Nutrition, Detoxes & Chiropractic

In mid-August, I set out on a 21-day purification, a three week cleanse/detox. I decided to do this because over the course of the past several months, I felt my nutrition was less than ideal and I had started to eat what I consider more unhealthy foods. If you are like me, once you start eating unhealthy, it’s easy to keep on eating bad because the foods just taste good. You know … chips, chocolate, an extra serving or two, not as much fruit and vegetables, more coffee and ice tea than water, and the list goes on. It certainly is easier and more fun to eat like that, but my body has become so sensitive to food over the years, that I really feel it when I eat bad. I just don’t feel as good.

So, how do you think I did? The program I followed was from Standard Process, and included two protein shakes a day, plus fruits & veggies – as much as I wanted. After 11 days I could add some protein into the plan, like fish, chicken, eggs or another meat. However, I never made it that far, and will say in over 10 years of doing cleanses/detoxes like this (about 2x a year), it is only the second time I failed to make it through the full program.

The first time I was training for a marathon, and just really needed the extra calories, and this time was because life just got in the way! On day five, my husband and I decided to make a somewhat last minute trip to visit some friends at their lake house. When you spend two days with friends, it’s hard to be ‘boring’ and eat just fruit and vegetables, so on the Saturday night, I ended the program with a good dinner cooked on the grill. From there on, the purification program was over.

However, I did make it 5 ½ days, and will say that it was enough to kick me back into healthier eating. No more ice tea, no more chococalte, and much more fruits & vegetables. My body feels SO much better when I am eating well, my energy is higher, my weight is down, and I just feel great. I really think that people don’t know how good they really will feel when they make better food choices.

What I have learned (and this is not really anything new), is that it is ALL about planning. If I don’t make it to the grocery store on Sunday, my week is messed up. I resort to running out at lunch to find something to eat instead of bringing a salad to the office, dinners are whatever we can pull together instead of something planned ahead, and snacks are no longer fruit and vegetables. If I make it to the store and buy that food, I’m fine….I just have to make it to the store.

So next time you are complaining about what you are eating (or not eating), remember that it comes down to planning and making smart choices. For the past year, we have been conducting nutritional consultations at the office with patients, and people have really said positive comments about them. If you have questions about nutrition, about what to eat, what not to eat, what supplements to take, what supplements not to take, and how chiropractic plays a role in health, let us know. Chances are we can help you.

So yes, I am human and will admit I didn’t make it 21 days of following the program, but I did get back on a healthier eating routine and I feel great once again. Let us help you feel great, even better than you can imagine.