Here's my experiences of my detox, and maybe if you're interested you'll find some ideas, and I promise, I'll be honest, sometimes shamefully so :)
Right, so I figured with my now 30 years I could do a general clean out, as well as look at issues I have, which are premature ventricular contractions, weak kidneys, and a liver that was a bit overloaded in times gone by.
I decided to come up with a three day plan, and after some research I came up with this one. Before I started it was time for my last crisp salad sandwich for a while, and time to say goodbye to the yummy colon blocking 18 egg ingredient kaesespetzle that I make from time to time. That done, I started;
Day 1:
Breakfast:
Lup Tup in a glass of warm water
Throughout the day:
Freshly juiced mixture of carrots, celery, apples and ginger. Organic wherever possible. For the occasional change I added a raw beetroot. Please note, I juiced, not blended. Different gadgets. I drank this whenever I felt like it, especially when my stomach felt empty and my energy levels were low. I also drank a lot of water.
Evening: (after bowel movement)
Organic coffee & chamomile enema (cringe,...yes I know, I thought the idea was terrible too, but have a look at this lady: Home enema made easy. It gave me the courage and strength! :)
Before bed:
A cup of Essiac Tea which Tom had made up using the different herbs.
Day 2:
Same as Day 1
Day 3:
Same as Day 1 and 2 except this time only organic chamomile enema, not coffee.
Also, as my end of detox 'meal' I had the most looked forward to and rewarding pint of organic natural low-fat live yoghurt ever.
When making up this detox plan I wanted to both cleanse my body as well as set it up for restoring itself. I don't know if all the procedures of it are balanced, and if it is the best detox plan for everyone, but it worked for me. Here's some of the things I learned:
- Day 1, by lunch time I had drank one and a half litres of fresh juice. I was so used to having a full belly after consuming something that I really missed the feeling of being 'full'. So I gulped down the juice, but after lunch decided to slow down and drink more water. After all, I didn't want to shock my system too much by overloading it with all the vitamins and minerals in the juice. It was already going to have to get used to the detox and cleansing without me going for overkill. The feeling of not being satisfied and full was one I had to get used to. Tom made a good point, 'You don't have to be full, you're still being nourished." On Day 2 and 3 I drank more water, and only juice when it was mealtime or I had a real energy slump. I could feel that my poor kidneys much appreciated the increase of water, and decrease of juice on the second day.
- Lup Tup, great stuff. Brilliant for colds, coughs, detoxing, alkalising, and even cholesterol. We get the ingredients in Cork at the English Market, at the organic food stall, and then put it all through the juicer and then into sterilised glass bottles. It's ingredients; Garlic, lemon, cider vinegar, ginger and raw honey are amazing. I've attached a note below with the benefits of the various ingredients used in my detox.
- The enemas! Yes, I was dreading it. I got my home enema kit in the post and hid it straight away, secretly hoping I'd never use it. But then I thought, I can't just do a half attempt at a detox. If I'm going to do it, I might as well do it right. Not just from up-down, but also from the bottom up :). I learned that residue gets stuck to the walls of the large intestine for months, sometimes years. I definitely needed to grit my teeth and do it. Also, I had to bear in mind my kidneys were weak. I've been suffering from kidney infections since my teenage years, some extremely bad, sometimes lasting for months. During both pregnancies I was in unbearable pain, sometimes unable to stand due to the extra strain on them due to the baby. During Mr. T's birth they were even more painful at times than the actual contractions. I needed to be gentle with them, and during a detox your liver and kidneys have to work extra hard to flush out toxins. Doing enemas helps relieve some of the pressure on them and helps release some of those toxins. Even on Day 2 when I thought, "Surely not doing the enema today won't be too bad" - I still did it as I could feel my kidneys already being slightly stressed and felt not undergoing the enema could set off a bad reaction. So I did it, three nights in a row. And that was enough. I dreaded it each time, but felt very proud of myself after, and actually elated, lighter and happy :) I left out the coffee on the last night as I felt it was too aggressive for my premature ventricular contractions. Please note: Those with an allergy to ragweed need to stay away from chamomile. Check out the video link above if you are planning on doing a home enema, it really helped. A few other pointers: make sure the kids are in bed, you need peace, and no disturbance. Also, make sure the solution is body temperature, too hot and you could burn yourself, too cold and you could have to start all over again due to not being able to hold onto it. On a weirder note: Wear warm socks, having cold feet doesn't help. Literally :)
- Essiac Tea, this has been considered by many as a wonder cure for lots of ailments including cancer. I like bearing this in mind as there are so many people affected by it nowadays and having had CIN2 in my early 20's makes me more aware. Essiac teas ingredients however: Burdock root, Sheep sorrel, turkey rhubarb, slippery elm are also beneficial for a number of other ailments (see below) so it was a nice tasting, soul warming tea to have at night before bed after a liquid diet day.
