Days 11+12 Finishing Strong

I’m finally finished with my detox! I’m feeling better overall and couldn’t be happier that the even though I had coffee the day after finishing my detox it wasn’t something I have needed to get me going at all, just something I wanted. More energy, clearer thinking welcome home! This was a great stepping stone for me to work on more goals I have for my own health this year. I’ve already become more routine in my supplement taking (day 3 of daily supplements already complete!) and working toward getting back to cleaner eating. Even though these things make sense in our minds, they are not always the easiest things to implement. Doing a detox is a way to start fresh in so many ways aside from cleaning up your health!

I wanted to follow up and discuss where some of the toxins that we accumulate come from in our daily lives. Most of us think “I eat good” or “I get plenty of exercise” but we are exposed to more and more toxins as we evolve into the future and it’s important to know that little things can add up in big ways!

1- Toxins come in our food: Think of “food” in a package for what it really is-processed chemical additive poison and garbage. Makes you want that bag of chips right? But think about it, processed foods are full of fillers and preservatives that don’t serve function in our body but can accumulate and cause damage. Genetically Modified Organisms( GMO’s) are major crops in this country including soy and corn. Produce is sprayed by chemicals and fertilizers which is why buying organic as much as possible has become so important. Meat sources are being pumped full of hormones and antibiotics for mass production which is why grass fed hormone free meat is the way to go.By eating whole real foods we are supporting optimal function within our bodies including daily detoxification. By limiting our toxic food intake we limit the amount of exposure and thus reduce the toxic load of our overall day.

2-Toxins are in the air: It should come to no surprise that the air we breathe has some pollutants in it. But if you commute to work or work in a chemically ridden plant your exposure has greatly increased. Adding chemical air fresheners might make things smell nice, but can really be contributing to your toxic load and slowly slowing down optimal function and metabolism. There are plenty of free resources available through the internet on making your own cleaning products using basic ingredients and essential oils. Essential oils are a great tool because they can help kill air born bacteria naturally and provide so many great functions. It’s important to get good quality oils because even plants that have been sprayed with pesticides and chemicals will transfer into the oils and you’ve defeated the whole purpose!

3-Your bath/body products: Your skin is your largest organ. It covers your entire body and it absorbs what you put on it. So your lotion, face moisturizers and body sprays can be contributing to your toxic load as well!! Switching to a natural deodorant cuts down on chemical and metal exposures. Aluminum has been linked to breast cancer in women, and is found in your antiperspirant ladies and gentleman! Our bodies were made to perspire as a natural detoxification process and when we clog the poor’s with chemicals to stop that process don’t you think some of that builds up into the tissue you’re applying it too? This goes for your soap, shampoos, lotions, face creams, serums, sunscreens ect. Please check out http://www.ewg.org to see how toxic the ingredients in your body/face products are! This is a great FREE resource.

This is a short list and the graphic below get’s a little more detailed but it opens your eyes to just how toxic our world has become. By taking as many steps as possible to decrease or minimize your daily toxic load you’re doing wonders for your health and possibly preventing illness or chronic ailments.

If you think you’ve been exposed to more toxins than average or your body is not clearing out these toxins like it should, please don’t hesitate to contact your nearest holistic doctor to get testing done for heavy metals, environmental toxin exposures and or food allergies and sensitivities. The beauty of being a doctor who focuses on natural methods of healing is being able to do the proper lab work to make the diagnosis correctly and then following up with lab testing again to make sure the problem has been fixed. Don’t play the guessing game when it comes to your health, there are plenty of good doctors out there willing to put in the effort to get you back on the road to health!

 

Day 9+10- Finally the Poop talk!

I think I’ve waited long enough to talk about one of the most important topics we could discuss!! Now that you’ve all been hooked on reading my daily updates, it’s time to get into the really good stuff! A few things to keep in mind: 

1- Everybody poops. Get over it, deal with it, embrace it, and learn to love it.

2-Knowing the difference between what a good bowel movement is supposed to be and what unhealthy looks like could make a HUGE difference in your life. Period. Did you realize monitoring your bowel movements not only can tell you about how well your digestive system is functioning but also how your immune system is?? This is hands down one of the most important topics I could discuss with my patients because it’s something you can monitor ALL THE TIME. Way better than me sending out your blood and waiting for results. Think of it as a real time tissue sample.

 

FUN POOP FACTS!

1- Your poop shouldn’t smell! That’s right kids, if your stinking up your bathroom each time you go that means there is food rotting and fermenting in your system, and it also means you’re toxic. 

