DOING the DETOX
After the Kidney Stone surgery... and taking a look at what I consume: nutri-grain bars, beef, cheese, potatoes, ham sandwiches, coca-cola, tea, pasta, and well zero water... between the doctors and I, I was the only one surprised I went from being behind the camera to having one in me.
So for the past week and this week I've been on a Detox Diet... and before the family freaks out - this is NOT about losing weight, it's about cleaning the toxins out of your system... there's a solid article exploring the pros and cons of detoxing via diet on CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/01/body.detox/
Some people get really crazy about it and graduate themselves up (or down) to a liquid diet supplemented by vitamins. But I didn't go that far, just took a step back from the usual:
Here's something closer to my menu:
(from http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/hlive/eat/articles/0,,181167_608072,00.html)
DAY ONE:
Breakfast: Banana and raspberries smoothie.
Lunch: Garlic mushrooms on rye toast.
Evening: Fresh (or carton) vegetable soup, baked salmon and steamed vegetables.
DAY TWO:
Breakfast: Gluten-free muesli with sheep yogurt and blueberries.
Lunch: Celery, tomato and bean salad.
Evening: Multicolor jacket potato - add carrot, raw beetroot, cabbage, fennel and salad dressing.
DAY THREE:
Breakfast: Tropical smoothie - rice milk, mango and papaya.
Lunch: Three ready-made dips - guacamole, salsa and bean - with crudites.
Evening: Buckwheat pasta with pesto and a handful of sun-dried tomatoes.
Those of you who know me well enough are laughing already...why?... this means:
NO: red meat, cheese, dairy, wheat, caffiene. (that's actually the list of the ONLY things I eat)
YES: water, veggies, fruit, yogurt. (what aisle is that stuff in?! and what is "fennel"?!)
You can see where the criticisms come from - is this detoxifying or just straight up depriving your body of food? I definitely had an extreme drop in energy after the first few days and I still slip in a slice of cheese here and there... and paying attention to your cravings and patterns (my 1pm coca-cola, my 7pm fast food stop between meetings) and countering them does take effort.
A week and a half in now and the energy is coming back, but I don't notice too much of a difference to be honest with ya. Maybe it's because I cheated the diet or didn't go hard-core, but can eating more vegetables and fruit for 2 weeks out of a 1404+ week lifetime (so far!) possibly be a bad thing in the end?
Evaluation of the effects of Dr. Steph's Detox Diet will be posted once the regime has been completed...
So for the past week and this week I've been on a Detox Diet... and before the family freaks out - this is NOT about losing weight, it's about cleaning the toxins out of your system... there's a solid article exploring the pros and cons of detoxing via diet on CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/01/body.detox/
The Purpose of a Detox Diet:
"The purpose of detox is to neutralize and eliminate any compound in the body that can be toxic. Detox is a natural process occurring on a continual basis in the body, but because of the modern diet, the enormous number of chemicals we ingest daily, and the increase in chronic degenerative diseases, many people believe that regular detox is necessary. A detox diet strengthens the organs involved in detox and releases stored toxins, expelling them through the organs of elimination: the skin, intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys and lymphatic system. A detox program may consist of a special diet, nutritional supplements, herbs, hydrotherapy, exercise, breathing techniques and/or sauna."
Some people get really crazy about it and graduate themselves up (or down) to a liquid diet supplemented by vitamins. But I didn't go that far, just took a step back from the usual:
Here's something closer to my menu:
(from http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/hlive/eat/articles/0,,181167_608072,00.html)
DAY ONE:
Breakfast: Banana and raspberries smoothie.
Lunch: Garlic mushrooms on rye toast.
Evening: Fresh (or carton) vegetable soup, baked salmon and steamed vegetables.
DAY TWO:
Breakfast: Gluten-free muesli with sheep yogurt and blueberries.
Lunch: Celery, tomato and bean salad.
Evening: Multicolor jacket potato - add carrot, raw beetroot, cabbage, fennel and salad dressing.
DAY THREE:
Breakfast: Tropical smoothie - rice milk, mango and papaya.
Lunch: Three ready-made dips - guacamole, salsa and bean - with crudites.
Evening: Buckwheat pasta with pesto and a handful of sun-dried tomatoes.
Those of you who know me well enough are laughing already...why?... this means:
NO: red meat, cheese, dairy, wheat, caffiene. (that's actually the list of the ONLY things I eat)
YES: water, veggies, fruit, yogurt. (what aisle is that stuff in?! and what is "fennel"?!)
You can see where the criticisms come from - is this detoxifying or just straight up depriving your body of food? I definitely had an extreme drop in energy after the first few days and I still slip in a slice of cheese here and there... and paying attention to your cravings and patterns (my 1pm coca-cola, my 7pm fast food stop between meetings) and countering them does take effort.
A week and a half in now and the energy is coming back, but I don't notice too much of a difference to be honest with ya. Maybe it's because I cheated the diet or didn't go hard-core, but can eating more vegetables and fruit for 2 weeks out of a 1404+ week lifetime (so far!) possibly be a bad thing in the end?
Evaluation of the effects of Dr. Steph's Detox Diet will be posted once the regime has been completed...
posted by Stephanie at 10:35 PM
1 Comments:
Ok, i must say, you're in my territory now. I've done several detox bouts... some are jsut removing meat and caffiene... soem go liquid only... and one was 4 days in the desert drinking only bottled water, bathing in the rain (unepxected monsoon kept me quite damp). The first detox (or first 2 or 3) are the hardest, but if you make it a regular part of your routing (as in one week a month, you detox, or I have a friend who juice fasts all February each year) you will find your system runs cleaner, digests foods better, and generally has more energy. Best of Luck, Lady!!
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