Cleanses and Detoxes

[Team J and B 2]

Another poster was asking about the detox I did a couple of months ago so I will answer some questions here.

Some physical/health background on me:

I currently work out 5 days a week, a combination of cardio, free weights, and yoga. For a while I was also kickboxing. I have around 18% body fat. I've been working out on and off since 2004. Only the last year have I been very rigid in my work out routines, thanks to the long K1 wait! I mentioned in a post from a few months ago that instead of bitc4ing, we beneficiaries should all do something for ourselves during this waiting period. I took to the gym religiously. I even had to cancel dinner dates with friends because I felt it crucial to stick to a routine. I am easily distracted so when something can capture my attention, I use that to my greatest advantage.

I don't eat meat, but I eat seafood. I eat seafood 2-3 times a week. I try to buy organic and local as much as possible. I love Doritos, vanilla soft serve, and Bloody Marys. I eat fast food once a month. I smoked for 10 years and quit in 2006.

Anyhoo, so in February, my friend's boss had just finished the Master Cleanse so my friend wanted to try it. I didn't want to go that extreme on my first cleanse/detox so I did the Recleanse.com. Mine was for seven days and she did her MC for 10 days.

On the Recleanse, your diet is limited to how your food is cooked (steamed or boiled) and how much you can have per serving. However, YOU CAN EAT! You can't eat on the Master Cleanse! I learned so much about what I put in my body and how in this day and age so many of us eat for the sake of eating. Basically we live to eat, when it should be more like eating to live. Because you really limit how much fat you ingest, the difference was so noticeable after seven days. Of course, I gained all the pounds back, but I walked away from the detox with a better understanding of what I'm putting into my body and the kind of havoc it can cause my system.

I'm short, thin, and lean muscles. But after one week of detox, I had actually lost five pounds. Losing one pound a week is normal if you're on a diet. I don't recommend doing a cleanse/detox to lose weight. But it sure is a good way to clean out your system and give it a rest from working hard to break down your McD's or processed foods diet.

I'd love to answer any questions you have about detoxing, fitness, health, etc. Just remember, everything in moderation and treat your body well because once you get sick you can never get it back to what it used to be.

And always ALWAYS challenge your body. I read some of you are on diets and want to lose weight. Way to go, do something for yourself. It's worth everything in the world.

[boo boo 1]

Wow, you are very very inspirational...thank you for sharing this info, I am definitely going to check into the detox. In the past few years...I lost the zeal to work out, but I have recently joined the gym w/ my 12 yr old son....and I am trying to help him understand that we have neglected our body and for health reasons...we are now on a mission to get into shape and watch what we eat, thanks again for the info!!!!!

[SpiritAlight 1]

I too brought this up in Off Topic here in the Canada forum.

I have friends from back in the PNW (or rather the CSW) that are firm believers and do this all the time.

Some with wheat grass and other interesting herbs, etc. and some with the lemon/cayenne/maple syrup in water drink for days on end.

The idea is NOT for weight loss.

It is about cleansing out toxins ingested from our unhealthy food availability and intake.

I have yet to gather the discipline to do it....although I did by all the organic ingredients.

Diets and cleanses and all of it are more that just what you are ingesting.

It is done on many levels: physical, emotional and spiritual.

It's lifestyle choices.

Results will not happen and not "stick" if one is not congruent.

You know what I mean, jelly beans??

[Krikit 1,165]

Thanks so much for this thread, J! Can you tell me what kind of impact the cleanse had on your lifestyle and your body? I'm thinking things like not wandering too far from "the bowl" ; dizzyness; nausea... any of that stuff, or is business as usual?

[MissStacey 1]

There was a detox I used to get back in Alberta called the Wild Rose Cleanse. It was a 12 day detox. There are several pills to take (one being a laxative so you need to have easy access to a bathroom) What I liked about it was you could eat as much as you wanted- they had a list of foods you could eat and what to avoid. You had to eat 80% of your foods from the one list (brown rice, almonds, etc) and 20% from the other list. And lots of fish was recommended. You avoid sugar, yeast, alcohol, and dairy- although real butter was allowed so I enjoyed lots of popcorn with real butter.

