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 Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:14 pm
Okay, I try to eat healthy, organic, natural food. But sometimes I indulge in deep fried and other tasty treats, artificial colors etc. I know I can't just UNDO something like that. But I always wondered about detox programs. I know more about dog nutrition than human nutrition. I know that if I were to feed 100% my own home made food to my dog, I could fast him one to two days a week. This would purge his system of toxins and be great for his health. Well I'm not really into not eating for any extent longer than 4hrs. My metabolism demands I eat constantly. So I want to know what kind of detox programs there are, how they work, and what my diet would have to consist of for how long.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:03 pm
Right now I am having a cup of Yogi Detox Tea. It tastes ok, but I will let you know what happens.
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:45 am
There's no evidence that "detox"ing your body actually works. I think people tend to underestimate the power of their body. As long as you eat healthy and cut that crap out of your diet, your body will purge it on it's own (It's really hard for me to not be sarcastic here, but I'm trying.) . It's okay to splurge every once in a while and eat something that's bad for you as long as you don't make a habit of it.
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:22 am
Vanilla eXee
There's no evidence that "detox"ing your body actually works. I think people tend to underestimate the power of their body. As long as you eat healthy and cut that crap out of your diet, your body will purge it on it's own (It's really hard for me to not be sarcastic here, but I'm trying.) . It's okay to splurge every once in a while and eat something that's bad for you as long as you don't make a habit of it.
Sure the human body is capable of getting purging stuff all on it's own. But I don't think it's 100% effective at it, nor was it ever built to deal with deep fried and synthetic foods. The way I kind of look at it is like working at the pet food store. We rotate the food so that nothing ever gets close to stale before being sold. Old stuff in front, new stuff in back. Your constantly rotating and getting rid of food. And it works well, but sometimes, you have to take everything off the shelf to clean it, and you might actually find a can that got stuck back there. I know that sounds silly in comparison to the human body. In canine nutrition. We look at the "natural" diet of a dog. Sometimes dogs go a day or two without food. This happens to many animals in nature and while it's not exactly voluntary, it gives the liver a day of rest, where it has no protein to break down. And we see dogs actually having dhiarhea or having odd colored feces, even though they haven't eaten anything. This is their body, getting rid of things it never had a chance to because it was too busy digesting the new stuff. I've read a bit on different "cleansing" and "detox" diets. It seems they flush you out, basically just giving you an interesting bowel movement. This is not exactly what I'm looking for, but don't see much harm in trying (okay besides maybe a bit of discomfort) but much to gain. But the most effective appear to be the all water diet (basically fasting) followed by an all juice diet. "When you eat a meal, the blood circulation to the digestive organs increases. The body does this to fight off harmful substances in the food, to absorb nutrients and to fuel the muscles along your entire gastrointestinal tract to keep the food and waste moving along in your body. When the body is not burdened by the tasks associated with digesting and eliminating food, it focuses all the energy it would normally have given to these tasks, to pulling out and flushing toxins from the body. Therefore, fasting helps to flush out toxins." This is definitely not easy. While fruit may have a lot of antioxidants that will help clean you out, it still has sugar and still needs to be broken down by your body. The water diet would take A LOT of will power, and I'm not sure of the best amount of time to stick with either of these. (edit: as it supposedly takes 24hrs for food to completely leave your body. It would seem that 24-48hrs would be appropriate for an all water diet. With a juice diet since your still receiving calories and vitamins, 1-3 days seems to be sufficient) The problem with a strictly water diet, is since it gives your digestive tract a break, it also means your going without any calories. So would have to be done when you're not going to be active. It could also cause your metabolism to slow down, so when you start eating again, your body would not break it down as fast. Which would suck for anyone trying to loose weight or maintain their weight. So it's tricky situation...
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:37 pm
May the fierce be with you. . I grew up in a very stuck up society hidden away behind trees on an island whose name few people can pronounce correctly. On this island, we (my family) were not raised environmentally conscious, but we were always made aware of what we put into (and, occasionally, what came out of) our bodies. My parents were not very ecofriendly, but they were health freaks. We grew all our own food. If it didn't come from our gardens, it came from a select few neighbours who we knew and trusted. My mother is a dietician who works with people interested in a raw diet, and who are highly aware of nutritional necessity vs. desire.
. That said, we used to fast every month. Like you, I have a very fast metabolism. I'm certain you and I will find a lot in common: sleeping a little less than five hours a day no matter how long you try, losing weight by going an entire work day without eating, and having a constant need to move (even if it means just random, jittery shaking). Am I close? Fasting was horrible for me, but my whole family did it, so I had to, also. Did it do anything constructive? I don't know. I still do it, though. LOL Writing this, I realize how strange it is that I do something that irritates the hell out of me, but out of habit, I just keep going for it.
