Detox Diet

D

dragon_girl

Member
Hi Cathe and all of you Cathe fans out there.
Have you ever done a detox diet? If so, what did it consist of (fasting or fruit/veggie type), how long did you do it for, did you continue to workout while detoxing, would you recommend it? I'm asking because I'm considering doing a 3-5 day detox diet myself. I spent years binging on large amounts of sugar and overeating in general. Now I've changed my life, lost the extra weight, but still feel some of the residual effects of my olden days. I feel bloated, tired, get headaches and get breakouts. I feel like if I detox, then I can start with a fresh slate. The detox diet I'm considering consists of fresh, raw fruits and veggies supplemented with fresh squeezed juices and herbal cleansing teas. I'd also like to take a break from the gym during the days I'd be detoxing and perhaps get a message and steam in a sauna. Anyway, what do you think? Thanks much!
 
Hey, Dragon Girl!

I like to do a cleanse/detox once or twice a year. Years ago, I tried a water fast (3 days) and had excellent 'cleaning' results, but nowdays I usually use other methods, like certain oxygen-based supplements or doing a relative detox (for example, this summer, I went mostly raw for a period of time).

Here's a 'cut-and-paste" of part of one of my posts from another thread on cleansing and theh 'relative cleanse":

"Another way of cleansing is to do a relative cleanse. Just go a step or two 'cleaner' from your regular diet, and your body will use the opportunity to cleanse (in a not-too-drastic way).

For example, if you are following the standard American diet (high in processed foods and animal products)--then going whole foods vegetarian for a period of time (3 days to a week or more, for example) will help. If you are already vegetarian or vegan, then going raw foods for a period of time will help. If you are a raw fooder, then going fruitarian for a while will help."


Actually, your "bloated, tired, headaches and breakouts" can be signs of your body detoxing from your previous diet. Detoxing will bring on these symptoms as well.

I'd be careful about "cleansing teas" as they can sometimes contain very agressive herbs (like senna).

One cleansing supplement that is useful is whole psyllium husks (not whole psyllium seeds or powdered psyllium), which you can take 1-4 times a day.

If you do a search for "psyllium" using the 'advanced search' function (start by choosing "search" from the menu at the top of the page), in the Open Forum, under "topic and contents" (or "topic and post", something like that!), you can get more info.

And just FYI: one 3-5 day detox won't make up for years of toxifying. If you instead do something like a 1-day raw food detox diet once a week for a period of time, that will help you detox little by little.

Check out www.drfuhrman.com for some more info on detoxing (though he recommends a supervised total water fast for this purpose).

HTH
 
HTH, thanks for your reply and lots of info. The detox I was considering was a relative detox consisting of fresh, raw fruits and veggies; juices made from fresh fruits and veggies, and whole grains. I was thinking about also using the sauna room at my gym to sweat out some of the toxins as well. And maybe a massage too.
 
Sounds good!
If you have access to what is called a "far-infrared" sauna, it is supposed to be one of the only ways to detox from heavy metals (which we are pretty much all exposed to). My acupuncturist is going to put some in his new office, and I'm anxious to try them.

Also, you had mentioned not exercising during the detox. Actually, some exercise would be beneficial. If you have a rebounder, it would be an excellent choice during this time, as it stimulates the lymphatic system, another path of detoxification. Yoga would also be good. Something that works up a light sweat would be good as well (our skin is our largest organ, and a path of detoxification, which is why one symptom of detox is acne...especially for those who don't usually get acne).

A detox bath is another way to help the skin detox. I have some already mixed, but you could do a home-made version. Just put about 1 cup epsom salts, 2 tbsp ground ginger, and 1/4 cup bentonite clay in a warm bath and soak. It should make you sweat a bit. You can then towel off, wrap yourself in a sheet and lie down for a while to continue the sweat, then shower off. I'm not sure about the proportions (more ginger might be needed to get the sweat) because, as I stated, I have the premade version (but the homemade version would be cheaper!).
 
I tried the lemonade master cleanse. I went for about 2 days. Although, I was feeling well on it, I still wanted food. So, I switched to an antifungal diet, which is supposed to kill off toxins in your body and aid in prevention of a number of diseases, including cancer. I am reading a book called The Fungus Link by Doug Coffman. I would check out his website. It is www.knowthecause.com.

I have been going through things I don't like either, fatigue, unable to wake up in the morning, headaches, etc. On the Initial Phase diet (do this for 2 weeks) I have stopped getting headaches, stopped cravings for sugar, and feel awesome. You can't eat sugar, grains, breads, etc. It is kind of like the Atkins diet in a reformed way. It excludes any type of foods that are or might be contaminated with toxins (such as peanuts, corn, certain grains). This diet is great if you have taken a lot of antibiotics as well.

Let me know if you want more info. I strongly suggest reading that book. And, Kathryn, from reading many of your posts, I really think you would love this book, or any book by Doug Coffman!!

Sara
http://www.picturetrail.com/saraburnham1
 
> Kathryn, from reading many of your posts, I
>really think you would love this book, or any book by Doug
>Coffman!!

Thanks, Sara! I'll have to check him out.

Have you ever used any oxygen supplements? They are supposed to be a natural antifungal, antibacterial (kills anaerobic bacteria, which is the bad stuff, but not aerobic bacteria, which is beneficial). I've use oxygen cleanses (OxyPowder, which I found thanks to LauraMax, and some liquid oxygen supplements I put in water). Most times when I do, I get a zit in exactly the same place, which my acupuncturist/Chinese medicine doctor says corresponds to the intestines.
 
RE: Detox Diet - Dr. Fuhrman's Approach to Detox

>Dr. Fuhrman's actual approach to detoxing varies from the
>above explanation.

In rereading my post, it does look like I'm connecting Fuhrman and psyllium, etc. They were actually separate thoughts (I thought of Fuhrman's "Fasting" book towards the end of my post), but I didn't make that clear (and it's too late to edit that post now!).

Sorry if I confused anybody!
 
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