A Detox Cleanse: “It goes against everything I believe in.” That was Kevin’s response when I asked him if he’d do a 5 day cleanse with me. If you know Kevin (my special man), you know of his love of all things BBQ: meat, ribs, more meat, and sauuuuuuce. He loves to eat, so asking him to go without food was kind of a big deal. He agreed to give it a try but only after I reminded him of just how much protein powder he has ingested in the 6-ish years we’ve been together. (Only in the last few years have I convinced him that not all protein powders are created equal.)
I’ve heard and read plenty about cleanses. Some good things; mostly bad. I’ve been 100% against the idea of cleansing in order to lose weight. In fact, I’m against any form of extreme weight loss via extreme calorie deficit. So let me be clear: I didn’t go into this cleanse as a means to lose weight. Rather, I experimented with the cleanse to see if there was any truth behind the claim that cleanses have healing powers, that giving your gut a rest from digestion detoxifies your body and will improve energy levels. I am never one to debunk a myth unless I have first-hand experience on the subject. Like how I don’t think ZUMBA is legit exercise because…I’ve taken a ZUMBA classes. (Ok, relax ZUMBA friends, I’m half joking.) I figured, if anything, at the end of this experiment I’d be able to make an informed recommendation either for or against cleansing responsibly.
Not only was I motivated out of professional curiosity, I ultimately attempted the cleanse for personal reasons as a means to transition from a largely carbohydrate based diet to a much lower carbohydrate diet. I recently concluded my training for an endurance event, for which I ate more carbohydrates in 7 months than I probably had in the last 5 years combined. No shit. And if you know me, you know I am not built for anything endurance-based. As my coach delicately put it, “Endurance training really isn’t your essence.” Ha! Isn’t he sweet? Looking at me, you can see I am not a naturally lean athlete. I have to work HARD. At any rate, the training and eating plan left me with a less than desirable body composition (about an 8 pound weight gain), and I was ready to switch things up both diet and training-wise and return to a leaner version of myself. So, instead of going from 150+ grams carbohydrates one day to less than 50 the next, experimenting with a cleanse before the big shift seemed like a good idea.
I chose the Neera Cleanse because I had read a blog post my coach wrote a while back based on his experience with it. The Neera Cleanse is a drink mix using Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup (a mixture of palm and maple syrup), lemon juice, water and cayenne pepper. According to their website, the Neera drink “supplies your body with the necessary nutrients for alert functioning so you can abstain easily from solid food. Neera Detox is not a true fast, as it supplies the body with 400-500 calories rich in minerals, trace elements, and simple sugars.” In theory, by abstaining from food, your body can then focus on cleansing and eliminating toxins from your system instead of having to expend energy to digest solid food. You begin the program with a sea salt shake, sip on the Neera drink throughout the day and drink a laxative tea at night. The program is flexible with regards to duration; you can remain on the detox from 5 – 15 days.
When I began my cleanse I thought about posting my experience straight to facebook. You know, because that’s what Facebook is for – taking pictures of your food, etc . Anyway, I decided against it because I didn’t want to give my clients & athletes the wrong idea about why I chose to try a detox; that I was trying to lose weight quick. So instead I am writing this post 2 weeks later to share my experience with you all in a responsible manner. Here’s what happened when I gave up solid food for 5 days . . .
Monday, Day 1: What was I thinking?!
Mix 2 tbsp of sea salt in 1 liter of warm water and CHUG. I almost vomited. Thirty minutes later my nausea was interrupted by severe diarrhea. Needless to say, I was late to work. The rest of the day was OK—brutal hunger pains during my regular lunch time were quickly squelched by sipping on the Neera drink. I decided to stay late at the gym because I desperately didn’t want to go home and think about dinner. I drank more Neera and sipped on laxative tea before bed.
Tuesday, Day 2: Sleepy Time
I took the day off from work to sleep. I could hardly keep my eyes open, I was so exhausted. I woke up around 11 and sipped on some Neera. I called Kevin to ask him how he was feeling. His response: “Great! Now that I’ve had some food.” Bastard! He tapped out after 32 hours. That night we went to the movies during our normal dinner time, just to give me a break from my normal routine. The popcorn chomping in the theatre left me fantasizing of dropkicking people in the back of the head, even more so than usual. I sipped on the Neera I smuggled into the theatre. Hunger subsided.
Wednesday, Day 3: I could really go for some soup & crackers.
Drank Neera. Pooped. Drank more Neera. Pooped more. Fantasized about soup & goldfish crackers.
Thursday, Day 4: No more pooping.
No hunger, just boredom. I found myself spending a lot of time in my office at times I would normally be at home eating lunch, prepping food, or driving to Starbucks to drink coffee and do work. I can’t say I was unusually productive; rather, I was simply content where I was at my desk. I hardly drank my Neera quota for the day. Went to the grocery to stock up on soup that I planned to eat on day 6. Also bought Kevin a half rack of BBQ ribs and a twice-baked potato. At this point his eating hardly bothered me. Maybe this is the mental clarity they were talking about?
Friday, Day 5: This is it?
I honestly felt like I could go another 5 days without eating. I just wasn’t hungry. I didn’t even drink my fill of Neera and felt absolutely fine. That night I had to attend a dinner party with several “fitness” people I didn’t know too well. I was already the extreme CrossFit girl with all the muscles, I didn’t also want to be that girl who came to a dinner party and say, “No thanks. I’m not eating. I’m on a cleanse.” Confused by the menu, I ordered two salads and nibbled. Checked the scale: 8 pounds lighter than when I started on day 1. I could do this all day.
Breaking the Fast: Day 1 – 4
The Neera Detox recommends breaking the fast with fruit & veggie juice on the first day, followed by introducing soup on day 2 & 3 and your normal diet of protein & carbohydrates on day 4. I tried to follow the guidelines but due to weekend obligations I ended up only eating some chicken & rice from Chipotle on Saturday around 5 pm. Followed by some soup on Sunday. It took me until Tuesday get my appetite back and to consume my regular diet.
In the end, the biggest realization I had was I am mentally tougher than I realized…that, and I had no craving for sugar (which I typically love to a fault). Even now, almost 2 weeks later, I remain uninterested in sweets.
Throughout the process, I thought about every single one of my nutrition coaching clients, who could benefit from a detox like this, and for whom it could be dangerous. I believe if done responsibly, a cleanse can be beneficial as a jumpstart to a clean eating plan, as long as that clean eating plan is with guidance. While the weight loss I experienced was mostly from my gut (you know, all that pooping), water, and possibly some fat & muscle loss, I have managed to keep off 4 of the pounds lost. I believe that could be the motivating factor for the client with weight loss goals.
However, if you do not have the mental fortitude nor the nutritional guidance and accountability post-cleanse, I see how easily you could overload on treats post-cleanse and be right back where you started. In that case, the cleanse is not for you!
I urge you NOT to embark on a cleanse or detox for a quick fix! The weight loss, whether it’s 5 pounds or 20, is not authentic if you don’t follow through with a responsible clean eating plan with accountability. If you are working with a nutrition coach, plan to, or you practice enviable self-control, (and you know who you are and who you aren’t!), a detox can be beneficial once or twice a year, coupled with a break from your training routine.
– Karen Candia | Owner & Nutrition Coach
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