Detox (n.) - a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances; detoxification.
Being an intern in a retreat, where guests are coming mostly for detox, implied that me and Desi also needed to try the detox programme out. Prior to arriving to the retreat, guests recieve a pre-detox guide, containing information about how they should eat in order to prepare their system for the upcoming days of only juice consumption. We did not follow the pre-detox guide step by step, one of the reasons why is that our diet with Desi is mainly consisting of healthy foods.
On Monday the 2nd was our fisrt day. As always, we started work at 9:30, one of us preparing the enemas, and the other the juices fot the detox clients. This time, we prepared 2 extra juices :) Usually, what guests are advised to do is to drink lemon water fisrt thing in the morning, then scrape their tongue wih tongue scraper, brush their teeth, and afterwards, dry brush their body, to get rid of all the dead skin cells and stimuate the lymphatic system, before taking a shower. At 9:00 they have yoga, and after that they come for their first juice at 10:30. We followed every step described, except the yoga :)
Probiotic and psyllium with water are taken with the first juice. Those suppements aid the detoxification process, and psyllium also gives the feeling of satiety. We do not recommend any demnding physical activity during the detox, simply because the body is in a great caloric deficit, and any demanding physical activity could be potentially harming. Instead, yoga is recommended, not only because it is not taxing on the body, but also it can further stimulate the detoxification process. However, our case with Desi was slightly different because we still needed to work; teach some of the classes, and do circuits. I even went for a hill run with one of our guests during my first detox day, which was still okay, because I most certainly had some glycogen stored in my liver and muscles from the previous day’s meals :)
After the first juice at 11:00, it’s time for enema. It is prepared with distilled water and organic coffee, and according to Gerson therapy certain substances in the coffee stimulate an important detoxification enzyme in the liver as well as dilate the bile ducts and increase the flow of bile (link).
Second juice is served at 12:30, along with shot of 100% aloe vera juice, another wonderful supplement that aids the detoxification process. At 14:30 is the third juice with another shot of aloe vera. And the last juice is served at 17:30, with chia seeds and aloe vera. As you can see, juices are 2 hours apart, each of them are prepared just right before consumption (in most occasions by yours truly :D)
I didn’t feel hungry during the day at all, which was quite surprising, considering that my intake was almost 80% lower that usual. The evenings were the most challenging because this is the time when we come home, and what we do is plan and prepare our dinner. But being on the detox, we had only vegetable broth with psyllium. It was not as bad as it sounds, quite okay actually, however as a person who likes to cook, and eat, I cannot say I was really satisfied! :D My water intake doubled; I drink 2 - 2,5L water daily, and during detox I was drinkin 4L a day. We encourage clients to drink plenty of water as well, for plenty of reasons, e.g. avoid headaches.
Overall, I lost 2kg for 4 days, most of it I believe was water weight. Being in a detox (juicing or eating fresh vegetable and fruits) might have numerous beneficial effects on your mental and physical well-being. It was a nice break for my GI tract, and the timing couldn’t be any better - just at the beginning of spring. It helped me to be more mindful while eating, not getting distracted, and being aware of how do some foods affect my body. Also, I noticed that it helped me think more clearly. Some people even share that they get some life changing ideas while detoxing!
Before leaving the hotel, guests recieve a post-detox guide, where they find information about post-detox diet. They should slowly reintroduce foods, beginning by lighter versions, and choosing whole, unprocessed options. Me and Desi were eating mainly vegetable soups and purees, vegetables and fruits for couple of days. My calorie intake increased by 30%, and I slowly upped it to my normal intake. We slowly began introducing different proteins, legumes, wholegrains and fats. It was interesting to observe how my body reacted to some of the foods.
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