For the past week I have been doing a Detox. What does this mean? It means that for 8 whole days I haven’t touched caffeine, alcohol, dairy, wheat or grain products, processed food, or sugar of any kind. Combine that with the fact that I don’t eat meat and have a restricted sex life means that I am feeling pretty nun-like at the moment.
Why on earth would I do this? Why would I, a foodie, who lives for coffee, cheese, wine and chocolate torture myself in this way? Precisely because I’ve lived for wine and chocolate all my life, and it had to stop. My liver was screaming out for an alcohol free day. My jeans no longer fit me and my belly button was threatening to disappear under my tummy flab.
Apparently the jury is still out on whether detox’s are even good for you. Most nutritionists would say no, especially if you go on one of those Celebrity detox diets or that one where you just drink lemon juice and maple syrup.
The benefits of a real detox, like the one I’m doing, WEED: to remove the bad bugs, SEED: replace the good bugs, FEED: improve my digestive function, and SEED: increase the effectiveness of my body to remove toxins. What are toxins? They are substances that reside in our body that are poisonous. Toxins are either environmental (external) or endogenous (made in your body).
Others say that not only do toxins not exist, but detoxing it is not proven to have any benefit and depriving your body of nutrients can actually be dangerous. In my case, I don’t feel deprived of nutrients. I’ve never felt healthier in my life. The challenge is coming up with a variety of tasty meals I can actually eat!
The detox has forced me to be aware of the nutrients within each food, and I am now much better ensuring I get enough protein. This was particularly useful because often vegetarians end up just living on carbohydrates (Next time you are at a restaurant, check the veggie option. It is guaranteed to be mushroom risotto).
I’m not doing this detox alone. I’m doing it with the assistance of a medical nutritionist and 25 others who signed up for this purification process. We are a virtual team (we will never meet) but keep in touch with each other’s progress via email. The nutritionist has tried to make it fun by creating a points system and setting us challenges.
My first challenge was to eat a meal blindfolded. Actually harder then you may think! Thankfully I had assistance from my ‘support crew member’ Alex who ensured I spooned the food into my mouth and not onto the floor. The purpose of this challenge was to actually taste each mouthful rather than just eat mindlessly. I was also instructed to stop eating when I felt full as opposed to just eating until there was nothing left my plate. This challenge was fun and educational, although quite messy.
The finish line is in sight!
I have 5 more days of this to go. After which I plan on rewarding myself with a glass of red wine, a coffee, some vegemite toast and some chocolate. But not in that order of course, and only in moderation. The real reward will be confidently whipping out my bikini at the Goldcoast next weekend. Waterslides here I come!
If you want to read more, this is a really good article on dextoxes:
http://www.motherinc.com.au/magazine/everything-for-mum/health-and-fitness/exercisenutrition/299-detox-diets-do-they-work
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