Martial arts are not about violence; they are the antidote to violence, the
antidote to anger, the antidote to fear.
(Ron Sieh)
Cold turkey
Detoxing is not easy.
It is a psychologically-gruelling challenge that will test your ability to
stay the course and endure.
You will feel awful, restless, tired, depressed and your body may ache. Your
bowel habits will change.
Most likely, you will want to quit the detox.
Why is it so hard to detox?
Because you are an addict. You are chemically addicted to sugar,
salt, caffeine and all the rest.
These chemicals affect your brain.
Supersize Me compared a junk food meal to a
'class A' drug; the neurological effect was that serious.
A detox is not a casual undertaking.
A little won't hurt...
You will be sorely tempted to resume junk food. This temptation will plague
you.
The only way to become clean is to avoid sugar, fat, additives, colourings,
flavourings, processed food, packet food and desserts.
If can manage it, try staying clear of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and drugs
as well.
A little taste of junk food here and there may not seem harmful, but
within a few weeks you will be back to eating just as badly as you did
before.
If you want to be free of poor eating habits then you do need to change.
Just desserts
There are a growing number of desserts that are organic, vegetarian, low
calorie and low fat.
If you simply cannot do without dessert food, look for products that are
less than 5% fat and 120 Kcal or less.
Many low fat desserts have high calories, and/or gelatine (pig) in them. Be
careful.
How should you detox?
Carefully.
Fasting and radical diets may appeal but there are often risks involved.
Whatever you choose to do, you need something that is safe.
Your changed eating habits need to be simple and straightforward.
We are not going to suggest a strategy or a dieting plan to you.
Every adult knows what to eat and what not to eat. Or at least they ought
to.
All we recommend is that you substitute bad food for good
food,
and only eat when you are actually hungry.
This may mean waiting for an hour after a meal until your food has gone
down.
It will entail listening to your body. Not to the craving, but to
what is really happening.
Exercise and water will also help.
Cardiovascular work will burn calories and tai chi will massage your
internal organs.
Why should you detox?
From the standpoint of health there is no upside to eating junk food. There
are no benefits whatsoever.
A poor diet can affect your mood, your sleep, your peace of mind, your
awareness, your immune system, your bones, your internal organs, your skin,
your teeth and your longevity.
A good diet has no side-effects whatsoever. There is no downside at all.
It is literally that simple.
Visualisation
Actively contemplate the negative ramifications of poor eating:
deteriorating health, excess body fat, reduced fitness, fatigue, larger
clothing size, low self esteem...
Then picture your body leaner, slimmer, healthy and vital.
Be clear about which of these two options you want, and work slowly towards
it.
Beyond food
Eating better is just one aspect of detox.
You may also want to consider addressing the
quality of your life.
This might seem unrelated to detox, but your habits and lifestyle will
contribute towards poor diet.
If you
hurry around all the time, are
disorganised and feel
anxious, then eating well, exercising and
relaxing are not going to be easy for you.
These bad lifestyle habits must be remedied as well.
Simplify, resolve, unclutter, throw away, make time, make space. Relax.
Invest in loss
Detox is all about shedding. It is about letting go of the past, sloughing
off encumbrances.
Lose your old habits. Give away your old belongings.
Instead of eating cake, your aim is to lose stored fat. Rather than pollute
your body, cleanse it.
Page created 8 December 2003