With the equinox approaching, it is a great time to do a cleanse! An autumn fast eliminates the residue from excess sweet and cooling foods we tend to enjoy in the summer, and helps our body prepare for the storage season of winter. I personally don’t think you should just do any cleanse just any time of the year. I also don’t think that a cleanse should be a scary thing or make you not want to leave your house. Depending on if we are going into summer or winter will determine the type of cleanse I choose.

In the autumn I promote a steamed vegetable cleanse, this cleanse is particularity beneficial to the colon due to the increase in fiber. The reason I like steamed vegetables at this time of year is because it is getting colder out and our body is trying to prepare for winter – a juice cleanse or complete fast would not be as beneficial at this time in the year as it would be in the transition from cold to warm weather.

Why cleanse?

1. Well, because a lot of the food we eat today is not actually that good for us (sadly not surprising..). A lot of our everyday typical foods are made in factories, gmo, have pesticides… it goes on. We need to give our body a chance to eliminate the toxins a few times a year for ultimate health.
2. Virtually every religious and healing tradition recommends fasting for therapeutic or spiritual advantages.
3. To overcome emotional attachment to food – ah yes… this one I think we all know about. When you’re tired/ angry/ sad do you reach for a particular food? This is not a healthy attachment, a cleanse will help reset your body in a way.
4. Between seasons, we eat and live differently in Canada where we have a very extreme difference between summer and winter. I like doing a spring cleaning and fall flush to help my body prepare.

Any Cautions?

1. I would recommend avoiding a cleanse in the middle of winter on a very cold day – or any cold weather actually. If you really want to, do a 1-2 day cleanse, an extended fast could be harmful.
2. Do not cleanse during pregnancy or lactation. You need to nourish your body at that time with a health building diet.
3. It is not advised to cleanse during a serious physical or mental degeneration – unless advised by your doctor.
4. It is important to remember that a cleanse is to remove the toxins from your body. Not every cleanse is appropriate for every person. Just like in Acupuncture, we treat each person differently and so does food. It can depend on your emotional state, your blood type and your constitution what cleanse will and will not be beneficial.

I tend to do a juice cleanse around the spring equinox or summer solstice and a steamed vegetable cleanse around the fall equinox. I do this because a liquid cleanse is more cleansing and alkaline forming whereas a steamed vegetable cleanse is building and acid forming. I also enjoy using the equinox and solstice as my cleanse time because it is a time full of movement and self cleansing.

TWO CLEANSE OPTIONS:

Steamed Vegetable Cleanse

• If you have been over eating – especially sweets, nuts, beans, grains, dairy or eggs. (See why this cleanse is awesome for after summer!)
• Take at most three different vegetables at a time.
• Lightly steam vegetables.
• Drink water or herbal tea according to thirst.
• 3-5 days.

Whole Grain Fast

• If you want to improve metal focus.
• 3 days.
• Rice, Millet.
• Water or grain beverage between meals.
• Can eat sourdough bread (naturally leavened bread of unrefined grains).
• Can add black peppercorn, fennel, cumin, and/or ginger.
• A mug bean and rice fast is commonly used by yogis and referred to as ‘the food of the gods’.

There will be more cleanses when spring comes, I promise! Join me and give one of these cleanses a shot and see how you feel.

“A healthy outside starts from the inside” – Robert Urich