21 Day Purification
Cleanse by Standard Process Inc.
Toward the tail end of October I embarked on the 21 day
purification cleanse from Standard Process Inc. Standard Process (SP) is an
absolutely fabulous company founded in 1929 in central Wisconsin. After visiting
the farm and processing facility in early October was inspirational! It
motivated me to take my self-healing to the next level and go through the purification
cleanse. Especially since it had been four years since I last cleansed.
As a doctor, I am skeptical of most detox / cleanses on the market
because they often are restrictive and / or have the person drinking powder all
day instead of eating real food. SP is different, they are a whole food based
company and during the purification cleanse you are drinking smoothies and eating
plenty of vegetables and fruits each day.
For the entirety of the cleanse you remove all dairy,
grains, caffeine, alcohol, and legumes from your diet however on day 11 you may
add in fish or organic pastured meat in small portions. Each day you drink 2-3
smoothies with SP Complete (protein with greens in it – either dairy or
dairy-free), whole food fiber, and then whatever else you want to add to the
smoothie. During the day you can also eat raw fruits, raw veggies, and gently
cooked veggies. They do allow for small portions of lentils, brown or wild rice
but I highly encourage you to eat as few of these things as possible during the
cleanse.
I enjoyed making my smoothies after work each evening so that
they were cold and ready to drink in the morning. (This is recommended if you are
not a morning person or have super busy morning routines already. Place
smoothie in a glass container with tightly sealed lid in order to reduce the
amount of oxidation) Typically I would
make 3 pints for the day (48oz) and that was enough plus some raw veggies or a salad
to get me through the day without feeling hungry.
Normally I begin with
a green bay’s such as purified water and kale, spinach, lettuce or whatever
greens I have that week. In my vitamix blender I blend the greens and water
until it is a green juice like consistency. Then, I will add in the SP protein,
SP fiber, frozen organic fruit like mango, berries, sometimes fresh fruit like a
banana, an avocado or coconut oil and then blend again. It is so simple and
having a high-powered blender makes the entire process quick and easy. (Side note: I do have a juicer and like to
make fresh green juice once or twice per week. There are different nutritional benefits
to juicing verses smoothies however juicing takes a lot more time especially with
the clean up and you go through a lot more produce in order to make a couple
pints of healthy goodness!)
Did I cheat?
No! I started the cleanse on a Wednesday so that I would
have a couple days before the weekend when I felt like I may be more tempted to
cheat. I cut out bread the Saturday before, coffee the Sunday before, and dairy
two days prior to beginning. Every time I felt hungry I would first drink water
and see if that helped and if not I would drink smoothie or eat some raw
vegetables. Even though I did this program alone, I was very committed to the
process. Keeping my other daily routines like journaling, yoga, and meditation allowed me to stay focused even
on days where I felt more emotional or was craving chocolate or coffee. I
actually kept a separate journal for the cleanse, it was similar to my “morning
pages” but focused more on writing about how I was feeling, what I was eating,
what worked and what did not work. It was a great tool of accountability since
I did not have an actual accountability partner! If you slip up one day during
the cleanse, that is okay! Like anything in life this cleanse is a practice.
Ultimately it is your health and you are only responsible for yourself. If you have the will power to go it alone,
awesome! If you need an accountability partner or a group setting, even better.
This is your practice and your time to go in deep and do the work.
Can you take other
vitamins during the cleanse?
Yes, I still took my regular daily Standard Process vitamins
as well as their cleanse tablets for the first 7 days and then the green capsules
for the remainder of the cleanse. This is another reason why I love the purification
cleanse, you are getting everything that your body needs and never depriving it
of nutrients. Schedule a nutritional consult with one of our doctors to
determine which SP supplements are right for you and your personal health
goals. Confer with your medical doctor regarding any medications you may be on
and let them know you are going through a whole food based cleanse.
Is it safe to
exercise during the purification cleanse?
Absolutely. SP recommends walking however since I am in a routine
of kick boxing twice per week and a daily yoga practice I continued with my
regular schedule. Boxing and kickboxing
was a bit more difficult the first week I was on the cleanse as I felt a slight
dip in my energy as my body was heavily detoxifying however once I was able to add
in some organic pastured meat, I felt stronger than ever. If you are in a
healthy exercise routine you should be able to do 80% of it or so on this cleanse.
Remember to listen to your innate intelligence (intuition) and give your body
what it needs.
Will I lose weight on
the purification cleanse?
You most likely will lose weight. SP states that people on
average lose 12 – 15 lbs. during the 21 day process. If you continue with drinking
1 green smoothie per day and eating healthy you will most likely lose 1-2 lbs.
per week which is considered normal and safe. Of course eat organic and
exercise regularly. I do not believe in the old adage of “calories in, calories
out” however I do believe in eating real, whole foods that are mostly organic
and getting regular exercise. This will decrease inflammation, increase muscle,
and improve overall health. During your nutritional consultation we can discuss
specific vitamins from SP to help you through this process and most importantly
provide you with tools to decrease systemic inflammation.
What other cleansing
techniques can I use?
Self-care and nurturing during your cleanse will allow the
process to happen with greater ease and comfort. Getting massage, Chinese abdominal
massage, colon hydro therapy, acupuncture, and taking a magnesium salt bath can
help the process. During your
appointment we can refer to these type of health care providers in Santa Barbara
and you can check out our community partner page www.genuinechiro.com
Of course, drinking half of your body weight in ounces in
water each day is critical to allowing the natural detoxing process of your
body to occur.
Additional
Information
You are not going on a diet! You are creating lifetime
healthy habits. After the cleanse you
will slowly add back in whole grains, dairy, and caffeine if you choose. I have
been off the cleanse for five days now and I am still drinking several green
smoothies per day because my body is craving them. You will feel less inflamed, your skin will
glow, and your gut will be healthier! The purification cleanse from standard
Process is a terrific jump start to the healthiest version of yourself in 2016
and will allow for the cultivation of lifetime habits.
To schedule an appointment with the doctors of Genuine Chiropractic
visit www.GenuineChiro.com or call
805-285-2712. We look forward to serving you and wish you success on you purification
journey!
In health,
Dr. Elizabeth Wisniewski
