My 7 Day Cold Turkey Cleanse
Ok - before you go running from the idea of a cold turkey cleanse, let me assure you… I DID NOT eat only cold turkey for 7 days. YUUUCK! But it did get your attention right?! It’s a phrase we all know pretty well, but just in case you don’t… It’s when a person, instead of weaning themselves off of a behavior, food, vice, etc….they just STOP….”Cold Turkey”. Some are successful with this approach, and some fail miserably despite a valiant effort.
I myself, deliberately chose to go “cold turkey” into a cleanse that was required I do before a “wellness” retreat I am attending this weekend. As a trainer and nutritionist, I know very well the importance of eating clean, but also taking the necessary steps before a cleanse, to decrease the side effects that come with detoxing your body. So do you think I did that? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Nope…not this busy working mom of a 5 year old. I’ve been running on caffeine & ice cream to keep up with work, school, & this Tasmanian devil every day. If you looked at my diet on paper, it looks clean!..but if you read between the lines, you would see how I spike my blood sugar all day for energy, & feed my stress with sugar (Yes, even fruit is sugar). SO… I decided to go COLD TURKEY into my 7 day cleanse as an experiment on just how addicted & dependent my body is on what I feed it everyday.
Cleanse Rules - The “NO” list:
No Sugar. This means no fruit, no stevia, no honey, no protein powders, no juices…nothing. No simple carbs. No bread, pasta, refined grains, or anything that turns to sugar. Nothing processed. Only whole, real food. No nuts except sprouted raw almonds.No animal protein except step 4/5 chicken, and trout.No juices of any kind. No dairy of any kind.No supplements. No pain relievers, herbal supplements, pre-workouts, or powders of any kind.No caffeine of any kind. No sex, violent TV/Films, or added stress.
So, needless to say, the last 7 days has been a journey. Challenging, exhausting, eye opening, and very educational.
A look at my week:
Day 1 - Headache. No caffeine, and no sugar makes Carolyn a sad girl.
Day 2 - Still have a bad headache. And so tired. Looking for that energy boost that never comes. Totally dragging.
Day 3 - Yup. Headache is still here. It’s like Chinese water torture. And omg the exhaustion. I can’t believe how dependent I was on the sugar and caffeine to boost me up. Shouldn’t my body do that on it own? (Ah-Ha Moment). But I will say..its pretty liberating just taking all the crap out of the daily equation.
Day 4 - Headache…Check. Exhaustion …Check. Brain Fog….Check. But wait..I have needed a nap for the past 10 years and I haven’t napped in 4 days. I seem to have a prolonged low level energy that is increasing.
Day 5 - It’s a headache marathon apparently, but I’m feeling level, in a way I haven’t before. I’ve lost 3 lbs, and my joints feel better than they have in a long time.
Day 6 - Ok I thiiiink my headache is gone. Thank GAWD. And man is it liberating to know that my body is functioning without any of those fake energy sources. I am truly fueling my body the way it needs to work at its best.
Day 7 - Eating breakfast with Olive today, before leaving for my retreat, we past by the blueberry muffins. God damnit do I love blueberry muffins. But you know what I love more than those endocrine disrupting, sugar and chemical filled muffins? ME, that’s what. When I get home, I’ll look up a healthy blueberry muffin recipe and make them with my Olive girl.
This “Cold Turkey” cleanse experiment has given me such vast clarity on what our bodies need from us, and how “down the rabbit hole” we ALL get with our nutrition. Our bodies tell us what they need. They beg us to help them so they can help us. All we have to do is climb out of the hole and listen.
If you wanna know what I ate this week, have any questions, or need a customized plan of your own, I’m here for you!