40 Day Detox

Last night I dreamt of befriending dogs and cooking brightly coloured organic vegetables with succulent looking meat (not sure what kind of meat it was). Seems my subconscious is missing my love affair with the flesh of dead animals already, whilst embracing the increased use of plant based food. 

This morning I decided to exercise on an empty stomach. No caffeine and no lemon or lime juice. The only external things fuelling me during my two hour workout was a litre of water and fresh air. I improved my performance on my resistance training by slightly increasing the number of repetitions on each exercise. Though my second set was not much better than yesterdays, I didn’t feel a sudden crash in energy after my first set. I also completed my 2 laps around the park about 8 minutes faster than yesterday. 

After completing my 10 minute sprint on the cross trainer I returned home to a fresh single lime and double orange juice. Lime juice in the morning has a similar effect to lemon juice when it comes to cleansing your liver. However as I just worked out I needed an extra shot of carbohydrates to replenish my muscles with energy so I thought I’d fill the rest of the glass with orange juice rather than water. 

For breakfast I had muesli with a fresh sliced banana, a sprinkle of mixed nuts (I have every kind you can think of – try me!), a teaspoon of flax seed oil, a teaspoon of honey and skimmed milk. The oats and whole wheat in muesli have many benefits including helping to reduce blood cholesterol and have a lower GI (Glycemic Index) than more refined breakfast cereals – which means they digest more slowly and release energy into your muscles over a longer period of time. I chose to eat a banana to help restore my energy and it also has many health benefits including reducing depression. I have 11 varieties of nuts in the flat. Most are stored in my freezer for long term use. A handful of these provide me with protein, long term energy and numerous vitamins and minerals! If that isn’t a good enough reason to include them in one’s diet their monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat helps reduce blood cholesterol and contribute to a healthy heart. A handful of nuts everyday has been shown to increase one’s life expectancy according to numerous research studies. Flax seed oil contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids and numerous other nutrients. Omega 3 is good for the brain and cells and Omega 6 maintains healthy skin, nails and hair (wish someone had told me earlier!). Honey has numerous health benefits too – my main reason for including it in my muesli was to give me a quick boost in energy that I lost during my work out. 

After this my wife had cheese on toast which tempted me into indulging in making a cheddar cheese on toast, with fresh slices of green chilli and tomato. I was just being greedy! 

Despite all this eating I felt very tired again. I didn’t have the brain energy to concentrate on this blog so I started Googling for alternatives to caffeine pick-me-ups. Whilst researching I came across many articles claiming the benefits of drink green tea for weight loss and detoxing. I found out that many of Green Tea’s benefits can be enjoyed in its decaffeinated version. I had also recently read how skincare products, toothpaste and other toiletries can also contain toxins that can enter the body through contact with the skin. I decided to do something about it and went out on a mission to find decaf green tea and buy natural toxin free toiletries. 

The Body Shop Strawberry Shower Gel

I went into Holland and Barrett, The Body Shop, Boots, Sainsburys and a local store in Ilford called Health Mantra. I bought some herbal detox and cleansing type teas from Holland and Barrett. At The Body Shop I bought soap, deodorant, antiperspirant, lip balm and hair conditioner. You might be wondering what I’d want to do with conditioner with my shaved head? I prefer using conditioner instead of shaving gels and foams for shaving. I find it’s smoother to shave with conditioner. You should try it. I have to admit I found the men’s products in The Body Shop quite lame and overly priced. At one point I was really tempted to buy the ladies strawberry perfume for myself. I mean it smelled so much better than anything they had for men, and hey who says smelling like a strawberry is only for women?! At first I thought The Body Shop was quite pricey, but after the £5 discount they gave me at the till I walked away with £20 worth of products for £15 which I later discovered was pretty good when it comes to natural and organic products. I didn’t find decaf green tea anywhere. At Health Mantra I bought natural organic toothpaste and a vegan all-natural protein shake made from pea and hemp proteins. The toothpaste was nearly £4 and the 462 grams of vegan protein shake was nearly £25! I was desperate as I had already started the 40 day detox and couldn’t wait around for deliveries to arrive after shopping online so I went ahead and bought them. The Body Shop seemed like a bargain in comparison! 

For my lunch and dinner I ate quinoa with the mixed vegetable curry my wife made the day before. I also had a couple of thin slices of halloumi cheese with my dinner. 

