As you may have noticed from previous posts, this winter and the holiday season has been fun and filled with lots of food and cocktail indulgences on my part. By the time New Years Day rolled around, I was ready for a break from all of the excess. I decided to do a 21 day nutritional cleanse to basically hit the reset button and get back into the healthier habits I try to follow the rest of the year.
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| A smoothie with protein and fiber, and lots of natural supplements |
I turned to Karen Sherwood, of Nutritious Yogi, to join in with the cleanse program she runs. I did the program last year, so I knew what to expect, and that at the end of the 21 days I would feel healthier, lighter, refocused and ready to tackle the year ahead.
Today I interviewed Karen to get her perspective on why this program is different:
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| Nutritious Yogi – Karen Sherwood |
Andrea: First tell me why you use the Standard Process program with your clients versus other “cleanses” on the market?
Karen: Juicing is wonderful, especially if they’re made with mostly veggies, superfoods, & some fruits because it’s a great vehicle to get quick nutrition to the cells. However, the fasting component to the juice cleanse can dangerously slow down the metabolism if done for too long. Moreover, it’s usually done with the intent of weight loss, which can be a slippery slope since a long term, sensible way of eating has not been established. This leads to only short term results, and the weight is usually gained back quickly. Best to do a program that temporarily eliminates inflammatory foods ie, sugar, processed carbohydrates, caffeine, meats, alcohol, and dairy products. Simple veggies, some fruits, (sometimes whole food concentrates) are used to fill in the nutrition gaps as the body cleanses from the inside out. This is when true purification of the body begins.
Andrea: The supplements we take throughout the program are food based, why is that so important?
Karen: Whole food- based vitamins are so important because the body only recognizes nutrients that come from food. This way, all your vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients are getting not only absorbed, but assimilated.
Andrea: What is your perspective on organic versus conventional foods? What do you suggest for those of us that can’t get over the cost of organic grapes at $4.99 a pound?
Karen: The USDA organic sign is a heaven sent since it’s the only thing that seems to be actually regulated. i.e., no pesticides, no growth hormones, no GMOs, and the food generally is made more sustainably and honestly.The environmental work group puts out a list every year called the dirty dozen which lays out all the foods that are most important to buy organic since I agree, it can be expensive. Side note, frozen fruits and veggies are sometimes more cost effective and easier to utilize in a smoothie for instance.
Karen: A superfood straddles the line between a food, and a powerful medicinal compound. I love Maca Root for hormone balance, Coconut oil for metabolism and thyroid support, and Chiaseeds for energy-boosting healthy fats.
Andrea: Can you recommend any particular foods, herbs, spices, that are helpful for detoxification?
Karen: Any and all herbs and spices! I call these “nature’s pharmacy”. The effectiveness of herbs and spices are unmatched from things like inflammation, to blood purification, to immune system building.
Andrea: Thanks for your insight!
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| Cleanse Approved! Zucchini Pasta Primavera |
