Anybody who has managed any sort of computerised system (whether a server, mobile phone, or Windows-based PC) will agree that a regular reset is a must to keep things running smoothly. Resets remove gunk and unused trash out of memory, starting things off from a more cleared space. And as the calendar year draws to a close, many people and organisations are taking stock of their respective years, possibly evaluating what needs to be cleared out for a more productive year to come.

On an individual level, there may be many things that can be cleared in our lives. One of the most basic is our bodies. In our high-paced, Westernised lifestyle, the amount of gunk that most of us put into our bodies slow us down, reduce our immune systems, slow our metabolisms, and generally affect our overall health in a negative way.

I like to think that I have a relatively healthy lifestyle. That may be just a fantasy though because, while I don’t drink copious amounts of alcohol nor smoke tobacco nor indulge in excess amounts of fast food and am more physically active than most people I know, I still ingest a fair amount of mass-produced foods, the occasional junk food, and enough doughy foods to build a giant, evil, city-crushing Pillsbury man.

Regardless of my opinions on my lifestyle, with lethargy setting in and my body emitting the occasional insalubrious whiff, it seemed like a good idea to clear out the system and get back into a more conscious eating mode.

My sister, Veronique, created a magnificent detox plan in her own journey discovering the foods that fuelled and medicated her body. Essentially, the plan sets the body back to zero through fasting and then consuming individual, raw fruits and vegetables, giving one a chance to evaluate which foods are supporting and which ones aren’t, steadily building back up to regular balanced meals.

This first step, fasting, is only a couple of days but it is so revealing. For one thing, I realised that my body is actually in pretty good shape. There were no detox headaches or other withdrawal symptoms during the fast. I felt lighter and not entirely energetic as was to be expected, but I wasn’t feeling drained. In fact, I could still function properly, so long as I didn’t do anything that required lots of power. Following the fast with liquidised raw vegetables actually energised me. As fate would have it, I wound up camping in that week and was hiking a fair bit. At no point did I feel tired or lacking sustenance. Quite the opposite, I was more active and needed less sleep. Just goes to show how one’s body responds to good foods and in a very short period. This was a mere 4 days into the detox.

The other significant observation was our habitual need to eat. This was something that was first revealed to me twelve years ago when I experienced a juice diet on my first Ka Huna retreat. During the five days of the retreat, I never felt hungry, the juices more than adequately catering to my nutritional needs. What I did miss was the simple act of mastication, so much so that it wasn’t unusual to find myself and the other new guests often huddled around the only source of solid food, a small bowl of almonds and dates. It was enough to satisfy our chewing craving.

Back to the December detox, I was very aware of having a need to nibble on something without being physically hungry. The habitual act of eating snacks, and the effect of food pictures and smells created this mental desire to eat even as my tummy was happily satisfied.

That may be the biggest hurdle to any detox. Personally, I had a strong reason to reset my system and it helped me through the first few days. The support of friends (and the simple thought that cheating would undo the work already done) was enough to keep me going through the rest of the almost 2 week period.

And I feel better for it. The lack of dough in my system had a very quick effect of reducing my tummy. And the excess vegetables and fruit added to energy, needing less sleep, and better bowel movements. I’ve also now got into a better habit of drinking more water through the day, which to be honest wasn’t that bad to start with. Drinking has just became more routine since the detox.

This process is something I recommend everyone do. It helps you get to understand your body and which foods works with it and which ones do not. And like getting your car serviced, your body is cleaned and revitalised soaking up the good stuff.

If you would like more information and guidance on this detox, please contact Veronique and she will happily help you out.