The Value of a Cleanse (a.k.a. Diet Detox)

Last month, I decided to try a semi-fast — a cleanse really — which I haven’t attempted in a few years. For me, this cleanse or “diet detox” was a necessity, not just about weight (though that’s important), but about pain.

More specifically, about reducing pain from inflammation, too often a consequence of less than ideal eating habits.

My Kind of Cleanse

Starting out, I eliminated all sugar and 99% of processed foods. The only explanation for including any processed foods whatsoever is due to the inevitable (for most of us) — use of ingredients or food products even in largely “clean” regimens, e.g. organic broth that I add to my homemade vegetable soup.

As for the cleanse itself, I spent those days drinking water (and more water and more water), herbal and decaf tea (dandelion is one of my faves), and yes, I allowed myself one and a half to two cups of coffee in the morning.

Beyond the coffee, tea, and water, I sipped organic low-sodium broth and consumed my homemade organic veggie soup — extremely low in calorie, somewhat bland (intentionally), and filling enough to manage.

By Day 4, I added a small amount of organic Greek yogurt each evening. And in addition to all the liquid I was taking in, on Days 6 and 7, I added a hard-boiled egg.

The More “Standard” Diet Detox

Strictly speaking, you might not, in fact, consider this a standard cleanse. But it was my version of a major detox knowing how my body functions.

As for that more standard liver cleanse, which I have done in the past, acutely aware of the liver’s role in filtering toxins, this article reminds us:

Over time … exposure to chemicals can damage the liver… In most cases, a liver detox involves one or more of the following: taking supplements designed to flush toxins out of the liver; eating a liver-friendly diet; avoiding certain foods; going on a juice fast…

And I needed some version of an extreme cleanse to eliminate toxins — make that the effects of my bad eating behavior. I could feel it. Besides — remember this? My No More Excuse plan?

Well, I failed. I messed it up in May. I messed it up in June. But in July, I did it. I stuck to it. I made progress. But only because I resorted to extreme measures — i.e. this cleanse.

Were my calorie counts extremely low? Yes. And I’m certainly not recommending this to anyone else. But my 200 to 400 calories/day for one week were exactly what I needed to begin to feel better, specifically to reduce the pain caused by inflammation. And that inflammation was exacerbated by far too many months of a base of healthy eating that was, nonetheless, damaged (sabotaged?) by too much sugar in between those well balanced meals.

My Diet Detox Weight Loss

I dropped 7 pounds in 7 days – a great motivator to stick to a serious diet – but more importantly, I benefited from a marked decrease in fibromyalgia pain, joint pain, and pain in areas that result from injuries and which seem — make that seemed — to be perpetually inflamed.

A side note: This is much like the story of the frog in boiling water. When pain, emotional or physical, increases gradually, you don’t necessarily realize how bad things are until the situation is truly wretched. I was in pain from my neck down to my feet, every waking hour. It was only when my pain was significantly reduced that I understood just how terrible things had been and for quite some time. To be “only” in back pain, shoulder soreness, and minor hand pain that can be traced to specific injuries is, believe it or not, a godsend. That is where I find myself today. And grateful. And frankly, all of this is something that I can readily live with and feel like my life is beginning to be mine again.

So, that was Week 1 of last month.

Going to Bed Hungry

It is horrible enough that in a developed country like the U.S. so many children go to bed hungry because their households cannot afford sufficient food. Strange though it may sound, there is a significant amount of guilt attached to a self-imposed routine that involves hunger throughout the day and going to bed hungry.

I have to tell you – this past month has been tough. Very tough. There were many days when I circled and paced and circled and paced, desperately wanting to eat something. Anything. And especially, sweets. Sugar is a damn difficult substance to quit.

But I did it. I quit sugar, and didn’t quit my regimen.

Beyond that first week, I stuck to my same rigorous plan of a largely plant-based, organic diet enhanced by specific proteins – mostly small portions of chicken, the occasional hard-boiled egg, and I’m a fan of those Omega-3 foods. I adhered to 500 to 900 “nutrition-attentive” calories/day. I kept to the same discipline of as little processed food as possible, the same limited amount of coffee, and keeping up as much water as I could stomach.

