21-Day Detox Day 2: I took a sick day

I spent most of day two battling a mild stomach bug. Since both my husband and daughter also had it, I know it's not a result of the cleanse. I had no appetite and spent the whole day with a thermacare heating pad wrapped around my belly. The only thing I was able to take down were my two shakes mixed with 12 oz of green juice that I bought at Whole Foods. Luckily, I took the day off in advance and planned lots of therapeutic activities.

First thing in the morning, I went to see my therapist. We spent the whole session discussing the cleanse and red flags to look out for. We are both concerned that my obsessive nature could backfire when it's time to end the cleanse. She cautioned that even though I will be done with the cleanse, the cleanse may not be done with me. I am hoping that the many years of therapy have given me the strength to take this as far as I planned-no more than 21 days. It definitely has been weird not having much of an appetite for these past two days. These cautious thoughts are a good reminder about being mindful about my intentions and observant of my behaviors. Drinking nothing but two shakes the whole day didn't make me feel that great emotionally, but did help clear the bug relatively quickly.

Following therapy, I did "A Day of Zen" at Project Zen in San Francisco. "A Day of Zen" is a 2-hour Thai massage followed with another hour of foot reflexology. It was incredible. I've never had a 3-hour massage before, but would recommend it to everyone! I was going in and out of consciousness for most of the 3 hours and after the massage was over, I felt like Gumby.

Next, I went to see Dr. Daniel Dinenberg at One Medical Group, a membership doctor's collective that I belong to. One Medical Group has a variety of primary care doctors, nurses, acupuncturists, and naturopaths that I have found to be very holistically minded. Dr. Dinenberg is the groups' mind/body specialist and I chose to see him to discuss the cleanse and get his ok. He was quite supportive and believes this is a great idea to recharge and aid my health. I was happy to get his thumbs up.

One of the One Medical Group Offices

 
By the end of the day, the severe cramping I was experiencing began to subside. I still wasn't that hungry, so I ate some sauerkraut to at least get in some healthy probiotics to aid with my recovery.

21-Day Detox Day 1: Broccoli & Kohlrabi Day!

The Cleanse I am doing was designed by Dr. Melissa Ponce and some of her peers. I found Dr. Melissa through several online searches and all fingers pointed to her when it came time to decide who to work with. She is a chiropractor who uses muscle testing to determine a treatment plan and what needs to be addressed. She is very intuitive and is extremely passionate about health and well-being. She's my kind of people!

The first part of my cleanse actually began a month ago when we first met and she suggested I give up all dairy and grains from my diet. Echoing Jenny Crissman from 8 years ago, she suggested this would help get me to feeling my best. I would not be able to do this 21-day cleanse had I not given up dairy and grains first.

Based on the plan she designed for me, for the first seven days, I can choose two green vegetables a day, prepared any way I wish. I can use olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, Bragg's raw apple cider, and unrefined salt to prepare the meals. I can also use unlimited herbs, garlic, and ginger. For day one, I chose broccoli and kohlrabi.

I think of broccoli as cabbage's Rastafarian cousin. Packed with vitamin-C and fiber, it's been shown to have anti-carcinogenic properties and is ideal for prevention of heart disease. It is a natural source for sulfur, iron, and B vitamins, which are essential for the nervous system.In Traditional Chinese Medicine, broccoli is believed to have cooling and diuretic properties and is good for inflammatory conditions of the eyes.

I paired the broccoli with an herb I grew up eating, sorrel.  Sorrel is a herb with a lemony flavor that has anti-parasitic properties.

Broccoli & Sorrel Soup

Ingredients:
3 Heads of Broccoli (leave the stalk)
1 Bunch of Sorrel
1-2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Large Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Garlic
Celtic Salt (to taste)















Process:
1. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the broccoli and add unrefined salt. I prefer Celtic Salt, which also provides 

 2. Set on the stove to boil

3. While the water is boiling, set a pan to heat (medium). Once pan is heated, add oil and then add chopped garlic and ginger.

4. Once garlic and ginger have slightly browned (5 mins), add chopped sorrel.

 5. Once broccoli is soft. Place broccoli heads and 5-6 ladles of cooking water to a Vitamix or blender and blend on high for 3-4 mins.

 6. Add sorrel, garlic, and ginger and blend for another minute. Pout into a container or bowl and garnish with cilantro and olive oil.

The soup was so filling that I wasn't hungry at all until 3 hours later. For lunch, I used the broccoli stalks to make a broccoli and kohlrabi slaw.

Kohlrabi is a very good therapeutic vegetable in traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed to improve qi circulation and helps treat indigestion and blood sugar imbalances. It's also supposed to help deal with a hangover (so add this to you juice the morning after).