I felt more energised towards the later part of the day and stayed up until 00.30. Before going to bed I drank a serving of the protein shake. Not the most delicious, but definitively tasted more natural. It was like drinking a mug of unsweetened mushy weetabix!

Day one of my detox. Not only am I focusing on healthy eating, but also committing to exercising every single day, with perhaps one day rest a week if I feel the need to. Normally what I do on an exercise day is I have a black unsweetened coffee first thing in the morning. I then head straight to Valentines Park in Ilford for my morning workout. It’s only 5 minutes walk from where I live, its beautiful and has many facilities, so while its summer I have no excuse for exercising at home. It has a free outdoor gym run by The Great Outdoor Gym Company which is fantastic to use in the sun. Exercising outdoors is good for two reasons, you can benefit from the fresh air and you also get your daily dose of Vitamin D from being exposed to the sun. Vitamin D is good for fighting depression, strengthening bones, building muscle amongst many other essential benefits. 

I have the coffee to kick start my metabolism and also encourage my body to burn fat while I exercise. It’s virtually calorie free and the caffeine also slightly boosts my performance in the gym. However as of the detox, caffeine is a no, no. So I wondered whether I should continue to do my workout on an empty stomach or start my day with fresh lemon juice. Lemon juice first thing in the morning also kick starts your metabolism, acts as a detox and though contains citric acid has an alkalizing effect on the body. After a few minutes of deliberating I decided to have juice before going out. I figured the extra energy would boost my performance whilst in the gym and also probably be burnt off by the time I start my pace walking exercise in time to burn my body’s fat. Then I realised I didn’t have any lemons so had the juice of one whole lime mixed with water instead. 

As I left the house I noticed I got a bit of a headache and was wheezing on my way to the park. Not a good start. In the gym I do circuit training using four of the apparatus: Dips, then Lat Pull Downs, then Chest Press and finally Crunches. I do each one for as many repetitions until fail (I’ve noticed for me this is usually giving up psychologically rather then physical failure), then move onto the next machine until I’ve completed the whole set. I repeat the process two more times. When I started my second set I felt as though my energy crashed – this is not something I’ve noticed before whilst doing these exercises on black coffee or on an empty stomach. It felt as though having the lime juice before coming out was a bad idea. 

Once I completed my three sets of resistance training I briskly walked around the park twice. To get an idea of the size of the park, it took me 1 hour 14 minutes and 20 seconds to complete both laps. I am choosing to walk for the entire 40 Day Detox as I have a history of injuring myself every time I get adventurous and try and jog or run. Last time I injured myself my right foot was so sore I couldn’t walk without limping and suffering from a lot of pain for at least two weeks. To reduce the risk of injury and to consistently exercise everyday for forty days I shall continue to briskly walk rather than jog or run. Although this isn’t my primary reason: briskly walking is a more efficient way of burning body fat compared to running or jogging the same distance. Once I completed my walk I then returned to the outdoor gym and vigorously used the cross trainer for 10 minutes to get my endorphin fix. Endorphins are the body’s natural feel good chemicals which boost your mood. Besides, it doesn’t feel like I’ve exercised enough unless I’ve broken a sweat! 

Speaking of exercise liquids, I consumed a litre of water during my whole morning workout. One down, one more to go! 

On my way home I called my wife Naadira and asked her if she would be so kind as to squeeze me a glass of fresh orange juice. She did. It was ready when I got home (thank you Naadira!). Post workout, I’ve found, a natural alternative to sports drinks to provide quick carbohydrate energy to your fatigued muscles, is the fresh juice of a sugary (fructose) fruit. It certainly has worked for me in the past. 

I was visualising what I would have for breakfast on the way home. I thought I’d be adventurous and try something new. I wanted to make a vegetarian fry up. It would be high in protein and with some carbohydrates to contribute to energy for the rest of the day. 

I fried 4 slices of Tofu in olive oil with 5 small chunks of onion, 4 small-medium sized mushrooms, 1 ½ fresh tomatoes, all flavoured with a sprinkle of soya sauce, sea salt, pepper, cumin seeds, a clove of garlic and 1 green chilli. I also chucked in 3 slices of haloumi cheese. This was accompanied by 1 slice of multiseeded wholemeal toast with peanut butter (peanut butter is high in protein). What can I say?! It didn’t look great, but it tasted absolutely divine! Yum! Though I felt I over did it a bit and decided next time I would reduce how much I ate for breakfast. 

When I finished, I remembered reading that chocolate milkshake was a good post workout recovery drink. Couldn’t have chocolate, but settled for a glass of skimmed milk instead. 

