The Detox -- Harder Than it Sounds!

Has anyone else started the detox yet? Let me just say – whew, it’s harder than I thought!

The picture above is me at 8 AM this morning with my juice… aka breakfast, when things were still going well! I found this particular juice (V8 Fusion) at the grocery store -- it's made from sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, grapes, oranges, and pineapples, and seemed like a good way to start the detox.

I admit I was nervous about getting through a 5-hour shift at work on juice alone, and took it with me since I figured I’d be best off sipping it throughout the morning every time I felt hungry or thirsty, rather than drinking it all beforehand. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the pangs of hunger all morning, but I did feel rather empty, like my stomach wanted something in it.

When I got home a little after 2, I was more than ready for lunch, and had some Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds that I had made yesterday in preparation. But I still felt sort of empty again several hours after eating, so I brewed a cup of herbal tea and tried not to think about it.

But in the long hours between my 2 o’clock lunch and 8 o’clock dinner when my husband gets home, I needed a snack. Really, really needed one, and I went into the kitchen to find one. We don’t have much in the way of snack food in general, and after staring at the nearly empty shelves… I had a graham cracker with peanut butter. I knew I shouldn’t as both wheat and peanuts are on the “no” list, but I did it anyway.

And then, to make matters worse, I had a second.

I knew I shouldn’t, but I did anyway. And I remembered just how hard it can be to stick to a new diet, of any sort. I know a few crackers with peanut butter aren’t such a big deal. But I want to stick to this program and see where it leads me. So, after beating myself up for a bit, I decided to get right back on track with a smoothie for dinner. And I have a new game plan for attacking tomorrow. First off, no more juice for breakfast – I’m going with what I hope will be a more filling mango and avocado smoothie featured in Body and Soul magazine. I think the fiber and fat in that will do more for me than the juice, which honestly is a lot of empty sugar calories. And I’m also going to head to the local food co-op for some almond butter and maybe some raw carrots for dipping – a much more detox-friendly snack.

But more importantly, I am going to try tomorrow to stay connected to the detox, and to honor my hunger not by giving in to it, but by feeling it, by being hungry for a little bit and experiencing that part of the detox process. I may try writing down my experiences as suggested, or just take it easy in the afternoon, maybe taking a bath or reading a good book. I know I can do it if I commit myself.

How are the rest of you doing? What was your first day like?