21 Pounds in 21 Days (12 page)
Read 21 Pounds in 21 Days Online
Authors: Roni DeLuz
Why Detoxing Is Antiaging
Throw out the conventional wisdom that wrinkles, Alzheimer's, and aches and pains are an inevitable consequence of growing older! What our society has labeled as aging is actually a body overtaxed with toxins. You show me a tired, achy, and overweight body, and I'll show you someone laboring under the weight of high levels of harmful substances. Flush out the unhealthy chemicals and put good nutrition into the body and it will create millions and millions of revitalized cells. Within days of starting the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox, you will look and feel like a new person.
One of the first places you'll see these changes is in the quality of your skin. As our protective coating and the body's largest organ, our skin is constantly being assaulted by exhaust fumes, dust created by man-made materials, and toxic chemicals. Too much sun and extreme temperatures create additional stress. Plus, the beauty industry has conditioned us to believe we need “revitalizing” serums and “antiaging” creams. Unfortunately, some of those products actually make the skin less healthy by placing a load of synthetic chemicals into the pores that make the skin breathe in and excrete harmful substances. The polluted water and synthetic soap we wash with only make matters worse.
While you're detoxing, your skin will become very vibrant within just a few days. Detoxifying unclogs those pores, helping the body to secrete poisons, air itself out, and create fresh skin. Many clients discover that the Martha's Vinyard Diet Detox removes years from their face, fading age spots, eliminating wrinkles, and restoring the dewiness of their youth! On the inside of your body, your cells are being rejuvenated as well, causing your cells and organs to function better and areas that have been damaged or injured to be repaired.
While vegetables are the food group that cleans up toxins, fruit, especially berries, scoop up free radicals and repair “rust” the best. We will take a high-density antioxidant drink made primarily from berries to spur the body to repair itself very quickly. Depending on the brand you choose, one serving of an antioxidant berry drink may provide the equivalent nutrition of six to ten one-cup servings of berriesâwhich is more than you could eat if you gorged yourself, minus the downside of the excess sugar,
which would turn into fat because the body could not digest it fast enough. Berries are also fabulous sources of phytonutrients, which research suggests help stop cancer from developing (www.mvdietdetox.com).
Riding Out the Healing Crisis
As the body cleans house, it dumps toxic residues that have built up in its cellsâfree radicals, hard minerals, oxidized pollutants from smoke and fumes, herbicides, insecticides, food additives, and even cholesterol, for exampleâinto the bloodstream and organs. This may cause you to feel temporarily under the weather, even sick, and is referred to as a
healing crisis
. Depending on which and how many toxins your body secretes and how quickly it unloads them, your first healing crisis will probably happen between the fourth and sixth day and last from one to three days. During this time you may experience such reactions as acne, rashes, nausea, headaches, sleepiness, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, runny nose, ear problems, and body aches. If you were chronically ill when you began your detox, your healing crisis may even last for a week or so. For a few days you may actually feel more uncomfortable than you did before you began your cleanse. In fact, it's not unusual for the symptoms of a healing crisis to mimic your chronic illness, since your cells are kicking out the toxins that helped make you sick in the first place.
Another cause of the healing crisis is our cells' resistance to change. Over time, through our lifestyle choices we train our cells to behave in ways that may range from being healthy and clean to toxic and sick. Just like we sometimes have a hard time adapting to our doctor's recommendation that we improve our eating habits, our cells may momentarily dig in their heels when challenged to become more healthful. Don't worry. Before long they will be unable to resist the high-quality nutrition you're feeding them, and will eventually relax and give in. So even though during a healing crisis you may temporarily feel worse, feeling bad is actually a pit stop along the journey toward feeling much, much better.
To minimize the effect that these downloading toxins have on your mind, body, and spirit, in Chapter 6 I recommend a very specific program to help you move those toxins out of your body quickly. Drinking more water will be vitally important. I'll also suggest other cleansing techniques, from colonics to exercising to bathing.
Flushing Out Emotions
I once detoxed a man I'll call Robert, whose wife had divorced him and taken his children to another state. Not surprisingly, Robert was very depressed. Food became his only pleasure, so he overindulged and packed on poundsâ200 in about two years. Robert weighed almost 400 pounds when we started working together. The highly concentrated nutrients he took helped his nervous system decrease his depression without pharmaceutical drugs. As his thinking became clearer and he learned about healthy eating, he realized that instead of eating for nourishment, he had been using food to medicate himself and “take the edge off” his deep grief. It dawned on him that by overeating at such a rapid rate he was basically committing suicide. Once Robert understood what was happening, he sought counseling to help him express his sadness more healthily. Today, 150 pounds lighter, Robert feels much better. He understands the power of nutrients, so he no longer feeds his body plastic food. All the changes in his body helped him not just to lose weight but to alter the way he was thinking.
In addition to creating a more pristine body, detoxing purifies your mind, emotions, and spirit. Through the mind/body/spirit connection, as you flush out physical poisons, you'll “hose down” these areas, too. During the first few days of your detox, you may find yourself feeling cheerful and in a great mood. Early-stage detoxers often tell me that they love me. “You just
think
you love me,” I laugh. I know that in a few days they may find themselves feeling angry, grumpy, guilty, or sad. Many detoxers experience a phase when they can't stop thinking mean and funky thoughts
or want to bite someone's head off. This is normal. It's impossible to engage in physical housecleaning and not do an emotional mop-up.
