Cleansing/Fasting

Cleansing is a detoxification technique that many models use throughout their careers - not only do you lose weight but you look great too! It actually helps to clear your complexion and gives you strong, healthy hair.

Over the course of my modeling career I have fasted every year to keep my skin glowing and shed unwanted pounds. By fasting for a week on juice and soup, I have lost around 5 lbs each time.

I don't recommend fasting on water alone, as detoxing too quickly can cause severe headaches and nausea from the poisons being flushed quickly out of your body.

I used to go to Thailand once a year when I lived in Asia, just to go to a spa and detox for seven days. Although this is obviously not practical for everyone, just doing a cleanse and treating yourself to a few relaxing days at home can have the same effect.

Cleansing: Basics

Foundation

You can do liver, kidney or colon cleanses, but the most popular for models is certainly the colon cleanse. Imagine your body as a sewer system, where all the waste can occasionally get backed up. That's exactly what happens in your colon when old fecal matter gets solidified. Some people can have up to 20lbs of this matter in their body! This layer of waste actually releases toxins back into your bloodstream, so its very important to use a cleanse and get it out.

On a cleansing diet, you might expect some of the following improvements in the way you look:

Shinier nails, Stronger hair, Reduced body odor, Weight loss, Reduced cellulite, Glowing complexion, More beautiful eyes.

Your liver is constantly trying to rid your body of harmful toxins. Giving it a break from constant digestion lets it really purge these pollutants quickly, to get you on your way to feeling great. Cleansing should not be confused with 'starvation diets though! Cleansing is a great short term fix for cleaning your body and losing some excess weight.

This diet allow the liver and kidneys to recover from all the toxic food additives and preservatives, pollution and smoke that enter our system every day without us even realizing. When the body is not worried about digestion it concentrates on correcting sick cells and correcting them.

Fasting is also a great way to break bad eating habits and start all over again with a clean and natural diet. When you come off the fast, you can quit all those fast food and junk food crutches. Physical and mental revitalization will encourage you to continue on the same path and not revert bad to old eating and lifestyle habits.

Diet

Combinations of fresh carrot, celery, beet, spinach, apple and coconut are ideal. However much you like citrus or tomato juice, these are really too acidic to drink while fasting. Remember also to drink plenty of water and avoid consuming anything other than the broth, juice, water, and unnecessary medications/supplements.

You can add something to make the drink more exciting - ginger is my favorite. I also have a great recipe for vegetable broth (see below).

Juice can be consumed throughout the day as needed. Drinking less juice will speed up the detoxification process, whereas more will slow it down. It's not set in stone, so go with what feels right.

When doing a cleanse, you should take colon-cleansing herbs and Psyllium husks - the Psyllium will help you to feel a little more full while also gently scraping the old fecal matter out of your colon. Excellent Psyllium products can be found online.

This diet should normally last only 3 days to a week, after which you should go back to your normal diet or consumption. Hopefully you will feel so great that you will make some changes in your diet going forward, maybe introduce some fresh vegetables, to prolong the positive effects of the cleanse.

Vegetable Broth Recipe

This is a great vegetable broth recipe that you can use for a 3-7 day cleanse. Drink it whenever you feel hungry! Try to use organic ingredients as much as possible.

Ingredients:
2 litres of water
2 large potatoes (peeled)
1 onion
3 carrots
4 garlic cloves

Chop all the vegetables and add to water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, then drain the vegetables. I like to add a little cayenne pepper but this is optional.

Cleansing: Pros

• You will feel fresher and more energetic, with a renewed sense of mental and physical vitality.
• A cleaner liver metabolizes food faster, and sets up your body to lose weight in the long term!
• It is a short, relatively simple and inexpensive diet.
• Cleansing can help with alcohol, drug and nicotine addiction, by accelerating the detoxification process and shortening the length of withdrawal symptoms.
• Cleansing is a great way to break bad eating habits and start all over again with a clean and natural diet.

Cleansing: Cons

• This diet is a little hard to stick to - make sure to drink plenty of fruit juice.
• You may temporarily feel hungry, tired and perhaps a little dizzy. That's why its a great diet to do on holiday!

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The Acai Berry Diet | The Apple Cider Vinegar Diet | Atkins Diet | The Blood Type Diet | Calorie Restriction | Cleansing and Fasting | The French Women Diet | The Grapefruit Diet | The Great Skin Diet | The Green Tea Diet | The Jenny Craig Diet | The Low Fat Diet | The Mediterranean Diet | The Model Detox Diet | The Raw Food Diet | The Slimfast Diet | The South Beach Diet | Weightwatchers Diet Plan | The Zone Diet