If you already eat a healthy, balanced diet, your body is getting all the "cleansing" it needs from nutritious food. That said, Dickerman's recipes look great! Her idea of a cleanse is basically how I eat 95% of the time.

I leave the cleansing to my liver, kidneys and GI tract. That's their job, and they're pretty good at it.

If I ever feel the need to cleanse, I usually do so via cutting out wine and other alcohol mid-week and limiting baked goods (homemade-don't eat the processed stuff) never with food as my diet is fairly 'clean' at least 80% of the time. I never understood the appeal of anything more restrictive. Just eat food in its most natural state as possible-its not rocket science people.

I did a detox several weeks ago. Yes, it was somewhat hard, but it really wasn't that bad. You don't have to do an extreme detox. I only did it for 5 days (5 days beforehand I eliminated caffeine). It actually changed what foods I eat now. I eat a lot more fresh foods because I realized how good they make me feel. Even if you already eat healthy, it's still a good idea to detox because they're two different things. Here's my blog post about the detox:

http://exscapes.blogspot.com/2011/01/detox.html

I'm with operagirlcooks. I already mostly eat like this and enjoy eating like this. I guess I don't get it.

Why is it a good idea to cut out my one cup of coffee in the morning? I've gone plenty of days without... like when we run out of coffee or when I just forget on the weekend. I just don't believe that the caffeine in one cup of coffee is "toxic" thereby benefitting from a "detox" when I'm already exercising regularly, eating a lot of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and drinking a lot of water.

I don't like the label of this "detox" or "cleanse" because of the short-term nature of it. Maybe its a good way to start the path to healthier living but what is the long term benefit?

On a positive note, there are some great ideas for recipes in the blog.

Folks should actually check out the Bon Appetit "Food Lover's Cleanse" referenced - it looks great! It's really just whole foods and limit the caffeine and desserts - but even two desserts are scheduled in each week. More than anything I think this "cleanse" is an introduction to a lot of exciting healthy recipes. It's like if 101cookbooks planned your meals for two weeks.

To me it's not really the abstaining (again, to me there isn't too much) that looks so hard, but rather making all of those new recipes every day.

I have been mulling going vegan for Lent. To which my little one responded, "Oooo! Vegan cupcakes!" So even in "cleanse" mode, there will be frosting at least now and then.

I've been thinking about doing a cleanse. I'm a vegetarian and while during the summer my diet consists almost entirely of fresh fruits and vegetables, in the winter I stray more toward prepackaged and processed yuck. The problem is that then ALL you want is the yuck. As I started reading about various cleanses they sound just like how I normally like to eat- fruit, veggies, some beans and no dairy with no soda or processed grains/sugar. So basically I think I probably will try to eat more this way in the coming weeks but I probably won't call it a cleanse :)

Agree with operagirl. I think any urge I have to do a cleanse is really my body saying I've veered away from eating healthy food and I need to get back on track. Otherwise my body does a pretty good job of eliminating phantom toxins.

We jsut went throught this whole "cleanse" nonsense on AT just 2 months ago:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/good-questions/recommendations-for-a-new-years-cleanse-diet-good-questions-136178

This is how I eat all the time. Though I do drink a bit of coffee. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts. These are all delicious. It always seems odd to me to hear food lovers worry about eating vegetables.

I did a detox diet ("Clean" was the name of the book -- it's mostly just an elimination diet), originally as a New Year's resolution for 3 weeks in January...but then I kept going because I felt so great. I stick to it M-F and eat more freely on the weekend. I was already vegetarian and didn't eat a lot of processed junk to begin with, but had been feeling run down and achy so I gave it a try after all the normal things didn't help (more exercise, blood tests, sleep tests, etc.). It did change the type of produce that I eat (less starchy things like bananas that make me puffy). I also figured out that gluten and tofu or any processed soy is a problem for me, so I was able to eliminate my frequent headaches by cutting those out of my diet.

So, I know there isn't a lot of support for it in the comments so far, but it helped me a lot and I was very skeptical about cleanses/detoxes. I haven't felt this energetic in at least a decade! Totally worth it to me to change a few eating habits.

Yeah I'm going to have to go with the "cleanses are nonsense" group myself. We have internal organs that take care of all the nominal filtering your body needs. If you're not a smoker, not an alcoholic and not a caffeine feind (I am none of these) then what more is there to worry about? Just eat healthy and you'll be fine. If you don't want to feel bad about overindulging during the holidays, then there's a simple solution - don't overindulge! :)

It is my opinion that those of you who have commented and have never tried a "cleanse" should think twice before posting. How do you know what a cleanse is like if you have never had one? Sure, there are radical "syrup, lemon cayenne" cleanses and ones with weekly colonics (the horror!), however a medically approved elimination diet can really do wonders in a short period of time.

