Posted by thesweatyglove on Jun 13, 2011 in Blog, Nutrition |
Bottom line: a detox is difficult. I found it to be a grueling experience that I didn’t enjoy at all. Not one bit. It was a necessary evil, in one sense, so it had to be done. One caveat that I offer to anyone attempting a detox is to surround yourself with supportive, empowering individuals who care about your progress and will assist you when the crucial times arise. Otherwise, the emotional shifts and other irritabilities may overwhelm you.
I began my detox on May 29th, 2011 and continued it until June 11, 2011, exactly 14 days.
May 29, 2011
The first day of detox was nothing special. I skipped breakfast (a mini-fast) because I wanted to begin on a completely empty stomach. I had my first meal around 1:30 PM, after all of the shopping at Trader Joe’s and the health food stores. I have to acclimate myself to taking the detox pills at set times of the day, as well as my barley greens. I don’t like the limitation of that structure.
May 30, 2011
It was my first day back in the gym and I had to take it easy because I didn’t want to suffer from DOMS and I didn’t have as much energy because I hadn’t eaten the same as before. I had an avocado and hummus sandwich with tortilla chips after the gym. Tasty, but I wanted more. Oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk was boring and a bit salty. Added raisins to it for some kick, but didn’t help much. Grabbed some fresh strawberries and that really helped. Very sweet.
May 31, 2011
Today started off unusual. Some of the effects of the detox are beginning to surface. Two things in particular bothered me: 1) personal smell, and 2) hunger. I don’t wear deodorant because I don’t produce a body odor. That’s good news. The detox is doing what it should, though, which is release toxins from my body, through the pores and waste systems, so that I can be fresh and free from the toxins.
I don’t like that I began to smell, though. It was frightening and I wondered if anyone else could smell me. I became very self conscious. My appetite has increased, or so I think. It either increased or the change in diet leaves me desiring more food. Much more food. My energy dipped just a little.
Hydration and fiber are important parts of the detox, so I bought a lot of apples, carrots, celery, and watermelon so that I can make some juice tomorrow for my kidneys.
Meals included two avocado and hummus sandwiches for lunch and two plates of beans and rice and avocado for dinner. 3/4 gallon of water all day.
June 1, 2011
Back in the gym and trained light. Ate a lot of watermelon before the session for the water and carbs. After, had a large plate of lentils, brown rice, and avocado slices. Tasty.
June 2, 2011
Feeling really weak and cranky. I think the effects of the detox are peaking now. I haven’t felt this bad before, so I must be headed over the worst of it. Ate a lot of food, including lentils, brown rice, and avocado; and watermelon for the kidney flush.
June 3, 2011
Feeling very weak. Excited for the Master show at Gleason’s tonight, so I have a bit of a natural high to help me make it through the day. I didn’t eat very much today so I am extremely tired. This is, perhaps, the beginning of the regrets. Time to be strong.
June 4, 2011
Exhausted, very thirsty, very hungry. I had to take a break from church, run home for a few minutes to clear my head, eat watermelon for the water and fiber, then go back. Had a light dinner.
The Second Weak
While the first week was manageable to some extent, the second week was almost a failure. Food preparation went out the window. It was a stressful period and I wasn’t able to prepare food, eat, and rest sufficiently.
My calorie count dipped dramatically and my energy levels decreased. Worse, I ate far more fiber than necessary while not drinking enough. If you know anything about fiber you know that you must increase your water when you increase your fiber. In my situation, I increased my fiber but my water intake dropped dramatically. That led to minor constipation where my stomach was under intense pressure. I didn’t notice much intestinal bloating, just the uncomfortable pressure. The pain was alleviated simply, though, by drinking water to flush everything out.
All I could think about after a while was the finish line: I wanted this all to end. I daydreamed about whole wheat bagels and crackers. I saw mirages with protein shakes. My mind was getting the best of me and I had to fight to make it through.
Saturday was the final day and I was prepared to cruise through the day and go to bed early so that I could wake up and celebrate. Friends visited me at church and one of them actually brought me a gluten-free spelt muffin. I thought I’d cave under the pressure, but I was able to withstand the temptation.
How Did I Do?
I passed, and that will have to suffice. I’m simply grading myself on a pass or fail scale, so I don’t have to worry about just eking by or failing miserably. Now that it’s over I will reintroduce soy and wheat into my diet. Added sugar was never a problem for me, and something that I rarely did, so I won’t need any special adjustments there.
My kidneys feel fine and I feel healthy, overall. All waste functions work as expected, if not better. That said, my best guess is that I have been sufficiently detoxified and am in great shape. I have a follow up visit with my doctor to check blood work, so we’ll see once the labs return. I’m confident that all will be fine, though.
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