The final count down

This is week four, focusing on cleansing the lungs, blood and skin. The rituals are becoming a routine. I guess it is true what they say, it takes 28 days to develop a habit. I'm still pondering what parts of this program I will incorporate into my everyday life. I would like to continue the eating component of this program however not as strict. I will try to avoid refined sugar, as that is my weakness.
I can't believe this month has gone by so fast. I remember how daunting this whole concept seemed back at the beginning of the month. I have so much more energy. It is really amazing. I only cheated once so far, not that I intend to cheat anymore. On Friday we went to the Weezer concert and hadn't eaten. I was stuck eating a cheese pizza. Oh, and I also had a small glass of red wine with a friend who was visiting from out of town. Technically that's cheating twice.

Phase 3

Okay, so I'm not following all the requirements for phase 3 to the letter, not that I have followed every instruction impeccably through out this whole fast. Let me say that the tea for this phase is borderline vile. I can really only talk myself in to taking one cup a day, instead of the prescribed 3. However, the milk thistle seed cap I am taking includes turmeric and dandelion, which are two of the ingredients from the tea. I feel like I am getting my "needs" met elsewhere. Also, I bought some liquid lecithin, because I couldn't find it in a vegetarian capsule. I have never seen lecithin before. The lecithin is thick and oily, it doesn't mix well in liquid, which is the only way I would be able to stomach it. In doing more research, it appears that this can be used to create a non-stick coating for your pans. Anyway, I took the lecithin the first day in my morning psyllium, pectin, green supplement drink. It was difficult to gag down. I haven't tried it again since and I haven't had time to go to Henry's to find a replacement. Oh, well.



In better news, I got some new running shoes. I actually tried them last night on my run. What a difference. I actually felt supported. I love these shoes, New Balance 1223. They are on the endangered list. New Balance is replacing them with the 1224, which reviews say are not as good. I may try to order another pair of 1223s to have on hand when these new ones wear out. My feet are fickle and it is hard to find shoes that work for me.

As if my life wasn't busy enough...

I am spending way too much time preparing food, teas, supplements, etc. I am not able to get anything else done. All my time seems to be consumed with prepping meals. When not preparing food, I am shopping for it, and then trying to figure out how to fit all this produce into my fridge. If for nothing else, I will be glad to be finished with this plan in order to get back some of my free time. I plan to keep eating healthy, when all this is over, so where will I find the balance? I'm not sure.

Tomorrow begins phase 3, liver and gall bladder. The tea for this portion seems gnarly. It has dandelion, turmeric and ginger root. (It is supposed to have chicory, but I couldn't find it) This tea needs to come to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. I made the batch for tomorrow, and yikes, does it seem like it will be tough to swallow.

This week, I plan to continue with my running plan and also add a strength training element. I am impressed with myself for finishing a full week of my running program, now lets hope for as much success with week 2. I'm just trying to focus on the runs as a vital part of my schedule, like eating and sleeping.

Phase 2

I started phase 2 on Monday. This week targets the lymphatic system. The only thing really different than phase 1, is the tea blend. I had a headache most of the day on Monday. I'm not sure if it is because a new area was being focused on or if it was a coincidence. The week has been going well. I was able to get out and run on Monday. That was difficult since it has been a while. I haven't been able to get out again this week, I have been too busy. I plan to go running this evening when I get home from work. I am following the "couch potato to 5k" plan from Cool Running. It's a slow build up, with a combination walking and running. By the end of the 6 weeks, I should be able to run a 5k again.

I think I am getting used to the routine. I still don't enjoy the psyllium/pectin drink every morning, although I am enjoying going number 2 everyday. I am averaging one poop a day. I guess that is better than normal.

I am trying to pre-plan for next week. There are some more supplements that I need to buy. I am going to order them on iherb.com, because they tend to be cheaper than Henry's and the shipping is really fast.

A little self discovery

This fall, I have been interpreting freshman football at the high school. Let's just say that the whole culture of the sport is not really my thing. I find some of the mentality a bit "boy's club" and some of the attitude slightly misogynistic. I, however, am learning new things and expanding my range of experiences. For the most part, I am enjoying it. One of the coaches however, is a yeller, especially during the game. He tends to yell at all the kids, including "my" student, J. which I then get to interpret. I have to say that when J. is out on the field playing, I get a pit in my stomach hoping that he does everything to the liking of the coach. This, of course, is an impossible task, because coach is not easily pleased. I think J. gets yelled at or yelled about at least twice a game. It's not just J. who is yelled at, it's anyone who is playing and anyone on the sidelines who isn't "good enough" to play. The yelling happens through out the whole game. I just want to run away as soon as it starts. Last night, we had a game and lost, big time. Coach wasn't happy. On my way home, I started craving some sweet baked goods and/or some wine. I of course can't satisfy those cravings if I am to remain faithful to this detox. I started to ask myself why I was so eager to consume these forbidden things. I realized that I was so stressed out about the experience of the game, that I wanted some comfort. As soon as I made this connection, the cravings went away.