2-You should be going 1-3 times a day! You should be going to the bathroom for each meal you have. Think about that for a second. Your body is supposed to take in your food and process out the vitamins and nutrients necessary and get rid of the rest as waste. When you’re not passing waste (don’t think it’s just not in there-you ate!) you are re-absorbing waste products back into your body. 

3-Size, shape and color tell you so much! Every had bunny poops? you know hard dry pellets? That’s likely a sign of dehydration, your body sucked in all water possible including the waste water. Is your stool dark like coffee grounds?? This is likely a sign of some internal bleeding and you need to seek medical attention. Who knew you could learn so much about yourself! Please check out the graphic below- your average movement should look like #3 or 4. 

 

4-You sunk my battle ship!! Monitoring your poops can also tell you about proper fat processing in your body. If it floats-your passing a lot of fat (shouldn’t happen) which could mean you’re not able to digest fats or absorb them properly. You shouldn’t absorb all fat though, so take note that a good stool should float near the top for a second then sink. (Admit it you’re going to watch from now on-that’s a good thing!!) Poop that sinks quicker than the titanic is usually from constipation and again, improper digestion. 

One of the other very important reasons I did this detox was that I went from 3 good movements per day to 1 ok and sometimes not great movements in a day. Since beginning my detox I have regained normal bowel habits that I was previously used too. It’s very important to note that NO good detox will keep you in a bathroom all day. Some products labeled as detoxes are just a combination of stool softeners and laxatives-which is not the point of a detox. Yes you should be passing your bowels more often as you are kicking out waste-you don’t want it reabsorbed right? But you shouldn’t be unable to leave a bathroom either. That is the scariest question I ever get when asked about a detox “will I be in the bathroom all day?”. Products like that can cause dehydration and make you seriously sick!! Not to mention the colon isn’t the only place where detoxification happens so products that promise a “3 day detox” are not cleaning out more than your colon and poorly at that. 

This topic, while taboo to most, is one of my favorite topics because it tells me so much about your health. I ask pretty much all patients about this topic no matter what they are coming in for. In my office we focus a lot on diet and lifestyle changes because they make a HUGE impact on health and the fasted least invasive way to determine how well you digest, absorb and handle foods is by discussing this. It’s also the quickest way to notice changes or improvements in ones health. 

So the next time your doctor asks you about your bowel movements don’t hold anything back! Impress them with your knowledge even as most traditional practitioners don’t address this topic, especially with weight loss problems and auto immune disease. It is an opportunity for you to monitor your own health as well, so take advantage of the amazing body and system that was created for you and KNOW yourself better than anyone else! 

Day 8-Feeling Great!

One of the most important reasons I felt I needed to do this cleanse was the onset of brain foggyness. Inability to concentrate, feeling like the thoughts I had were not as clear as they could be and taking a long time to come to conclusions about things. Those are some of the things I was beginning to notice were happening more and more often. I didn’t notice it at first, it was a slow onset but that’s how it sneaks up on you. Small changes until you realize you’re in the midst of a full blown fog. I know all about brain fog and the symptoms, but it’s hard to notice sometimes when you’re in the thick of things and not thinking about yourself.

By cleaning up my diet alone brain fog would go away, but I wanted to add the detox to really help solidify making better choices more important again. It’s easy to fall off the wagon and fall into a rut. I think it’s just as important to remember we’re all human and nobody is perfect. I can’t eat perfect no matter what I do these days, nobody can. Our food supply has changed so far from what it was always supposed to be that I don’t think we can get it back. Our meat has been pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, our soil is depleted of nutrients due to lack of crop rotation, GMO’s run rampant in stores. There is always a choice on has to make when it comes to eating. Nobody is perfect, and it’s not about perfection. It’s about knowing what you’re consuming and making the best possible choice within your means. That’s what people forget when they “fall off the wagon” or slip up on their diet. We all make mistakes, but it’s striving to be better that will make all the difference in your health and future. Sometimes I think if we don’t make mistakes, go through feeling like crap every once in a while, we sometimes don’t remember that our foods make a HUGE impact on our health and how we feel each and every day.

Make your choices count! It’s also not about eating better, but eating with awareness. I was never a huge fan of the “finish your plate” mentality that I grew up with because it didn’t make sense back then and it doesn’t now. Don’t force feed yourself. Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full…which means you need to eat slowly so you can tell the difference! Taste your food, feel the texture of it and most importantly ENJOY it! One of the greatest things a patient can tell me after we’ve changed their diet is “I’m really having fun with this”. Be creative, make things taste good, try new things! Eating healthy is an exploration into yourself just as much as it is into food.

