About 24-Hour Cleanses

A 24-hour detoxification cleanse can be used for many different purposes. It can be desirable after a night of over-indulgence, or if you've been feeling sluggish and lacking alertness. It also can ward off the first signs of a cold. A 24-hour cleanse can be used on a semi-regular basis, such as weekly or monthly, to keep your system purified. It is easy on digestion as well as the liver and kidneys, so it gives the entire system a rest.

Significance

• The liver is the body's main filter, performing the body's own perfect detoxification process. However, because most people live in ways that cause more toxins in their bodies than they can handle, the filtration system can become clogged and not function as efficiently. Drinking too much alcohol, smoking, living in polluted environments, and eating processed foods with artificial ingredients all put extra stress on the liver. A 24-hour cleanse helps revitalize the liver and, in turn, the entire body.

Function

• Regular 24-hour cleanses can remove built-up toxins, and thus improve and eliminate many negative health effects, such as fatigue and lethargy, insomnia, allergies and sinus problems, indigestion and chronic headaches. Because the diet is short and the ingredients are easy on the digestive system, there should be no side effects, compared to longer cleanses which may create detoxification effects.

Features

• The 1-day diet has some variations, but the main part of the cleanse is always the same. The menu includes raw fruits and vegetables, or lightly-steamed vegetables, along with brown rice, a source of protein which typically is raw almonds but can also be tofu, and at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water. A common variant is to include four 8-oz. glasses of fresh pomegranate juice for a high-powered antioxidant. No other drinks are allowed, particularly no caffeinated drinks, soda or alcohol.

Details

• The diet includes five meals. Breakfast should be some fruit and a handful of almonds. The morning snack is one bowl of brown rice and tofu if you're feeling very hungry. Lunch is fruit and as large a green salad as you'd like. The afternoon snack is fruit and a handful of almonds, and dinner is fruit and a large bowl of brown rice. If pomegranate juice is being used, a glass of that should substitute for the fruit.

Extras

• In addition, a hot shower or bath should be taken in the morning and in the evening, scrubbing the skin with a brush or loofah to stimulate blood circulation and slough off dead cells. This is particularly important in the evening when you may have already eliminated some toxins through the skin. Also, at least an hour of mild or moderate exercise during the day is important. Walking is a good choice.

Alternative

• An alternative 24-hour cleanse includes only fruits and vegetables, as much as you want, and eight 8-oz. glasses of water. The cleanse begins in the evening with a salad and a mild herbal laxative. In the morning, fresh fruit juice can be any mix of apples, cranberries, grapefruit, lemon, lime, oranges, pears and pineapple. Lunch focuses on vegetables to include dandelion or beet greens, cucumbers, green bell peppers, radishes and tomatoes along with a glass of apple juice. Dinner is a broth made from carrots, celery, greens, parsley, potatoes and zucchini. Cover the vegetables with water and simmer for about a half hour, then drink the broth and save the vegetables for the next day. The only snacks allowed in this cleanse are green or herbal teas.