The first few days are hardest- I felt a little sluggish and gross, but after that I felt amazing.

I did drop weight on it- I would usually drop about 15 pounds even though I was eating lots.

I have looked into cleanses here in the US- but have yet to find anything similar. I do have one I just bought at Whole Foods and have been lazy about taking all the pills- I will get back on track with it today though. But this one is another one that they allow you to eat- they want you to to make healthier choices but it isn't as defined as the Wild Rose cleanse.

If any of you are in Canada wanting to do the Wild Rose- I am sure it is available throughout Canada. I am even debating on asking my mom to grab me one before she comes down in May.

http://www.wrc.net/store/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=400

Edited April 3, 2008 by MissStacey

[Krikit 1,165]

Oh cool. Thank you. I will pick some up the next time I'm home.

[DeadPoolX 9]

It's not surprising you'd lose weight on any sort of "detox" or "cleanse." Essentially, you'd be eliminating excess waste from your body and believe it or not, water and fecal matter can cause a great a deal of bloat, while adding to your overall weight.

I don't believe that any of these detox or cleansing programs will really do whole a lot. At most, they'll act as non-medicinal diuretics and laxatives. That's not an all together bad thing, but it can cause some potential problems too. For instance, if you're on prescription medication that needs to be absorbed through your digestive tract and you're suffering from a form of diarrhea, that medication may not get probably utilized. In some cases, this might not be too important, but if the medication is something to prevent epileptic seizures or pregnancy (as an example), you'll want to make sure your medicine is working properly.

The whole "removing toxins from your body" idea seems a little flaky to me, but that's why I've chosen not to do it; if someone else elects to try it, then that's their choice. More than anything, I believe any positive effects gained from this process would be psychosomatic.

[Team J and B 2]

The one I did is called ReCleanse.com. It comes with a bottle of AM pills and PM pills. Those are the detox pills. To be honest, I didn't feel my body went through any metamorphic changes, but they're herbal pills and I read the ingredients, they were just some very gentle herbs in small doses. Even if the herbal pills didn't do jack, I loved the food list.

As I was telling Krikit in the "What's For Dinner" thread, I am a quinoa convert. My staple of choice was white rice. But now it's quinoa (when I cook at home). The food list is really a list of fruits and vegies, and at first they look bland and tasteless. But after a couple of days I really got used to it. And two months later, I'm still incorporating the same foods and methods of cooking into my daily diet, minus the detox pills.

Some very important food ideals I've walked away with:

1) you can't go wrong with local and organic

2) at least 3 servings of fruit a day

3) raw diet is good for you. I'm loving the raw diet

4) a small baked sweet potato a day does wonders for you

5) bananas are my new best friends

6) black coffee is actually not bad if you buy organic

And when people say you reach enlightenment on a cleanse/detox, it's true. You become so much more aware of what you put into your body, and also how you treat your body and your corner of the world. Now I see why yoga and a healthful living, lifestyle, eating, and thinking go hand in hand. I've stopped using plastic bags completely; I have not purchased anything I can't consume in the last two months; I buy only fresh foods and stay away from packaged stuff; I've cut out as much dairy and gluten/wheat as possible; white is not right - if I want pasta or breads, it's whole grains.

Last month I started a 30 day detox, but there's no specific food plan to follow. I just wanted to try and see if the herbal pills actually do anything.

Now I sound like I'm preaching and I'm talking a bunch of zen, higher being bu11sh1t, so I'll stop here. Don't wanna sound like I'm working for any of these cleanse/detox companies.

Edited April 3, 2008 by Team J and B

[SpiritAlight 1]

Hello DeadPoolX,

Toxins come in many forms.

There really is nothing "flaky" about them.

For example(s):

Precious water that we drink has pharmaceuticals (chemicals and hormones) in it as well as unspeakable things sprayed on crops to yield maximum fruit/veggies to sell.

There are traces of birth control as well as millions of other elements we are NOT choosing to ingest, but there it is.

