Detox supplements and greens

Well, it felt like the right time, starting a new year and all.  I went for it.  I followed the 7-day detox plan that I put together.  One of my sisters decided to do it with me, so we got together and hashed out our plan (as described in the previous post – 7 day detox plan.)  We started on a Sunday.  I’ve summed it up right here:

Day One:  Felt fine.  Planned out a few meals.  The main things I had to cut out were:  morning coffee, dairy (I do like cheese), wheat products, and my glass (or two) of wine in the evening.  Meanwhile, I focused on taking my supplements, my morning smoothie, and snacking on fruit and nuts.  I tried a detox tea with schizandra and found it difficult to finish the cup.  Overall, I was motivated and feeling pretty good about it.

Day two:  Starting to feel hungry and unsatisfied (already!!!).  Green tea with honey in the am (decaf).  A smoothie.  I am hungry!  I quickly realize how much I have to give up to follow this plan.  I try some gluten free bread and do not like it.  I realize that I have tons of fresh fruits and veggies and not every single one is organic (although I tried to get mostly organic), so I decide that it’s ok if I eat a non-organic banana.  I eat hummus and rice crackers.  Lots of nuts for snacks.  I have filled my belly but I do not feel satisfied.  I find in the afternoon that I am craving sugar.  I wonder if this is because of all the changes I have made, or if it is simply because I haven’t been satisfied with my meals.  I make a big pot of soup filled with beans, amaranth, and tons of fresh veggies (a recipe I found online that the author claimed was fabulous).  It’s just ok.  I eat it.  I really want all the things I am telling myself I cannot have.

Day 3:  Same morning routine:  green tea and smoothie.  I find myself just eating/drinking because I know I have too, and I really don’t even feel hungry.  I am trying just to follow the food schedule I have set up.  I am not interested in eating at all, I think because I am not enjoying it.  Oh boy, more hummus with rice crackers.  More nuts.  Fortunately the supplements are easy, most of them are little and do not smell or taste gross (I have experienced this before and it can make it much harder to be compliant).  My sister throws in the towel.  She is simply too unsatisfied.  I completely understand.  But, alas, I must be strong, I am on a mission!!!  I make homemade falafels for dinner.  They turn out pretty good.

Day 4:  I am fine with the morning routine, but lunch, dinner, and snacks are becoming difficult.  It takes a lot of meal planning to create a bunch of new foods and I realize that I could have done a better job of prepping ahead for this.  I decide to go to a local health food store to try and find some new and satisfying foods.  In the bread isle, I ask another customer about the gluten free breads we are looking at.  She recommends one brand, and tells me that I must toast it or it is no good.  I will try it.  At the deli, there are some interesting looking treats made from almond butter, cocoa, and whatever else, and of course the girl behind the counter says they are her favorite, so I get one.  There isn’t anything appropriate for this detox in the frozen isle or prepared foods, so I guess I have to cook again tonight.  I am struggling to find ways to get enough protein from the beans and whole grains (in addition to the protein powder and nuts).  I make a delicious soup from a variety of beans, brown rice, greens, and veggies.  I think it is the spice blend I found:  thyme, bay leaf, and sage mixed in with my organic veggie bouillon.  Yum.  I put some olive oil and garlic on the bread and toasted it and, well, I ate it but just because.  As for the ‘chocolate treat’, well, it was not tasty and had a terrible consistency so I threw it out.

Day 5:  This takes an immense amount of will power!  When do the cravings subside?  When do I feel lighter and amazing?  I am actually feeling tired and still unsatisfied.  My sister makes a special lasagna for me with zucchini strips as the ‘noodle’, and of course tons of veggies, and a non-dairy, organic “mozzarella style cheese” that is supposed to melt well.  Of course, the rest of them are eating the real deal.  It actually is good, similar to a vegetable casserole, but I scrape off the fake cheese, it just doesn’t have any flavor and has a weird texture.  So, I have three helpings of veggie ‘lasagna’ and leave it at that.  I really want that glass of wine, but instead I make another cup of tea.  Did I mention that I’ve been voicing my complaints and frustrations to everyone I have talked to?

