Before I started this detox, I thought I would go on a fast-food, carb-heavy, donut-eating rampage when it was over. But now, after forgoing those foods for nearly two weeks, I'm surprisingly not craving them at all. I do, however, head straight to Starbucks for a venti iced coffee and savor each deeply-missed sip on my drive to the office. Progress, not perfection, right?
My best advice to you if you're planning on following this detox diet or another one:
Do it in the summer. Is it hard to miss out on vodka-spiked watermelon at friends' BBQs? Sure. But Gittleman says your body is more relaxed from the heat during the summer months, and therefore better able to release toxins.
Listen to your body. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have done the juice fast. It was just too much on my body, and I suffered as a result. Gittleman agrees with this point, stressing that it's incredibly important to heed your body's signals before plowing through a set plan, which isn't what I did this time around.
Talk a friend into joining you. Luckily, my editor, Meghan, was on a detox diet around the same time I was, so we were able to commiserate. Check out her detox diary here.
As for me, I'm happy I got roped into this assignment after all. While it wasn't all fun, it certainly was enlightening -- and who knows, I may not even need someone to talk me into doing it again. If my coffee habit gets out of control and I find my car swinging through the drive-through too frequently, I may just dust off this book and have at it again.
You know that infuriatingly skinny woman who can eat whatever she wants and won't gain a pound?
Yeah, well, I'm that girl.
What can I say, I've been blessed with good genes and a fast metabolism that allows me to have a second (or third) helping of dessert without ever stepping foot in a gym. As if you aren't hating me enough right now, here's some more fodder for your envy: I consume caffeine around the clock, have McDonald's for breakfast on most days, and I usually eat a microwaveable burrito for lunch. Oh, and I've never been on a "diet," let alone a detox diet.
OK, before you start to conjure up thoughts of stoning me, let me tell you that my unhealthy ways were starting to catch up with me (no shocker, I realize). My stomach often hurt; I was always bloated; my memory was becoming fuzzy; I woke up with headaches every morning; and no matter how many hours of shut-eye I got, I still was dependent on multiple coffee runs to get through my day. So it was great timing when my editor gave me this assignment: Go on a detox diet and write about your experience. I was assigned to "The Fast Track Detox Diet" by Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, which consists of 10 days of restricted eating and a one-day juice fast.
While I silently cursed my editor in the weeks leading up to my detox diet, I was intrigued by the health and beauty benefits it dangled in front of me. Glowing skin, a stronger liver, and no midday energy crash were just a few of the promises. Curious about how I did and whether it worked? Keep reading.