. What we did: Day One. Eat one pound of cherries with seed for breakfast. Make sure you start on a day you can use the restroom frequently. The seeds apparently remove build up from the gastrointestinal tract, and the cherries activate a bowel "flush". If you don't grow your own organic cherries, I strongly recommend the farmer's market. Don't trust the supermarkets unless you have a farmers' trust market like Whole Foods who support local farmers by providing their produce. There's no point in starting a fast with harmful chemicals and pesticides in your system. For the remainder of the day, drink .5L of water every two hours of the work day (four times within eight hours, evenly dispersed). Reduce the amount of water you drink to every four hours.
. Day Two. Drink .5L of water every hour. Make sure you are able to use the restroom regularly. Day two is the easiest. That's it. Oh, and don't try to "hold it" when you need to use the restroom; go immediately. My mother said holding it increases your chance of storing bacteria in your bladder. This, apparently, is also good for people who frequently suffer from internal stone formation. Day Three. Breakfast: have a smoothie with Vitamin C, Niacin (to recirculate the blood), and antioxidants. We had our pick of fruit from our own garden --just find something you like. Please make sure it's organic. Again, there's no point in doing a flush if you're going to reintroduce the same harmful chemicals in the middle of it. Dinner (Lunch in the west, I think): have a smoothie rich in antioxidants and B Vitamins. Protein is not a staple on Day Three. Do not use nuts as a source for smoothies. Supper (Dinner in the west, I think): have a smoothie rich in antioxidants and Vitamin D. Have a glass of water throughout the day, between each smoothie. Try to avoid highly acidic fruits and vegetables on Day Three. It isn't necessary to use the restroom constantly, but make sure you won't have to "hold it" for an extended period of time.
. Day Four. Breakfast: have another delicious smoothie. Only have one glass of water between each meal on Day Four. It's your final day. This time leave the fruit somewhat thicker (for the texture). Day Four was our blueberries, fig, and banana day. Have anything you like. Dinner: have a portabello or similar Vitamin D friendly fungus lightly grilled over a pan-seared bed of kale with organically harvested sea or rock salt. Being on an island, we had plenty of salt available at our farmer's market. Feel free to add pine nuts (or a similarly soft nut high in protein) if you like. Supper: (you knew this was coming) black bean prepared to flavour. Don't use spices other than salt and pepper on Day Four. We pressed black beans with yellow, orange, and red bell peppers (also great in a smoothie with Romaine lettuce, BTW) creating a round compress. Of course we did a whole lot more than that, but it's my favourite. Use any recipe you like. To drink, have a smoothie high in Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Niacin (very important), antioxidants and as many B Vitamins from fruit and vegetable to which you have access; it's okay to add almonds to your smoothie on Day Four. For dessert, enjoy a chilled fruit like watermelon or pineapple with .25L of organic culture yoghurt. The yoghurt is where you'll be getting your relief from the heavy meal you just had after three days of no solids.
. I have OCD, so I eventually turned this into a five day "fast" by adding a second day of water only. I drink .5L of water every hour on Day Two, and every other hour on Day Three. Then filled in the final two days with the remaining fast. This doesn't work for everyone. Some people have challenges eating such heavy meals after fasting. The purpose behind the foods is to get all your vitamins and nutrients back up to where they belong. If you don't want to have a meal, no problem. Adjust it so your system is being regulated however you like. Some people like to use this method and adjust it to include tofu. We never did because tofu wasn't available organically when I was growing up. I heard using Soy Milk is good for the smoothies; we used Coconut Milk grown in our neighbours field. If you're purchasing foods, remember that there is no such thing as an "organically grown" pineapple or coconut; save the extra 4USD added to the cost by not being caught unaware. I don't remember the reason, but even conventionally grown, the fruit is still the same as someone who doesn't use pesticides or chemicals. Handle your business!
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:57 pm
Mister Sissy May the fierce be with you. . I grew up in a very stuck up society hidden away behind trees on an island whose name few people can pronounce correctly. On this island, we (my family) were not raised environmentally conscious, but we were always made aware of what we put into (and, occasionally, what came out of) our bodies. My parents were not very ecofriendly, but they were health freaks. We grew all our own food. If it didn't come from our gardens, it came from a select few neighbours who we knew and trusted. My mother is a dietician who works with people interested in a raw diet, and who are highly aware of nutritional necessity vs. desire.
