Ian K. Smith - The Shred Power Cleanse: Eat Clean. Get Lean. Burn Fat.

Weve all had times in our life when weve felt like weve splurged too hard on fun foods or that our bodies are sluggish from lack of movement and poor eating choices. The clich You are what you eat is more than just a string of words. Its a great truth, and I would augment it to include, You are how you move. The focus is on how we treat our bodies, amazing machines that operate best when given optimal fuel. This fuel doesnt have to be fancy or complicated. It doesnt have to be hard to find or only available to a certain segment of the population. This fuel is widely available, accessible, and easy to prepare so that you reap immediate benefits. The next fourteen days of the SHRED Power Cleanse will be dedicated to giving you what you need to feel better, look better, increase your energy, and fight disease in the most natural way possible through clean food and efficient physical movement.

Toxin is a broad term to define chemicals or compounds that we ingest or inhale, actually unintentionally create inside of our bodies as a result of normal physiologic functioning. The body has an enormous ability to neutralize and eliminate toxins, which is important because these molecules can cause serious harm if they are left to accumulate. While the body goes through a detoxification process every second of every day, it also could be beneficial to enhance these functions through what is popularly called a cleanse or detox.

Cleanses and detox programs have been all the rage the last several years, with countless programs making at times unbelievable claims. But the fervor behind many of these cleanses is real. People want a chance to hit the reset button and start fresh. I have long been suspicious of these types of programs because Ive believed that, while the intentions of the users are legitimate, many of the plans themselves tend to be unhealthy, whether overly restricting calorie intake or not providing sufficient nutrition.

Then I started to do research and began wondering if it were possible to use natures power to help the body do something it already does very well keep our systems clean and toxin-free. Was there a way to still take in enough calories and phytonutrients so our bodies arent deprived and at the same time arent exposed to all the toxic chemicals were typically not aware of in processed foods? Food in its most natural state has the same healing ability as medicine but without side effects. Theres an enormous body of science that addresses how food can prevent and treat disease.

I then took a look at some startling statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

67 million American adults (31 percent) have high blood pressurethats 1 in every 3 adults.

About 1 in every 3 American adults has prehypertensionblood pressure numbers that are higher than normal but not yet in the high blood pressure range.

Only about half (47 percent) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control.

People with high cholesterol have about twice the risk of heart disease as people with lower levels.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance. Your body needs some cholesterol, but it can build up on the walls of your arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke when you have too much in your blood.

71 million American adults (33.5 percent) have high low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad, cholesterol.

Only 1 in every 3 adults with high LDL cholesterol has the condition under control.

Less than half of adults with high LDL cholesterol get treatment.

Lowering your cholesterol can reduce your risk of having a heart attack, needing heart bypass surgery or angioplasty, and dying of heart disease.

These statistics were only part of the story. The fact that medicines to treat these conditions are so widely available, yet the number of afflicted seems to be growing rather than diminishing, highlights the fact that all of our answers are not in a magic prescription bottle. There are natural and decisive food choices we can make today that can make a major contribution to overall wellness. Research consistently shows that these food choices should center on raw fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and herbaceous plants.

Armed with the knowledge that has long been attributed to Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, Let food be thy medicine, I decided to create a cleanse program that focused on going back to eating and drinking foods that are natural healers and health promoters. While it can take years to develop bad habits, the good news is that it doesnt take an enormous amount of time to recover and reverse some of the damage that has been done. In just 14 days, your life can be changed forever if you continue some of the healthy eating habits learned in this cleanse. I tested segments of the SHRED Power Cleanse with people from around the country, and the results were nothing short of amazing. Not only did people lose up to 10 pounds in two weeks, but they discovered that their blood pressure was lower and their cholesterol levels began to return to normal. In fact, some people no longer needed medications for these conditions, which they thought would afflict them for the rest of their lives.

This two-week program consists of nutrient-rich smoothies and shakes, along with one solid meal option per day. More than fifty recipes that can be used for the next two weeks are included with the program, as well as suggested exercises. This program uses some of the basic principles of the bestselling SHRED and Super SHRED diets, along with research from the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute that demonstrates foods and strategies scientifically proven to help lower blood pressure, as well as cholesterol conditions that affect over 140 million Americans and contribute to heart disease, the worlds number 1 killer. In just two weeks, you can lose weight, lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol levels, feel GREAT, and not break the bank while doing it!