" Is a pre-cleanse truly necessary?"

" If I'm going to do this program, I'd prefer to dive into the cleanse...thank you very much."

I hear it all the time! Well, I'm here to tell you Divas, there are tremendous benefits to pre-cleanse!

But first let's talk about the body's pH.

The body's pH is measured on a scale of 0 - 14. Midrange at 7 is where the

pH is balanced. Anything below 7 is acidic and a state where your body

does not function as designed. Above 7 is Alkaline. Alkaline is the state in

which your body thrives. Disease cannot live in an alkaline environment.

Acidic fat cells melt away.

Most American's consume highly acidic foods (fast food, processed food,

meat, coffee, soda, beer, wine, dairy, sweets - cookies, candy, cake, lots of

high sugar fruits). And many of us live fast-paced and stressful lives which

are you guessed it...hugely acidic.

The body has a reserve of buffers that aid in neutralizing acids. These

buffers are calcium, magnesium, and potassium. When the buffers are

depleted, the body will begin stealing and storing. It leaches calcium from

your bones (we call osteoporosis) or it stuffs excess acids in your fat cells.

YUCK! And get this...the only way these acidic fat cells go away is via

consumption of alkaline liquids and foods. For many who have struggled

to lose weight - herein lies the beauty of alkalizing the body!

So back to the question at hand: Why pre-cleanse?!

A pre-cleanse is a gradual process which brings more alkaline foods - (foods

with higher water content into the body). The notion of making gradual

changes is typically easier for your body to make adjustments. Your body

appreciates a slow transition rather than throwing it into a state of shock!

A pre-cleanse lessens the chances that you'll experience a healing crisis

(nausea, headaches, flu like feelings, dizziness, rashes, etc). And more

importantly, your chances of staying with this program for the long haul

are vastly increased!

Are you ready to get started with your pre-cleanse?

THE DETOX PRE-CLEANSE in 7 Steps!

&bull Step 1: EEK Meat! Let it go over this period. First get rid of beef

and pork, next chicken and then turkey. Finally ocean fish. Opt for

tofu and raw nuts and seeds. Almonds are at the top of list. Almonds

are very alkalizing along with being high in protein and calcium. I

especially love raw almond butter. I smother it on celery sticks -

fabulous!

&bull Step 2: Ditch Dairy - switch to soymilk or even better: almond milk

(no sugar variety). Almond milk is again a great way to get calcium

as well as protein.

&bull Step 3: Bubbling Bread - Yes, this means yeast, white flour and

bread. You can start eliminating by switching over to yeast free

bread, then to rice or sprouted seed crackers and sprouted wholewheat

tortillas (all of these should be available from your local health

food store). Concerning the white flour this means letting go of

pasta. In our house we love spelt pasta and decrease the portion size.

Always make it a side and not the main dish.

&bull Step 4: Don't Do Dessert - This one was huge for me and I believe

it altered my life. First, pay attention to everything you consume that

has sugar. Read labels, make a note of things you are taking in that

have any type of sugar be it honey, agave, white sugar, organic sugar,

sucralose (splenda, sweet n low, equal). Next step is to cut out one or

two of these items every day.

&bull Step 5: Forget Fruit (mostly) - Most fruit has high sugar content.

However, there are some that are low in sugar, which are okay such

as: lemons, limes, avocado, tomato, grapefruit, sour cherries and raw

dates.

&bull Step 6: Can the Condiments (mostly) - This includes: vinegar, soy

sauce, catsup, mayo (but you can use lots of garlic, lemons, limes,

cayenne pepper and RealSalt (tm)

&bull Step 7: Practice the 80/20 Plan - This is a big step for many. This

means when looking at your plate, 80% is green and 20% is acidic

(and yes, that includes breakfast) Get your hands on a acid/alkaline

food chart like the one I have at:

http://detoxdietdivas.com/articles.php

A pre-cleanse phase can last from 2 - 12 weeks depending on your

schedule and your individual body. During this pre-cleanse period you

also want to make sure you're drinking the recommended 1 liter of

water per 30lbs of body weight. The water must be alkaline so it comes

from either a water ionizer, pH balancing drops, or lemon (or lime)

juice. Ideally you'll be adding a high quality SuperGreen powder.

After this pre-cleanse phase you'll be much better poised to have a

fabulous cleanse/detoxifying experience.