. That said, we used to fast every month. Like you, I have a very fast metabolism. I'm certain you and I will find a lot in common: sleeping a little less than five hours a day no matter how long you try, losing weight by going an entire work day without eating, and having a constant need to move (even if it means just random, jittery shaking). Am I close? Fasting was horrible for me, but my whole family did it, so I had to, also. Did it do anything constructive? I don't know. I still do it, though. LOL Writing this, I realize how strange it is that I do something that irritates the hell out of me, but out of habit, I just keep going for it... There's no point in starting a fast with harmful chemicals and pesticides in your system. For the remainder of the day, drink .5L of water every two hours of the work day (four times within eight hours, evenly dispersed). Reduce the amount of water you drink to every four hours.
Close, but I need more than 5hrs of sleep! If I have less than 7hrs I feel like crap. If I have less than 7hrs for a few days, I tend to get sick. I do well with 8-9hrs of sleep. 9 in the winter, 8 in the summer. I don't know why...Sun makes people feel energized right? But I do always feel like moving. And I do loose weight if I go a day without eating. When my BF dumped me, I felt really sick and had trouble eating. I ate only soup and water for a full 2 days. I lost 10lbs and kept most of it off even though I eat plenty now, and several times a day. My job is a bike patroller. Basically I'm either biking or sitting in a park eating. When I get home, after 30-50km's of biking, I still have so much energy, I'll work out. What I know about myself in relation to what detox would work well for me: I don't smoke, I rarely drink. I eat as healthy as possible. As I live with my parents still, this can be difficult. The food I buy for myself is all whole wheat and/or organic. And when possible free of added sugar and salt. I don't do drugs, not even prescription or over the counter. I did Weed a few times, and one of those times, I passed a urine test about a week later. I'm not one to commit to one of those detoxes that last more than a week. I know it's silly but it seems very inconvenient to be on some strict diet for more than 3 days. With school and work, and living at home and having 1 meal with the family a day usually, it would cause a lot of issues. Especially with my parents already thinking I'm way to strict with what I eat. I now know I'm mentally and physically capable of going 24hrs without any solid food, but I get very tired and just want to sleep, yet neet to be doing something to keep my mind off it. So if/when I do a real detox I would pick a day where I could lie in bed watching movies all day. I know it would take some preperation. I would want to buy all my food for coming off my fast prior, so I don't eat whatever junk my parents have lying around in my desperate hunger. Today I went 19hrs on just water. But I didn't really do anything special before hand. No smoothie or juice. Just popcorn with butter and cheese powder xp No one in my family was aware that I hadn't eaten all day. I knew If I explained to my mother what I was doing, she would think I was anorexic. So for a late lunch with my mom, I ate two organic peaches, and a bean salad I picked up at the grocery store. When we got home I had 2 homemade orange popsicles (no added sugar just pure orange juice) but then whole wheat crackers (not organic and with added sugar) and cheese. So I know this was a failure, but it was a learning experience. I now know I AM capable of going a whole day without solid food. I also know what kind of preperations I'll have to make for next time. I figure the best way to start it would be to have my last solid meal as an early supper. This way I sleep through most of the hunger period. Then I can lie in bed most of the day drinking water. And I think the popcycles would be a good idea for easying in and out of the fast. Since it feels as if I'm eating solid food even though it's still just juice.
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 4:25 pm
I'm a fan of a simple fast every now and then to clear out my digestive system. I don't drink anything special during that time; just water. I think with an occasional 48 hour-or-so fast the body recovers itself. I've gone a week but a couple of days every month or bi-monthly works for me. It also works in mice. wink
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 6:48 pm
Ellavemia I'm a fan of a simple fast every now and then to clear out my digestive system. I don't drink anything special during that time; just water. I think with an occasional 48 hour-or-so fast the body recovers itself. I've gone a week but a couple of days every month or bi-monthly works for me. It also works in mice. wink I think over 48hrs on just water can get dangerous.
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:22 pm
Crazy Cat Reincarnated Ellavemia I'm a fan of a simple fast every now and then to clear out my digestive system. I don't drink anything special during that time; just water. I think with an occasional 48 hour-or-so fast the body recovers itself. I've gone a week but a couple of days every month or bi-monthly works for me. It also works in mice. wink I think over 48hrs on just water can get dangerous. I'm not recommending it, just saying what I personally do. Everyone should consult with a doctor before beginning any diet or exercise plan. I'll be sure to add the disclaimer from now on.
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:06 am
Ellavemia I'm a fan of a simple fast every now and then to clear out my digestive system. I don't drink anything special during that time; just water. I think with an occasional 48 hour-or-so fast the body recovers itself. I've gone a week but a couple of days every month or bi-monthly works for me. It also works in mice. wink Sounds like intermittant fasting.
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