Detox Day 9: Take It Slow
It is Detox Day 9! Can you believe we've already nearly completed the program? Food restrictions are now almost completely lifted, and today we could eat anything from the recommended foods list! Are we glad we have almost finished our detox? Yes. But, do we plan to do it again? Absolutely.
At this point in the detox, you've already put in the work and hopefully, you are feeling the reward. It should now be our focus to take a look at what we've learned and continue to apply it to our routines to truly grow from this experience.
Here are some of the things our staff is saying:
"I have learned that I can, in fact, live without having a 32 oz. of Fountain Coke every day. Although I miss it, I am trying to continue to keep it out of my diet altogether. It has been a trying and challenging ten days...I am not a big fish eater, so that was an extremely hard part for me trying to get protein differently. I did not like that our meat selection was so strict.. and I also did not like that the main fruit selection was so small...I wish there were a bit more variety. I am happy that I did this detox, though. It revealed a lot and taught me that I could control myself if I just put my mind to it." —Brittany I.
"I learned that cooking healthy food can be SIMPLE and easy and delicious. I realized I tended to overcomplicate things in my head when meal planning. I also learned how much distress my stomach/gut would sometimes be in when I eat junky food. Now I know how my body should feel all the time." —Caity M.
"I learned that food prep is going to be the most important thing! Without planning what I was going to eat the next day I was scrambling around trying to find food when it came time to eat." —Jocelyn D.
"I have a better appreciation for what many of our patients go through when they suffer from food allergies or sensitivities that require them to follow a strict diet. I realized it takes a good amount of energy and planning to follow a restricted diet, but I think the next time I do this detox, it will be much easier because I've already experienced that learning curve."—Sara S.
Speaking of food sensitivities, the title of this blog is in reference to adding your food groups back in today and tomorrow. Take it slow. If you start by reintroducing 1-2 foods per day, it will be easier to assess if you have any adverse reactions to things you have been avoiding. For example, only allow the addition of some dairy on day one and continue to avoid sugars, sweeteners, and most grains. Some food sensitivities cause symptoms on a large delay, which means the reaction might not kick in for 12-24 hours. Give yourself some time and reap the benefits of your hard work by learning which foods your body prefers!
We can’t say enough how much we've loved this challenge. Each of you who have commented or sent feedback helped to keep our staff motivated, and we can't wait to dream up the next patient-staff event! You guys rock, and we will see you tomorrow!