I am a chef and my husband is as well. We love food. We love GREAT food. We live in Nor California and are surrounded by some of the best food in the world. We both have done a cleanse and are preparing to do another. Our result has been that the great food we love tastes even better after a cleanse. We feel amazing and our bodies reflect the change. Eating well and exercise is important, don't get me wrong -we do that too. But a cleanse really makes a big difference. Sure, we have organs that do the work for us on a daily basis, thank God for that! Giving those organs a little vacation is not a bad thing!

Don't knock it until you try it!

@erobisonca Well stated! I think a well thought out (non-fad) cleanse/elimination diet can actually be about your appreciation of food. I just did an elimination diet for 28 days- no sugar, soy, gluten, dairy. I never felt a lack of food. In fact, a lot of the cravings I generally have subsided and I felt great. I found a lot of wonderful recipes out there...which only aid in my skills as a cook. One strange bonus was that my sense of smell became heightened and I enjoyed food even more! I don't plan on being fanatical about not eating certain foods. I just enjoy trying new things and trying to be healthier. Life is short and should be about choices not lack of. My elimination diet did not make me feel deprived just empowered to try new things.

I think the problem here is the word "cleanse." Technically speaking, the thing that the link in the OP is talking about isn't anything other than a healthy eating plan. If you eat a diet heavy in saturated fats and processed foods, it's little wonder that doing that sort of "cleanse" makes you feel better (in other breaking news, dog bites man and water is wet - more at eleven). There's a hell of a lot to be said for the placebo effect, as well. You know you're eating clean and being virtuous, which makes you happy and proud of yourself (certainly a good thing; eating healthily can be a challenge at times), thus leading to a general feeling of well-being.

The type of "cleanses" that purport to eliminate "toxins" are complete bunk, however. You'll notice that said toxins are never named nor explained in the pitches for these things. If your body is actually having difficulties eliminating toxins, it means your liver is malfunctioning and you need to get to an ER immediately, not eat a healthy diet for a few days or drink some foul concoction.

erobisonca - Show me the studies published in peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals explaining the biochemical and physiological effects of cleanses, and I'll accept it.

I too did the cleanse from the book "Clean" and found it has totally changed my eating habits for the better, I realized I have a sensitivity to foods that I did not know about and it make me feel more energetic. The recipes in the book were great and I enjoyed trying some new things.
Since coming off the cleanse I find that my palate has changed and I eat differently and enjoy my food more.

I don't think an elimination diet and a cleanse are at all the same thing. An elimination diet is a tool to find out what foods are causing a person's allergies or digestion issues. A cleanse is a pseudoscientific fad diet that makes vague and unsupported claims about toxins and energy levels and is often used as a penance for supposed diet sins.

I'm all for an elimination diet (which is much much more restrictive than the Bon Apetit cleanse) if someone is having a health issue that might be food related. But I think cleanses are nonsense.

Um, if you don't want to do it because you'd rather EAT, don't do it. Simple solution.

@MW17

did you follow a program? I've been really wanting a cleanse after seeing my eating habits steadily decline since about November. its my first year of grad school so with stress, I keep craving comforting food like mac n cheese and pizza. I make an effort to buy a lot of root veggies (they're in season where I live) and kale whenever I'm at the supermarket and then cook big batches of roasted veggies, but once they're consumed, I go straight for the mac and cheese. Your "cleanse" sounds really doable. Can you send me a link to a weekly meal plan or something like that?

Spring "cleansing" does have a historic background, and that's why I think it persists today. In the 19th century and earlier, back when people had to grow enough food to feed themselves through the winter, the bitter greens and young vegetables and herbs of spring were a way to "thin the blood" and make you feel less lethargic.

Which makes sense, if you think about it. Not necessarily the actual thinning of the blood, but the feeling better and more sprightly. If you've ever gone on a long road trip full of bad food you find yourself craving lettuces and green vegetables and fresh, crisp fruits and tangy, sharp things like vinaigrettes.

For some people (self included) winter is like that - full of carbs and fat and comfort foods and root veggies. So for me, a spring "cleanse" is less about trying to detox or whatever the hell they claim these days, and more about eating fresh, green veggies and more citrus and getting away from root veggies and fatty foods. Eating fresh foods (be it homemade bread or raw bitter greens) in springtime makes you feel better. And that's what is important.

I've never understood a cleanse or a fast. I mean, doesn't the body process and then eliminate the foods, breaking it down into waste that is released from the body?

That said, I guess if you're gorging on all sorts of food that isn't good for you and you take a break by eating healthier foods, why don't you just have a balanced diet year-round?