Quinoa with vegetable curry and a glass of cucumber, celery and ginger juice

For lunch I tired out quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) for the first time ever. Uncooked, they are small round grains about a millimetre in diameter. You boil them like rice, and once cooked they expand to 2-3 times their original size. You would normally consume quinoa as a substitute for rice or couscous. Its Glycemix Index is 53 (less than rice and couscous). Not only is it a source of slower digesting carbohydrate but it is also a source of complete protein needed by humans. It has all the amino acids needed by the human body which is rare for a plant-based protein source. To prepare quinoa it is best to soak the grains in water for 15 minutes and give them a rinse. You then boil them in water for 15 minutes (add sea salt while boiling to taste). I ate this with a mixed vegetable curry that my wife made and both were absolutely delicious! Really I think I am in love with quinoa! It has a light feel to it, even lighter than couscous and has a fluffy texture, whilst being soft and springy. It just feels and tastes so good in the mouth and its great for you once swallowed! 

I ate my lunch with a glass of fresh cucumber, celery and ginger juice, courtesy of my juicer. Cucumber is good for the skin, celery is good for the blood and ginger is good for all kinds of things including the digestive system. 

Yellow Pakistani Sindhri Mango

During the day I snacked on a handful of green grapes, a Pakistani Sindhri mango, an avocado and a handful of nuts. Please note: if you have sweet tooth and love mangos then you must try Pakistani mangos. They are unbelievably delicious. You can get them from most Asian or Pakistani grocers during the summer. Make sure that the mangos are yellow, and firm. They are not cheap to buy but worth every penny. Trust me one this one! 

Despite all this eating I must admit I felt very tired most of the day and went to bed around 10.30 (I normally go to bed about 2am)! I am writing this on the night of Day 2. It’s 12:30pm. Looks like I’ll have to write today’s (Day 2) entry tomorrow on Day 3. This seems to be the way this blog is working out so far. Good night!

Following a two-hour long conversation with my brother last night, today (Wednesday 4th August 2010), I decided that I will commit to a 40 day detox diet. Ok, not strictly 40 days, more like 42 days which is a 6 week detox diet. I decided to keep the extra couple of days just to see how I feel following the 40 day detox, in case the 40th day is some kind of threshold. It’s possible I may well continue to commit to the changes I implement during this 40 day period indefinitely if I’m impressed enough by the results.

So what exactly do I mean by a 40 day detox? Will I be consuming just water or fruit juices for the entire 40 days? No. Nothing of the sort. My goal is to transform my diet in a way that I can sustain those changes long term so that I can gain from the ongoing health benefits for the rest of my life. I started something similar back in January 2010 where I eliminated 1) all forms of meat – including fish and eggs; 2) alcohol; 3) tobacco; 4) caffeine; and 5) granulated sugar. This time I will be cutting out the above with the following additions: 6) artificial sweeteners; 7) white carbohydrates; and 8) drugs.  

If the above things are out, what’s in? I’ll be consuming fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh juices of both (using my juicer), water, wholemeal carbohydrates like wholemeal pasta, brown rice, multigrain wholemeal bread, vegetarian sources of protein like nuts, pulses (e.g chana daal), tofu and quinoa, and dairy products i.e. skimmed milk and a variety of cheeses. Though I shall try not to eat too much cheese due to the high saturated fat content in most forms it comes in and will instead use it mostly to add flavour to a dish.I thought about starting today, but then decided that I wanted to blog the experience and figured it would take me at least a day setting up a new blog. I also needed to head out and buy healthy groceries in preparation.  

Dixy Chicken and Chips

Whilst carrying bagfuls of healthy food back home I caught a whiff of fried chicken and chips (Dixy Chicken to be precise). It smelled divine (from a meat eaters perspective it certainly did). My first reaction was “Oh no! How am I going to be able to resist once I’ve committed to the detox?” It felt as though the detox had already started. I was already thinking about oven baking some vegetables when I got home. But then I realised, “There’s nothing stopping me eating some chicken tonight as the detox starts tomorrow.” So in I went and ordered meal number 3 (One piece of chicken and three spicy wings). I bought a can of Dr Pepper and smothered my meal with large dollops of chilly sauce and mayonnaise.

As I savoured each bite of chicken and fries wet with sauces and gulped down on my sugary Dr Pepper I realised that from midnight onwards every item I was enjoying would be banned for the next 40 days and perhaps forever. My eyes water as I write this. :’-(