Broccoli & Kohlrabi Slaw

Ingredients
3 Broccoli Stalks
2 Kohlrabi
3 Tbsp Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Tbsp Unrefined Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 Tbsp Cilantro


1. Clean and peel kohlrabi and broccoli (if you don't you will get hard pieces of skin in your mouth)

2. Using the shredding attachment your food processor, shred broccoli and kohlrabi
3. Add vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and cilantro and mix well

I packed up my meals for the day and was ready to start my cleanse!

The first day went pretty smoothly, except for the stomach bug that swept through the family at the end of the day. Both hubby and I were down for the count and passed out at 9pm. I think because of the bug, I didn't really have an appetite all day; this  made it much easier to handle this cleanse. Additionally, I am drinking two shakes a day that Dr. Melissa gave me. I am finding that the shakes are very filling and last me a few hours between meals. I didn't experience any significant changes in my mood. The most significant change in mood I felt was when I removed dairy and grains from my diet. I became significantly more clear headed and upbeat. I literally felt like a weight had been lifted. Since then I have lost 5 lbs.

Embarking on a 21-day Detox Part 4

One month later, I met my husband. I weighed 140lbs. I know this because we both weighed ourselves and we both weighed the same (not on the first date of course). One month into our relationship, Jenny told me that she believed many of my symptoms were caused by a Candida overgrowth and suggested I give up all sugar for two months. She suggested I read William Crook’s The Yeast Connection to get a better understanding of her diagnosis. Since I resolved to do whatever she told me, I gave up all sugar and alcohol; both had become separate food groups even in my wheat and dairy free diet.

Dec '05

Because I still hadn’t learned to listen to my intuition and eat when I’m hungry, eat what I’m hungry for, and stop when I’m full, I was confused about what I could eat. Crook’s book was an extremely helpful tool. I ate an avocado a day to sooth my sweet tooth (eating healthier fat actually makes you crave less sugar) and didn’t feel guilty about it. I cooked for myself for the first time since leaving FA and I had someone special to cook for, who seemed to really enjoy my experimental creations. At the end of the two-month cleanse, I lost 10lbs and was feeling incredible.      

Mar '05

Mar '05

I aced my Holistic Health class and was asked to be a teacher’s assistant. With my new found confidence, I was able to take two classes the following semester and three the semester after that (I was working full-time). I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations in Dec ’05 and attended my graduation in May ’06. On a trip to Paris in Sep ’06, my husband proposed. We set the date for 9/2/2007. 

May '06

Sep '06

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I had a relapse into my old ways. I didn’t know how to handle the excitement and stress of planning a wedding and the whole idea of getting married. I was so stressed out that I impulsively quit my job and started interviewing all in the same week (three weeks before the wedding) and to cope with stress, I also stopped eating. Feeling so out of control, controlling my food was my lifeline. The day of the wedding, I weighed 117lbs. Luckily this time, I was in therapy and was able to discuss my struggles with my therapist-once I finally got up the nerve to be honest with her. I was embarrassed to still be struggling with food almost 4 years into therapy. With her help, my relapse only lasted 3 weeks. And after our Mexican all-inclusive honeymoon, I was up to 125lbs and have maintained this weight since (not counting my pregnancy).

Sep' 07

Sep '07

So forward to July 2012, why would I, weighing 125lbs and having a history of eating disorders want to severely cut and control my calorie intake? I want to first stress; I am not doing this to lose weight. I am actually pretty afraid of losing weight doing this cleanse and that's not the goal. The goal is health. It is to find a sense of well-being that I've never experienced before because I haven't been able to truly let go of my obsession with food. When I say my food obsession, I mean my need for something yummy, something soothing, something to make the day better. I am trying to write a new chapter, a chapter that introduces the notion of not only loving me through feeding myself with nutritious whole foods but also finding other ways to deal with stress that don’t involve eating and food.

Jul '12

I also have occasional pain again and I'm convinced this pain is caused by inflammation related to my indulgence in dairy, meat, and sugar over the past few years. The pain started in March, when I got up from my desk at work and had a shooting pain down my left side. I thought I must've done something to my lower back so I went to see a chiropractor, who told me that it would take at least 3 months for me to feel 100% again.  I saw her for 3 weeks and the pain continued. It would alternate between pain and numbness and even walking would be uncomfortable. Nothing I was doing, no doctor, acupuncturist or chiropractor was able to help take the pain away. Finally, I decided to go to an Afro-Brazilian dance class to "shake it out." I woke up the next morning and the pain was so excruciating that I couldn't walk. Every time I took a step, it felt like an ice cold knife was being shoved in my sacrum. 

