As many of you know, I've been struggling my way through a voluntary detox for the past ten days. And I must say it's been an eye opener. It's not a drug or alcohol detox or anything like that. It's just a general toxin detox and organ flush to get rid of all the nasty stuff we eat and expose ourselves to every day. My three roommates and I were turned on to the idea by one of our coworkers who is into all kinds of alternative health practices.
Now I considered myself to be a healthy person. Above average in many areas and excellent in others. And I was raised in a relatively alternative family. My parents are chiropractors, I never had any vaccinations growing up, never went the the medical doctor, never took antibiotics or painkillers, always suffered through colds and sicknesses with vitamins, was raised on unpasteurized milk, etc. You get the idea. Living on my own I've tried to continue all of these healthy practices.I moved in with three other girls last fall and we shop at whole foods and Trader Joe's always buying organic veggies and free range chicken and beef with no antibiotics. All that stuff. We only drink bottled or filtered water, most of us take vitamins every day, and we all go the gym all the time. So Steph gets this detox idea from her coworker. And we all jump on the bandwagon.
It goes something like this...
Morning Supplements: Vitamin C in water, non-toxic clay, psyllium husk, probiotic, and liver cleansing herbs.
Breakfast: Rice protein shake with fruit, flax seeds, and borage oil
Lunch: Rice Protein shake and 1/2 cup brown rice
Dinner: Steamed veggies and fish and beans*Veggie Broth can be consumed anytime and you can have up to 4 rice protein shakes a day.
Evening Supplements: same as morningSo, you pretty much eat veggies, rice protein, fish and broth.
There are a couple other things allowed but that's about it. No salt, tomatoes, corn, peppers, animal protein, soy, dairy, and a huges list of other stuff. It's surprisingly filling although a bit unsatisfying and boring. And there's lots of yoga and sauna time and hot and cold showers.
So I thought I'd breeze right through this with little or no trouble. But I've been experiencing all these crazy symptoms. All normal, but so shocking to me. I thought I was so healthy! And it's made me think... a lot.
You see those organic cafe's and restaurants and stores. And they have all kinds of crazy food. And you just think they are there for people who are just crazy. Or love animals too much to eat meat. Or just want to be weird. But these people are aware of how to eat and be good to their body. And they have all of these positive affects from this effort and awareness. It makes me feel so naive! And I was even raised "organically," I should understand this lifestyle more than most. I guess it's just another education. That's what life is supposed to be all about really. Live and learn. I'm not sure yet what my life will be like post-detox, but I hope to find a good balance of healthy food, and exercise, and positive thinking. I sound like a hippie. But you really don't need to be a hippie to be healthy. It's something everyone should get a chance to experience. But it's scary. Not easily undertaken. And definitely work to stick with. I wish I had done it sooner!
