| My New Friend Detox |
After researching, I knew I couldn't get the information I wanted or have completely honest results unless I went all in.
One of the things that kept popping out to me was that, besides food, we collect a lot of toxins from everywhere. Some that you might think of are Alcohol, coffee and cigarettes. Some that I look back at and say duh, but really didn't think of are chemical based household cleaners, shampoo, conditioners, toothpaste, cleansers, and deodorants. That meant in order to fully detox I had to get rid of those things. That doesn't mean don't use them, it just means find some natural alternatives. For the deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo and body soap I chose a company called Tom's of Maine (here's a link if you want to try it http://www.tomsofmaine.com/home) and I am pleased so far. I've stopped drinking since the new year and don't get down with coffee or cigarettes. However, for the sake of full disclosure, I do still use the Lysol wipes at work to wipe off the equipment and mats. Can't quite stop that one.
All right, to the important part, the food. Like I said before, I wasn't a big fan of any of the preset recipes and diets I had encountered. Luckily, I ran across a list of some detoxifying food that you can fit into any diet:
Hot water with lemon, Dandelion root tea, Cranberry juice and water, Ground flax and chia seeds, Unsweetened yogurt, Raw sauerkraut, Whey protein, Artichokes, Beets, Celery, Asparagus, Leafy greens, Daikon radishes, Onions, Garlic, Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage), Broccoli sprouts
There are many more than this but it was plenty to get me started. I also made the decision to add another facet to the diet. I didn't want to consume anything that might be difficult or at least more difficult for my body to break down. That meant eliminating things like dairy, meats, anything processed, and anything with refined sugars or saturated fats.
I then took off to the grocery store with a list of foods I liked that fit the bill and tried to stay near the things that say "organic." Some of you immediately thought organic = expensive, when you read that last sentence. I don't blame you and if you just looked at the total I spent you would say I told you so. But (given the hindsight of writing this a few days later) I actually spent about $130 on what will most likely turn out to be about a month's worth of food. I don't know about you but that is actually cheaper than my monthly food expenses. Especially if you take into account the fact that I am not eating out at all and this is covering me for 6 solid meals a day.
What I came home from the grocery store with was the realization that I didn't have a plan for what to do with this food. I figured this should be easy, just throw some veggies in a blender, add some protein powder, and bam its done. Kind of, but not really. That could work, for most people it probably would work. We have to remember that I am not just trying to detox, I am trying to do it in a way that won't diminish my energy levels or have any other unwanted side effects (see previous Detox Blog).
It might be too late, but for the sake of brevity this is what I threw together on Day 1 -
Natural Whey Protein - 5 Scoops
Carrots - 5 whole carrots
Baby Spinach - 5 cups
Asparagus - 15 spears
Chocolate Flavored Almond Milk - 24 ounces
I threw it in the blender, split it into 3 servings and went about my business. This did not go well. It did not accomplish any of the goals that I set out toward at the beginning of this adventure. The taste left something to be desired, I only consumed 1281 calories of my 2000 calorie goal, and I felt a little tired and pretty hungry at the end of the day. I knew immediately that is was not Detox's fault. The fault was mine and the next day I was going to do much better than the first (or was I?).
| Enjoying my Chocolate Mistake (not really me) |
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