Detoxification: Not a Felicitation
What is detoxing? | Symptoms | Process | Advantages | How to Overcome It
So you made the wonderful decision to start with The 28 Day Diet and were brave enough to follow through with your decision. You’re excited about the journey ahead and you can’t wait to brag with your new body. And suddenly, within the first few days, you feel like you have been hit by a train. You have a headache, you feel lightheaded no matter how much you eat or you’re as inflated as a frog. What is happening?
What is detoxing?
Detoxification is known by the withdrawal symptoms that your body experiences when you increase your intake of raw foods and cut out processed foods such as sugar and starch – as we do on The 28 Day Diet.
Symptoms of Detoxification
- Skin rash
- Feeling bloated
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Fatigue, low energy levels
- Blocked nose or mucus that feels like a cold
The Process of Detoxification
When cutting or reducing certain foods, your body secretes toxins. Your body will then dispose of these toxins in any way necessary; through your liver, bowel movement or through your skin. That is why you feel sick – there is literally a lot of “poison” moving through your body.
What exactly is so poisonous that it needs to be secreted?
If your diet consisted largely of processed foods, it is possible that many of these foods can become trapped in your body and therefore become toxic. It is also the many chemicals and toxins in the air, water and other products that we are bombarded with in modern society, which the body must dispose of.
Advantages
- Clean sinuses
- Weight loss (yes, that’s why we do this)
- Healthier skin
- More energy
- Regular bowel movement
- Mental clarity
- Emotional stability / reduced depression
How to Overcome the Detox Phase
Drink plenty of water
Drink a glass of water on an empty stomach. Drink water before going to bed. Drink your cucumber water. Drink water when you feel like eating or eating something wrong. It helps to flush the toxins out of your body.
Take a Nap
If you feel too tired to stay upright, do not hesitate to laze slightly in order to recharge your body’s batteries.
Shake it Off. Movement is a great way to more quickly expel the toxins from your body.
Medication
If the pain becomes overwhelming, grab a Grandpa or Panado to control the headache. Or take a laxative to alleviate constipation.
Immediate relief
Stir one teaspoon of Marmite (or salt) into a glass of lukewarm water for immediate relief from nausea and/or dizziness.
Regardless of the symptoms of detoxification you experience and the ways you use it to overcome it, most important is simply to push through that first phase. After the second week on the 28 day diet, things will go better!
If you experience severe detox symptoms, or your symptoms last beyond the first 7 days – consult your doctor or closest health care provider.
