreasing caloric intake, they draw toxins out of the body. If a diet doesn’t take care of toxins, weight loss will usually not be permanent. Dieters tend to gain weight back as their body buffers the toxins that are still circulating and have not been purged from their bodies.
Dietary cleanses can be difficult to maintain in today’s busy lifestyle, which is why many people turn to supplement cleanses for ease. But dietary cleanses are usually more gradual than supplement cleanses and work with your body more gently. They may be conducted for short term cleansing or used permanently.
Food Cleanses:
Acid-Alkali Balance
The human body has a small range of pH balance which can be affected by diet. At the acidic end of this range a person is more vulnerable to parasites, cold and flu, infections, cancer and disease. At the healthier alkali end of the range, we are more able to fight off invaders which are more comfortable under acidic conditions.
For this reason, foods that cause acidity contribute to mucus, inflammation, allergies and lowered immunity.
Foods which create alkalinity strengthen the immune system and combat the acidity of the normal mainstream diet.
The acid/alkali properties of a food before it is digested don’t necessarily correspond to its value within the human digestive tract. Lemons are high in citric acid but they have an alkaline “ash” pH value (after digestion). In fact, lemons are one of the best foods for alkalizing and cleansing, and a major part of the Master Cleanse or “lemon cleanse.”
Read more about acid-alkali balance in the body.
Raw Food Dieting
There has recently been increasing awareness of the benefits of consuming raw foods.
Raw foods:
- contain plenty of water, minerals and vitamins in a bio-available form
- have not been damaged, dehydrated, or denatured by cooking (making them, for the most part, easier to digest)
- are high in fiber
- contain living enzymes which are killed or denatured at cooking temperatures
- are generally acid-binding, making the body more alkali
Foods to Avoid on a Cleanse
- heavy meats (red meat) and milk products in moderation, which contribute to congestion and acidity
- sugar
- soy
- caffeine in coffee, chocolate, and tea (which requires lots of water to be filtered by the kidneys)
- non-organic fruits and vegetables, which have been sprayed with pesticides
- processed grain, cereal or bread products with additives or preservatives
- any processed food (energy/diet bars, chips, soda) that claims to be “lite,” “low-carb,” “low-fat,” etc.
Other Dietary Cleanses:
- Candida Cleansing
- The Master Cleanse (a.k.a. The Lemon Cleanse)
- Vegetable Juicing
More on Cleansing:
- What is Cleansing?
- Who Needs to Cleanse?
- Cleansing with Supplements
- Aids to Easier Cleansing
- Cleansing Crisis
Victoria Anisman-Reiner - Victoria Anisman-Reiner is a freelance writer with extensive experience in holistic health care and animal training.
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