Day 6:  I keep telling myself that it’s almost over.  I do my morning routine.  I feel tired, although I have been sleeping well and have been doing my normal exercise routine and just pushing through it.  Still looking for that amazing feeling like I could take off in flight at any moment.  Perhaps my expectations are unrealistic (hehe)?  I think to myself, nothing is happening, at least that I can feel.  Why is this so hard?

Day 7:  Ok, I am encouraged because this is my last day.  I can do it.  I take my supplements, tea, and smoothie.  I eat my nuts and fruit.  I also go to the store and get some of my ‘normal foods’ to prepare for tomorrow, yay!  I am ready to be done with this, as I find it very difficult.  It’s kind of funny how I was so gung-ho about it until day two, when reality set in and the actual changes were implemented.

Final Analysis:

One of my resources for putting this all together, Mary Purdy, RD, recommends a period of getting ready and eliminating a few things here and there before going actually ‘perfectly clean’.  I now understand why.  As we are humans, and creatures of habit in general, it is extremely hard to change up so many habits all at once in one day.  Very hard.  Also, I want to say that I realize that there are tons of great recipes and meal ideas that are dairy and gluten free, and a bit more planning ahead might have allowed me to be more satisfied with my food through this.  It takes a lot of time and energy to get new foods and new recipes while eliminating your regular staples.   If you are interested in trying something like this, I encourage you to take your time preparing and thus set yourself up for success.

On a personal level, here are my notes:

I have just taken an intense and critical look into what I put inside my body.  I have realized the immense power of habits over time.  I have scrutinized all the foods I buy.  I have not exercised this kind of will power in a long time.  This weeklong detox diet forced a break from all my daily habits, which was hard!  I did not feel the super fantastic energy levels or feel lighter; actually I was more tired that usual despite getting adequate sleep.  Interestingly, I noticed a few other things I was not expecting through this process.

It did give me a lot of time to think about my day-to-day habits and routine.  It helped me to appreciate the good stuff, while identifying a few areas I know I could improve upon.   I paid more attention to my hunger and fullness cues and was focused more on getting all of my nutrient needs met than I was satisfying my cravings and eating the same thing out of habit.  In other words, I was very mindful about what I was eating, when I was eating it, and why I was eating it.  (This describes the practice of mindful eating, which is a novel concept in a culture where we eat for so many reasons other than actual hunger).

Looking back one week later, I feel good and have what I consider to be normal energy levels throughout the day.  Perhaps I was ‘detoxing’ and my body was working hard on the inside, making me tired throughout the detox.  I am confident I ruled out the potential for a gluten or dairy intolerance, as there were no dramatic changes in my digestion or symptoms when I took them both out and when I re-introduced them.  I seem to tolerate them just fine in moderation.  I think each person will have different results based on their diet and lifestyle prior to starting a detox diet.

Overall, I satisfied my curiosity and I do see how an approach like this can be beneficial (unlike many of the ‘cleanse’ and ‘detox’ programs I have read about that have no validity).  It would be great to really see (via sweat, urine, and stool) whether toxin excretion increases during a detoxification diet such as this.  Perhaps one day there will be some research to assess that.  I am left with my subjective thoughts on my experience, and I think that I did benefit from this.  Although I did not turn into wonder woman all of a sudden, I’d like to think that my liver and other organs got a break and are now a bit less stressed.  Not to mention that all the time and effort put into this will no doubt lead to a less toxic lifestyle from here on out.  If you are interested in doing a detox, go for it, but don’t get sucked in to a fast fix or some crazy juice and laxative diet.  Do it properly with real food and safe supplements and give yourself prep time.  You will benefit from the diet introspective and hopefully find a few ways to improve your diet/lifestyle.  Note to self – the reason I didn’t spontaneously turn into wonder woman is because I already am a wonder woman!!!