I found another chiropractor who was more optimistic about my condition and had a different approach. I saw him several times a week for adjustments and massage and he convinced me to see his acupuncturist, Vincent Kan. Vincent told me right away that I had severe inflammation. One session with him and my symptoms dramatically decreased. One month later, I was feeling significantly better, but then the pain came back.

Feeling pretty desperate, I thought about what my husband's cousin said: "you really need to do a cleanse." I could no longer see her because of my work schedule, so I searched for another practitioner who specializes in cleanses. That's when I found Dr. Melissa Ponce...

Sweet & Sour Rhubard Jam (Sugar Free, Grain-Free, Casein Free)

I grew up eating Rhubarb and have always enjoyed it's tart flavor. Often my mom would bake with it adding strawberries. Rhubarb is a funny thing. It's a vegetable that is often paired with fruit to deliver a sour punch in a dessert. It looks like a celery's red cousin, but is actually part of a weed family and closely related to buckwheat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Rhubarb has been cultivated for it's laxative and cleansing properties. I love it because it reminds me of my childhood and I also think it's pretty serendipitous that I am craving Rhubarb the week prior to my cleanse. I guess my inner goddess approves. The plant has a short season and is usually only readily available Apr-July.  Since the season is nearing its close, I made a little jam to sooth my craving.

Ingredients:
4 Stalks of Organic Rhubarb
1 Tbsp of Ghee or Coconut Oil
1.5 Tbsp of of Raw Honey
Vanilla (Optional)

The Steps:
1. Wash the stalks and cut them into about 1/2 inch slices
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of Ghee or Coconut Oil in a non-stick skillet (I prefer using my Le Creuset casserole pan) on medium heat

3. Once ghee/oil is heated. throw in Rhubarb and sauteed. Lower to medium low if needed to prevent sticking.
4. Once Rhubarb is soft, add honey and stir

5. Turn off heat and add some vanilla powder or extract if desired
6. Enjoy alone, on ice cream, sorbet, or any thing you prefer!

Embarking on a 21-day Detox Part 3

About a year into therapy, I had already broken up with my boyfriend and was trying to concentrate on graduating from college. I was a 5^th year senior, struggling to keep up with my full class load and a full-time job and was headed towards flunking out. With the help of my therapist, I was able to negotiate my college load, which had bought me some time to get myself together. She suggested I stop overdoing it and just commit to one class that I can easily ace, so that my life would be manageable. I argued that I needed to graduate and if I only took one class, I’d never get my diploma. She reminded me that my way wasn’t working and strongly suggested I try hers. I finally conceded and re-enrolled in one of classes where the teacher originally gifted me an incomplete grade (meaning I didn't fail and could retake the class). This class was Holistic Heath: Western Traditions.

One of the required books was Andrew Weil’s Spontaneous Healing. The book features many inspiring stories of how everyday people  healed their serious illnesses without the use of traditional allopathic medicine. Reading the book brought my attention to all the random symptoms I had been having. While, I was dealing with my food issues and slowly getting healthier, my body wasn’t on the same page.  I was having a lot of random health problems. The cartilage in my ears would swell up and it would be extremely painful, my legs and feet were always cold and purple, I was having recurring yeast and urinary tract infections. I was 22 years old and waking up achy and groggy every morning.  I was still pretty overweight, weighing about 150lbs (I’m 5’2), even though I was exercising at the gym at least three times a week, doing weights and cardio.

Feb '04

Aug '04

In the book, Weil outlines different healing modalities and how they can help with certain ailments. My good friend at the time was studying to become an acupuncturist and I remembered that in high school when my period stopped, it came back only after I saw an acupuncturist (I was amenorrheic for two years as a result of my eating disorder). And so I decided to see an acupuncturist. I found one through my insurance. I went to see Jennifer Ashby in Oct’ 04. She had a practice in the Mission District which she shared with Jenny Crissman, who also happened to be a nutritionist in addition to an acupuncturist. After talking to them about my symptoms, I decided to work with Jennifer for acupuncture treatments and Jenny for nutritional support.

At the same time, I went to see an allergy specialist because I had a feeling that some of my symptoms were related to food allergies. I got the results of the allergy test and Jenny’s assessment in the same week. The allergy test showed that I was allergic to wheat, dairy, citric acid (the preservative), and chocolate. Without knowing the results Jenny told me I needed to abstain from wheat, dairy, citrus fruits, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant) and chocolate if I wanted to be healthy. These were all staples in my diet, but I resolved to do whatever Jenny told me and so I gave them all up.

stay tuned for more...

