Reflections of a detox newbie
My 14 day detox came to an end yesterday and I am very proud to say that I did it. I didn’t succumb to cravings or temptations and I stuck to it for the whole fortnight – I promise!
At the start I was apprehensive about doing a detox for the first time. I had it in my head that it would be a punishing regime whereby I could only eat salads and celery sticks and I would end up hungry and desperately longing for my usual diet. My experience was, I am happy to say, the complete opposite! The detox has given me a new appreciation of food and even cooking. It made me think outside the box about what to eat, eagerly search for healthy eating recipes online and try food I have never tried before. It also both challenged and improved my usually non-existent culinary skills, which was a bonus.
Although the detox plan was only for 14 days I have learned so much in this short space of time that I know it will benefit me, not just this year, but throughout my life! I know that’s a bold statement to make but it really has made me look critically at my old diet and it has helped me introduce healthier options that I don’t plan on giving up, even though my detox has ended.
The two things I thought I would miss the most were chocolate and red meat but surprisingly (and I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t tried it) dried fruit in moderation and fish/chicken proved to be tasty alternatives. Other foods I have found myself partial to throughout my detox include sweet potatoes, courgettes, wholegrain pasta, wheat tortilla wraps, almond milk, bran flakes, oat cakes, dried cranberries, raisins, dried mango and lots of homemade fruit smoothies, believe me I didn’t go hungry once!
I also really surprised myself by evoking my inner Delia Smith, making homemade soup for the very first time, chicken & vegetable pasta with homemade sauce, banana bread and my most adventurous dish, Potato, Courgette & Goat’s Cheese Frittata.
Following the detox plan has helped me with....
Weight loss & bloating: Although I didn’t weigh myself before the detox due to fear of what my festive indulgences had done to my body, I can really feel and see the difference the detox has made, especially to my silhouette, with my tummy flatter than it’s been in a long time. I often suffer from tummy bloating, especially after eating red meat so reducing my meat intake as well as taking Molkosan® Original daily really helped me. So much so that I plan to take Molkosan® Original daily from now on to help my digestive system further.
Physical energy levels, mood & sleep: Heading into the second week of the detox, I felt a distinct increase in my energy levels. I was less tired, not as grumpy and felt a surge of energy. I think a lot of this is down to the amazing sleep I have been getting. I am generally quite a light sleeper and often wake at least once a night but heading into week two I found I was experiencing deeper sleeps and not waking up as tired, helping the post sluggish haze of my festive indulgences become a distant memory.
Skin: In general I don’t have the best skin; it’s often dry with a frequent outbreak of spots. I was aware at the start of the detox that spots were a common side effect as toxins leave the body so I wasn’t surprised when my face broke out and was worse than usual. However, after two weeks of helping my digestive system and improving my water intake I am really beginning to see an improvement, with my spots almost gone and my skin feeling smoother. So my mission for this year is to use the lessons I have learnt during the detox to continue to improve the quality of my skin.
My final thought
All in all I have had a very positive detox experience and I’m so glad I did it. I think it’s been a great way to kick start some great healthy habits and start the New Year a New ME!
Have you challenged yourself to our 14 day detox or any other detox? I would love to hear about your experiences and post detox thoughts.
Meet the author
Annmarie is a green beauty enthusiast who is passionate about natural and organic skincare and makeup. She regularly blogs about health and wellbeing, as well as her journey to discover more about green beauty and living.Her love for green beauty and natural health began when she started working for A.Vogel - from then she has let nature be her guide every day, exploring new natural products and green brands to improve her well-being both inside and out...and her skin has been thanking her ever since!
