A couple of weeks ago I decided to do a 10-day detox program. I have been hearing a lot about detoxes and cleanses over the past few years and decided it was time to try it. My patients often ask me about them and I thought doing it myself would be much better than just reading about it.
Why Detox?
I had several reasons for trying it. Like I said above it was a learning opportunity and a way for me to better educate my patients and give them suitable recommendations. Second, I’d heard such good things from other people who had done detox programs that I wanted to give it a try. Many people I know who did it lost weight, and that was certainly a motivator for me. But I also looked at doing a detox as a way of challenging myself and hopefully breaking some of my bad dietary habits.
What is a detox program?
Detox programs can take many forms but the goals are usually aimed at helping the body’s metabolism and allowing the body to rid itself of dangerous chemicals that can build up in our system. These toxic substances come from chemical pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides, drugs, alcohol, food additives, even from our water supply. Toxins can also come from normal metabolism as by-products of everyday processes. In our current world we can’t avoid toxic chemicals. The good news is that our bodies are designed to get rid of them. But with increased exposure our bodies can’t always keep up with the load.
Detox vs cleanse
There is a lot of confusion about detox programs as well as cleanses. They are often terms used somewhat interchangably. Detoxification specifically refers to our body’s natural ability to transfer and eliminate toxins from our blood stream. Cleanses are a little different. They tend to focus on just the elimination aspect, not on the metabolic processes that are involved in detoxification. Many cleanse programs involve fasting and the use of laxatives to promote bowel movements. I do not recommend many of these cleanses as they can be quite unsafe due to a lack of nutrition.
The detox program I used was through a company called Metagenics. It combined a supplement and a drink mix along with a targeted diet for 10 days. It eliminates a lot of foods that tend to cause toxic buildup as well as most foods that have a tendency to be allergenic. The supplement and drink provide the body with proper nutrition to support the detoxification processes in the body.
My experience
My experience with the detox program was great. I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy. The diet restricts you to mostly eating fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and beans and a few other things. I was also able to eat fish. I definitely found myself craving all sorts of foods that I wasn’t supposed to eat. But breaking those habits was part of the reason I wanted to do it. The results of the program were impressive. I had better energy, found some new foods I like, and changed some of my perspectives on my dietary habits. I also lost 7 pounds and 2.5 inches off my waist. Not bad for just 10 days.
I highly recommend this program for anyone looking to improve their health, increase their energy, and even for those looking to lose weight. It can also be a possible way to improve some symptoms/conditions such as migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other. It is recommended to detox twice a year, in the fall and spring. I know I will be planning another 10 day program in about 6 months.
