A Body and Mind Detox
Well Today embarks two Firsts for me.
1. Actually putting an entry into my Blog, as it has sat dormant for 6 months.
2. Doing a Detox/cleanse.
I have chosen to do the master cleanse since it is widely done and has enough good reviews to know that it wont cause any bodily harm.
So to prepare, I ended up my stuffing my face with pizza and beer, just to make sure I had enough calories and carbs to carry me through a week, and then headed to whole foods to get my supplies.
Organic large lemons, Grade B Maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. It was hard to look at those items and see my meal for a week. I don't even like to eat leftovers, but i am going to give it a shot.
I hope to take away a few things from this diet/detox. One is that I want to reduce my dependency on food as a source of comfort and as an Idol. Now I don't bow down before food or engorge in it for all my satisfaction, but I do spend a fare amount of time thinking about it and making it an important part of my day. Sometimes I will head to Trudy's for a big hondo burrito and a mexican martini or two if I'm frustrated with something or needing to escape from the world. There is nothing inherently wrong with doing so, but my error lies in not turning to the Lord first to be my comforter and sustainer. This is something that needs to be shifted in my life.
The other reason for the cleanse is for the physical aspects. When I am training for a physical goal; like races, bike rides, and general fitness, I can justify consuming a lot more food as i need it for fuel and to rebuild muscle. But when I get out of those modes, its hard to not continue with the same eating habits. I have carried on an, "eat what you want," mentality, without much physical activity, for the last few months and I know I need to curb away from that. I hope that this detox will help accelerate the detoxification process of all the processed foods and other crap that I have been putting into my body and not burning up. I know I will lose some muscle mass, but also it wont hurt to loose a little buildup around the belly. I am looking forward to getting back to higher levels of activity after this process of mind and body Detox.
Colt 45
DAY 1
Day one was not so bad. I got a little grumpy around noon as I was in a meeting and went about 3 hours without any mix. Every time I got up from my desk I wanted to go to the fridge for a snack or grab a hand full of peanuts, but eventually I got it through my head that I was not eating anything. The drive home was the hardest as I am usually thinking about what sounds the best for dinner, but there was no dinner to be had. I got home and felt pretty tired so I took an hour nap and felt refreshed after that. I had to rest up for Bowling, which we lost in the playoffs. Surprisingly I had plenty of energy. Not too bad overall. More of a mental battle than physical.
DAY 2
First thing I weighed in after 24 hours and had went from 170 to 167. I'm sure most of that was just all the pizza I ate on Sunday! Surprisingly I woke up not feeling hungry like I thought I would. The day was pretty uneventful as far as the detox is concerned. I didn't really feel hungry until right before I drunk some mix. although I did envy my roommates churches friend chicken and biscuits a little! Overall the day was easy. No cramps or pains of any kind.
DAY 3
I am sleeping well during the detox as i thought it may effect me somewhat. I woke up to no power this morning so while waiting around, I decided to do the salt water flush since I didn't have any bowel movement yesterday and I feel like I need to do it at least once during the detox. Some people do it every day. No thank you. I mixed up 20 oz of water and 2 tsp of sea salt and chugged it on down. That was the worst part of the detox so far. I then sat around for about an hour, per recommendations from others, and waited for the flush. And flush I did, about 5 times. After an hour had passed I figured it was safe to head to the office and I made it with no unexpected flushes. I weighed in at 165 this morning. I am still surprised that I don't feel really hungry. The evening seem to be the hardest as I am ready to get some dinner! I usually eat a simple meal for breakfast and lunch so I try to get something extra tasty for dinners. But alas, I survived. I did have some bowel movements last night, without the salt water, which is a sign of toxins and old waste being pushed out.
DAY 4
A good night of sleep and as usual not even hungry in the am. I weighed in at 163 this morning.
So far the hardest part of the diet is the lack of involvement with friends as our culture revolves around food and drink. I have not felt physically strong enough to go out late, after 9, and hang with friends, nor wanted the added taunting of food in my face! Meeting up for happy hour or sitting at dinner knowing I wont be eating is too much and awkward to suggest to a friend. I definitely see another aspect of how much we rely on food as a crutch and comforter in that it feels awkward now days to just say, "hey want to meet up and talk," vs. "hey lets meet up for a drink or some grub." The later feels much safer as one would not get rejected personally as one can fall behind the notion that the friend just didn't want to get food or drink.
I am pretty sure I will be breaking the detox on day 6. I do not want to loose any more weight and I am not following the laxative strategy of the detox. the "flushing" part of the detox is supposed to keep your body from re-absorbing the stored toxins that your are releasing. Toxins such as the ones stored in fat cells and other organs. I would be completely miserable constantly "flushing!"
I made it through day 4 fine like all the other days. even had some natural "flushing" in the evening which gives me more peace of mind that toxins are still being removed and not re absorbed!
Day 5
Sow on the ground today. I had a great time driving to work! Anyways, Guess what, I'm not starving and I feel great as usual. 5 days with zero food! Who would have thought that was even possible, especially for me! I weighed in at 162 this morning. The weight loss has tapered off but I am still calling today my last day of Detoxing. I assume most of that weight was fluid loss, which is confusing as I was drinking allot of water. One more topic to get educated on. I will gradually enter back into eating whole foods again with some V8 and fresh veggies later in the evening. Then bring on super bowl Sunday for a day of reward!
CONCLUSION
Throughout this process I have learned a few things.
1. I have developed more, highly needed, patience as I know that I can go without food and I don't have to be so single track minded when I get hungry. Through this I can be less dependent on food for a comforter and idol in my life.
2. Going through this hard work makes me want to eat healthier and be more active again. I have learned more about nutrition on subjects like bio availability and how the body responds to nutrients to help me make better choices about the foods I eat. I am looking forward to maybe some juicing and healthier eating.
3. This was a great experience overall and I encourage everyone to give it a shot! It is not harmful and there is actually little physical discomfort in the whole process. The hardest thing, as fore-mentioned, was the mental and social aspects of the detox. My standard for a good experience is, "Would i do it again?." The answer is yes. I actually look forward to the next one sometime down the road, but it will be for at least 7-10 days. Pick a somewhat convenient time where there are no big eating events that you are looking forward to and it wont be as hard to stick with. Following is an article that gives some good perspective to the Detox.
My only other advice is to read up on as much info as you can handle before you start an you will have a greater appreciation for what is taking place during the cleanse. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/is_fasting_healthy?page=2
THANKS FOR READING, I HOPE IT IS USEFUL!
Colt 45
