Seduced by the produce section: Winter Detox Day 1

Detoxing is such a great method to feel better, increase one’s energy level, feeling more clear minded and alert as well as giving one’s liver and kidneys a break just to mention a few. There are so many more benefits from detoxing that I’ll address that separately in a different post. There are several different detox plans and programs available that getting started can feel overwhelming in deciding which one to try. Personally, I found one a few years back by Dr. Elson Haas that works well for me. He has published a comprehensive book on detoxing called The New Detox Diet explaining why and who should detox, benefits, various types of detox methods and lots of recipes.

Having put my detox off for a long time, celebrating Christmas with my family, being sick with the flu for a couple of weeks after Christmas and then celebrating my birthday, I had almost built up starting my detox to this climactic moment both looking forward to it as well as dreading it. Looking forward to it because I know what it does for me every time I’ve done it in the past. Dreading it because of everything that I need to give up, caffeine for example and with the strict discipline one has to follow the meal plans and the meal times. However, one of the main things I truly love about a detox is the preparation. There is nothing like entering the grocery store, walking through the aisles to the produce section to purchase the fruits and vegetables needed for the next few days. This gives me an opportunity every time to try something new. Smelling the fruits and veggies and touching them choosing the ones that are ripe and not beat up is like going on a date in a way. I watch, smell, feel and decide if I like what I see and feel. Shopping in the produce section can actually be almost sensual with all the different colors, surfaces, textures and smells. In all honesty, I enjoy going grocery shopping at the health food store more than going to the mall shopping for clothes.

Day 1.
Unfortunately, the water in my building will be shut down for the entire day on the first day of my detox. The effort of doing anything without water is quite a challenge. I know that because a long time ago I lived without running water for almost six months and although I’m grateful for the experience I would gladly avoid going through that experience again. Luckily I could use my sister’s place for the day and headed over there as soon as I possible that morning. Incorporating a diet that calls for lots of water and bathroom visits when there is no water available is a less dignifying experience. Thus, the beginning of my first detox day started a little half off where I wasn’t able to successfully complete all of the suggested breakfast components.

In the past, day 1 has been the most difficult for me when juicing because I’m constantly hungry throughout the entire day and evening. Going to bed with a growling stomach is no fun and I feel like a kid cheated of his ice cream special. This time, doing a different detox plan where I’m allowed to eat, although only steamed vegetables for lunch and dinner, I felt quite satisfied physically. My biggest obstacle is late in the evening. As I get a second wind of energy, I get hungry and am ready to eat my second dinner around 10pm. All the health experts tell us why we shouldn’t eat late at night and it’s not just related to the gaining weight issue, which is not one of my concerns anyway. But being on this detox plan, the dinner consists of steamed vegetables and can be consumed between 5-6pm. After that one is only allowed to drink water and herbal tea. Late evenings are when I almost start hallucinating out of hunger, not in the mornings or late afternoons. A glass of hot herbal tea is of no comfort at this time of hunger, not even hunger but starvation!

As I went to bed on day 1, I felt pretty good though and not too hungry but my mind definitely spent a lot of time thinking about food. It’s interesting what happens mentally when I “think” I’m not going to get enough food to nourish myself. I have that fear of not getting enough, just like so many others I have talked to and worked with both as a Personal Trainer or consulting in my business. In fact, my mind is quite separate from my body in this matter because my body doesn’t need more than what I get in this detox plan to sustain itself, yet my mind tells me that it’s not going to be enough and therefore begins to obsess about food. Paradoxically, it also becomes a creative time for me when my mind plays around making up all these new recipes, for example. That’s where the greatest discipline and commitment takes place. To overcome my mind and not give in but wait it out and see what happens. Since I’ve detoxed before I know very well that the mind subsides after a few days and quiets down to a different kind of peace and clarity compared to my state of mind before the detox. Thus, after drinking my herbal tea I go to bed on day 1 actually feeling pretty good and looking forward to put that first day behind me.