Embarking on a 21-Day Detox- Part 2

Here I am today about to embark on this journey that I'm really ready for.  This journey has been one in the making for many years. I’ve had lots of issues around food and my relationship with food was unhealthy throughout my adolescence, teenage and young adult years.  Food has always been very important in my house, beyond just survival and nourishment.  As far back as I remember food for my mother was extremely important - food and cooking is a way that she shows her love. I would also say eating disorders in run in my family. I have an aunt who had spent some time in an eating disorders clinic, my grandmother had struggled with eating disorders, and while my mother didn't/doesn’t have an eating disorder, I remember that during a difficult time our life, she ate almost nothing but chocolate for almost a whole month.

As a child, I remember myself as being pretty skinny until I was nine years old. I had a couple of traumatic events happen in my life and I began to seek solace in food.  When I look at old pictures, I can almost pinpoint the change in my demeanor and appearance.  I quickly went from being a happy thin 8-year old to a chubby sad 9-year old.

My first diet was in seventh grade, I was about 11 years old. At the time, my father was trying to lose a little weight and we had a number of diet pills in the house by a very popular company called Herballife.  I remember sitting in gym class one day and just thinking “oh my God, I am so fat! What am I going to do with myself?  Nobody likes me! I'm so fat.”  I stopped the eating lunches my mother would make me and I reduced my meal intake to 1 per day. I also started sneaking the diet pills to school with me.  This really wrecked havoc on my blood sugar and I became an emotional mess. I had several breakdowns, including one at my 12 year old birthday party. I don't remember exactly how I got out of it, but friends that were concerned about my well-being did help get me off of the pills and start eating better again.

I did ok for about 2 years, but when I was 14 or 15, I began trying to control my food again. Since I was in the midst of puberty, my appetite had significantly increased and I found it difficult to eat once a day. I began to have cycles of binging and starving and finally turned to bulimia because I was so afraid of gaining weight.

Bulimia took over my life for the next 3 years. I went from having a 3.83 GPA in my sophomore year to a 1.67 in the first semester of my senior year of high school. I would spend $50 a day on food and most of the day binging and purging.  At my worst, I was binging and purging 7 times a day. My mother would often come home from work to find me either passed out in the bathroom or passed out in my bed.

Dec '98

Sep '99

I truly believe that the only thing that saved my life at that point was a 12-step program called Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, FA.  Shortly after graduating high school, I found an advertisement for their meetings in the Fort Mason Center schedule. I got a sponsor and attended meetings 3 times a week. The program had very rigid rules but for 8 months I followed them to a tee.  I would wake up at 5am, meditate, call my sponsor and commit my 3 dailies meals to her. Once I talked to her, I could not change my mind on what I ate that day or I would be breaking what they call “abstinence.” In FA, being abstinent meant you didn’t eat white flour, sugar, alcohol or quantities of outside of what you were allowed by your program.  My 3 meals were very “clean”:  

Breakfast:
1oz of dry oatmeal cooked with water
8 ounces of yogurt
Either 6 oz. or one piece of fruit

Lunch:
6 ounces of vegetable
6 ounces at either white rice or potatoes or sweet potatoes
4 ounces of protein
Either 6 oz. or one piece of fruit

Dinner:
16 oz. salad with 2tbsp of oil
6 ounces of vegetable
6 ounces at either white rice or potatoes or sweet potatoes
4 ounces of protein
Either 6 oz. or one piece of fruit

I did the program from June 2000 until April ’01.  I went from 125lbs to 100lbs in that time.  I basically used this program to become anorexic. My sponsor lived in Boston and didn’t see me. I started working out very heavily and began preparing for a fitness modeling competition. I still woke up every day at 5am, but instead of meditating, I’d go to the gym and work out for a 2hrs. My body fat measured at 14%, extremely low for a woman. Leading up to the competition, I made the decision to stop attending meetings and stop calling my sponsor. I chose to leave the program. My justification was that it didn’t feel like enough food for me and all of the exercise I was doing. My sponsor suggested I cut down on the exercise, I chose to cut out FA. A friend of mine also pointed out that I may be involved in a cult because of how my behavior and speech had separated me from my friends and family.

When I left FA, I had no idea how to eat or what to eat. I began binging again, mostly on chocolate protein bars.  I didn't win the competition and the disappointment really set me off.  My binging quickly got out of control. I went from weighing 100lbs to almost 180lbs in 18 months.  During this time I moved away to college to be away from everyone and everything that I knew. I struggled a lot with depression and anxiety and went back and forth between doing another twelve-step programs to help deal with my food problems

April '01

Nov '02

My depression became so deep that I stopped attending classes and tried to find a way to move back home. When I came home to visit in the spring ’03, I fell madly in love and that was the perfect reason to move back home. Two months later, I moved back home and in with this new boyfriend.  Because I was so dysfunctional, so was the relationship I attracted.  At this point, with the help of a heavy exercise regime, I was down to 155 pounds and a size 12.