I have never considered myself a stress eater. Which seems to be a fact that I have been able to be in denial about because my adult life hasn't been very stressful and therefore I haven't put on that much weight. However, looking back on a time in my adult life that was particularly stressful, I managed to gain 20 pounds. (10 of which I was able to lose). We had moved, I started a new job and we were becoming landlords. I, of course could blame the gain on the new birth control pill I had been taking. With in the past month, I have put on 10lbs. After assessing the month, I realized that I have been experiencing a great amount of stress. I was put in a new position at work, with more responsibility which I didn't want in the first place and on top of that I have been dealing with the crazy coach almost daily. It occurred to me that if I continue on this path , I'll be one of those women who wakes up one day, 250lbs and stunned as to how it all happened.



My mom has always had a weight problem. While I was growing up, she was a yeller, which I hated. It made me feel nervous and on edge. In reflection, I have come to realize that when my mom would eat sweet delicious things, she was calm and seemed to me happy, which made me happy. These were usually foods that we would partake in together. Ice cream time was an especially wonderful time. It usually took place in the evenings while the whole family watched t.v. Those times were nice, quiet and peaceful. To this day, ice cream is one of my favorite comfort foods. I don't think I'm taking too big of a leap in concluding that I associate delicious desserts with comfort and relief.

Number two

I'm in Phase 1 of this detox, which focuses on the intestines and the kidneys. Every morning I must drink that strange concoction of psyllium husks and pectin (one of the hardest parts of this program), which I am assuming is meant to help push it all through. Quite frankly, I was expecting a little more poop action. I am definitely not the most regular person in the world. I am a one or less per day kind of person. The break down so far, day 1; nothing, day 2; 1 time, day 3; 2 times, today, so far, nada. Yesterday, after my second "event", I started to get my hopes up, but then today, nothing, yet. I do continue with the psyllium and pectin for the remainder of the detox, so maybe it will "pick-up". Until then, I have resorted to adding some colon cleanse, which has worked for me in the past when I feel I need some extra help in the bowl department.

One thing I haven't been able to successfully empliment, is the exercise component, which could be part of the pooping issue. I want to start running again, but it has been way too hot, still. I thought it was Fall? If I am unable to run, I need to do something indoors.

Side effects

I have to say, the side effects are very minor. I have had some headaches in the afternoons, nothing too serious. Admittedly, I was consuming large amounts of sugar and some caffeine, not to mention wine and beer. I expect the transition to fully happen soon. One nice result, is my face looks smoother and brighter. My pores are looking tighter and smaller. I can only assume this is from eating such a whole food diet. Not bad after only 2 full days. I can't wait to see what happens by the end of 28 days.

Day 1

Yesterday, we started the program. I woke up, heated some water in the microwave and then squeezed half a lemon into the mug. Then I drank the psyllium/pectin mixture in the water/cranberry mixture. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The juice is very sour. I think I will pick up some apple juice to mix in with it. I then made the kidney tea. After steeping 10 minutes, I put it in a to-go cup and headed out the door. I was concerned that it would add so much more time to my morning routine. I ended up not waking any earlier. So, I am pleased about that. I need every minute in my bed that I can get.

For breakfast, instead of my usual Kashi Go Lean and soymilk, I had fruit. Eaten as needed through out the morning. I was sure that I would be starving, but it really wasn't so. For lunch I had a raw green salad. Then for dinner, I made garbanzo bean tacos and attempted to grill artichokes by following a recipe that I found on line. They were a big failure. The problem with artichokes is they are so much work for such a small pay off.

Over all, not a bad first day. I am on a quest to find flour free/yeast free bread. My sister swears by Ezekial. I am off to Trader Joe's tomorrow as I am off early for a change.

Preparation

Tonight was a little bit of work getting everything ready to begin the program tomorrow. Nasr is going to be doing it too, which I think might make it easier in the long run. I have everything laid out for the morning business that is required. First thing, drink a glass of water with the juice from 1/2 a lemon. Then, 1tsp. pectin and 1tsp psyllium husk in a water/cranberry juice mixture. Not sure how that is going to taste. Finally, a cup of special "kidney" tea infused for ten minutes. I am easily adding 30 minutes to my morning routine. we shall see how it works out in real life.

Taking the plunge

I have decided to follow this detox program for the designated 4 week time period. I have to admit that I first bought this book back in July and had intended to start the program in August, however, the plan seemed quite involved. It just never seemed like the right time to start, until now. The program requires the elimination of certain things from your diet; meat, dairy, alcohol, white sugar and flour, etc. While I am already a vegetarian, the eating portion of the plan seems like it requires much planning and fore thought. I wasn't ready until now to commit that much discipline. The book is also very dense and I feel like there is so much to remember. I'm sure once I get started it won't be so overwhelming. Another aspect of the preliminary preparation, there are several supplements that must be purchased beforehand. I already bought the herbs to make the recommended purifying teas. I have to admit that I wasn't able to procure ALL of the herbs called for in the recipes, I am however, not that worried about it. I expect to see results in spite of the missing ingredients. This plan not only focuses on toxins in our food and body, but it also looks at the toxins in our environment, our homes and our personal care products, which ultimately do end up in our bodies. The goal is to limit exposure to these poisons. Day one will be Monday, September, 29 2008. I have the whole weekend to prepare.