Yesterday I began my journey of a 10-day detox. After a couple weeks of extra snacks, one too many cookies before bed and an indulgent holiday weekend with family, it’s time. My body deserves a break. My liver does so much for my body, it’s time to give it the care it deserves. It’s time to cleanse and rejuvenate before the bulk of the holiday season. This isn’t a diet; I don’t even intend to lose weight; my only goal is body purity and mental clarity.
For ten days, I will be eliminating:
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Gluten
• Soy
• Dairy
• Sugar (natural and artificial)
In favor of focusing on whole foods, filling up on fresh organic fruits and vegetables, plant proteins, nothing fake, unnatural or processed.
I’m sure it won’t be easy, but my body and mind will thank me.
Detox Day 1:
7:30 a.m. Awake; meditate a few minutes. Drink water with lemon.
8:00 a.m. Steel cut oats with unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon and almond butter , detox tea
12:00 p.m. Steamed kale with tahini; roasted kabocha squash
2:00 p.m. Easy 30-minute run; hot shower
3:00 p.m. Apple
6:00 p.m. Cajun spiced black beans and brown rice
9:00 p.m. Detox tea with almond milk and honey
Are any of you planning on doing a pre-holiday detox?
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This is a great idea, Kristin! After the holidays I always feel like my body needs a break. I’m not sure if I could cut out the caffeine though. Good luck!
P.S. Just curious why did you choose to cut out the soy?
There has been some conflicting research on whether soy is harmful or beneficial; and it’s often highly processed (which is why I steer clear of soy milk, derivitives and TVP and eat organic tofu/tempeh) and I tend to eat a lot of it.. at least 3 times a week! So I decided to kick it out for a while during my detox! Keep it natural.
But here is an interesting article on soy if you’re interested:
http://www.joyoushealth.ca/2010/04/08/the-truth-about-soy-is-it-really-a-health-promoting-food/
Thanks for the article, Kristin. And regarding the below comments, as a student in my senior year studying to be a dietitian, I feel as though there is nothing wrong with your detox diet. Like Gillian said, the term detox has a bad rep. But if people actually read what you wrote, and had the educational background, they would see you are indeed getting the appropriate nutrients and kcals. You know what’s right, go with how you feel.
This is such a terrible idea for someone with eating disordered thoughts. It’s just a restrict/binge pattern.
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for your concern, but my eating disordered days are far behind me. If you had read the entire post, or even my blog at all, you would understand this is in no way a diet, and hardly restrictive- I don’t eat much dairy or gluten anyway- it is simply a healthy way to detox my liver and cleanse my body for the upcoming holiday festivities. Who said anything about a binge? Not to mention the fact that it is only 10 days. And I only take advice from registered nutritionists, thanks.
Clearly it is not true that you only take advice from registered nutritionists. No registered nutritionist would tell you to “detox.” You say that your body is telling you to be healthier… which implies that you did things to it to make it unhealthy. This is the binge/purge pattern – you just call it healthy/unhealthy. You say that you are getting your body ready for the holiday festivities… it’s just putting new words on “I’m going on a diet before I eat everything I want at Christmas.”
You always talk about needing to find balance and finding what’s right for you in terms of eating. It feels like you’re looking to food to solve problems that run much deeper.
I did read the post and I have been reading your blog for a long time. I feel very sorry for you and wish you would get help.
First of all, the first statement you made is absolutely untrue. Plenty of knowledgeable, legitimate nutritionists tout the healthy effects of the occassional detox.
Proof:
http://www.joyoushealth.ca/2010/06/17/why-detox-top-5-foods-to-eliminate-simple-detox-tips/
http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2009/04/13/why-cleanse/
If you saw the amount of food I am eating… we are talking a half a squash, roasted at lunch (plus more), a whole cup of brown rice and 1.5 cups of cooked beans for dinner, you would sure as hell not claim I was on a “diet”. Get your facts straight.
Part of eating a healthy balanced diet is balancing healthier eating with indulgences. There is no binge eating or restriction going on here, I can assure you of that.
And If I had any deeper issues that needed addressing, which I do not, I would see a nutritionist. Or a psychologist.
I’ve been reading your blog for a LONG time (and enjoy it!) but I have to sort of agree with Laurie on this, unfortunately. I feel like you write at least 1 post a month about how you have finally achieved balance, or your ideal way of eating, etc. I know how hard it can be to truly find peace with food and habits, but eliminating all of these things is not indicative of a healthy mindset. You do not need to eliminate sugar, dairy, caffeine, etc in order to achieve “mental clarity”. I know you used to enjoy going to a coffee shops and drinking a latte and eating a scone or bagel on the weekends – surely enjoying a nice, hot cup of coffee on a cold morning can bring greater mental clarity than avoiding it?