Jul '03

Jul '02

Being dysfunctional, and having spent much of the last 5 years drinking heavily,  I decided for my 21st birthday it would be really good idea to try magic mushrooms for the first time. I didn't really do a lot of drugs in my teen years, I much more preferred alcohol. Let's just say I overdid it on the quantity and I ended up calling my mother to come pick me and my boyfriend up because I was having a bad trip. The trip was not only terrifying but it was also jarring.  The visions left me really traumatized. I didn’t know how to handle the emotions I was feeling and I decided it was time to find a good therapist. That was 12/28/2003 and now almost 9 years later, I am proud to say that I am still seeing my therapist. She and talk therapy have helped me immensely. Beginning therapy was the first step in my recovery from my eating disorder.

Jul '04

More to follow...

Embarking on a 21-Day Detox- Part 1

Most of you reading this probably think I'm crazy. Possibly all of you think that and even a little part of me thinks that I'm crazy too.  I didn’t decide to do this on a whim, this has actually been a really long journey for me to even get to a place where I am right now:  to even consider doing a 21 day detox. But I intuitively knew it was something that I really needed to do for while.

  

About 10 months ago, my husband's cousin who I was seeing at the time for acupuncture, suggested that it would be a really good idea for me to do a detox before trying to even thinking about getting pregnant again. My response to her was: “thanks, that’s a really great idea, but I’m planning on being pregnant soon, so I just don't have time for that.” Yet somewhere deep inside, I knew that it probably wasn't a good idea for me to get pregnant feeling lousy (read on to learn more). This is partly why I'm embarking on a 21-day detox cleanse. I have a wonderful three-year-old daughter and my husband and I are really looking forward to having more children. I know for a fact that I need to do this for myself first before I embark on another pregnancy...

Before I got pregnant with our first daughter Tali, I was in amazing shape.  I was doing yoga 4-5 days a week and my diet was pretty good. I ate no dairy products, wheat,  chocolate, very limited refined sugars,  and lots of vegetables ( not always all organic), meat and fish ( not always organic or grass fed). I was able to sweat out most of the toxins in my Vinyasa yoga classes.  When I was pregnant I continued with my diet and doing yoga 3- 4 times a week, and when I couldn't do yoga anymore, I swam. I gained approximately 30 pounds in the pregnancy and had a fairly easily labor that lasted about 4 1/2 hours. My birth goal was a natural birth (no drugs) and I was able to do that.

The goal was not easy to achieve, I call it training for marathon.  Besides exercise and diet, I saw an acupuncturist and a chiropractor almost weekly, and my husband and I attended hypnobirthing classes.  I also had several hypnosis sessions to help me deal with any fears surrounding labor. I worked really hard to ensure that my vision of the birth came true.  I am extremely grateful to all the wonderful practioners who helped me achieve that vision.

If you are mom, then you know that once you have your wonderful bundle of joy, your needs take a backseat. Or rather, the needs are still there but the time and desire are not. Taking care of myself in the way I had been doing prior to my daughter's birth became much more difficult. 

I nursed my daughter until she was 25 months old,  which also made things a bit more difficult as I was pumping 3 times a day the first year and then in the second year, twice a day. There wasn't really a lot of room and time for me. Don’t get me wrong, this was purely my choice and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I tried to do yoga as often as I could, but it became really difficult to even go once a week. I would feel guilty about being away and not being there to nurse her. 

When my Tali turned 1, we introduced cow dairy and wheat products into her diet.  Having dairy in the house became very difficult for me and I began eating goat and sheep cheese again. After spending six years of not eating any dairy products whatsoever, I began to really indulge. I also switched jobs and was working over 12 hours daily, leaving me no time to even cook. I ate at Chipotle daily, thinking this was a good choice. My health started deteriorating and I no longer felt healthy. I started to feel “old”; my body felt like it was giving up on me. I was having aches and pains, stomach troubles, mental fogginess and a really hard time dealing with and processing stress. I knew intuitively that part of that feeling was my diet, but I wasn’t ready to do anything about it. I had been eating a lot more sugar, and even though it wasn't necessarily refined sugar, I was eating it in large amounts. In general, my diet was pretty lousy and I wasn’t taking care of myself…

to be continued...