Detox experience Days 1-7

Week 1 done!

If you are uncertain what a functional medicine detox is, please see my previous journal-

https://www.skinhairhealth.com/journal/2020/6/4/21-day-functional-medicine-detox-journey-week-1

In all honestly, I had purchased the full 21- day detox regimen and planned to do 7 days of it. I am now beginning week 2 and am loving the process. I have avoided detoxes at all costs (a 24 hour juice cleanse was the closest I have ventured) out of not fully understanding the process, being afraid to have terribly low blood sugar and to lose more weight than is healthy for my body. With that cleared up-Week 1 was a major learning experience and very beneficial!

Day 0-Memorial Day

I had my first try day of true summer celebrating Memorial Day in years! It reminded me of being home on the East Coast and Summer beginning-my skin felt sun kissed and needing moisture, I had bbq sauce from ribs on my hands, I had played outdoor games and gotten dusty, got to wear a bikini and had watermelon cheek to cheek! It was heaven. I indulged in two beers and a glasss of refreshing white wine that day as well out of principle.

Lessons: Do not do this right before your detox. It will make it much more difficult. Even if eating healthy is not your usual, do your best to make adjustments one week prior to. This is a time to reset.

Day 1-Fasting Day

Easy to follow instructions, plenty of water which is already calculated into the 4 shakes I would be consuming, nothing I had to do-these all point straight to ready to go! I did not feel the effects until lunch of wanting food. I honestly slept so much that it was easy to resist any urges to eat. Fatigue was my major side effect. I honored this and slept on and off most of the day. I spoke to almost no-one.

Lessons: Prepare to clear the day. Detoxes are meant to be done in setting where you are limiting outside stressors. Get the support you need from loved ones and allow yourself time, space and comforts.

Day 2-Fasting Day

I woke up at 4:00 am, could not go back to sleep and hunger immediately set in. It is recommended to have your first shake within an hour of waking and this was just to early to do that; so I kept trying to rest and push back the time. The fatigue was present all day, along with a mild headcache. I made myself a tiny amount of black coffee as it is not wise to also entirely quit coffee as you will experience some withdraw symptoms. I felt the very small amount of coffee comforting, but also the caffeine was too much-it was nice to have the energy boost for a bit! It is TMI yet important to note that due to not eating, bowel movements were non-existent these days. I took the time to go food shopping today and did my best to mentally prep my meals for the week. Your day is completed by timing 3.5 hours in between each shake.

Lessons: Side effects are to be expected and vary from person to person. Mentally clear your plate-it is best not to need a lot of physical or mental energy output. Rest. If bored-start planning your meals as it is all you will think about. Herbal tea in between keep your mind occupied and make it easier to wait for the next shake.

Day 3-First day of food

Waking upon day 3 was the hardest for me. I woke again at 4:00 am feeling famished. I was dizzy upon standing, shaky, and fatigued. I laid in bed and planned out the timing of my day to have shakes/meals 3.5 hours apart to allow for digestion and got up to make a smoothie. I realized my blender broke and had to switch to food processor all while feeling very light and shaky and it was a hot mess. In the end I made and chugged a smoothie with added blueberries and felt relief. *Disclaimer: They suggest that high metabolism types add blueberries to their smoothies and this is extremely important. I had planned to do that beginning day 3 and now knowing better, will do it on the fasting days as well in the future. Lunch-You have never wanted a salad more. Start with something easy as you are potentially working with less energy. Dinner was all fun and games. I spent my free time collecting recipes and cooking dinner. I had a full meal with fish and discovered that tomatoes don’t agree well with me. The beauty already starts to show from this process-you become aware of what causes IgE/IgG reactions in your body, what it has trouble tolerating and are very conscious of what you intake. No coffee today and adding food, I felt much better. Movements were back on track and healthy. Side effects included slow thinking; I had my first interactions with others today and had to engage in heavy discussion-finding words was a bit more challenging than usual. A beneficial side effect was the lightness I felt-I felt less inflamed, less charged, I felt inspired.

Lessons: Do not wait until a fasting day to go shopping or do any thinking. Make it easier on yourself and have your smoothie making device, chosen smoothie container and the food for the week as well as a lunch recipe planned for day 3 all prior to starting-a proper Day 0.

Do not overdo it-if you need coffee have it ( if you feel guilty, try black or green tea as a replacement in between meals), If choosing to exercise this day, keep it light such as walking or qi-gong, add the blueberries if you need to!

You may start experiencing and purging emotions that need to come to the surface. I got to meet my overthinking and perfectionism straight on! Allow this to happen so you can heal.

Days 4-6-Rinse, repeat and explore

The routine that is set for you resets your brain and you can just feel the old habits misfiring trying to undo it. Be gracious with this-it is hard not to snack! You learn how much you may turn to food, how long digestions takes and what it feels like to eat mindfully. Having had no food and absorbed many micronutrients turns out to be a better feeling than being full on macros (which sounds a lot like Mac-&-cheese). Back on topic-I truly have not struggled with food-I love eating healthy, light and slow, but in recent years I have slightly joined the sugar craving, dessert party, pasta till I am dead scene and although I don’t indulge too often, it was not serving me. (Post detox-These foods do not need to be eliminated for most but a healthy system and 90/10 healthy/indulgence ratio sets the scene much better for pasta dessert parties). To become aware of what my body needed, how to make vegetable dishes that I enjoyed AND would feed others made me feel proud. I cheated on day 5 by eating a half of peanut butter cup and I felt it, I felt the coffee. It was truly empowering to feel everything I consumed and the effect it had on me. The grips were loosening and I could make decisions better for myself without caffeine addiction or low blood sugar speaking. The brain fog subsided by day 6 for me, joint pain I had been experiencing subsided, my digestion felt amazing, I felt happier, I felt free. By day 6 I knew I had to continue and will be moving on to Week 2.

Lessons: Collect recipes from the online sources, me and friends. It is hard to compile a veggie dish with only two types of vegetables but is a fun challenge to meet.

Don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t follow exact and you fuss up. You are still benefiting your body and mind.

Be present-take time to journal or share what you have discovered about yourself with absolutely no judgements.

Day 7-Final Day of Week 1

I made it through the intended amount of time and I cannot wait to gain more benefits by going further. Week 1 for me was working out the kinks-within the system and myself. Day 7, I went on a hike-the most exercise I had done all week. I had no trouble and had the energy-I did make a few “fuss-ups” to share:

I had made Chicken soup with a whole chicken, celery, carrots and herbs. It was delicious, but animal fats are harder to digest and not recommended. Not a huge faux pas-but off track for best results. A great way to cook chicken, but save the broth for use after the detox.

On my hike, my sweetie brought us snacks! Snacks are not allowed as you have not digested the previous food and are adding to it. We had blueberries and cucumber with hummus and I indulged. I did notice a change in how my stomach felt-it felt slightly bloated. Again, not a huge faux pas, but it makes you realize the effects of snacking and your daily consumption.

Looking forward to week 2 of my body cleansing itself, feeling more relaxed in spirit and mind, having crafted better habits and feeling empowered in my temple.

Onward!

With Love,

Karena