[The Sausage]

hey kidz.
further to the topic on veg vs meat, thought i'd kick this off. If energy levels are a problem, it could be due to intolerances (gluten, lactose), too much sugar/caffeine leading to energy highs and lows, or general abuse (alcohol, fags, drugs). Once a year i tend to do a monster de-tox for a month (usually april), cutting out practically everything except brown rice, lentils/beans, fresh fruit/veg, and water/uncaffeinated tea. i sleep better, climb better, have tons of energy and generally feel rather smug and full of beans. the effects last beyond the month, as do some of the good habits.
anyone else have similar experiences/tips?
I hate to say it but carol vaudeman's book is great for recipes and ideas.
and your shit is green and doesn't smell. amazing.

[Nibile]

i think my energy levels depend on getting the right amount of sleep, not too much, but alot.
and also the food, of course.
ive never done a period of de-tox (no caffeine?????? ) but every time i abuse of something i stay quite healthy and clean the following days.
like today, after yesterday nights dinner and beers...

[squeek]

I'd rather have normal caffeinated tea than decaffeinated unless it says which process they use to take the caffeine out with.

I eat and drink quite a lot better than I used to with plenty of fruit and veg.  Don't drink that much regularly any more, and don't really miss it to be honest.  I've never had a period when I've purposefully gone without drinking and only eaten certain things.

I know a few people who have gone on these detoxes said they feel a lot better, sleep better, lose weight.  Then after a month or so just go back to same old habits and back to the old weight and feeling tired.  I don't really get it myself, if it makes you feel so much better why not keep it up?

[Somebody's Fool]

Sausage, I've still got Vicky's copy of Vorderman's book.  I should give it back, but first I'll have to photocopy the picture of a svelte, glowing Carol on the front.  I've grown rather attached.
I tried the detox but only managed about 10 days.  It's quite hard to stay motivated when doing it on your own, especially when there's smoking to contend with.  I resolved to try it again when I'm a bit older so I 'feel the benefit'.

[erm, sam]

I think that one of the main benefits of a "detox" period, is to give your body a new baseline in terms of normal intakes of sugar and caffeine etc. During your normal diet you get used to eating lots of sugar etc but once you have cut it out for a bit your body resets and you can find one buiscuit instead of 5 is satisfactroy.. Or you might start to notice how eating a marsbar sends you all spiney and hyper, or what have you. So I don't think it offers specific short term health benefits, but it can be good over the longer term...

[Nibile]

in terms of detox,
i completely dropped white sugar many years ago, and only use brown, non refined cane sugar. i also almost dropped white bread in favour of dark, and eat alot less pasta. yes you heard it right.
more, i go out for a beer no more than once every ten days, and usually dont have wine at home. i dont go to restaurants, cos i eat far better at home and anyway cant afford it...

on the other side, i still eat very very spicy.

[Sloper]

After a week of being on call (no beer/wine etc) I tend to go on a strict re-tox diet

[fatboySlimfast]

I think many nutritionists are adamant that the concept of a 'detox' is bunkum, an early night and a glass of tap water will have the same effect
http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/47
http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general5.html
http://www.which.co.uk/reports_and_campaigns/health_and_wellbeing/reports/cosmetics_and_beauty/Detox_product_investigation_news_article_557_63764.jsp

[Paz]

Yeah, I was going to ask if it wasn't shite.  Just all standard healthy eating benefit and placebo.  And shit tasting tea. 

Vorders used to be the female face of science (remember Take Nobody's Word For It?) but she now advertises those `Consolidate all your existing debts into one bigger scarier one IVA things'.

[The Sausage]

sorry paz, i meant natrually de-caff tea (e.g. rooibos) - totally agree the de-caf process must be prety spurious

whether it's a de-tox (in terms of actually getting rid of bad things), or just a period of very healthy eating, thus avoiding the well documented highs and lows of a processed, high sugar, caffeinated diet, doesn't really matter. It seems to work for me and most peeps i know who've tried it.

[Paz]

I was on about special detox tea.  It's shit. 

[Pantontino]

I've had an enforced detox for over a year now (a by product of CFS) and I'm constantly struck by how different everything feels. I've concentrated on eating really well, lots of home cooked, wholemeal, fresh food, no caffeine, and almost no alcohol at all. These days if I eat out I am usually very disappointed by the standard of food.

Going to the pub is quite strange too, listening to all these ranting pissed up idiots. I'm just stood there stone cold sober, bemused by it all, and thinking that not so long ago it was me doing the incoherent ranting.

My CFS symptoms have started to fade (although I still have a strange reaction to alcohol - anything more than a pint and I start to feel very ill) and I feel like I'm heading back to full health, but the question that lingers in my mind is: do I want to go back to my old boozy, hedonistic ways? Maybe I'll just stay a boring sensible git for the rest of my life.

I always remember shaking my head in dismay when someone sensible like Noel Craine left a party early because he wanted to make the most of the next day, but the other week I left a party before he did. The next day I climbed really well and I guess that's the point. When you get to a certain age, you have to start making choices. This decision has been forced on me by CFS, but I reckon even without CFS I would have ended up in the same place at some point.

[Stubbs]

high sugar, caffeinated diet

I don't think i could climb at all without sugar and caffeine