So, are you ready to party? Detox-style? No champers included I’m afraid, but lemon juice is on the menu. Friday will be Day One of a four-week clean-eats detox for me, and I’ve offered to share the journey with you if you’re game to accept the invite. This week I’ll be posting a series of articles about the four weeks, going into the why and how-to behind my approach to a month of nourishing myself with wholesome, nutritious food and going without coffee!
People look at me like I’m mad when I tell them I’m doing a four week detox in which I’ll go without meat, dairy, gluten, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Invariably they’ll make me repeat the list of what I won’t be eating, and then ask: “But what do you eat?”
Rarely do I get asked the most important question: Why?
I first did a version of this detox about a year ago when I was given for review the latest book by naturopath Julie Maree Wood. I’d written about Julie’s previous books and interviewed her several times, so knew what her approach was to healthy living. Her latest book, the 4 Week Energy Diet, is a four week plan to first detox, and then rebuild your energy supply. And energy was what I craved. I was feeling far older than my 40-years so I used Julie’s program as a guide – I tweaked things to suit me and my family and did the bits that I could. She includes recipes, meal plans and even daily schedules for those who like a specific blueprint. I’m more of a wing-it my way person, but a mud map was useful.
The process really puts the spotlight on what you eat in a positive way because everything you eat is good for you. It takes the pressure off your body – it’s like giving it a holiday from all the hard work it does daily cleaning out the stuff it doesn’t need or want. It kick starts your digestive system so that it works more efficiently.
And it awakens you to what your body can feel like when it’s charged up with only the good stuff.
So here I am, doing it again, my way and with confidence because I’m so much more informed than I was then. Even though I eat this way for the most part, a few old habits have crept in, and I want to reboot my body. And I like a challenge. The bragging rights are pretty cool too.
That’s my why.
So what’s yours?
To feel better? Have more energy? Sleep better?
To look better? Lose weight? Improve your skin?
Or to break bad habits – cut sugar, or coffee, or alcohol.
Or maybe just for the challenge. To prove you can and see what happens if you do.
It helps to identify the why so that you can remind yourself in any moments that are tough. Like the first few days, because they can be hard. And ugly. But it passes, and the ending is beautiful.
Next up tomorrow: part one of the how to do it – what do I eat.
