Cleanses/detoxes - Sugestions/Thoughts?

Hi Ashlie!

I'm not too sure about detoxes, I've heard so many pros and cons to both. From what I've heard a good middle ground option of a raw foods or just veggie diet for a few days seems to work for a lot of people and has a good balance of what you're looking for.

However, your symptoms sound exactly like a Vitamin B-12 deficiency. Maybe before trying something extreme like a cleanse or detox diet, you could make sure you are already getting all the vitamins you need to have energy and feel good. I hope that helps.

Tracy

if i were in your situation (which i have been before, i have had 3 kids in 5 years) i would just focus on eating lots of fresh produce and cut out processed foods, if you are breastfeeding a detox can dump your toxins into your milk..when i started eating "clean" and cut out gluten i felt amazing. i love the book "crazy sexy diet" and did the 21 day cleanse on there but without doing the one day fast a week. if you are not breastfeeding i still recommend the book, and also the docu fat, sick, and nearly dead.

I've done two cleanses in the past two years. The first one was a lemonade diet (nothing but lemonade all day for 10 days - look it up for more details), and the other was a nutritive cleanse involving meal replacement shakes twice a day and a super healthy supper (Young Living Balance Complete, for more information).

I liked them both. The lemonade one was a little intense, but they both served their purpose. I didn't really lose a lot of weight doing them, but what did happen was it kicked my carb and sugar addiction, and kick-started a healthy eating plan.

That is my two cents.

One last suggestion: I've been doing the Whole Living "detox" challenge since January 2nd and I L.O.V.E. it. It's a three-week guide that is not so rigorous--no crazy concoctions to drink-- but really focuses on clean eating. I thought i knew what that meant until I went on this and I realized what a clean diet really looks like. Week one was all fruits and veggies, no dairy, gluten, added sugar or caffeine. Week two you add back beans and legumes and some fish and week three add back light protein. I've learned so many great eating habits already, feel better than i ever have been (despite an intensely high-pressure work week).

It's a cleanse in the sense that you get rid of all the elements that are hardest for the body to digest and you give your system a break-- hence more energy despite the dramatic drop in protein. And I was a big meat eater before this. I think it's hardest on those with a caffeine dependency, I'm not a caffeine every day person but I did get fuzzy-head syndrome on day 5 probably from lack of caffeine. All the fruit and vegg is a bit pricey, but it's lasting me at least two weeks and all the meals and recipes are quick easy and often for a serving of 4. Anyway, i love it and it's no doubt going to change the way eat from now on.

here's the link http://tinyurl.com/7rpo7bv

I think detoxes are kind of scary. I've heard of people getting extremely sick on them or getting really drained. That might be hard to do if you're taking care of two little ones.

I've found that when I eat certain foods such has things high in sugars or bad carbs that I feel sluggish and tired too. I blame it on a carb/sugar addiction.

So what I'm doing is focusing on eating healthy whole grains (such as 100% whole wheat bread, oatmeal), lean meats, and low glycemic vegetables. I'm starting to feel a lot more energized, sleeping better, and I'm not as hungry all the time or feeling like I constantly need to snack.

I have had a massage involving oils that is supposed to help pull toxins from the body and that made me feel better overall. It is called Rain-drop therapy massage and they use essential oils and hot towels and it lasts about 90 minutes. You do have to drink lots of extra water after having one for it to work right.