My Detox Diary

I was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and also graduated college.  Because of the disease, I'm always fatigued.  I was hoping to feel better with school being over, but am just as sluggish.  When I began researching autoimmune diseases, I've found that although they are not curable, many people have changed their diet and are living healthy active lives in spite of the disease.  I knew once finals were over that I needed to make a change.  I could no longer keep putting junk into my body, foregoing all I learned years before when I got my nutrition certification.  I gave up soda this week (you can read about my soda research here).  Five days soda-free, today I started a detox.

Some hear "detox" and think "starve yourself with a liquid diet."  Some hear "detox" and just think "?????"  The way I detox is to basically go raw for 7 days.  I start my mornings off with a warm 8-ounce glass of water with fresh lemon juice squeezed in.  This gets your gall bladder working (the gall bladder aids the liver in fat digestion).  Then I eat fruits and veggies (mostly veggies) with no condiments, maybe a little bit of lean protein, and drinks lots of water.  I eliminate caffeine for the 7 days, switching to herbal teas, and use a lot of spices and herbs in my food.  A small amount of olive oil can be used, but I try to stay clear of that, as well.

It can be tough those first few days.  A typical detox schedule for me is:

• Day 1 - not too difficult so long as I keep shoving something in my mouth... might have caffeine headache and slight case of crankiness.
• Days 2 & 3 - cranky as all get out!!  Irritable and dreaming about chocolate.  Did I mention cranky?
• Come Day 4, my cat usually comes out of hiding and I start feeling like a human again. 
• Days 5, 6, &7 - I begin noticing an increase in energy, may have lost a few pounds, and may be sleeping better. 

When I detox, I stay away from any strenuous exercise, but may go for a walk or do some stretching exercises.  I put it on my calendar so I'm not making all kinds of crazy plans.  Added stress is not good during a detox.  My advice is to wait if you have too much going on, like I waited for school to be finished.

Today is Day 1.  I'll keep you posted!