I am again grateful for all of the amazing support throughout this detox. People pushing me to do my best, keeping me in check, and asking so many questions! Only 5 days left people…. when will you make a change in your life?

If not now, when will I? -Incubus

Day 7- Tricks to get you through!

I can’t believe it’s already day 7! Just 5 more days to go! Feeling more and more energy and less need/want for the coffee I have become so addicted too 🙂

I wanted to be able to touch on a topic most people don’t consider while starting a new regimen or doing a detox, and that’s using today’s technology to your advantage. Now, I realize during a detox I would like my patients (and I myself should also) to stay away from overstimulation via the computer/tv ect. Now, being realistic I understand that most of us will still have our phones and use a computer to work on…it’s not a perfect world by any means. But technology has come a long way and has allowed for so many great tools to help you reach your goals!!

I get a lot of the following excuses when trying to change someone’s diet/lifestyle from what they are used too:

“I can’t remember to take those supplements”

“It takes too much time to cook”

“I can’t keep track of my foods every day”

I’m here to debunk the excuses because they’re becoming less and less valid. Stop making excusing and start having fun with making positive changes!! Nobody said this had to be horrible…you decide how easy or difficult making changes will be. Here is a short list of apps I’ve tried and liked myself that have kept me on track with my own personal goals!!

1) Find Me Gluten Free ( FREE App!!) : able to locate via GPS location local and chain restaurants that offer gluten free menus. Will give you driving directions to the locations as well if you’re out of town/ on vacation. Check out them out online too at: http://www.findmeglutenfree.com/us

2) Lose It! or My Fit Pal(FREE apps): Both app’s offer you the ability to log each meal so that you can keep track of caloric intake for the day. They also have the feature to add your physical activity for the day making your weight loss goals more achievable. I know Lose It sends you badges of enragement when you meet milestones as it’s own way to encourage you along. Friends can join and you can help each other stay true to being their best self!

3) Free Pedometer: I work a part time job where I am on my feet and moving all the time, and one day I got curious about how much I was moving during my average 8 hour shift…around 5 miles on average people! And trust me it’s not a big store, and there are plenty of times I have to stand to help people ect. But I’m moving more than I’m not. The goal for most adults is 10,000 steps in a day…. so how much do you move? Keep track for a few days and see if you can’t incorporate more movement into your daily routine. Small changes make a BIG impact!!

4)Waterlogged (FREE App): Keep track of your daily water intake goals. Most people should be getting half their body weight in ounces daily, and most people are no where near that intake. Water intake doesn’t include coffee, tea, sodas or anything else “liquid”. It means just water as all of the other options serve as a diuretic to you and will further dehydrate you. Whether detoxing or not (reminder detoxification happens in your body every single day) you need adequate water intake to maintain proper bodily functions and get rid of waste and inflammation within your body quickly and easily.

5) Can’t sleep? Try a hypnosis app!! I have a free app with a hypnosis lecture about pretty much every imaginable subject. If you sleep alone this is easy, if you’re in a relationship earplugs would be more appropriate if your partner doesn’t need the white noise. Pick a topic that hits close to home for you and try it! You’d be surprised what sinks into your head when you’re not actively listening. I used this technique when I needed to study in graduate school as well.

6) Set reminders, mark dates on your calendar ect! With most people using some sort of tablet or smart phone these days it’s becoming easier for us to remind ourselves to do something. Set an alarm for every couple of hours to drink water/get up and move ect. Once the habit you’re trying to develop becomes a habit then set a new goal with new reminders. It’s time to embrace all the wonderful tools at our fingertips and stop playing games/getting distracted with it all the time!

Detoxing through the Weekend (Days 4, 5 &6)

Detoxing through the weekend is usually tougher than making it through the week, mostly because we tend to have different eating habits over the weekends. There’s no rest of the wicked while on a detox, which is important to keep in mind. If you go through a shorter detox make sure you start and end when it works best into your schedule. For me the 12 days ends the Day after Valentines day, which works out perfect for me as I usually work and won’t be going out that Friday for a decadent dinner. Everything is easier when you plan it, detoxing included. Planning your meals will keep you on track especially through the weekend!

This week I made a delicious sweet potato hash to have a few times. I prepared it after work Thursday so I could have it friday morning and took the rest of it to work Saturday. It was simple but filling, and functional foods were included! Sweet potatoes cubed up and cooked in coconut oil (great fat source) with cooked turkey sausage, tons of garlic (natural antibiotic) and onions and some diced hot peppers (great for the liver). Friday morning I topped the hash with some scrambled eggs (also in coconut oil) and hot sauce. Saturday I just added hot sauce and heated it up at work without the eggs, still delicious and had lots left over so it was a very filling meal.