Any food that is not grown or tended by your very hands will probably have hormones or steroids and/or a Monsanto cocktail (if it is not already genetically implanted into the seed).

Air we breathe...well, I don't think I need to explain this one. Hee, hee.

Yes, it isn't a laughing matter....laughter just helps.

I just googled "toxins" and got a zillion things.

This looks interesting:

http://curezone.com/diseases/toxins/

If you go to YouTube and search: toxins, nutrition, food, GMO, GMF, etc etc, there is so much information.

You can glean enough to write an encyclopedia.

I especially got interested when I had to design a poster for a company about toxins and their effects on our bodies.

I learnt to draw the entire digestive system (again...this is not my old biology class however), and saw where "toxins" get stuck.

Needless to say: bleh!

Oh what the H, if you are really interested in knowing what you eat and how the agriculture works globally, seek out Monsanto on YouTube as well.

There are so many 7-14 part series to get into. Ha!

There are two wonder-full (disgusting) story to research:

Vandana Shiva and seed patents, and Percy Schmeiser, a Canadian farmer who is still in battle with Monsanto. Guess what? He is innocent and he is right. does it matter to a large demonic corporation?

Hey and don't get me started on companies like McDonald's etc and their impact on the planet's agriculture.

Ahem...

Oh, I may be digressing.

I am the queen of distraction.

This is not a rant, and I hope no one took it as such.

I just know that once you turn this light on, you cannot turn it back off.

A quest for truth is challenging, and not impossible.

And choosing to eat as well as possible is an individual choice that affects the entire planet.

We vote with our dollars.

Have fun!

[Krikit 1,165]

I agree that your body feels the effects of the things that you consume or inhale. You have only to consider addictions and allergies to realize that. I know when I have consumed certain chemicals in foods because I have a severe allergic reaction to them, so I am very careful about reading ingredient lists and purchasing fresh organic products where I can. I can definitely feel a difference in how my body feels by the types of foods that I eat. Without trying to sound like a new-ager living on a commune.... right now I feel like all the cells in my body are clogged with #######, and I'd really like to get rid of the clutter. If de-toxing/cleansing can do that for me, then I'm all for it.

[DeadPoolX 9]

SpiritAlight,

I'm sure you knew what I meant when I referred to toxins; if you didn't, then I'll explain. More often than not, when someone speaks of "removing their bodily toxins" with detox formulas or cleanses, they seem to believe that some sort of "hocus-pocus witch doctor-created snake oil cures" will suddenly solve all of their problems. I've even heard such claims that after a thorough detox, a diabetic would no longer need their insulin any longer (among other ridiculous proclamations).

Yes, of course I realize there are toxic chemicals in the ground and water, and depending on the source, various edible products as well. As for pharmaceuticals, those are often -- but not always -- beneficial, since they've been designed to help us. Contrary to popular opinion, just because something is "natural," that doesn't mean it's safe. In fact, there are thousands of items in nature that are are lethal to us.

Even if you look to the whole "natural is always good" ideal, you must know that many medications are derived from natural substances. Most have been processed and altered, of course, but that's merely a safety precaution. When developing drugs, it's in the best interest of the patient that medication be designed with humans in mind. Furthermore, it's sometimes a good idea to have medication do more than one job, so the patient has fewer pills to take and therefore, a smaller chance of forgetting to take their medication.

Edited April 3, 2008 by DeadPoolX

[SpiritAlight 1]

SpiritAlight,

I'm sure you knew what I meant when I referred to toxins; if you didn't, then I'll explain. More often than not, when someone speaks of "removing their bodily toxins" with detox formulas or cleanses, they seem to believe that some sort of "hocus-pocus witch doctor-created snake oil cures" will suddenly solve all of their problems. I've even heard such claims that after a thorough detox, a diabetic would no longer need their insulin any longer (among other ridiculous proclamations).

Yes, of course I realize there are toxic chemicals in the ground and water, and depending on the source, various edible products as well. As for pharmaceuticals, those are often -- but not always -- beneficial, since they've been designed to help us. Contrary to popular opinion, just because something is "natural," that doesn't mean it's safe. In fact, there are thousands of items in nature that are are lethal to us.

