Congratulations! You did it!
Give yourself a nice pat on the back. At the final Reset phase, you’ve overcome the hardest part of the program and you’re on the home stretch to officially reshaping your future and contributing to a better you.
What to expect
At this stage of your detoxification process, you may feel much lighter, find yourself waking up earlier, be more productive and definitely ready to get back into the swing of things.
You might also experience a mental appreciation for actual whole foods, an understanding of your most desirable cravings (i.e. why you have been craving specific items) and a connection to your body for going through the elimination-stage symptoms. All of these are a great way to start putting everything into perspective.
Day one: Getting back into whole foods
On your first reset day, slowly weaning yourself back on to solid foods is key. With the main focus on whole foods, your breakfast and lunch should be light and easy to digest, such as fruits, salads and smoothies.
By mid-afternoon, you should have a light raw snack (a banana, apple or an avocado). Dinner should be consumed early (around 5 or 6 pm), and also be extremely light, such as steamed vegetables or a warm vegetable puree.
Just remember to keep it light and simple. Less is more.
Day two: Re-introduce gluten-free grains
On the second day, you can bring grains, such as quinoa, millet or brown rice back into your diet. Including fermented foods such as kimchi, miso and sauerkraut are also a good idea. Things to avoid would be hard digestible foodstuffs, such as wheat, dairy or meat.
Day three: Add in proteins
On the third day, you can re-introduce proteins, such as chicken, eggs, fish, beans, nuts and seeds.
If coffee or caffeinated tea was a part of your regular routine, you can slowly introduce them after a few days. Remember that the Reset Program was a way for you to rid your body of toxins and adding in caffeine may put your system into shock and undo any beneficial detoxifying effects you experienced over the course of the program.
Welcome change around you
Because of the physical and mental clarity you’ll be experiencing, it’s also natural at this time to make some changes to your physical environment.
Improve your indoor air quality
When we think of poor air quality we automatically assume it’s coming from the outside world with pollution, smog and good ol’ TTC buses. It turns out that indoor air is 10 times more polluted than our outdoor environment. The information about indoor toxicity can be overwhelming, but there is a very simple solution: open your windows!
Let the fresh air trickle in while you’re at home so you can ventilate stale air out. This decreases mould and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Another great solution is to add plants to your everyday life; some of the best plants for air purification are:
- Boston fern (to help to remove formaldehyde)
- Any palm trees such as Dwarf Date palm, Bamboo palm or Lady palm (to filter out benzene and trichloroethylene)
- Peace Lily (to remove VOCs and humidify your air)
There are many benefits of improving your indoor air quality, including: Strengthening of the immune system (fewer acute illnesses, improved work performance, better sleep and healthier skin.
Feel the earth
Mentally welcome change by grounding yourself and getting outside. As it gets warmer, you will notice your body wanting more and more sunlight (yay, vitamin D!). Hitting a nearby park or going for a stroll in your neighbourhood are simple ways to contribute positively to your mental state. Take your shoes off, sink your feet into the ground and take a minute to connect with Mother Nature.
Whether this was your first detoxification process or your hundredth, it’s important to embrace the changes to your mind and body as well as feel the spiritual connection between yourself and nature. After all, you deserve it.
About the author
Cara Cipolla is a nutritionist at Village Juicery and is currently finishing her studies at The Institute of Holistic Nutrition. Cara focuses on the mind, body, spirit connection with an environmental approach.