If alkalising is on your agenda for the new year, and you want to get straight into a cleanse, then there are a couple of hints to make your life easier. If you are anything like me, the first time I started alkalising I went gung ho. But after working with loads of clients, I can assure you that gung ho is short lived. Alkalising deserves time and commitment, with well thought out goals with room for adjustment.
The best way to transition into a more alkaline diet is one step at a time, thats right, no gung ho.
The first few days of reducing your sugar intake, eliminating coffee and doing things differently *can* be quite difficult for some people if that is what their whole lifestyle has been about until now.
As you input new foods and more alkaline water, you will be stirring up old toxins that can now be released…but their release often doesn’t feel so great and can render you with headaches, other aches and pains, and fatigue. Some people, if they are toxic enough, may even throw up or get a headache simply from the introduction of water.
The idea is to take things slowly, wean yourself off sugars and coffee and alcohol over a couple of weeks and increase your food choices with more alkaline foods such as salads and avocadoes.
Lets break it down and put your goals in writing.
What is your overall health goal? To be fit and healthy, slim down a bit, create muscle, or shed some excess fat? Or do you have some injuries which in the past have prevented you from exercising/living properly, that if you took care of your diet and exercised carefully, would free you up and you would feel better?
When you feel better, you will do better. And for some, if you feel downright ill, this is going to take some time. Go easy on yourself.
Consider short term goals – next 3 – 6 months. Are your goals to increase your energy, transform the way you feel, start to heal a lingering disease? Your immediate actions could be to drink lemon water upon waking (through a straw) and to cut down/eliminate refined sugars. It could be to eat more fish, down size your portions, reduce your red meat in-take, and increase your salad consumption.
Consider longer medium term – 6 months – 2 years. Are your goals to get to your natural weight, or to get fit for a sporting event such as a marathon or tri-athlon? To have enough energy to be a great mum or dad, to have as much available energy you need to look after your kids?
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Then there is Long term, 2 – 5 years, which is where you might want to start – start with the end in mind. What is your overall health goal?
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Put yourself first and commit to taking new actions – that would include resisting poor food options, saying NO to well meaning friends and family who want to see you eat, saying no to alcohol and coffee when it may be a daily ritual for you.
Preserve enjoyable rituals and create new ones. One of my morning rituals is to drink lemon water upon waking, then eat my breakfast on my balcony, before preparing for a busy day. Another is to make a daily vegetable juice, and skin brushing before getting into the shower. Think of things you already do that you enjoy, rituals that support you, and create some that you don’t currently use.
Let go of old failures. You may have tried many different diets before and they didn’t work. Alkalising is not for the faint hearted, it can be quite extreme if your strategy is in the literal sense. Acknowledge what you have done in the past, what worked, what didn’t work, and use what worked for last time, use this time. And what didn’t work, modify or change an element to make it work.
Make yourself accountable.
What are your actual set of actions to take? What is your commitment to exercise. Take action with what you set out to do, and make a pact with yourself to monitor progress regularly and reach your short term goals and actions.
Check your progress – how are you going to track what you are up to? One thing I do is use my diary to note my weight and the days/times that I exercise and if Im making progress or not (up and down arrows, smiley faces etc). You could also use a spreadsheet if you are on a weight release mission.
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Have fun and have a laugh. Life is meant to be enjoyable and what you have created is not set in stone. If you create too strict boundaries for yourself then when you fall off the wagon (if you are doing an intense version it’s highly likely) the big stick comes out to beat you up. Don’t be afraid to change or alter your goals especially if circumstances change. You may get an injury and think that your health goals are trashed. Modify them, what else can you do to get to your goal?
Goals are simply targets and aspirations, they are not set in conrete, so dont beat yourself up for not making it, because you have given it a fair go.
Like with any signpost, you need to measure the road you are on, and change direction when you have extra information. When you start feeling better, and doing better, your plan may well likely change to incorporate your progress.
To gain a full insight and recipes, download Alkalising Made Easy.