Cleansing. What’s it all about? Is it a silly fad? Do you need to do it? We’re here to not only demystify this for you but also to help you get some healthy rejuvenation without any extreme insanity (yes, a diet of maple syrup, lemon and cayenne sounds awful to us too).
Here are the basics...Our bodies are brilliantly designed with built in cleansing/detoxification mechanisms. The blood, lymph, liver, kidneys and colon all work together to absorb essential nutrients, manage hormones, and process and eliminate toxins without us having to lift a finger. BUT in today’s world, the onslaught of processed foods, chemicals, pollutants and stress can be overwhelming to our organ systems, contributing to discomforts, fatigue, and a myriad of symptoms.
What we can do about it...herbs play a powerful role in supporting our organ systems and elimination channels to work at their best. At WishGarden, we’re all about choosing plants that are the most body-friendly and effective choices to get the job done. And that is why we love Deep Cleanse – our newly formulated, gentle (but thorough) tonic to support cellular health and the systems that manage our cleansing processes.
Some signs that your body needs support: fatigue, brain fog, low energy, trouble sleeping (or sleeping too much), skin issues, muscle aches, period complaints, digestive symptoms, frequent immune issues.
Making the most of it…Deep Cleanse can, of course, be taken without any additional changes. But to help you maximize your 'feel better potential', we’ve designed a simple two-week* protocol that combines Deep Cleanse with diet and lifestyle habits. Doing an intentional cleanse is not about extreme practices. This is about supporting what your body does naturally and helping all these systems work at their best so you feel your best. This protocol is useful as a seasonal cleanse or whenever you need a reset.
* Two weeks is a manageable time frame for most people, but Deep Cleanse can be taken for up to 4 weeks at a time about 4x a year or as practitioner recommended.
Disclaimer: Always consult with a practitioner before starting any new supplement or dietary routine. Cleanses should only be done by those in good health. Not appropriate when pregnant or breastfeeding.
Cleanse Protocol
Remember, this is about nourishing your body as much as possible for the next few weeks. Let it rest from all the usual hard work and get some much-needed rejuvenation. This protocol is suggested guidelines. Do your best and do what works for you.
Deep Cleanse Tincture: 8 pumps or 3mL 2-3x a day. Best way to do this simply is once with your morning getting ready routine, once around lunchtime and once during your nighttime routine. If you miss a serving, don’t worry!
Water: Aim for half your body weight in ounces daily – the standard guideline for proper hydration. If you weigh 150 lbs, that’s 75oz of water daily.
- Bonus points for adding a daily serving of Chlorophyll & Friends
Pro tip: fill a big pitcher or water bottle at the beginning of the day and refill as needed to make it easier to track consumption.
Alcohol: Set an intention to take a break from drinking these next two weeks. If you can’t stop altogether, reduce it as much as possible and make the best choices you can.
Diet: I don’t like to make a lot of specific diet recommendations – what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. What we generally want to focus on is nourishing, whole foods that are organic whenever possible. In the colder, winter season focus on grounding, warming foods like soups, stews, root vegetables, citrus fruits, spices. Steer away from smoothies, dried fruit and lots of raw veggies. Avoiding gluten, lots of dairy, processed sugar and processed snacks for the next few weeks is a great way to maximize benefits even further.
Exercise: Daily Exercise – but really movement – is so important for our well-being and to support lymphatic health and elimination. The lymph does a lot of the hard work of removing waste from the body – which is extra important to support natural cleansing. Exercise can be walking, hiking, skiing, hitting the gym or just playing. I’m a big advocate for whatever you’ll stick with, what makes you happy and what works for your body (without over-doing it)!
Sleep: This is not a one size fits. We have early birds and night owls and it’s all good. This is a time to be more intentional about sleep, and generally we want to aim for 7-9 hours per night. It’s ideal for our natural cleansing processes to be asleep by 11pm. Set a goal to work on sleep health: Can you get to bed a little earlier? Can you be conscious about a wind down routine? Can you void lots of stimulating TV at night? Put away social media an hour before bed?
Other lifestyle practices: There are so many lifestyle practices that can enhance a cleanse. Choose one or two that resonate the most.
- Daily meditation practice for stress management
- Dry skin brushing
- Castor oil packs
- Massage or other body work
Motivational advice: Whenever you’re committing to a health goal – whether it’s a short-term cleanse or a long-term new habit, it’s always about progress not perfection. If you don’t do all of this perfectly – NO problem. You didn’t fail. You did the best you were able to do at this time and still got results that hopefully made significant changes.
Jamie Cotter is the head of education for WishGarden Herbs. She is an herbalist and health coach. Jamie has 16 years of experience in wellness coaching. She has designed and supported many nutritional cleanse protocols that give people the tools they need to improve energy and vitality.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or sell any product.
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