So you’ve just finished your OWL Reset Cleanse - congratulations on taking control over your health and wellness! This is a huge celebration for you and your body. You went to great lengths to rest and restore your gut and mind, and we want to help you ensure that you reap every single benefit you can from this transformation.
By now, you know that post-cleanse care for your gut and the rest of your body is top priority if you want to continue to feel the effects long after completing this revolutionary program for ultimate gut health. Going over our post-cleanse tips, you need to be sure you are:
- Drinking plenty of water to continue to flush out the toxins
- Supporting your body’s natural functions with natural supplements like our Digestive Bitters, Liver Boost, & Yeast Buster
- Focusing on eating whole foods and avoiding common allergens for the first few days after completing your cleanse
This last tip includes reintroducing the foods that could be causing you digestive problems, meaning you have a sensitivity or are allergic to them. We’ve outlined what your day-by-day food group reintroduction should look like for the most accurate understanding of how your body responds to certain foods.
Reintroduction
The most important thing to keep in mind when searching for allergy or sensitivity triggers in your food is that your body will need a few days to show signs of reactions to each type of food. This is why we strongly suggest reintroducing one food group at a time. Mixing and combining different food groups makes it difficult to pinpoint what is actually causing any negative reactions. For a more accurate reading on your body’s responses, use the calendar below.
Day 1 - Nightshade Fruits & Veggies
Adding in foods like tomatoes, eggplants, chili peppers, and potatoes on this day could possibly introduce inflammation to the lining of your gut and, if you suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease, could increase intestinal permeability. If you don’t experience any stomach upset on this day, you can tick off this food group from your sensitivity list.
Day 2 & 3 - Return to Reset Food Rules
Reverting to the Reset food rules for two days is equivalent to a palate cleanse in between courses. This allows for your body and gut to recuperate from any negative effects of your first reintroduction so you can start on a clean slate for day four.
Day 4 - Eggs
Most children who develop an egg allergy tend to outgrow it by age 16. But you might have held onto a specific protein allergy found in the egg whites. Some people also show adverse reactions toward the protein found in egg yolks. The most common symptoms from egg allergies include:
- Nasal congestion
- Tight chest or coughing
- Cramping, nausea, or vomiting
Day 5 & 6 - Back to Reset
Take another couple of days for your body to right itself from any issues you might have experienced with eggs to be sure you’re ready for the next food group.
Day 7 - Glutinous Grains
This step is only for those who's dietary preferences allow gluten. If you know you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity, skip this food group and continue with the next.
This food group includes sourdough, farrow, buckwheat, and other grains. Symptoms to look out for that relate to gluten include:
- Digestive upset like bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation
- Skin issues like rashes or eczema
- Cognitive interruption like brain fog, confusion, fatigue, anxiety, or depression
Day 8 & 9
These days are reserved for another break for your digestive system and for you to take inventory on your body's responses.
Day 10 - Dairy
This is only suggested if your dietary preferences include dairy products. While dairy can provide a good helping of vitamins and minerals, if you know you're lactose intolerant then you should continue to avoid dairy products.
A dairy allergy will show itself in the form of abdominal cramps, digestive issues, skin rash or hives, wheezing, or coughing, itching around the mouth, and vomiting. Some symptoms will show within hours, whereas others might take a few days to develop
Day 11 & 12
This is your last return to the eating principles of the Reset to allow for total recovery before you're completely done with your Cleanse experience.
Other Food Groups
There are a few more food groups that you might consider testing out for any sensitivities. If you are already aware of an allergy to the foods mentioned above, you might replace your glutinous grains or your dairy reintroduction with any of these suggestions:
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Alliums (onions, garlic)
- Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower)
Remember: only try one type of food at a time. Testing out these foods will add several more days to your post-cleanse reintroduction phase. And that's okay! You want to take your time to find out what could be impacting your quality of life. The long term goal behind the OWL Reset is to restore and rebalance so that you can live your best life. The life you deserve.
Symptoms & Reactions
There are certain effects that foods can have on your body that are visible or else very noticeable. But there are other reactions that you might not expect when testing out foods. The most important thing to be aware of is how you feel (physically, emotionally, & mentally) during this time. This could be either positive or negative observations.
We've compiled a list of notable reactions during the reintroduction phase.
Symptoms to look out for:
- Gas
- Bloating
- Acid reflux
- Headache
- Energy crash
- Inability to focus
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Joint pain
- Insomnia
- Brain fog
In addition to positive effects like:
- Feeling happy
- High energy
- Sharp focus
- Self confidence
- Glowing skin/eyes
Additional Tips
Reintroduction takes time and patience when done right. For some people, this phase can wrap up in as little as 10 days. Others might take up to 30 days to complete. The key is to be patient with the process and your body as new information about yourself unfolds. Find joy and value in digging to a deeper understanding of your body.
Make sure to consume an adequate amount of each food to determine the impact on your system. A small splash of milk in your morning coffee won't have enough of an effect for you to determine anything about it. Have at least one full serving of each type of food to get an accurate read on your body’s natural reaction.
Keep all reintroduced foods low in sugar. Because sugar is an inflammatory food, it can skew your results. During this phase, continue to avoid sweet treats like ice cream, cake, even seemingly healthy goodies like gluten free cookies.
Embark on this Healing Journey
…and soak in every eye-opening moment you experience while healing your gut, mind, and body. This journey can be as transformative as you allow, and you'll no doubt learn something completely new about yourself while feeling like a completely new you.
Julie Weller
Julie is a self-made writer on a forever journey of fitness and health. As a high school music teacher, she has seen and experienced the challenges of maintaining good health while simultaneously balancing a career and healthy relationships.
Julie has always lived a healthy and active lifestyle. She loves the outdoors, hiking, and camping. Over the years she has continued to learn smarter and better ways to take care of her body while continuing to do the things that make her smile. Naturally, all of her teacher friends wanted to know how she did it - what was her secret?
Julie found herself explaining over and over everything she'd learned in her research, and sharing her experiences through trial and error. Her friends would take her advice, try some new things, and then come back to ask how to take it to the next level.
"You should charge for this kind of information!" Became a constant phrase, and so began her career of writing to share her knowledge with the world through health and wellness companies looking to spread healing and healthy habits within their communities. Now Julie gets to combine two of the things she enjoys most - writing and wellness - and use them to affect change in a real way.
When not making music with her kiddos, or writing wellness tips for a higher quality of life, you can find her reading, hiking, drumming, and fitnessing