Best post-holiday cleanse:

Does Holiday eating make you feel out of control? 

Join the food-anxiety club. 

Unlike food, food-anxiety is completely free, gifted from parent to child and friend to friend. Club members traditionally lament feelings of guilt around eatin

g and shame about their weight or body composition.

The anxiety is real. And so, to prevent weight-gain (which they fear will spiral into a wardrobe and/or medical crisis) they consider dietary advice from only the most reputable of sources: Dr. Google, neighbors, or their colleague’s esthetician.

The options are many: be they 12 day grapefruit cleanse, garlic parasite cleanse, or just simply (?) cutting out “sugar” (what does that even mean?) for the foreseeable future.

But these cleanses all have one thing in common, and that is that they do not meet any human’s nutritional needs. Also, following a cleanse protocol for more than a few hours will likely backfire, because restriction breeds interest.

So, feel like you need to go on a cleanse after the holidays?

Ok. That’s a valid feeling. Perhaps you feel very full right now, and regret some of your recent food choices. 

Feelings are important. But not every thought or feeling demands drastic action. Like those cleanses, for example. Although you might feel very full right now, I can pretty much guarantee you that you will feel hungry in 12 hours, if not sooner. 

And that is why cleanses are not actually a good idea. A diet of grapefruit alone is sorely lacking protein and fat, which will leave you quite literally wasting away. Sure, you will lose weight - but that will result mostly from muscle loss as the body breaks down its own muscle as an emergency protein source. 

I feel that it is also my duty to let you know that humans are blessed with a state of the art organ called the liver, which destroys all kinds of toxins. After breaking them down, they are either released and excreted via bile and GI tract, or filtered and excreted through the kidneys. 

Eating a normal, healthy diet with a balance of carbohydrates (including sugar, fiber), protein, fat, vitamins and minerals is an excellent way to support the natural detoxification processes found naturally in our bodies. Ironically, following a cleanse protocol off the internet may actually impede your body’s ability to perform its regular detoxification responsibilities.

So, if a cleanse is too harsh, then what CAN you do to feel better?

Just eat normally. Continue eating meals and snacks, on a regular schedule, including a variety of menu items, while honoring both hunger and fullness.

Hmm. Still anxious and considering a cleanse? Here are ten reframes for a sweet new year, minus the guilt 😊

1. Doesn’t everyone need to practice self-control? I mean, otherwise I might eat too much!

   
   

Reframe: Ever see a baby cry when he is hungry, eat, and then stop when he is full? Babies are excellent at regulating their eating naturally, and you are too. It’s a skill that we fall out of practice with when we get busy and start worrying about how we look. Restoring trust in our innate hunger and fullness cues is step number one!

2. Your skirt feels tight. Ahh!!

   
   

Reframe: Ok, breath. Take off the skirt and wear something more comfortable. Because freaking out about your body will probably make you eating worse, not better. 

3. You literally don’t fit into your clothing anymore. I mean, you understandably are at a different stage in life than when you purchased said clothing. Still, shouldn’t you lose weight anyway?

   
   

Reframe: Our bodies change. And that is normal. I may lose weight in the future, but right now, I deserve clothing that fits, and food to eat.

4.      I don’t have to starve, but I feel like I should cut out food that is “fattening”.

Reframe: Specific foods do not create body fat. People gain fat when their total intake is in excess of their body’s need.  Fat on your fork does not equal fat on your body!

Also, since fat causes fullness, when you cut down on fat, you will be left hungrier and at risk of overeating.

5.    Should I at least cut out sugar? I mean, doesn’t everyone say sugar is “bad”?

Reframe: Sugar (a simple carbohydrate) is literally our primary source of energy. Without it, we would be tired, hungry and irritable.

6.    Well, what about intermittent fasting?

Reframe: While I find that food rules cause more issues in the long run, I would reframe this as intermittent eating. Having some discipline to fill up at eating times and move away from food in between is a great idea, rather than grazing all day. As well, getting enough sleep will help our bodies get a break from eating. And then breakfast will be even more delicious.

Also, consider whether you already fast intermittently (religion? workaholic skipping breakfast or lunch?) I feel like intermittent fasting for someone who already fasts intermittently is overkill. Like, if you fast too much, it’s probably not a good thing.  

7.      If only my eating was under control, everything would be ok.

Reframe: It’s easy to hyper fixate on one simple issue such as diet, instead of attending to the many complex emotions we experience. But, true healing comes from noticing and accepting our emotions, without using food as a cover-up.

8.     It’s more than just the weight – I feel so guilty for eating badly!

Reframe: Eating is not a moral issue. It’s a matter of self-care. Eating in a way that makes you feel good afterwards, is self-care;  Whereas, eating in a way that gives you pleasure in the moment, but leaves you with a stomachache is not helpful. Instead of wallowing in guilt, use information gathered from your imperfect experience to help you make more helpful choices for the future.

9.   Reframe the word “cleanse” as “physical deprivation” and it somehow loses its luster.

   
   

10. But really. I am literally X pounds more than my healthy weight.

Reframe: The only thing we can control is our behaviors – so let’s eat well, exercise, improve sleep and reduce stress. The outcome of what our body will look like is affected by so many factors, that it turns out it’s not in our control. If you are eating well and gaining or losing weight, seek medical attention from a doctor and dietitian.

Ok, well what I am doing isn’t working. Do you have a different suggestion? What is a healthy alternative to a cleanse?

Well, there is something called intuitive eating, (created by dietitians Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole), which is an approach to eating that uses hunger and fullness to guide the quantities that we eat.

Unlike cleanses, which often lead to short-term weight loss followed by weight regain, intuitive eating supports a healthier weight over the long term by focusing on sustainable habits.

Diets encourage external rules that disconnect people from their bodies, while intuitive eating builds awareness of natural hunger and fullness cues. By removing the cycle of deprivation and overeating, this approach reduces stress around food and prevents the “yo-yo” effect common with dieting.

In the end, you don’t need a cleanse to recover from Yom Tov—you need compassion, consistency, and trust in your body. By choosing balanced meals, honoring your hunger and fullness, and letting go of guilt, you create habits that support both physical and emotional health. Intuitive eating may not offer the drama of a quick-fix cleanse, but it does offer something far more valuable: a sustainable, peaceful relationship with food for the long term.

The best cleanse? Letting go of guilt and eating with trust.

All the best,

Noa