Yo! What About Exercise?

No, I didn’t have a great deal of energy, and exercise for me tends to be walking, which is not so easy on such a modest amount of food or in 95° heat.

That first week, I didn’t worry about it. But in the three weeks that followed, I found a time of day when I could reasonably carve out 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking or I did my “indoor loop” striding through my apartment, however boring, to get my exercise in for the day.

And given the intense focus of those 31 days — don’t forget that my “office” is wherever I call home, thus the fridge and the pantry are always just steps away — I didn’t even feel like writing. All my energies were poured into fighting my food demons, my hunger, and staying the course.

As of the end of the month, yesterday, I had dropped another 7 pounds. So, that’s 14 pounds altogether – and yes, there was a plateau in there that lasted 12 (miserable, mopey, demoralizing) days — but while the weight-loss was motivating, the real win is the extraordinary reduction in pain.

While I have (at least) 11 more pounds to lose, with less pain, I’m almost “me” again.

The Value of a Cleanse

The value of a cleanse is significant. Consider this article from Healthline on the cleanse (or detox diet), how it works, and its usefulness.

Detox diets are generally short-term dietary interventions designed to eliminate toxins from your body… A typical detox diet involves a period of fasting, followed by a strict diet of fruit, vegetables, fruit juices, and water…

This is claimed to: Rest your organs by fasting; stimulate your liver to get rid of toxins…

There’s much more. (Go read the article.)

Do note: Many resources consider the “liver cleanse” notion a myth, and instead promote healthy eating (and liver-friendly foods) as a better concept, explained in this Healthline article. As for my diet detox, it was emotional as much as anything else — a means to break myself of the increasingly detrimental emotional eating habit.

So, what’s next for me?

Now What?

Clearly, steering clear of sugar and processed foods is helping me feel so much better. Moreover, this degree of scrutiny on what and how I eat is, of course, going to help in other ways — blood pressure, cholesterol, and so on. And getting back to a more reasonable weight for my tiny stature — I gained more than I will say — is sure to enable me to do more of my back exercises, which I have been able to begin again in recent weeks, and this is all to the good.

Regarding a healthy eating plan, I am continuing my approach, albeit with a less extreme calorie count (and variety of foods), for at least one more month followed by the same regimen at my “maintenance” intake.

Is sugar gone from my life forever? Of course not. I love a scrumptious meal followed by a delectable dessert — or a piece of dark chocolate. But judicious consumption only — and not yet.

I may or may not do a more standard cleanse somewhere along the way, a cleanse that includes fasting plus particular juices that are frequently recommended in this process, but if I do so, it will be for no more than two or three days. I am fully aware of the value of a cleanse, but also do not intend to abuse its power.

My Experience and Cautions

Disclaimer alert! Obviously, I am not a physician, a nutritionist, a dietitian, or anything of the like. I have written of my experience and my experience only. That said, here are a few items from that experience and cautions that are worth noting, and that I follow.

First, I’ve had a recent physical including bloodwork. I know that I’m doing pretty well for my age. I know what conditions I have, the extent to which they are affected by food and sleep, and how my own habits can improve or worsen pain. And pain is the adversary I’ve been battling for more than a decade.

Second, I track everything I eat and drink via an app on my phone, which allows me to monitor nutritional requirements.

Third, I take specific over-the-counter vitamins — again, doctor-recommended based on bloodwork — common for women and “women of a certain age.”

Last, and this is key, I listen to my body. I know when my desire to overeat is based on an emotional need and not a physical one. I must stay vigilant in recognizing emotional versus physical triggers and signals.

One additional side note: We don’t all have access to healthy organic foods. In addition to access, cost can be prohibitive. The extent to which Big Food has addicted us to unhealthy, processed product is a disgrace, and we know this is a long-running, systemic, serious societal issue that really must be addressed.

I will try to write here a little more frequently, but now you know where my focus has been. Not just on losing weight in any ordinary circumstance, but rather, as part of a larger effort to reduce pain and reclaim my life.

I welcome your thoughts.

 

 

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