Also being vegetarian, I don't understand how mdanger tends to eat more processed stuff during the winter. I find a lot of healthy veggies, such as kale, collards, and root veg that are nutritious and not at all processed.

I guess I'm fortunate in that I live a less processed life than a lot of people and do not understand this lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, there are some days I don't want to eat my veggies, like a toddler. But all in all I couldn't force myself to eat out of a box.

I don't know about those cleanses---my husband had to have a colonoscopy and in the process of talking with his doctor about it and the fad to cleanse one's colon she said that cleanses in fact are damaging. As one person already commented, with proper diet and nutrition the body naturally cleanses itself without the need to shock it into submission. The cleanses promote tears and ruptures and all sorts of little problems. Of course you can't tell that to people who swear by them. They'll believe what they want to believe regardless of what the experts say.

I think the intent of fasting or cleansing is to also have an effect on you mentally, emotionally, spiritually... just think of people who fast during Yom Kippur, Ramadan, Lent, or other religious seasons.

A fast or cleanse should help you divert your attention to other areas of your life, whether that's spending time meditating on the god you worship, or reflecting on life goals, relationships, etc.

The common mistake, I think, is that instead of thinking of a cleanse as a time to ignore food and put that energy to use elsewhere, people instead fixate on food.

I manage food restriction in two ways: first, by imagining how my body will digest and feel after eating whatever it is I'm about to eat - that makes it way easier to order a salad over a hamburger; and second, by sticking to a routine.

I can't do cleanses that last multiple days. It's partially a willpower issue, but I also notice that I give myself too much permission to go crazy with the bad stuff in anticipation of the cleanse, which just makes it harder to complete.

That said, I eat quite healthfully 80% of the time (ignore those gummy bears in my desk drawer at work), and I find that eating raw one day a week makes a huge difference in how I manage my cravings the rest of the week. I always have more energy and just *feel* better on raw day, and crave and eat fresh, healthy foods the rest of the week 80% of the time as a result.

I can't do raw all the time - too much prep! Too little bacon! - but one day a week is enough to keep me feeling light, bright, and happy, even when I splurge on decadent foods on other days.

I also like to spend the first day of each month following the first day of this juice detox:
http://life.gaiam.com/article/1-2-3-detox-radiance
It's basically all juice and hot lemon water for a day. It's delicious and satisfying and helps reset my sugar cravings after that time of the month.

@debssss

Pages 4-6 are the guidelines I used. Protein is important! The rest of this document I'm not sure of and certainly not supporting. Unfortunately the diet I used isn't online. Here you go: http://www.functionalmedicine.org/content_management/files/ifm_Comp_Elim_Diet_091503.pdf
Good luck if you give it a go!!

I did a cleanse from the "Clean" book/elimination diet hybrid last year and felt like a million bucks. I also realized that I have a major reaction to excess sugar :(

I think it's a good idea to take a step back and reexamine what you eat sometimes, and what you eat does have a big effect on how you feel. That said, I think the whole "cleanse" idea is somewhat useless. Your body takes care of toxins itself, and although it's probably a good idea not to overload it (like with an alcohol binge or a daily bacon double cheesburger) I don't think a "cleanse" really does any good overall. First off, it's temporary at best - if these toxins are that bad for you, shouldn't you eat like you do in a cleanse all the time? Second, it assumes that some foods are inherently less toxic than others. While this is probably true, I don't think nutrition science has progressed sufficiently to be able to say which ones. Is protein from soybeans somehow better than protein from organic chicken? Does milk fat or coconut oil create more work for your liver enzymes? Who knows? Without a scientific basis for any of this, it's too easy to convince yourself you're doing something healthy because that's what everyone tells you.

Michelle at Scribbit, there is a massive difference between the "cleansing" required before a colonoscopy and this sort of "I'm going to eat healthy just for a short time and call it a detox" cleanse. The only sorts of foods you are allowed to eat the days before a colonoscopy are those that don't lodge or leave residue in your digestive tract. Which means stuff like white bread, white rice, clear chicken broth, vegetables boiled to within an inch of their sorry lives... basically a diet that has very little actual nutrition in it.

I'm not defending any sort of cleanse. I think the whole concept is pretty ridiculous, and just another way for people to go on eating a shitty diet but to tell themselves it's ok because they "cleanse" every few months. If you want to drastically rehaul your diet, do it for good not for a limited time, and you'll be much more likely to formulate a diet that is balanced, basic, nutritious, and sustains your body in the long term. But don't confuse tailored medical fasting/cleanses with actual attempts to eat properly.

Oh, and I'm not sure about Yom Kippur, but Ramadan is NOT a fast. The whole idea is that from sun-up to sundown you fast, and then the second the sun goes down, you FEAST. Lavishly. Richly.

