A summer cleanse: Reboot your system & find out what your body truly needs to thrive

Even though I would describe myself as something of a “health nut”, I’m not big on fasts and cleanses.  I get spacey and hungry. It feels too confining. I immediately feel victimized and deprived. And I eat really healthy anyway, so why suffer? That’s been my reasoning.

So this time, when I saw the email announcement for the summer cleanse from my local holistic pharmacy, I was intrigued.  The summer cleanse is all about decreasing inflammation. As Lilly Mazzarella, Certified Nutrition Specialist & Clinical Herbalist

Owner & Head Practitioner of Farmacopia, explains, “There’s flame retardant in our breast milk, PCBs in our subcutaneous fat, and pesticides accumulating in our thyroid glands. Our fingers absorb
BPA from store receipts, and our livers are being wrecked by Tylenol. There’s rocket fuel in our organic greens. These exogenous toxins can make it difficult for the body to clear its own waste products—natural by-products of digestion, cellular metabolism, and processes like inflammation. “

In this toxic day and age, “inflammation’” is the new buzz word, and is blamed on a host of chronic disease and unpleasant symptoms, ranging from brain fog and memory lapses, to anxiety and depression, osteoporosis, that difficult to get rid of belly fat, low libido, gut issues, sleep disorders, skin troubles, fatigue, hormonal problems, joint problems, and the list goes on.

So, even though I am blessed with good health and relatively symptom free, I know I am not immune to the perils of living in this modern day toxic soup, and I’d like to stay as health and fit as possible as I age. Hence, my 7-day summer cleanse. By the way, if 7 days seems too much for you, there is also a 3-day option, And if you are really gung-ho, or feeling like you need a deep re-boot, there is a 30-day option.

So here I am on day 4.  I made it through the first few days, acknowledged those voices in my head that insisted this wasn’t fun, I was too hungry, I don’t need this anyway. Listened to them but didn’t act on them. Took it one meal at a time, one day at a time. 

And you know what? If you’ve ever contemplated a fast or a cleanse, but were intimidated by those same voices in your head, I’m here to tell you – It’s not that bad. I won’t lie and say it’s a fabulous experience to let go of all your favorite things for a week, but it’s definitely doable. And the reward – a healthier you – is definitely worth it!