It would be one thing if you were just feeling sluggish in general and were trying to eliminate things to understand why. But, you are doing this in direct response to eating “too many cookies”. I believe everyone should figure out their own food needs, but this sounds more like your guilty conscience taking over your good sense and telling you what it needs, rather than anything your body is telling you.
Hi D,
I have found a healthy balance, but I am human of course, and I do get off-balance at times, especially around the holidays. This cleanse is my way of maintaining that balance. Giving myself the gift optimum health to balance with the indulgences I will surely be participating in the next few weeks.
Of course I enjoy a nice soy latte and a breakfast cookie on the weekend, and yes, it is a little mental booster. However going once without it won’t hurt me a bit, especially when I am providing my body with nutritious options instead. Eating healthy and feeling my best is the best form of providing myself with mental clarity; but that is my personal opinion.
I don’t talk about everything on the blog and I don’t need to; it’s my life. But yes, I have been feeling sluggish lately and yes, I also happened to eat a few extra cookies. I never said there was a direct correlation between the cookies and my detox. It was one of the things I wanted to get away from (extra sugar) which were preventing me from being balanced.
My body is telling me to eat healthier. Get some rest. Treat it right. So that is what I am doing. This has nothing to do with my conscience.
But as always, thanks for reading.
As someone who knows Kristin and has shared many meals with her I feel a need to speak up here. She is the furthest thing from someone who binges and restricts, but rather eats a well balanced diet that includes healthy baked goods from time to time. I understand the concern here, but a simple detox of cutting out foods that can create stress on the body is a great way to reset the body before a stressful time like the holidays. I have worked with a nutritionist who recommends this kind of detox from time to time. As long as the goal is to feel good and not to lose weight, and you are getting enough calories and nutrience, this can be a very positive experience. And while Kristin may have struggled with an eating disorder in the past, she is definitely someone who focuses on nutrition, health and balance at this point in her life and that should be respected.
Voicing a differing opinion on a public blog does not mean that someone is disrespecting her.
I think an equally important point here is that a “nutritionist” is not a legally protected name. Pretty much anyone could call themselves a nutritionist without having the same education or qualifications as a registered dietitian, which is the only person who is legally permitted to give nutrition advice. A “nutritionist” is not registered and can gain “qualifications” from some hokey pokey “university” online, or “alternative health” program.
I am open to other opinions and respect yours as well. I have not said that anyone is disrespecting Kristin, I merely hope we can all value that she is a grown woman with a strong knowledge of health, nutrition, her own needs and her own body.
I also agree with you on the nutritionist front. I refer to a nutrionist in particular who I find has a very balanced view on health. This just me voicing my opinion.
This is a sticky subject as everyone’s idea of health is different, and the word ‘detox’ has a dirty association with restrictive diets. I simply want to say that Kristin, from my knowledge as a friend, has a very healthy relationship with food and her body, and I respect that she values both and knows what is best for her.
Hi Kristin,
Just want to reach out and commend your efforts for getting your body on track, where you want it to be and feel best. I am making similar changes to my meals to reduce sugar, caffeine, dairy and soy. I find that my energy levels improve and my mood is more stable when I am able to have all of this in mind.
I think you could use a little love right now and as a supportive reader, I figured this was a good opportunity to speak up.
Take care, Kristin!
P.S. For reference, we met at Angela’s meet up last February at Fressen!
Thanks so much Jaclyn, it means a lot to me!
And yes, I remember! We never did do that Live date… we should!
Gack, I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of this strring of comments, but I can say that I have enjoyed chowing down on the biggest bowls of hot bar EVER from Whole Foods with this beautiful lady. I’ve *never* worried about her intake.
Thank you, lady! <3
Unfortunately, as happens sometimes when we share things on the internet, we get some comments from people who assume that they know the whole story, or that somehow they know more about our lives than we do. I don’t think it is right for anyone to diagnose you with disordered behaviour without even knowing you, so I hope you can disregard the original comment and continue to do what is best for you. Everyone is different, and cleanses can be quite helpful for some people, maybe not so much for others. It’s all about making informed decisions for yourself and your body. And if you are still trying to find your healthy balance and figure out what works for you, that’s okay too. You don’t need to prove to anyone that you are a “perfect eater”, if there is such a thing. Anyway, I’m not trying to imply that you don’t know these things, just thought I would give my two cents and lend my support.
Thanks so much Hayley, I understand it is something that comes with the territory, but I do appreciate the support!
Those greens are gorgeous! We can have a hard time finding really good greens here, so every time I see a bright lovely bushel like that I start to drool.
Enjoy your detox! And no, I don’t plan to do one. Unless you count gorging on rich Christmas fare a detox….
That dish looks amazing!
Love that you’re doing a detox – how are you feeling?
As a chick who is doing an elimination diet to figure out some digestive issues, I know how tricky it can be to eat super clean and avoid allergens.
Good luck!!!
Wow, this sounds really cleansing. Though, I bet I’d be hungry.
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