Even if you look to the whole "natural is always good" ideal, you must know that many medications are derived from natural substances. Most have been processed and altered, of course, but that's merely a safety precaution. When developing drugs, it's in the best interest of the patient that medication be designed with humans in mind. Furthermore, it's sometimes a good idea to have medication do more than one job, so the patient has fewer pills to take and therefore, a smaller chance of forgetting to take their medication.

Thank you for responding.

While I agree with most of what you said here, there is still too much damage caused by medication then not.

Sorry I am a strong believer that in our heads is all the pharmaceutical help one needs.

That is why placebos work!

Here is something you will probably consider "flaky", and I challenge all of us (me included) to try this:

If it is true that we can change our biochemistry just by our thoughts (well? look at placebos again), and i have read and been told that it takes 30 days to a great start, then let's try this...pick one thing that you want to change about yourself, be it your weight, your looks, your hair (thick, thin, whatever), anything really, and write out an affirmation and stick it somewhere where you can see it every day. It could be simple or complex.

Example: I have long thick beautiful hair.

or

I am strong and healthy.

etc

After 30 days, theoretically you should see/feel a difference.

What does anyone have to lose?

Maybe we can do this as a group...start a new thread with our personal aspirations and declare them publically...and see what it is (we are) like by May 3rd.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Thank you for responding.

While I agree with most of what you said here, there is still too much damage caused by medication then not.

Sorry I am a strong believer that in our heads is all the pharmaceutical help one needs.

That is why placebos work!

I would have to disagree with that. While some medication can certainly cause a great deal of damage, most pharmaceuticals are relatively safe. No drug is perfectly safe, even when it's been extensively tested. The reason for this is that everyone's physiology and biochemistry is different and a drug that works wonders for one person may wreak havoc on another. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know this unless the patient has had an adverse reaction before. However, negative side-effects generally start out on the mild end of the spectrum (which is why physicians need to be alerted to any drug allergy, since repeated exposure could worsen the reaction).

I wish our problems were "all in our heads." That'd make everything a psychological/psychiatric/psychosomatic issue. It's not that easy, since there are literally thousands of physical ailments to contend with, many of which really do require medication in some capacity. If someone suffers from epileptic seizures, diabetes or even wanted to prevent pregnancy, you're not going to tell them all they have to do is "make themselves stop" or "take a placebo" and it'll work. Try that approach and while you might get lucky for a while, eventually you'll have some patients seizing while others go experience ketoacidosis, and quite a few women end up pregnant. Let's hope you some good malpractice insurance, since you're going to need it!

Yes, placebos can work -- in an organized and structured testing environment, where no one's life is endangered. In many studies, the placebo has shown to have no significant advantage (or in some cases, disadvantage) over the actual drug. In research such as this, all participants are closely monitored (even in double-blind studies) in the event that something goes awry. Aside from possibly killing someone, our society's new pastime is suing each other, so believe me when I say that every research study attempts to cover their rear-ends.

Edited April 3, 2008 by DeadPoolX

[Krikit 1,165]

I can vouch for the mind-over-matter-does-not-prevent-pregnancy school of thought!

[MissStacey 1]

I am on day 4 of the Wild Rose cleanse that I just brought back from Canada. I am really enjoying it. The first few days I did feel a little tired and cranky- but that has passed.

The eating plan has been so great and do easy to follow this time around- with Whole Foods being close by, I have more options- plus now I cook a lot of fish. Growing up, my mom never made fish so I never knew what to do with it. Mel loves fish and taught me so much about preparing it.

Mel is enjoying the dinners I am making. The other night I made pecan crusted catfish, baked sweet potatoes, steamed artichoke and buckwheat. I had never tried buckwheat before- it came out really mushy and was burnt at the bottom. It still tasted pretty good but I don't know what it should be like when properly cooked.

As far as the debate goes whether it is actually beneficial to someone- I don't really know. I was skeptical the first time I tried it after a client recommended it- she was also a skeptic about it but she said it did make her feel great. I just know I do feel really good on it.