Detoxing. Ugh. Yes, please?

Ah the dreaded cleanse. Has a negative ring to it, right? If you're like me, you probably don't like detoxes. Who is a fan of lethargy, hunger, headaches, mood swings and did I mention hunger? Once, out of the suggestion of a Chiropractor, I went on a 3 day cleanse drinking only a specific vitamin/nutrient concoction of 'everything the body needs to function'. I made it the full 3 days, but as the hubby can tell you, not without pouting, crying and a lot of complaining. Felt amazing afterwards though.

After researching a little more, cleansing on a regular basis started to make sense. The idea of a detox is to hit the reset button. Our bodies naturally know how to detoxify itself. But after years of eating a normal American diet of unhealthy processed, greasy, lab-manufactured 'foods', our systems get overtaxed and need a break. Throw in constant exposure to environmental toxins, pesticides, heavy metals, unclean air, water etc. and the body can go from a little wear and tear to a larger breakdown.

Every so often, give your body a well-deserved break by providing the nutrients it needs and limiting the excess. A detox is also an excellent way to really see what the body is sensitive to. Over-consumption of any and all foods leaves us feeling crappy but we aren't sure which foods are the culprit. Eliminating most foods except the basics and reintroducing them one by one slowly over time will help you understand what foods your body says NO to.

Here are some detox basics:

             NO

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Sugar
• Dairy
• Wheat and Gluten
• Processed items

Because I suffer from an autoimmune disease and have multiple food sensitivities, I take a stricter approach. All of the above plus, no:

Corn
Soy 
Canola Oil and Eggs (causes inflammation and allergies)
Pork (high in fat, hard to digest)
Farmed Fish
MSG
Anything with Natural or Artificial Flavors or Sweeteners (lab manufactured chemicals)
Citric Acid (irritating to stomach and intestinal lining) 
Fish Oil Supplements (processing causes concentrated mercury)


After a good cry, you ask What Can I Eat? That depends on how strict a cleanse you want.

For a strict approach: Eat RAW, ORGANIC FRUITS & VEGETABLES only. The Raw state contains the highest level of nutrients for the body. Get creative. Pick a new vegetable from the market you've never tried and google raw recipes. Make colorful salads with both fruit and vegetables. Make multiple smoothies a day blending different fruit combinations. Try gazpacho or spinach soup. Checkout the recipes in Anthony Willam's Medical Medium book.  My favorite is cauliflower and apples blended into small pea sized chunks. It's a great summer/portable snack!

I completed this cleanse for 28 days. If that doesn't sound like fun, try it for 3 days. Or take a less strict approach for 1-2 weeks and add lean meats, good fats and protein such as chicken breast, turkey, avocados, raw coconut butter, nuts, seeds, quinoa, cooked vegetables or brown rice.

Not going to lie, the first three days are no bueno. Detoxing off sugar and grains (what I imagine) feels like drug withdrawal....because it is. Research shows sugar has the same effect on our brains as opiods. In fact, sugar has been found to be MORE addictive than cocaine! It produces a wonderfully sweet high that we need more and more of to feel the same effect.

But don't worry, after detoxing, cravings start to diminish and staying under 10-15 grams of total processed sugar per day will keep the cravings at bay. Not to mention, heal the body of inflammation and ward off diseases. Helpful tip: eat a piece of fruit when sugar cravings hit.

Some side effects that can occur are headaches, lethargy, intense sugar cravings and hunger, dull taste of fruits/vegetables, anxiety/depression, muscle aches, nausea, insomnia plus others based on how your body reacts to the change.

DON'T GIVE UP! It's unpleasant at first because your body, brain and taste-buds have to retrain itself to how it feels to really be nourished by whole foods again. Stick to it and you will feel amazing soon, trust me!

Some of the many benefits of detoxing include:

• Weight loss
• Mental clarity
• Improved energy 
• Healing inflammation (aches/pains/headaches gone)
• Improved skin 
• Better digestion, healing of stomach/intestinal issues, healthy bowel movements
• Improved mood

Now that you are ready to detox, have a plan before starting. Decide how long (3 days to 28 days) and how strict a detox you want then prepare. Decide each meal, make a shopping list and hit the grocery store. If eating a lot of salads for lunch or dinner, prepare 5 days worth in one sitting to save time. Cut up all fruit and veggies and store in containers for easy snacking.

After the cleanse is over, introduce foods back into your diet, one by one and make a note of how you feel after eating. For example, if after eating a piece of bread, you feel lethargic and foggy headed, maybe you are sensitive to gluten. Or after eating some cheese your stomach hurts, have gas or mucus in the back of your throat, you might have a sensitivity to dairy.

Trust your body, give it the right nutrients, experiment with all types of whole foods and you will be well on your way to a healthier life. Happy eating!

*I have merely scratched the surface of this topic, so please ask any questions for deeper understanding of detoxing, food sensitivities, healthy meal ideas, etc.

What, no magic pill?

A few months ago, I read a book by Anthony William called Medical Medium which explores the use of food as a tool to help the body heal itself. It has changed the way I look at food, mainly the healing power of nutrient dense whole foods vs. the destructive power of processed, chemically laden non-nutritious ‘food’. For anyone suffering from an illness or malady, it couldn’t hurt to try, right?

Now, I’ve read many books, spent countless hours researching Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and have seen dozens of doctors in the 10 years since the onset of this illness and NONE have even come close to explaining EXACTLY the onset, progression and detail of CFS like described in Anthony’s book. The Chapter on Epstein Bar Virus could have been written about me.

