Detox, do you recoil in horror at the word?

The fact we use the word usually means we have been doing something, eating something that maybe we shouldn’t have.

I don’t like the word, because it implies some sort of miracle that will have an instant effect. This is unlikely if we want to tackle and ingrained “bad habit” then what we need to do is to have a gentle and realistic approach to developing our own “good” habits over time. The old idiom, everything in moderation still works.

I embarked on an elimination diet several weeks ago The essential idea here, is to remove all possible offending food items (food that causes you pain) from your diet for a period of time and reintroduce them one at a time and see if you notice any reaction in your body, thereby you understand what foods don’t agree with you. It is a simple idea, but a very tough challenge.

The overriding goal was to develop a new eating habit that improved how I felt.

In the first week, coffee withdrawal was intense, and I missed all my comfort foods. But overall here is what I discovered about my diet.

1.     Coffee was giving me headaches, (When I stopped I had headaches, but the quantity I was drinking was also giving me headaches) all headaches are gone now.
2.     Grains, wheat, oats caused me to be bloated and gave me pain in my kidneys.
3.     Chickpeas, led to bloating and pain.
4.     Onions and garlic caused bloating and pain.
5.     Potatoes caused tiredness and bloating
6.     Processed sugar caused mood swings and crazy ups and downs in energy levels. (I had quite a bit of cake to test this one out.)

I have reintroduced all the items now, those items I am sensitive to I will limit or not take at all.
The most important positive thing that I gained from the experiment was an underlying change to my daily eating habits. Here’s what has changed:

1.     I have a fruit and veg smoothie with seeds and nuts at least once a day.
2.     I eat a salad (all raw) for lunch.
3.     I eat a lot more brown rice.
4.     I eat a lot more fruit and veg.

These were consequences of not being able to reach for my usual crutches. Overall I feel lighter on my feet and have more energy. I have decided to take a realistic approach to eating and enjoy the food but limit the things I know cause harm.

I do think you can change your eating habits gently over time, eat more fruit and veg, eat more salads, incorporate freshly made smoothies and juices, cut out the items that you know make you feel poorly.  This approach will have lasting results, you will feel better and more energised. You are much more likely to have continued success with a gradual and realistic change like this than a sudden and dramatic “detox” type change.

One new habit that has become an embedded part of my daily ritual is my favourite raw frozen smoothie, and it tastes delicious.  I put together a little video on how to put it together, click here and see what you think.

Here’s to a happy and healthy summer.

Kenneth