Monday Health & Wellness: How Our Detox Diet is Going

We embarked on a detox diet starting about 10 days ago (Fri, May 23).  We’re still in it, but I have made some adjustments based on how it was going.

I shared this a little bit on my Facebook page, and was met with a number of different reactions:

• “Oh that’s interesting!”
• “I’ve had the same experience.”
• “No, it’s just normal detox, you need to push through.”
• “If you would just {eat more fat, give it time, skip the meat, etc.} then you would feel so much better.”

This was really interesting.  The reactions clearly came from people who had found what worked for them.  If it matched what I had found, they accepted it.  If not, then they tried to suggest that I ought to try something different so that my experience would match theirs.  I just love psychology, honestly.

Anyway, that’s not really the point of this post.  I just wanted to point that out, because a bunch of you are going to have similar reactions when you read what I have to say.  But let’s dive into what actually happened anyway.

How My Detox Diet is Going

The details of the diet we’re on and what are goals are is here.  And you can get access to our two-week meal plan for FREE when you sign up for premium access at Tradishen (we offer a two-week free trial, so it’s really free).

The first few days were easy.  I felt a little “off” but generally good.  Not too hungry, tired, or anything else.  Some days I even felt really good.  I figured out pretty quickly that I needed more carbs.

One day (I think day 2?) I had a big omelet with bacon, cheddar, mushrooms, and tomatoes.  I kept craving fruit and not feeling well, until I made myself a smoothie.  Then I was okay.  On days where I had a smoothie (using yogurt, organic berries, and hemp oil) I felt really good.  Eating potatoes with lots of milk, butter, and/or cheese helped as well.  I felt basically normal — strong, healthy, not tired.

When my protein consumption went up, I felt dizzy and tired, and had more brain fog.  Eating complex carbs helped to change this, giving me more energy, allowing me to get better quality sleep, and think more clearly.

After a couple of days of not eating quite enough, and having quite a lot of protein and fat and few carbs, I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t think, and just generally felt not very good at all.  I decided that this was crazy, and I got a sprouted bagel to eat.  Some brain fog cleared, my energy level rose, and I finally got a good night’s sleep (after three nights of crappy sleep).  That was the only time I’ve really had grains, I’m still mostly grain-free, and still sugar-free.

I’ve done enough detoxes to know what is “detox” and what is “this isn’t good.”  I know that a lot of these issues were in the latter category.  I have found I can eat grain-free if I do not eat low carb (bad — lots of brain fog, sleepiness, no energy) but I have to be really careful to get enough of the non-grain carb foods, like potatoes, beans, fruit, etc.  I’ve always felt I needed a “balanced” diet and this pretty much confirms it.

Interestingly, the one thing that helps me detox the most, and that has clearly been the most beneficial this time around, is oil pulling.  I’ve been doing it most mornings with coconut oil, for about 10 minutes.  Immediately after I finish, my throat hurts and my sinuses sometimes hurt.  I’ve thought for awhile that I have a low-grade, chronic infection in my sinuses and/or lymph nodes and the oil pulling seems to be bringing it out.  Hopefully in a couple more weeks it’ll be gone.  I also added turmeric pills to help with that.

At the end of the week, I will be transitioning to eating limited brown rice and whole wheat (homemade) sourdough bread again.  This is better for me.  I’ve had adrenal issues and cortisol issues in the past and often low-carb/grain-free is not a good solution for someone with those problems.  I think sticking with a very balanced diet, very clean, plus oil pulling and regular detox baths is my best bet.  I will also be staying mostly sugar-free for quite awhile as well — I definitely feel much better of any sugar and refined grains!

My Husband’s Experience with the Detox Diet

Ben’s experience with the detox diet has been entirely different.

He considers grain-free a major plus.  He had gained some weight recently, despite going to the gym 4 – 5x a week.  As soon as he went grain-free, his weight began to drop rapidly.  So far, he’s down about 10 pounds.

Additionally, he’s had a yeast rash on his foot for years, which has bothered him on and off (very itchy).  Since going grain-free it’s healed mostly and doesn’t itch anymore.  His mood is (mostly) better, he feels less stressed often times.  

His yeast rash in other areas is flaring, which we have been treating with bentonite clay (that’s really good stuff and we’re never without it!).  Mental focus is sometimes better and sometimes worse, but is definitely better when he keeps up with regular detox baths.

Ben will stay grain-free and sugar-free for quite awhile yet.  I’m not sure how long at this point.  This is definitely the right path for him, though.

Individual Needs, Individual Diets

It’s true — we’re all individuals, with different needs.  We truly are!

I just do not do well low-carb.  It’s not detox, it’s not something I need to push through.  I know what that feels like.  When I encounter something that is clearly promoting detox and I know will make me stronger on the other side, I push through.  When I come across something that I feel is wrong, then I step back from it.

My goal is to make sure that everyone in my family is eating what makes them feel strong.  Especially in the summer, when we have the option of so many fresh, local foods, I want to choose high-quality items and keep the junk food out as much as possible.  (We can still have treats — we got crazy expensive organic strawberries with homemade, grass-fed, unsweetened whipped cream for “dessert” on Memorial Day!  And everyone was happy.)

This is where we need to be.  The kids are all growing rapidly and their brains are developing, so we need to supply them with great food most of the time.  My husband has health issues going way back and realistically, his detox pathways are messed up and he’ll always have to be more careful than others might.  But, we’re finding what makes him feel strong and doing it.  And me?  Honestly, I’m preparing for a future pregnancy…down the road.  My youngest is nearly 15 months now and I’m starting to go “Awww…look at the baby!”  And if you’ve been around any length of time, you know we want a big family.  We have four right now, which is “big-ish.”  It’s important to me not to wreck my own health in the process or have unhealthy babies because I am depleted, plus I want to feel as strong as possible during pregnancy since my current children need me!

I encourage all of you out there to find out what makes you feel strong, and eat that.  Is it raw foods?  Vegetarian/vegan?  Paleo?  Omnivorous?  Whatever it is…eat that.  Learn your own body, because we are all truly different.

What Next

In a couple weeks I’ll update you on what this actually looks like.  That is, how we are managing to balance everyone’s different needs, plus these needs in a public setting.  (We are with friends 1 – 2 times per week, and while they mostly eat real food, it doesn’t always look the same as how our family eats.)  I’ll offer some practical tips on how to make it work, without a ton of work, without making a big deal out of it, and without offending others.  It is possible!!

That’s where we are.

Are you doing a detox diet, too, or do you want to?  If so, how is it going?