Spring Clean Up

Last week I decided to do a detox and cleansing diet. I've read about this before and was curious about the benefits. So, I looked into it, talked to my friend Janet who's done it before and decided to make the leap. Janet's is doing it with me. She's committed for 14 days...I'm in for 7 because I don't want it to impact my training.

Why do it? I've want to get rid of a few bad habits and kick start some weight loss for race season (I've managed to not gain some weight during session but want to lose some more). Plus, I generally want to feel better about myself and make healthy choices.


I've chosen a plan that is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains (not wheat), and lean meats. It also means no processed foods, sugar, caffeine, wheat, dairy or alcohol. It is not a liquid or fasting detox plans.

A few things I've learned so far:

I should have tried to wean myself off caffeine BEFORE trying this. I've had a raging headache for the last two days and am hoping that it goes away soon.

Plan meals before you start this. I decided to do it at a time that worked best for my training schedule but did not give myself enough time to plan meals accordingly. As a result, I was in some serious nutrition deficit yesterday by not having enough carbs from something other than fruit (i.e. rice, quinoa).

Find alternatives for breakfast. I often eat cereal or yogurt for breakfast and those are both off-limits this week. I've struggled to find the right fit. I've tried brown rice, which I normally like, but the texture first thing in the morning is hard for me to stomach. Today I had scrambled eggs and they were delish.

Yesterday I felt like crap - mostly because I was at work very late the night before, had little sleep and didn't give myself enough time to plan the food for today.

Today I feel great and am noticing the positives of the process, except for the headache!