Although most of us are not aware of it, our cells hold memories, including the biochemistry of our unexpressed thoughts and feelings. While our emotional baggage is locked up in our cells, we feel angry, anxious, hyper, and panicked all the time. When we detox, our cells release these chemicals and your feelings will surface. It's important to allow yourself to experience and express them. Laugh, cry, scream, get angry, become grateful. Journal or draw or sing or pray or write poetry to help whisk them out. Your emotions will subside if you engage them. As they do, you'll feel less of an urge to eat. If you don't express these feelings as they bubble up, you will have cleansed your body but not your thoughts, emotions, or spirit. They will be out of “sync” with the “new you” you've created and unable to sustain the changes you've made. And what's the point in losing weight if you're only going to stuff down the emotions that caused you to overeat in the first place? There's nothing more disheartening than to gain back the weight you just lost.
By Day 21 you'll find yourself feeling calmer, happier, more optimistic and energetic. Because your body has released toxins and millions of fresh new cells have replaced the old unhealthy ones, your body, mind, and spirit will be biologically and bio-chemically different. You will have set down a lot of the baggage you've been carrying around. You will literally be a different person, right down to your cells.
There is one quick caution I must offer: if you've experienced life traumas such as being raped, molested, or physically abused that you haven't addressed by getting counseling or doing other types of emotional healing, any suppressed emotions will come flooding up. If you are aware that you've experienced these kinds of traumatic life challenges, I suggest that you plan to see a therapist while you detox. That way you'll have support in place when any thoughts and feelings you've stuffed down come bubbling up.
Day by Day: What to Expect
As you begin the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox, you may be wondering how quickly you will lose weight and experience some of the physical, mental, and spiritual results I've described. Everyone is unique, so your experience will vary. But here's what many MV detoxers tell me they experience.
Days 1â3
Physically:
Detoxers lose a few pounds, feel lighter and less exhausted. Most people no longer feel gassy and bloated. Their stomach problems are resolving, and they are going to the bathroom more easily and often.
Mentally:
People start thinking more clearly and concentrating better. Their anxiety begins to wane and they get excited about improving their health and losing weight.
Spiritually:
The stress of starting the program is over. People feel more relaxed and optimistic.
Days 3â7
Physically:
By the end of the first week, detoxers have lost at least 5 pounds. They may feel tired, achy, and fluish; get a headache; and develop a rash or pimples. All of these are signs of a healing crisisâthat the body is discharging toxins and fatâand should be welcomed, not feared. During this time the detoxer may need to rest more. It is important to stay true to yourself at this time and not try to please others.
Mentally:
As the body releases toxins into the bloodstream, detoxers start to feel the effects. Their minds will probably feel foggy and may struggle to make decisions. This foggy effect is temporary. We call this a healing crisis: feeling worse before you get better.
Spiritually:
Most Martha's Vineyard Diet detoxers feel happier, more relaxed, and confident of the plan's effectiveness. Other detoxers will become tearful or sad. They are experiencing an emotional release, which will pass quickly as they move into the second week.
Days 7â10
Physically:
The average detoxer has lost roughly 7 to 10 pounds, although some have lost more inches than weight, particularly if they are middle-aged. Still, the weight loss is visible to their friends and family. They are starting to look younger.
Mentally:
By now you have begun to master the concepts behind the detox and have started believing you can complete it. At this point many detoxers start striving to live healthier and research more information on the subject.
Spiritually:
You feel relieved and want to feel even healthier and happier. After the first week, detoxers pay more attention to themselves, changing things like hairstyles, their way of dress, and how they decorate their surroundings.
Days 11â14
Physically:
By Day 14, detoxers see a big difference in the mirror and they like what they see. The waistline, belly, and thighs are shrinking and look thinner. The face looks different because there is a loss of inches in the face and neck. The body feels freer, with better range of motion. Many detoxers say they can breathe better. You stop weighing yourself and are no longer preoccupied with the scale because you know you are losing weight. You have a tremendous amount of energy. You enjoy exercise now.
Mentally:
During the middle stage of the MV Detox, people are becoming acquainted with new health knowledge as it applies to their body. Their memory improves, as do their senses of smell and hearing. Decision making is easier, and they want to make changes in their life. During these days many of my detoxers talk about wanting to move to Martha's Vineyard.
Spiritually:
People feel calmer, more energetic, and more optimistic and self-confident in their daily life and work. Detoxers also start feeling more spiritual. Many begin a period of deep reflection, during which they become comfortable with silence.
Day 15â17
Physically:
By this point the detoxer has lost 15 to 17 pounds or more, and it is obvious to the people around them. They are lighter, their body posture has improved, their skin is smoother and healthier, and their eyes are much brighter. Not surprisingly, they feel much more energetic and can move their bodies faster. Around this time, many detoxers feel more athletic and sports oriented and have a desire to exercise. They can now see dramatic changes compared to their pre-detox habits.
Mentally:
People are definitely much clearer thinking and are able to solve problems more quickly and multitask. They are also much more creative and optimistic about future goals.
Spiritually:
Detoxers literally see the world through new eyes and have a new approach to life. They are more eager to read books, especially about the body. The spirit is calmer and slower to anger. They start taking delight in their observations, which are sharper.
Days 18â21
Physically:
The person has lost roughly 21 pounds and their appearance is leaner and more youthful. The face definitely shows signs of vibrancy, and the posture appears to be erect and poised. Their aches and pains are gone.
Mentally:
This person is now at a higher level of thinking, is able to read books more quickly, and tends to be interested and intensely involved in their overall health. They have a keen interest in developing new skills.
Spiritually:
As the detox winds down, people feel much happier, very creative, and optimistic about the future. They are making spiritual as well as physical changes in their lives. They are now making better life decisions. Their personality is visibly more peaceful and tranquil.