Vol. 14, No. 4, Summer 2001

Replicating the Three Month Cleanse

Jacquelyn Ross

After reading the transcript of Lorin Smith’s interview, I spent several days thinking about what he had said, especially in regard to self-reliance and recovering our reliance on traditional healing. The story of his three months without sugar, salt, and other foods kept popping up in my mind, and I began to wonder about the specificity of Anne Jarvis’s instructions to Mr. Smith in what was an agonizing time of ill health. This forced me to take a close look at my own diet. Although editing this health section has boosted my awareness of health and foods overall, I have to admit that not all of this good information was being integrated into my daily life. What would happen if I tried the three-month nutritional cleanse? What changes would I see, if any?

In the interest of journalistic curiosity and a desire to feel better, I decided to try to follow Anne Jarvis’s instructions for three months. In December, I had my annual physical check-up to ensure the absence of anything new or threatening that would thwart my plans. After this physical check, I started to prepare mentally for the coming months of deprivation. I tried my best to enjoy the holidays in moderation and even put aside an incredible gift of chocolate as my post-cleanse "reward." If processed sugar, added salt, fried foods, caffeine, and fruit were to be eliminated from the diet, what would be left? I also wanted to break free from most dairy and white flour foods. This entailed a brutally honest look in the refrigerator and cupboards and even the snack drawer at work. Some shopping was in order, with an emphasis on fresh vegetables, soy products, herbal teas, whole wheat and other whole grain foods, and lean protein. This was not inexpensive and caused me to wonder about how much the most basic economic questions impact good nutrition these days.

Finally, January 1, 2001 arrived and the cleanse began. The first week went really well. The second week was a little rougher and reading food labels was a revelation. It is pretty shocking to see how much sugar and/or salt is in our foods these days. It was really hard to find any sugar-free, caffeine-free, artificial sweetener-free cold beverage in any convenience store. I finally found a line of organic teas that fit the bill when traveling; at home, I brewed my own herbal teas. Most of the time, however, I drank water. Meals had to be planned more carefully to allow for proper cooking time and it was challenging to balance my meal plans with those of family and friends who were "eating normally." It was very hard not to eat fruit and I did slip a few times in this regard, most notably at a gathering where fruit was the least harmful food available. I increased my chile intake for Vitamin C and varied my vegetables to allow for more flavor in the diet.

I have to say that I noticed changes much earlier than three months. Some nagging headaches that I had been experiencing seemed to diminish and then fade away. I started sleeping better and getting up even before the alarm clock rang at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. After a few weeks, even the craving for sugary treats dropped off. Reading articles about food additives, fat, and cholesterol levels in modern foods proved good inspiration for sticking to the plan. When April 1 came around, I found that I liked how I was feeling, so I have relaxed my restrictions just a little bit but am still staying away from most sugars and salts. Fried food just doesn’t taste so good to me anymore. The smallest bit of caffeine gives me quite a jolt. That piece of reward candy made me ill for hours.

If you are interested in trying the cleanse for yourself, I encourage you to first check in with your doctors to make sure that this is okay for you. You might be pleasantly surprised by the way your body responds to your care and feeding. Let us know how it goes.