Good timing - I'm starting a cleanse this weekend. It's a very gentle seven-day that I saw in Yoga Journal. It's just very simple food - fresh veggies, brown rice, beans, green tea. It's not all that different from how I usually eat, so I'm curious to see if I notice any difference.

Yom Kippur is a fast with no food or even any water at all, very strict, but very short term, sundown to sundown. It's not really a good comparison for ongoing diets/cleanses of any sort.

It's not designed to be a lifestyle by its very nature.

Oddly, I find that when I (and people I cook for) pay attention to what they eat, and eat things that make them feel good, the urge for "cleansing" never comes up.

Part of being interested in food, to me, is being interested in how your specific individual body reacts to food. Part of being interested in eating well, to me, is being interested in eating in ways that do well for you and your particular quirky organism.

Perhaps part of the interest in "cleanses" has to do with having lost sight of these other elements of food and eating well. It could be that being a bit more comprehensive in one's attention to food would be as beneficial. Or more so, since one might not end up feeling in the first place the various unpleasant sensations that lead one to believe in the need of some sort of internal sluicing-out.

I have done a ten day cleanse that is basically the allergy free diet, which eliminates: wheat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, soy, all meats but some wild caught fish (which is the only meat I eat anyway), eggs, and nightshades. I ate nightshades, though. I eat a pretty healthy diet regularly, but not this restrictive. I admit it was challenging, and I was really low energy and spacey for much of it. But we still managed to eat many delicious meals, and in the end it was worthtne challenge. I enjoyed exerting so much will for a limited time, and felt very refreshed and energized by the end. And, I also appreciated my first post cleanse cup of coffee so much more than I ever had!

Rosie, Dasiy, totally missing my point. I'm just saying that anytime someone is purposefully eliminating things from their diet, I think they're missing out some some self-reflection if they're doing it for purely physical reasons.

Akay, neither of us were missig your point, we were pointing out that BECAUSE those examples of "fasting" (except that Ramadan is not) may be intended to direct one's attention to spirituality or self-reflection, there is little use in comparing them to the cleanses in this thread, or trying to say that the latter should be more like the former... For the very reason that this is all about diet-related cleanses. They are completely different concepts.

I am precisely saying that the latter should be more like the former. It need not be a religious or spiritual experience (I'm not religious), but if someone spends a week barely eating, yet obsessing about food, I think they're doing themselves a disservice. My point is that if you're taking a physical break from food, to make sure it's a mental break as well.

So, it seems the idea of being on a cleanse and enjoying food are mutually exclusive, which has never been my experience while cleansing.

The word 'cleanse' has multiple definitions when it comes to diet; for me, cleansing means to avoid foods that frequently create inflammation in the body and that put unnecessary strain on your organs. I cleanse by eliminating gluten grains, sugar, processed foods, some fruits, nightshade veggies, caffeine, dairy, most animal protein, alcohol -- at the same time, I increase my water intake, moderate my exercise, get more sleep, use castor oil packs, etc. (I also work with my naturopath and take a liver support supplement).

The benefit of sticking to an actual cleanse for a specific amount of time is that you can 'break the cleanse' slowly, find what foods are inflammatory for you (headaches, breakouts, sleep/digestion issues, grouchy mood, etc) so you can adjust accordingly.

When did diets start being characterized as "cleanses"? Since there is no such thing as removing toxins via ingestion or deletion of certain foods, aren't you really just talking about going on a diet?

I'm with suden and many others on this.

Those who eat fresh, whole foods most of the time (and exercise) seem unlikely to experience any significant benefits from eliminating entire food groups from their diet.

"In the 19th century and earlier, back when people had to grow enough food to feed themselves through the winter, the bitter greens and young vegetables and herbs of spring were a way to "thin the blood" and make you feel less lethargic."

No, that's because these foods came into season, not because they wanted to "thin the blood". It wasn't a health fad, it was eating to survive. It's not like most of them could ship in some fresh apples from the other side of the world.

Food restriction for purposes of self-control or to experience a paradigm shift... I get that. But I think the health benefits of "cleanses" are way overblown.

I found "cleansing" helped me figure out that I'm sensitive to dairy and wheat- not allergic, but definitely have certain issues. After I did a tri (and spent the summer learning to eat the highly processed Gu type bars and tons of Clif bars) I wanted to return to my cleaner roots. (Plus, I was feeling totally overloaded on sugar!)

I ate sugar free, wheat free, dairy free, and vegan for a month, and then started adding things back in. I learned some great alternatives- I'm still hooked on make-your-own almond milk.

I don't think of it as a cleanse, but as allowing my body to re-set.