I also made something I never have before Thursday night, kind of a take on pudding and pumpkin pie. I’m calling it Chia Pumpkin Pie Pudding. I mixed purred pumpkin (great source of nutrients as it’s in the squash family) with a little almond milk, pumpkin pie spice and extra cinnamon (I used my extra fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon, which has a deep rich taste, and cinnamon is great for blood sugar regulation too). After mixing enough almond milk in to make the pumpkin a little runny, I added probably a 1/3 cup of chia seeds. I split the mix into two smaller jars so they were easy to take with me. The bowl I made it in was a tad full and I was worried about the chia seed expansion/possible mess in the fridge as well. I added just a touch of organic grade b maple syrup to sweeten it the next day (rich in nutrients and since it’s part of a Master Cleanse, I didn’t beat myself up about having a small amount of sugar to sweeten it just a touch). I heated up the mixture in the glass jar and enjoyed. Basically like having pumpkin pie without the crust!! Even the guys at work were like “what smells like pumpkin pie??” while I was enjoying it on my break.

This morning I went into the city of Chicago to meet up with my Brother and Sister in law for brunch since they had come into town. I was good, and had an omelet with grilled chicken, pepper and onions, and no cheese. The place my brother picked out was kindly dubbed “cinnamon roll hell” by him…because as a “side dish” this place literally served two steaming cinnamon rolls!!! 1-I don’t eat gluten anyways 2-that doesn’t mean it didn’t smell AMAZING and 3-I’m in the middle of a detox…thanks! I was more than able to pass on the rolls and got a great fruit dish with my omelet which was plenty of sweet for me.

Moral of this weekend, planning takes the pressure off of you when you’re faced with “tough” choices. With a plan in place, you’re less likely to slip up and decide “oh I’ll just have this _____________ anyways”. Stay strong, you can get through it, one day at a time.

Day 3- Getting into the “worst of it”

 

Ok, it’s not as serious as the pouty kid in the photo is depicting, but yes there are some side effects that are not that pleasant while detoxing! It’s important for people to know the side effects before getting in over your head.

Typically days 3 and 4 of your detox will be the worst. These are the days you start to feel the worst of the withdrawal from the foods you’ve been used to eating. For most people the lack of carbohydrates (breads, pastas, ect) is the worst. Since I’m already gluten free this is not a huge issue for me. But you start to have withdrawals from sugar, and caffein especially. Most people go though some stages of grief- they can be angry, crabby, remorseful. Headaches and even nausea can set in… this is when it’s all to easy to give in. Throw in the towel, decide you probably didn’t need a detox anyways.

That’s why there is power in numbers. That’s why I’m sharing my experience with you. It holds me accountable to my goals. Sharing the struggle with others in a constructive way helps you through the tough times….which as bad as they seem again last 2-4 days typically. After that, things get easier. You’re into the habit of doing a routine and you find that you don’t seem to stress about the fact that you’re doing a detox anymore. In a few more days you really start to notice a turn around and you feel great, more energy and really enjoy what you’re doing.

Today was my “worst” day so far. I realize my worst probably pales in comparison to others so I’ll keep it brief. I had a headache for most of the morning, nothing intolerable, but nothing that wasn’t noticed. I’m sure looking into a computer screen didn’t help but that’s life. I carried on with my day and seeing my patients brought me joy and eventually the headache was gone. One other effect, and I don”t find it negative, is when I detox I feel warm most of the day and find I break into a sweat easily. I take it as a good thing, sweat is just another form of toxins leaving the body, but it catches me off guard all the time.

Anyone with questions please don’t hesitate to post them!! I’m trying out some different recipes and plan on sharing some of those tomorrow!

Detox Day 2 (only day 2 and already more energy!)

As I wind down on night two I wanted to share my progress on day 2 of my detox. Things to keep in mind during any detox:

1-Drink plenty of water. It’s important to remember that you’re flushing out toxins from your liver and kidneys and you need to get rid of those toxins through natural processes. Through sweat, urine and bowel waste we naturally eliminate toxins and keeping your fluid intake ample enough to hydrate you during increased elimination.

2- SLEEP- most people don’t know it, but you loose weight in your sleep. Yes, you heard me right. The reason we loose sleep at night is sleep allows our bodies to do massive repair. When your body is optimally functioning you burn a lot of fat in the repair process. Think about this…have you ever woken up from a good nights sleep covered in sweat? Your body was in full repair mode. Without adequate sleep your body can’t detox properly.

