Andricks - Detox 101: a 21-day guide to cleansing your body through juicing, exercise, and healthy living

A 21-Day Guide to Cleansing Your Body

through Juicing, Exercise, and Healthy Living

Jessi Andricks

Skyhorse Publishing

Copyright 2014 by Jessi Andricks

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Owen Corrigan
Cover photo credit Thinkstock

Print ISBN: 978-1-62914-717-8
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62914-916-5

Printed in China

This detox is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have any medical conditions,
please consult your doctor before starting this or any program.

Table of Contents:

For years, I suffered from digestive issues. Painful stomach cramps, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and even the occasional heartburn. But I always thought it was normal, that this was how most people lived too. The sad part is that its true. Most people suffer from one or all of these symptoms on a daily basis, sometimes without even realizing it.

In my twenties, my symptoms became worse and I learned that I suffered from lactose intolerance, which means that I cannot properly digest the lactose, or sugar, in cows milk due to a decrease in lactase enzymes needed to digest it. I grew up eating cheese and yogurt, and drinking milk every night at dinner, but suddenly my system was revolting against it.

I cut out the dairy and started looking for alternatives. I tried lactose free milk and eventually soy milk. In researching alternatives, I started to learn more about all-natural and organic foods, which were suddenly becoming more and more mainstream. This was the beginning of completely changing my diet from the Standard American Healthy Diet to a truly healthy, holistic diet.

From there, I kept researching more, changed my exercise habits, completely changed my eating habits, and learned to live a life around my passionholistic living. I started practicing yoga and immediately fell in love with the way it made me feel physically and mentally. After practicing for a few years, I became certified to teach yoga and group fitness, and I even developed an energizing blend of classes to increase energy as you work out, which I called Energy Flow. After helping people become physically healthier through exercise, I made the step to helping people with their diets as a health coach. These practices have given me the unique tools to help others live healthier lives through better food awareness, functional fitness, and stress-reducing daily activities.

Years after changing my diet, career, and fitness outlook, I began to notice some digestive troubles again. I wasnt sure what was causing them, so I decided to try a cleanse. It happened to be a new year, I had just completed my first race, and I was in the process of changing my career. It seemed like the perfect time to recharge and cleanse the old patterns, habits, and foods out of my system.

The cleanse was simple: juice, mostly raw, no gluten, sugar, meat, dairy, or eggs. No alcohol or caffeine (except green tea). The idea was to eliminate food allergen triggers and reduce inflammation. This was when I realized that cutting out wheat stopped my stomach pains again. I used this as an elimination diet, to see what would hurt my stomach and how I could make it better, but it also ended up changing my diet even more.

Before the cleanse, I had become vegetarian, ate mostly local and organic foods, and occasionally had goat milk (lactose isnt in it), yogurt, and seafood. I would start my day with oatmeal and end up hungry soon after. But during the cleanse, I juiced every morning with 50 percent raw foods and never once felt deprived. I felt more energized, had less digestive pains, and felt that I was learning to heal my own dietary troubles and bring more awareness into what I was eating.

I now continue to juice or have smoothies everyday for breakfast and I finally feel full through the morning. I drink tea because I enjoy the flavors and not for a caffeine buzz. And overall, I feel healthier, more aware, and better connected to my own health.

And now its your turn.

In the next twenty-one days, you will learn to juice, reduce inflammation, clean out your digestive tract, and regain energy not only through food but also through mind-body exercise, positive daily mottos, and easy meditations. All to help you live a healthy, happy life.

CLEANSING

WHAT IS A CLEANSE?

Cleansing. Just the thought of it might be enough for you to close this book and never come back. But keep reading. I promise you can do it.

The truth is, a cleanse doesnt have to be a big scary affair. Cleanses dont have to be all consuming. You dont have to live in a retreat center or a cabin in the woods, only consuming lemon water and syrup for days on end. You can live in the real world, eat real food, and still detox your body and mind from all the junk that has been stored up over time.

When you cleanse, you consume simple, pure foods and drinks. These become your detox ninjas. They fight their ways through your body and cut through the garbage. You release toxins, fat, and build up in your digestive tract. Your body begins to glow from the inside out. And you feel fresh and new. That is what a cleanse is all about. There are many types of cleanse, and they can range from more restrictive to simply eating less processed foods and more vegetables. Whatever the type or intensity of the cleanse, they are all designed to help you recharge your system and make healthy changes that last well beyond your detox program.

WHY DO WE CLEANSE?

Whether you are a health nut or a junk food lover, a detox program may be needed in your diet from time to time.

A cleanse or detox program is simply a time to let to your digestive system rest, to clear out some clutter that may have built up inside, and to refresh your body, mind, and spirit. Youll release toxins that have built up in your system and flush them out, leaving you more energized and less bogged down. The less buildup you have in your system, the less your body has to work in overdrive to clean up the messes within your system. Constantly eating foods that block your energy and digestion, stressing and thinking negative thoughts, and living a sedentary lifestyle all lead to excess toxins in the body and poorly functioning organs and digestion.

When you detox, you start to break down some of these toxins, flushing them out of your system. As they release and you add more energizing, fresh, and healthy foods to your diet, as well as exercising more, you start to recharge your digestive tract, improve the function of your body, and release built-up stress. The more energy you have, the better you feel and the more likely you are to stick with these practices well beyond the detoxification process.