- God I missed food! I had to keep cooking for the rest of the family, and it was difficult! The smell of food hit me and it all seemed so yum! At the end of Day 1 I was prepared to just give up and grab the yoghurt then, but I thought No! Keep going! I even put a grape into my mouth while washing them for Mr.T on Day 2 and then remembered, and spat it out instead. Grrrrr, and then Miss J was eating chocolate rice cakes, and the rest of the family had asparagus with their dinner (one of my favourite veggies). Prepare to want to quit, and prepare to stay strong! :) On Day 2 at one point I felt so exhausted that I gave in to eating an apple instead of juicing it. I'm sure that wasn't too bad a slip.
- Post detox
The day after my detox was finished and I could finally eat again it was very difficult to start slow. I wanted to stuff myself straight away. I had been doing up a monthly meal plan with the aim of having a balanced, healthy, 80% alkaline diet and was fired up, ready to cook, and munch. It was difficult to start slow for breakfast, but - I didn't want to waste all the effort of the last three days, and especially didn't want the enemas to have been in vain so I had some wholegrain crackers and a smoothie and started from there. I also had really strong sugar cravings, whether for chocolate or apricots, but I knew it was probably my body just missing the bad sugars I had just flushed out. Besides, during the detox I was pretty exhausted, so my body was no doubt craving carbohydrates and sugars. I needed to start slow though, I didn't want to shock my new, clean, digestive system, and what was the point in doing it if I went straight back to chocolate, white foods, and unhealthy fats?
The next few weeks after my detox:
For the next few weeks I'll continue taking the Lup Tup in the mornings, and also the Essiac tea in the evenings, when I remember. One thing I'm adding to the regimen for two weeks now though is Lepicol, it's made out of colon caring psyllium husks, and contains pro and prebiotics. Perfect for after a detox me thinks. I have also made a new meal plan, one that includes more greens, less gluten, less meat, and more alkaline body healing foods. I'll update on the whole process at the end of the month. Thank you for reading! Hope it helped :)
Nutritional info: (taken from experience, books & websites)
Garlic:
Powerful medicinal plant - anti parasite, anti oxidant and anti infective due to a substance called Allicin which gives it its pungent smell. It also encourages LDL cholesterol to convert into HDL by preventing the LDL cholesterol from oxidising, which stops it clogging arteries. It also stops the process of LDL developing in the first place. Prolonged use can help prevent heart attacks and strokes due to a chemical called ajoene that reduces blood clots. It's a good one for promoting a healthy heart, which is just what I'm after.
Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother:
The magic cure-all. The acids formed when cider transforms from alcohol to vinegar include acetic, lactic and malic acid. These work as natural prebiotic agents, encouraging the growth of good bacteria. Seeing as I was doing a detox, this was a good idea. For more info on ACV click here
Raw, unpasteurised honey:
Famous for helping with colds and flus. Antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, anti viral. For more info click here
Ginger:
Anti inflammatory, especially good for skin conditions. Also proven to lower blood pressure and improve circulation due to a compound called gingerols which promotes widening of the blood vessels. Also encourages removal of waste products, perfect for detox.
Lemons:
Antibiotic & powerful protective against uncontrolled cell division. Defends cells against damaging effects of carcinogens ie.cancer.
Carrots:
High in vitamin A - beta carotene which protects the heart and cardiovascular system. Also brilliant for eye health; it improves night vision and helps protect the macula densa which sometimes falls ill to macular degeneration due to free radicals.
Celery:
Natural pain killer & diuretic. Reduces amount of toxins in the body due to coumarins which stimulate the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system drains and clears the waste that is built up in body tissues. I needed this, as my lymph nodes get painful at times, probably when my kidneys are having a bit of a hard time.
Apples:
Contains pectin which helps 'bad' cholesterol be expelled out of the body. Also aids in vitamin absorption. Anti oxidant that helps prevent cells mutating.
Beetroot:
Liver cleansing and detoxifying, yippee! Also beneficial in keeping a healthy blood pressure. Another anti-cancer food.
Burdock root:
Antibacterial, anti inflammatory, contains prebiotics, natural diuretic, and sometimes a topical application for eczema. Also a blood purifier.
Sheep sorrel:
Anti biotic, anti inflammatory, rich in vitamins, detoxifying, anti-cancer herb.
Turkey Rhubarb:
Another anti cancer plant with laxative and colon cleansing qualities ie. removing toxins. Also good against high cholesterol and hypertension.
Slippery Elm:
Helps coat the intestine, helping with irritable bowel syndrome, and protecting against stomach ulcers. Also meant to help with urinary tract infections. Not to be taken when pregnant though.
Please note: I am not a nutritionist, or a doctor. I did this detox at my own risk, knowing my capabilities, and my body. If you decide to undergo a detox, then this plan may not suit you due to your own ailments or previous lifestyle. I suggest lots of research and talking to your trusted health professional if you decide to take the plunge. I cannot take responsibility for anyone deciding to alter their nutritional intake or undergo home enemas following reading this article.
