WITHDRAWAL GUIDE

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during the cleanse

It’s time to break up with the emotional crutches and artificial energy. Tap into your true

energy! Foods and drinks with additives, stimulants and refined ingredients will drag your body

down! This cleanse is about making your system feel like new again, so wipe those teary eyes and

let’s go through the list of items to avoid during the cleanse.

DAIRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . milk, butter, cheese, yogurt

Aside from being highly acidic, dairy can also be quite difficult to digest. It can also

contribute to excess mucus formation in the body. If you have any tendency to allergies,

dairy can exacerbate the problem. Replace dairy with unsweetened almond milk, rice milk,

oat milk, or any other nut or seed milk (be sure to check the label for sugar, oils and other

additives and avoid them).

REFINED SUGAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . table sugar, raw sugar, high fructose corn syrup

Refined sugar is extracted from the sugar cane or sugar beet in a process that leaves you

with a nutritionally-void product. This type of sugar is acidic and leaches nutrients from

our body. It’s also highly addictive and can contribute to mood problems, weight gain, and

tooth decay. It also leads to spikes in our blood sugar, giving us false “highs,” followed by

crashes in energy that leave us more tired than we were to begin with.

BAD FATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . margarine, vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated oil, shortening, cooking spray, corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil

Trans fats, hydrogenated fats, and oxidized fats not only create a truck load more toxins

for the body to deal with, but also damage our cells, cause inflammation, contribute to

cardiovascular damage, and create a more acidic environment in the body. Good news:

there are plenty of good fats out there that we replace them with like nuts, seeds, avocados,

coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil.

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during the cleanse

PROCESSED FOODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . crackers, cakes, sweets, chips, breakfast cereals, sauces, anything packaged

Processed foods give us very little in terms of nutrients, and often contain damaging

chemicals and other artificial substances as well. These packaged items also suck nutrients

from our bones, our cells, and our entire system due to their acidity. They also place a huge

burden on our liver and kidneys (which are responsible for breaking down chemicals),

making it harder for the body to function properly.

GLUTEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wheat, barley, rye and related grains

The word “gluten” comes from the Latin term for “glue,” and it can create a sticky mess in

our digestive tracts. Foods containing gluten take significantly more energy for the body

to digest. It also happens to be one of the most common food allergies. What is gluten? It’s

technically a protein composite found in wheat, rye, barley, and many other grains.

CAFFEINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . coffee, black tea, soft drinks, green tea, energy drinks

Caffeine is highly acidic, interferes with sleep, stresses our adrenal glands, and pillages our

nutrient stores. On top of all this, it gives us a false sense of energy, and can irritate the

nervous system and gut. Additionally, sodas contain artificial additives and sweeteners

(even the diet varieties) that are toxic to the brain. The phosphoric acid erodes tooth

enamel and promotes bone loss.

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during the cleanse

ALCOHOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wine, beer, hard liquors

Alcohol is sugar-forming in the body and interferes with blood sugar regulation. Alcohol

can actually stimulate cravings for sugar and carbohydrates—which explains why you may

find yourself elbow-deep in a gallon of ice cream. It also interferes with nutrient absorption

and is toxic to the liver.

SOY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . faux-meat products, liquid aminos, tofu, soy milk

We recommend staying away from highly-processed soy products which can interfere

with nutrient absorption and leach nutrients from your body. Small amounts of organic,

non-GMO soy are fine throughout the cleanse, such as miso and tamari.

HIGHLY ACIDIC MEATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . red meat, chicken, turkey, pork

Meat is highly acidic, and can take up to four full days to get through our digestive system.

We want fast-moving, easily-digested food for this cleanse!

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Cutting out caffeine, sugar, alcohol, etc can be difficult and you may experience withdrawal

symptoms. These symptoms can vary in intensity, and will most likely happen around

the second or third day of cleansing. Take it easy, drink plenty of water and herbal teas

(dandelion root tea is great!) to help your liver process the increased toxic load. These

symptoms should resolve themselves by around the fifth day, so just be patient and focus

on the fact that your symptoms are a sign that your body is releasing all those nasty toxins

that are slowing you down!

How to Minimize WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

Slowly eliminate the foods and drinks on the list before you start the cleanse and

replace with more water, fruits, and vegetables. For instance, if your body is dependent

on caffeine, try cutting back a little more each day on your coffee consumption. If you

drink three cups a day, replace one cup of coffee with a green smoothie. Then the next day

replace two cups of coffee with two green smoothies, and so on. The same goes for soda,

alcohol, nicotine, refined sugar, and processed foods.

symptoms + tips

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMSHeadaches

Bloating

Muscle crampsSkin irritations

FatigueIrritability

Mood swingsChange in bowel frequency