BEFORE WE BEGIN (officially) let me tell you a bit about my health background. While I’m not yet 24, I have had more than my fair share of ailments throughout the years. I’ve worn glasses most of my life. Seasonal allergies plague me. Dark under-eye circles are a constant foe. I’ve suffered from migraines that required hospitalization for nearly as long. My skin has been in a constant state of breakout since about age 10. I have Raynaud’s. Gut troubles have been with me since as far back as I can recall. Sundry other afflictions have come and gone.
The one thing I can say I’ve never had a problem with is my weight. I say this not to brag but to draw attention to the fact that even though this detox is a diet, and thereby something we associate with weight loss, I am not striving to drop any pounds. That said, Dr. Junger does claim that one of the bonuses associated with his Clean detox is the loss of those last few stubborn pounds you may have been trying to shed. For the sake of a thorough account, I will tell you that my starting weight is 125 pounds. If I notice myself getting thinner over the next three weeks, I will make note of it in this blog.
Slimming down may not be one of my goals for this detox, but I do have plenty of others I’m looking happily toward. According to the book, each week you’ve successfully completed brings a new batch of benefits which I’ve summarized below.
Week One -- More energy; strengthened mental acuity
Week Two -- Systems that had been blocked by toxins will begin to free-up; so-called cosmetic damages you might have struggled with in the past (i.e. weight and skin troubles) will start to clear.
Week Three -- Look and feel younger; sleep better; any lingering issues--from constipation to joint pain--will be relieved.
Beyond -- Improved sense of self-awareness, especially regarding what you consume and how you feel as a result of that input.
What am I not looking forward to? Hunger. Dr. Junger has this to say about it:
We so commonly say “I’m hungry,” but most of us don’t really know what hunger is. That bodily sensation that you call hunger may be something different. During Clean, you will finally be able to rename that sensation for what it really is.
Bully.
Why, you might ask, do I have to go hungry? That’s the detox, folks. Since liquid meals get processed faster than solid ones, that’s what you eat at the beginning and end of your day. The aim there is to give your body time--while you sleep!--to clean up and reboot. Meanwhile, lunch becomes your new favorite meal of the day and those three weeks are here and gone before you can say “bon appetit”!
Never before has this brave young thing undertaken such a gastronomic odyssey. As a fellow traveler on the path to wellness, I submit this log in hopes that the Clean detox will not only bring me health, but illustrate a positive way forward for all of you as well.
If you have a detox experience you want to share, or a suggestion or question for me, leave it as a comment below.