So, I did a “DETOX” for two weeks and added a “phase-in” two week period where I tired different types of foods, one at a time on a daily basis to see how I felt. The big discoveries:
- I LOVE cheese and I cannot do dairy (I feel ill and breakout). and
- Red meats – my body doesn´t like them much. I have always gone on and off from eating meat, but now, isolating them after I had a steady diet for a couple of weeks reminded me of how HEAVY and lethargic I get when I eat them. BUT I loose terrible amounts of muscle mass if I don´t eat them (mostly becaus eI dnpt know how to add other protein in my diet).
Also, i am tempted to avoid them because of the animal cruelty in the i dustry – but sometimes, i just have to admit im a carnivore.
My current relationship status with these things: ITS COMPLICATED.
This is why I have decided to pass on this post about my process to my nutriologist and health coach Rebeca Hernandez. She has kept a methodical and clinical note on my progress – as any Dr. should. She has simplified this and generalized some terms in hope that my experience is helpful and inspiring to YOU.
If you are looking for a lifestyle change or a new diet, my main recommendation is this: Reach out for a professional. YES, it can be done by yourself through trial and error and lots of reaserch, but when it comes to health I personally think its not worth the risk. – Plus it is much easier to get a helping (professional) hand. Remember, “no man is an island”.
Over to you, Rebs!: (read my blue comments below!)
HABITS THAT CHANGE LIFESTYLES – DIANA CAROLINA’S DETOX
Results and Feedback
Di Caro is done with her detox! As you may now, I have been her personal coach through this process, so no I am presenting you with my evaluation of her results, and my personalised expert advise for Caro.
First of all, as a health coach, I don’t believe in quick or extreme fixes. Her process was not at any moment intended to be a “cleanse”. We don’t have anything to be cleansing or purging, her process was a MINDFUL CHOICE for being at her best, as her longterm commitment to health and well being.
We called it a “detox”, more of a sense of being out with the old, in win the new. What Caro did was basically an elimination diet trial. She avoided the foods she suspected were not suiting her, which were dairy, excess bread, red meat and poultry.
During this time, Di Caro was extremely mindful of her body, and emotions, noticing how she felt with these changes.
Here are her results, and my expert advice:
- Skin cleared
It is not chocolate that can break your skin! What has been correlated with acne through different studies is dairy, independent of it being skimmed or full fat, and excess refined grains and sugar.
Since Caro doesn’t eats frequently refined grains, or lots of sugar, dairy was the suspect, and we can say it did proved, it does not suit her.
DARY IT SUCKS! – and cheese sucks even more for being so yummy. Little doses and little steps.
My advice:
- Obviously I don’t have to tell her that it definitely is not good for her, she is well aware about it. So her choice is to avoid dairy from now on, except for the occasional treat.
- Dairy is NOT necessary for a healthy diet, as long as you find other sources of calcium. You don’t have to go around finding milk substitutes, and my advice is not to use them, since most of them are full of additives that end up being more harmful than the acne you can get from dairy. What I recommend:
- Eating daily non dairy sources of calcium that you like, such as: leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula, swiss chard, mustard leaves, etc.), beans (especially white beans), almonds, and sardines with bones.
- If you want milk, consider substitutes but more as “emotional substitutes”. Except for soy milk, other dairy substitutes such as almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, etc, ARE NOT SOURCES OF PROTEIN OR CALCIUM. The ones that you find at the supermarket do have calcium, but as an added supplement. You can make easily almond or oat milk at home, but consider it as a treat, not a real plus to your protein or calcium requirements.
I will have milk substitutes only to add flavour to my matcha green tea, teas and cereal. I love Soya anyway. never expected it to have any vitamins – its all in the favour, baby!
- Energy imbalance – higher energy, but then drained.
- Caro was so excited to feel more energized, but she overdid it with exercise. It is not a problem at all, if you feel like moving more, as Caro did, but you have to balance it with your food to make up for the extra activity.
My advice
- We found that in avoiding bread, Caro actually was not eating enough carbs for the energy she needs. Carbs are no the evil, in fact we need them, we just have to know how to chose them wisely. So my “prescription” for Caro is to include for now on a source of carbs that are positive for her, my recommendations for her are:
- Whole oats
- Quinoa
- Basmati rice (it does not causes spikes in blood sugar because the type of starch it contains).
- Corn tortillas, minimally processed.
- Starchy vegetables that do not spike blood sugar: pumpkin or butternut squash, sweet potato, corn, plantains.
- Whole fruits.
I never liked bread anyway – except fresh out of good artisanal bakeries. Can´t take that away! Oh and cupcakes. They have the Homer-Donut effect.
- Muscle loss, weight loss
- Even if we did not measure her body composition before and after, she did felt she lost muscle. This is consequence of eating a bit less calories, plus the activity, and that she ended up eating little protein.
That was terrible. I have enough trouble building muscle as it is! Back to functional training.
My advice:
- Caro is not a fan of red meat and poultry, and she did find she has a better digestion and feels less bloated when she avoids it. So my advice for her is to start including more vegetable protein, specifically including a source of protein in every meal, especially post workout meals. The sources I recommend for her are:
- Vegetable protein:
- Legumes: chickpeas, beans, peas, lentils, edamame.
- Nuts and organic sugar free nut butters.
- Animal protein:
- Egg
- Fish and shellfish.
- Vegetable protein:
I´m a happy camper with all this.
The challenges of doing a Detox
These are the challenges Caro found:
- Eating out
- Well it was obviously tough for her since she was practically following a vegan diet. But we have found choices around San Jose we are going to be letting you know about. MORE YUMMY BLOG POSTS COMING!!!! 😉
- Cravings
- Obviously you are going to crave what you resist!! Lets talk about my STARBUCKS MATCHA adiction! Have you seen my snapchat lately! Venti, ICE Matcha green tea, water-diluted soy, no syrups, no additives. Shaken, not stirred. Like Bond. Three times a day. Oops.
My best advice to combat cravings:
EAT WHAT YOU WANT. YEEEHAAAA!!
… MINDFULLY! OH…
Caro perhaps went all out limiting some stuff she does like, and it doesn’t makes sense to restrict something if it does not harm you, and makes you happy.
I am not saying stuff yourself up, I am saying, the more you declare a war on chocolate or whatever, the more it is going to control you, instead of the other way around. Word.
Pleasuring yourself with what you like to eat, is not going to throw you off balance. It is, actually, basic to your wellbeing. Pleasure is key to a balance happy life.
- Variety
Caro started getting bored, and out of ideas, but I am working with her in expanding her cooking horizons, since perhaps she was a bit baffled on how to incorporate more veggies, different carbs and proteins. AGAIN. MORE YUMMY POSTS!
My advice:
We are both going to experiment more in her kitchen, and let you know all the good stuff Caro is learning to cook. Above all we are working with delicious and PRACTICAL DISHES, 5 INGREDIENTS OR LESS 😉
My husband is THRILLED. Thank you Rebe!
NOW WHAT…
- Di Caro is now clear on what is good for her, and what is not aligned with her wellbeing. So as I said, it was a not a quick fix. She learned what is best for her , and she will keep applying it in her daily life. We will keep letting you know on our upcoming kitchen adventures 😉
LIKE I HAVE SAID BEFORE, If I can have my Matcha obession and sushi, I love the detox – I could really keep doing it permanently! But I must remember to add the right amount of protein.
End Of DETOX & beginning of a new lifestyle
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