3-Be aware. Knowing how your body reacts to certain foods, climates, emotions is going to help get you through the sometimes harsh times of going though a detox. Listening to your body is key. If you’re not responding well to something, then stop what it is. There’s no one size fits all program or product, we all have different specific needs and need to honor those.

4- Detox when you’re healthy! Don’t ever attempt to detox in the middle of fighting off any kind of illness. For one thing, you already feel junky and when you restrict normal eating /lifestyle habits it can make you feel 10x worse. Secondly, your like to make yourself more sick. You need a strong immune system to keep the bad stuff your kicking out of your system at bay. I fell ill a few times this past fall with whatever nasty virus that was going around and it stayed with me for a while. I have felt pretty good the last few weeks and decided “it’s now or never!”

5-Be good to yourself. Do something nice for yourself every day whether you’re doing a detox or not. Take a minute to thank a friend for their love and support, make yourself that cup of tea you love, give a heartfelt gift to someone. Whatever it is that makes you happy and is good to you, do it. It’s easy to put ourselves last on the to do list but this is an important concept. Today my gift to myself was staying in bed for a little bit longer this morning.

I would like to also thank all of my followers and new readers for the love and support. Doing this blog is keeping me on track with my detox (power in numbers!) and I appreciate all the great feedback I’ve received so far. Stay tuned for more excitement!!

-Dr. K

Let the Detox Begin!

 

Today marks the first day of  my annual detox process, and this time I wanted to share with everyone my personal experience. I think it’s important to give your body a chance to reset, clean up and start fresh. For whatever reason I seem to feel the most need to do my cleanse/detoxes  in February each year. I think it’s because I get a little stir crazy in winter, and loose motivation/drive, and feel like I have become lax in my diet. This process helps me emotionally and spiritually as well. In fact the first time I did a detox program 3 years ago was to help myself get through some very difficult and emotionally taxing issues.  Yes, it worked in both detoxing my body of built up waste, but it helped me detox myself of some emotional baggage as well.

Enough about my baggage, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the whole process. Some important things to keep in mind when doing a good detox program: 1- You should never have to stop eating foods, you’re body still needs nutrients so simply drinking a liquid beverage for 3 days doesn’t really do the right things. 2- No good detox should keep you in the bathroom all day. Things like that are just putting you at risk for dehydration which can be very serious. 3-If you have never gone through a good detox program I suggest you do one with the supervision of a natural health practitioner of some sort who has experience.

The whole point of doing a detox is to restore optimal function to your organs that naturally detoxify you every day and to get rid of any waste build up that happens over time. This is important more and more as we are continually exposed to more and more harmful substances in our air, food and water supply. The main focus of my detox is to help my liver and kidneys function at optimal levels, as well as clean up any built up waste in my colon and lymphatic system as well.  I am combining an herbal detox kit with a few additional herbal products of my own and following a diet that will increase it’s optimal function.

*Please note that some of what I have included in my own program is products that I currently have at home and would like to use up. I am in no way getting paid to advertise brands, just utilizing some products that I have used before and found effective for me.

My personal program for the next 12 days:

1)Garden of Life Wild Rose Herbal Detox- consists of wild organic herbs only. Purpose is to detox the liver, kidneys and lymphatic systems.

2)Indole -3- Carbanol – supplement intended to help my body metabolize and get rid of excess estrogens. I’m one of those estrogen dominant people and have been feeling a touch “overly moody” lately.

3)Psyllium husk powder- source of fiber done at night to help grab onto all the nasty stuff my body is kicking out and excrete it in a safer way.

4)Oregano oil- useful as a natural antibiotic and also has been known to kill candida, which I am suspecting to be a possible problem due to my not as strict dietary habits as of late.

5)Functional foods- consuming foods on a regular basis that promote the detoxification process just to make it that much easier for my body to optimize faster.

 

Today’s breakfast was a green smoothie. I used almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla Raw Fit protein, 1 banana, 1 scoop of greens powder, 1 Tbs of spirulina powder, 2 tbs of flax seed meal/chia seed mix, a healthy squirt of omega 3 emulsified oil, and a spoon full of peanut butter that has coconut oil in it. Honestly, it’s delicious and keeping me full throughout the morning. Sure…it’s dark green and probably scary looking to others but it’s for my health!

During a normal detox process you are supposed to rest to allow your body’s energy to focus on cleaning and healing, but I plan on going home tonight and walking for at least 30 minutes on the treadmill. I need to get back into a healthy routine all around, why wait is my theory!

Looking forward to keeping you updated on the whole process as I progress. Right now, feeling great about making positive changes and feeling better!

**Please post any questions you might have, I’m happy to answer! **