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The Detox Diaries – Week 1

On Monday July 14th I commenced a six week specialised gut detox. Today marks the start of week two, so I wanted to share my experiences and thoughts so far with you. Here goes…

Why I chose to detox

Some of you may be wondering why a Nutritionist who already eats gluten free and refined sugar free needs to detox. So here is my confession to you: I’m human. Whilst I never eat gluten and refined sugar, I drink too much coffee, love a glass of red wine or three, and occasionally burn the candle at both ends. Without turning this into a “Dear Diary”, I’m unusually tired. My adrenals are screaming for a rest. Even though I’m eating well and prioritising my gut health (find out what I do here in Gut Health 101), it hasn’t been enough to balance the equation. I’m also eight weeks out from my next half Ironman and with a recurring injury, I need all the help I can get right now.

Remember, Hippocrates states “all disease starts in the gut”, so I ask you to consider this too if you are not feeling your best.

What’s involved

Real food. Gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, preservative free, caffeine free, alcohol free. But not taste free. I’m loving smoothies and soups, fritters with poached eggs, avocado and fresh spinach, roasted sweet potato, good quality protein and plenty of greens.

Daily supplements. Yes, there are a couple of powders and a tablet to take morning and night, but the benefits are endless.

In addition to what goes in our mouths, it’s also essential to consider the environmental toxins we are constantly being exposed to. I have already changed over most of my beauty and household products, but I’m not at 100% yet. It’s time to bridge the gap. Stay tuned for a post on How I Went Chemical Free, coming soon.

Here’s how week one transpired..

Week 1

Day 1 was surprisingly easy. I spent an hour or two prepping food on Sunday, so the fridge was well stocked with my favourite detox friendly foods. I did drink about five pots of herbal tea, but I got to 5pm relatively easy, no headaches and definitely no foetal position. And this is where I made the mistake of thinking I had gotten off scott free.

Days 2 and 3 were a different story. Starving, tired, grumpy, craving caffeine, and still training for a half Ironman, I wasn’t the nicest human being. I had a gnawing headache in between my eyebrows and although I apparently hid it well, all I wanted to do was drink coconut lattes and take a nap. I may have closed my eyes for 20 minutes on Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday, well, Wednesday I got up at 7am and mostly thought about going to bed until I actually did at 9.30pm that evening. Fun times. Thank you to the special people in my life for putting up with me. You know who you are.

Day 4 and I’m on my way back up! A lie in and a green tea (I have an allowance of one/day) and I’m feeling a million bucks in comparison to the previous two days. Training is getting easier and my appetite is back to normal. It’s a good sign when I only need to eat three times a day and don’t need an afternoon nap. Detox aside, food choices are extremely important for this. I know that part of the hunger I experienced over the previous days was due to the extra carbohydrates that crept in over the weekend while I was enjoying myself perhaps a little too much.

By Day 5 I found I was really in my groove and not thinking about coconut lattes (too much). I managed to go to Garage Espresso and order a green juice. I’ve even created an amazing detox friendly “sweet treat”, which I hope you’ll enjoy. Simply blend 1 can of coconut cream, 1 banana, ½ avocado, 1 scoop of natural chocolate pea protein, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of nut butter until smooth. Serve in bowls, topped with a fresh strawberry. This should be enough for four serves.

Day 6 I attended a specialised detox seminar and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to start this when I did. Detoxification (whether it’s two weeks, six weeks, or longer) really is a powerful healing tool for everyone. I went out for dinner and ordered my favourite calamari salad and drank sparkling mineral water out of a wine glass. The only change I had to make was to have the calamari cooked without the butter – easy! A big thank you to the staff at Rococo Acland Street for being super helpful and accommodating.

Day 7 and my body is well and truly used to this. I rode 100km fuelled on my Super Easy All Natural Banana Bread (minus the rice malt syrup) and water, and I’ve bounced back without a nap – just my usual post exercise refuelling, an amazing yin yoga class at Grass Roots Yoga, and a good night’s sleep was all that was needed.

I’m looking forward to this week and the continual improvements I’m experiencing each day. Check back in next Monday for my recap of week two!

Fatigue and injury, as well as recurrent illness or allergies, unexplained weight gain, and weight loss plateaus are just some of the reasons why your gut health needs to be addressed at a deeper level. I’m ready to find out how good I can really feel, are you? Book your Initial Consultation with me here to find out more.

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