Breathe Magazine

Detoxification: the process, real or perceived, of removing toxins from the body.

Detox usually has a negative connotation to its name. A lot of people only associate detoxing with alcohol and drugs, but it’s really removing any toxins from your body. Some people do a detox for two weeks, others for much longer. Some people might say it’s a quick fix to losing weight, others think it’s a must to have a more balanced and healthy life.

I have never done a detox and because I’ve been having a lot of stomach problems I have decide to go through a detox for 30 days to see how my stomach feels after I am done. I eat pretty healthy so really this detox isn’t that hard for me, the hardest part is giving up coffee! I love coffee. I drink almost two cups a day and sometimes more. I not only love it, I am addicted to it! If I go without coffee for more than a couple of hours in the morning, I get the worst headache. So as you can see coffee controls me and I do not like that at all.

I started my detox on Monday and so far I feel pretty good, but the caffeine headaches are killer and I don’t want to take medicine to cure it. I know that over time it will get better and I will not have the headaches anymore. I don’t want to give up coffee forever, I just want to be able to have it more as a treat rather then a necessity.

Before starting a detox there are several things one should consider:

1. Why are you doing it? Is it a healthy reason?
2. What do you plan to do after? Eating a healthy diet on a regular basis is what will help the body function properly. This should just be a kick-start to a new healthy eating regime.
3. Please consult your doctor before entering into a serious detox — what’s right for my body might not be what’s right for yours.

The reasons I am doing my detox:

1. I want to give up my addiction to coffee (only have it once in a while).
2. I am hoping this helps my tummy get back on track and not hurt all the time.
3. To get more energy!
4. To clean out the junk in my diet. I know I eat pretty clean, but these past couple months I have been giving into CRAP!

The detox is not that much different from my normal diet. Here are the main things I cannot have for 30 days:

Caffeine (except green tea)
Meat (except fish)
Gluten
Salt (I can have sea salt)
Butter
No Added Sugar
Wheat
No preservatives
No oils (only extra virgin olive oil)
No dairy products

It is basically sticking to all natural and CLEAN foods. I believe in having a balanced diet, and I don’t feel that everyone needs to do a detox, but I am hoping for me it will only help me to learn more about my body and become a more balanced and healthier person.

So what are your thoughts on Detoxification?