It was nothing official, just a self-designed 3 day thing. I read lots of websites and gathered information from them about what types of food I should eat, as well as exercising and other details. Especially informative was all the tabs on this website.
The parameters I set out for myself included no caffeine, no refined sugar, no salt, no wheat, no soy (not that it is bad for you, but I consume a whole lot of it and wanted to give my body a break), and no processed foods. Mostly, I planned to eat lots of whole, raw fruits and veggies. I also aimed to drink at least 2 litres of water per day. And, I would avoid uni, and thus the internet, and get caught up on some back work I had to do.
The first day was easy. The second wasn't too bad either. I ate lots of mango, fresh pomegranate, bananas, and oranges. For dinner I had garlic soup full of fresh tomato, carrot and eggplant; or miso soup with wakame. I went for a few walks, and did some pilates and other stretching exercises.
To add some variety in textures, I made some mango banana sorbet. Basically, I peeled and chopped one banana and two mangos, then squished it all up with my hands and froze it. Very easy.
I also made this banana sesame pudding, aka a banana mashed with some tahini, maple syrup, and sesame seeds. Sure, it looks like mushy baby food, but it tasted good.
By the third day, I was really craving some starchy food. All I wanted was a piece of toast. But, that would be cheating, so I had to find another way to satisfy that urge. Almonds and dried fruit didn't do it for me, but plain organic popcorn made a fair effort.
For my last detox dinner, I had plain brown rice with lentil capsicum salad. It was okay, but really, I just wanted some salt on it.
Everything I've read and heard about detoxing has implied a horrible few days, full of 'healing crises' and headaches. That didn't happen to me. I don't even feel particularly better--though I didn't feel bad in the first place. I think next time I'll do it for longer, or do something a bit more drastic--all juice or something. I did find that I drank 3 litres of water a day, plus tea. Maybe that's because it was 36 degrees out. All told, I don't really see what the hype is with detoxing, but I'll give it another go in the future.
9 comments:
cool, that sounds like an interesting few days... I like the whole idea of detoxing but never get around to it. Good call on cutting out school and internet, too. I think you've inspired me to keep something like this in mind for myself, at least when the produce gets better!
i've never done a full on detox. i'm curious though. thanks for sharing.
Jared and I thought about doing a juice fast for a weekend. i think i could handle that.
sounds like you detoxed in the most delicious way possible - I've been eating 75%-80% raw (not a detox, but still a more pure way to eat) for the past few weeks, and I feel tremendously healthier - even my Crohn's Disease symptoms have reduced dramatically!!
I've been reading a book, written by a more ethical doctor, called 'Toxic Relief'. He talks about all the toxins in our air, furniture, buildings, cars, food, lotions, perfumes, etc... He said the best way to clean out your blood and your liver is to eat raw foods for two weeks, mainly leafy greens, fruit, veggies and nuts. Then for 2-3 days, you go on a pure juice fast. It requires drinking organic fruit juice made by a juice mixer as well as pureed organic veggies that are cooked but not boiled and warm herbal tea.
Supposedly the first time people feel faint, headachey, dizzy, pimply, etc... But this is just the toxins being released from your body. He suggests that the days of fasting you do nothing by relax or go for strolls at most. Then, as the weeks afterwards go by, you will feel thinner (if one is overweight to begin with), stronger, more energized, etc...
I plan on trying this in a few months when I have time to focus on it. I'll let you know how it goes!
Oh my gosh, how did Nacho get into that position???!!!
That's maybe because you do not have much to detox from as a vegan :D Only living too long on "vegan booze" or "vegan sugar bombs" may require frequent detoxing... I do this only after too excessive sugar intake and facing mountains of work to be done, so I have to be superfit *sigh*
Paul and I did a detox a few years ago for about three months. The first few days we only ate vegetables (because fruit is so high in sugar). Then we added barley and pulses for the rest of the week. Then we added other grains (except for wheat and white rice - although we did eat sprouted wheat) and finally a tiny bit of fruit in the second month.
The first few days were a little hard (because I was craving something more solid than vegetables), and the first month was a little tricky when we went out etc. But I felt fantastic by the end of it.
Now I just wish that I had the same level of willpower. I cannot imagine doing it at the moment, but I am sure that I would feel great if I did.
mmm Maybe I had better wait until I am no longer breastfeeding though. I don't think that it would be all that good for Lily...
Detox/fasting is an interest of mine. I recommend the book "Fasting and Eating for Health" by Joel Fuhrman. It's a little hard to find but it's very informative. Also good is "The Pleasure Trap" by Lisle and Goldhamer.
detox? what detox? I'm too busy staring at your kitty!
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