Do you believe in "detox?"

[Taste Test]

Do you believe that when someone goes on a "detox diet" that they go through a period of time of feeling crap before being restored to optimum health?

Have you experienced this personally? If so, what were the side effects of "detox" like and how long did they last for?



Jess

[VanillaBean]

Hi Jess, I do believe that there is a certain amount of crappy feeling when you detox but that shouldn't deter you. When I went vegan I also gave up sugar and and artificial additives and preservatives. I felt weak and tired for about 2 weeks and had some headaches too. (It is absolutely nothing close to a bad cfs day though so you would probably think it was no big deal!) A Naturopath has recommended Chlorella to me as an excellent detox tool to take for the rest of my life. I have not yet tried it but friends have and say that they feel great. It sounds like an amazing super food - I am just slow at trying new things sometimes. Here is a link of some info about it - if you google it you will find heaps. The one my Mum takes is LifeStream which is available in NZ and Australia.
http://www.naturalways.com/chlor04.htm
Have you ever tried yoga? After your first couple of sessions you feel blah because it brings up any crap lying inside you - I got a cold when I started it years ago, but if you keep going you feel fantastic in no time. Of course now I don't do yoga but I think it is the same principle - it's worth the trouble to make yourself feel better.

Good Luck!!!

[Dreamer]

I've tried fasting on water alone to try to detox my body of impurities. I did it for 9.5 days. I had chest pain and very little energy during the fasting, and then after i started eating properly again i just exactly felt the same as before, but with ONE difference. My saliva ducts were clogged for about month. Whenever food would even touch my tounge and my saliva started secreting (as they're supposed to) i experienced severe pain behind my ears.

Fasting did not work for me. Just incase anyone wanted to try it. I don't recommend it.

[yasha]

I have been reading "The Great American Detox Diet" by Alex Jaimeson.
It is GREAT and has a plethorea of vegan recipies in the back of the book.
The author is a vegan chef, by the way.
Anyhow, I have been detoxing for about a week and a half. I have been drinking loads of water and cutting out refined sugars/carbs as well as most processed foods. I am feeling mostly better and though I have had a few headaches and a few episodes where I was very tired, overall, my energy has picked up and I feel better and have lost weight.