Anyone struggling with what Anthony calls a ‘mystery illness’ would benefit from reading this book. If you’ve been given a label such as adrenal fatigue, fibromyalgia, CFS, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disorder, lupus, celiac disease, lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, migraines, depression, Candida, leaky gut syndrome, IBS, PTSD, shingles, you name it, could all be associated with one of the 60 strains of Epstein Bar Virus.

My doctor found elevated EBV levels when I was first sick after a terrible flu. The theory is that EBV is hiding in 95% of adults and waits until the immune system is run down to attack. i.e. bad cold/flu virus, car accident, emotional trauma like a death, pregnancy, anything to exhaust the body. Then it drills holes and hides in the organs like the liver, spleen or thyroid, multiplying, releasing toxic viral byproducts and neurotoxins at irregular intervals, confusing the immune system causing a continual inflammatory response (Lupus), exhausting the body further. Damages to the thyroid can cause Hashimoto’s, Graves, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer etc. Many of the general symptoms EBV cause are moderate to extreme fatigue, mental fogginess, weight gain, impaired memory, muscle pain/weakness, neuropathy, ataxia, tinnitus, vertigo and many more depending on what strain of the virus you have.

*It is important to note that EBV can be active or dormant at any given time so if an EBV test does not come back positive, it might mean the virus is dormant at this time but no less harmful. Do not be discouraged!

I highly recommend reading Medical Medium if you or a family/friend are struggling with any of the illness’s listed above, or Type 2 diabetes, PMS, menopause, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or autism. It explains, each mystery illness and suggestions on certain foods/supplements that can help restore the body enough to heal. Even if you aren’t suffering from anything (bless you super human!) incorporating some or all of the outlined foods, can only serve to prevent sickness and keep you running on Full.

I, like most of you, take everything with a grain of salt. I’m hopeful that fueling my body with the nutrients it needs will gradually restore it to optimal health, but is it an end all, be all cure? Who knows. Only time will tell. 

One thing I do know ~ there is no magic pill to cure these EBV caused illnesses. But Faith, patience, priority changes and humor will be my armor to fight until CFS is kicked to the curb for good.

As promised, I will be ending each blog with a healing, delicious recipe for you to enjoy!

                                                 Roasted Garlic & Beet Soup*

Ingredients:

• 3 medium beets (red or golden - both delcious!)
• 2 TBS olive oil, plus more for drizzlng
• 6 unpeeled garlic gloves (or more - love garlic!)
• 1 large leek
• 1 TSP fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• course salt and pepper
• 1/2 TBS lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat over to 400 degrees. Drizzle beets with olive oil and roast in parchment lined foil until tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, drizzle garlic cloves (including shell) with oil and  roast in a separate foil packet, about 30 minutes. 

Beets and garlic roasting on same pan

2. Unwrap beets, let cool, peel and quarter. Squeeze garlic from skin. Set aside.

3. Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add leak and cook, stirring, until       tender, 6-8 minutes. 

Chopped leeks

Add beets, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and 3 cups water. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and add more salt/pepper to taste.

*recipe from Gluten Dairy Sugar Free Big Book of Recipes, by Michelle Deberge

Changes and New Directions

It has been over a year since I posted a new blog. Most of the reason was due to declining health and the challenges that goes along with that. For those new to the blog, refer to the first 3 posts for more info on my journey living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS. A more in depth blog on current research and treatments will follow shortly.

CFS is a very delicate balancing act. Running yourself down, eating foods sensitive to your body and coming into contact with various environmental toxins can wreak havoc on an already overtaxed system, causing a 'relapse' of CFS symptoms. As a result of being careless, I experienced a relapse last year bringing with it some new disturbing symptoms. After extensive testing, I went from having a UTI, to hydronephrosis of the kidneys to kidney stones and ovarian cysts, peripheral neuropathy and eventually chronic cystitis where the Urologist washed his hands of me and said I was the 3rd patient he's seen that week with these symptoms and basically just deal with it and here's some pills. I was in constant SEVERE kidney and bladder pain made worse by almost every food except bland lean meats and vegetables. I lost 12 pounds in two months becoming frail and underweight. My legs, feet, arms and hands tingled and burned so bad from the neuropathy, it was difficult to sleep. I'd go into bouts of uncontrollable shaking from the anxiety of it all. My husband thought he might lose me. It was a nightmare.

Fortunately after a few months, I recovered mostly and tried to move on with my life. But after 9 years of successfully managing this illness, it felt like I had entered a new stage of downward health. The Candida overgrowth that I had experienced and overcome when I first discovered Acupuncture, was back with a vengeance. More foods are becoming intolerable to my digestive system and must be eliminated. The neuropathy is a constant nuisance with some days better than others.

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. The time for change is now. I have a renewed drive and ferocity to overcome illness 'labels' and finally heal. This blog was originally started to chronicle my running and pet sitting experiences. I will continue to do so with more of a focus on my journey of returning to health through super foods and supplements. Providing recipes and my experiences cooking/preparing/trying new meals, food, herbs and spices with pics of course! Looking at current research on the healing components of supplementation and certain foods in aiding body healing as well as which ones I'm using and any significant effects they have on me. I hope to chronicle not just the successes, but the failures, and boy have there been a few foibles in just the 4 short weeks into this journey!

I used to keep quiet about CFS since there has always been a stigma around it.

'But you look perfectly fine!'

As I open up to more and more people, they share their struggles with similar autoimmune illnesses such as Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Adrenal Fatigue, IBS, Lyme Disease, Shingles, Thyroid Disorder, etc. In fact, millions of people around the world suffer from these 'mystery illnesses' but so far there is no cure, only management.

My hope is that through my own trial and error, this blog will not only motivate others to develop a better relationship with healing foods, but take back their well-being and vitality. Consider joining me along the way, ask questions and share your experiences as we work towards a common goal: optimal health.