Sunday, October 11, 2009

Liver detox, here I come!


Wine glass
Originally uploaded by Feliz Navidad
Last night, after enjoying some wine, pasta, and a caprese salad with my husband, I plopped on the couch and began reading my Experience Life magazine (which is free with a Lifetime Fitness membership). I was intrigued by an article about an 11-day liver detox program, which promises to unclog one's liver from its burden of toxins, promote weight loss, and boost energy.

At first, I thought what I always think when I read or hear about any detoxification programs that involve eating lots of green stuff - hell no. But then I thought about those pesky 5 pounds I've been wanting to lose for the last year. And I thought about how crappy I feel every day between 3:00 and 5:00 pm when I have zero energy and the girls are up from their naps and raring to go. And finally, I thought about my poor liver, which has weathered a steady stream of wine and coffee for the better part of 12 years.

So I decided to do it. The appealing, yet difficult aspect of this program is that it tells you what to eat, as well as what not to eat. Unlike other programs that just tell you to cut out wheat, sugar, processed foods, carbs, etc., this one has categories of foods (mostly fruits and vegetables) that must be eaten every day. After an hour at Sprouts Market, my head was spinning, but I felt good as I watched my bags of produce glide down the checkout conveyor belt with nary a box or can in sight.

Day 1 of my detox program starts tomorrow. It would've started today except for the fact that hubby wants to go out to dinner before he heads out of town, and the idea of sitting at a nice restaurant with a big glass of water & a plate of kale in front of me is not appealing.

I will be updating with my progress, and my attempts to make something delicious out of the bags of green stuff that are currently residing in my fridge.

4 comments:

  1. Amy tried to detox this weekend but couldn't do it. I am baking homemade Oreos tonight, so I'm totally owning up to the healthy eating by not buying processed foods, right? (here's the recipe if you care: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/05/my-kingdom-for-a-glass-of-milk/)

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  2. What kind of detox was she trying to do? Isn't she a vegetarian - she's probably already way less toxic than the rest of us. And yes, I think homemade oreos definitely count as health food. :)

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  3. It was some nasty green shit along with brown rice. You'd think she's less toxic, but she eats a lot of crap - nachos and beer, that type of stuff - so I don't know if that's really any healthier.

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  4. I am now obcessed with reading your blog. You have such a way with words, but unfortunately I have not talked myself into detoxing.......yet!!! I have 5 pesky pounds to lose and guess I haven't been trying hard enough. The only good thing for my liver is that I never drank much in my earlier years so I am a late "wine drinker"

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