but why...?

some more obvious than others, but i think it is important to know why we are eliminating each item.....here is the short version.

sugar:  by removing sugar from your diet for as long as you're willing, you break the cycle of sugar addiction, resensitizing your glycogen receptors so that you get more energy from less food, eliminating the craving for sugar.  you will also feel energized in a more consistent way, without the ups and downs inherent in sugar dependency.

besides sugar turns into glucose in your blood, when the glucose becomes too high your body produces insulin....the more sugar you consume, the more insulin you must produce.  insulin stores the glucose in your liver and muscles, and when that limited storage space is full, insulin will help turn the sugar energy into fat for you.  how sweet;)

those that don't mind fat should also be reminded that inflammation is common in all the cells insulin comes in contact with, breaking down the cells which assists in aging and opening the floodgates for inflammatory conditions associated with it, including cancer and other degenerative illnesses.  awesome.

alcohol: once consumed, alcohol is converted into glucose, or blood sugar, and causes many of the same physical problems as sugar consumption.  alcohol also plays a major role with your liver function as you may well know, but it also has an affect on the chemicals in the brain, as you might well imagine.  thankfully our bodies are amazing restorative creatures, so each day abstaining from alcohol helps to rebuild the balance within the body affected by the consumption of alcohol. 

caffeine:  the consumption of caffeine leads to symptoms not limited to but including, anxiety, sleep disorders, & eating disorders.  it is the world's most popular psychoactive drug as caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by tricking the brain into ordering the release of excess adrenaline.  this excess adrenaline in your body builds up in your muscles creating body tension, headaches, and muscle spasms.  over time the adrenal glands may become depleted and weak, resulting in increased feelings of exhaustion, which may cause you to need more and more caffeine to feel awake or normal.

giving up caffeine for your cleanse will give your body a chance to replenish and restore your adrenal glands.  this offers them the opportunity to keep you balanced on their own.  maybe helping you find that you need a lot less caffeine in the future, or maybe even none at all.

gluten:  gluten, a protein found in many foods, including wheat, barley, rye, and malt, is the most common irritant of the small intestine.  for most people, even tony soprano, consumption of gluten can cause the immune system to attack the small intestine through inflammation, leading to gas, diarrhea, skin rashes, and may prevent the absorption of vital nutrients and vitamins, which could lead to depression and exhaustion.  with the small intestine too inflamed to absorb nourishment, a gluten heavy diet may contribute to osteoporosis, anemia, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

gluten has also been linked to several studies surrounding autism as undigested gluten has the ability to attach itself to the opiate receptors of the brain, mimicking the effect of a morphine high.  in some of us, that may be the feeling of relaxation we get after consuming bread, pasta, and beer.

abstaining from gluten for your cleanse will give your small intestine some time to soothe and heal itself, reestablishing its efficient absorption of nutrients.  you may even feel more energized, alert, and nourished.  hooray!

animal products:  dairy, for starters, is full of lactose, a commonly indigestible allergen.  refraining from milk products during your cleanse will give your body a break from inflammation you may be incurring from lactose. 

casein, the protein found in dairy can be difficult to digest and can cause sleepiness and the feeling of heaviness, all while stimulating a craving for more once the effect has worn off because it, too, acts like a drug in the brain.  casein is a binding agent used in soups, protein powders, cereal, infant formula, energy bars, salad dressings, vegetarian meats, glues, protective coatings, plastics and fabrics.  casein does a great job of acting like glue in the body, stimulating the production of mucus, binding to it making it thicker and more troublesome.  yikes.

dairy is also polluted by the industrial processing of cows, including antibiotics, hormones, and unnatural feed.  also, for those reasons, there are several arguments about the potential damage to your health of eating meat and the possibility of it outweighing the benefits.  even fish carry the pollutants of their home in their omega 3's.  it seems also the larger the fish, the higher levels of mercury.

so...that said, taking a break from all animal products will allow your body the time to eliminate any casein gumming up your system, your reducing any inflammation which you may have from lactose, you're giving your body a break from industrial pollutants and letting your body recover from free-radical damage associated with the ingestion of meat-related carcinogens.  yes, please.

sheesh.

i hope that didn't just make you wanna jump of the edge of the kitchen table.  i just thought you should know the basics.  and, believe me...there's more where that came from.  without feeling frustrated or defeated, because you were looking forward to going back to all that "good stuff".  focus on all the delicious things that we are able to eat on this cleanse and how we are able to remain just as satisfied with our seemingly limited options.

remember, anything is ok in limited dosages and just be grateful that our body is so brilliant as to regenerate itself as quickly and easily as it does.

one suggestion, now that you know the basics of how each of the items we've taken out effects the body, at the end of our two weeks, slowly add back in each ingredient....giving yourself two days to see how you feel.  you might be surprised what your body tells you.

day 2: happy restoration!