A Week in the Life: The 7-Day Detoxer
Introduction:
With the Community Functional Medicine Detox coming up on January 8th, I wanted to talk about what a week in the life of a detoxer looks like for a 7-Day Detox. There are three different lengths to the detox, 7, 14, and 21-day, but it quite literally is the same process repeated one to three times leading to greater benefits with greater length. The 7-Day Detox is a great reset after traveling for sometime or especially after a long holiday season like we are in right now. Many detoxers lose a couple pounds during the detox, often due to inflammation and water weight. Though this detox is not solely intended for weight loss, if you feel like you want to lose more than just a couple pounds, you may want to look more at the 14 or 21-day detox. Typically, the 21-Day Detox is recommended for first-time detoxers to give your liver the support it has never had at this level before. However, it is understandable that you may not want to commit to something so much when you haven’t gotten to experience it for yourself before, so I recommend starting with the 7-Day Detox and if you feel ready, you can increase to 14 or 21-day from there!
Days 1-3:
The first two days of the detox are “fasting” days, I always put the quotations around fasting because when most people hear that word they think you don’t get to consume anything but water. In this case, you will get to have four shakes on each of the first two days, one for breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack/meal, and dinner. Each meal is about three and half to four hours separated and is more important for the rest of the detox week but is helpful in dealing with potential hunger in the beginning. Each shake consists of about 20 oz. of water and one scoop of Daily Nutritional Support or DNS. The DNS is a protein powder and multivitamin in one, with hemp and pea protein as the base and all your daily vitamin and mineral needs added in, plus, it’s all natural!
During these two days, it's best not to go too crazy on any workouts. If you aren’t someone that typically is getting a daily workout in, be sure just to maintain regular activity or add in a quick half an hour walk for a little extra movement. Even though you are in a fasted state, you don’t want to be laying in bed all day, getting up and moving is important to take advantage of what the detox can do for you. This also applies to the morning of day three as you won’t have eaten anything yet.
Days 3-7:
Again, breakfast will be a shake but this time it will consist of 20 oz. of water and two scoops of DNS. Once we get to lunch, it’s time to eat! The lunches should be vegan or vegetarian based, so protein sources like chickpeas and lentils are good choices, hemp seeds are my personal favorite. Be sure to consume this meal mindfully and take your time, not doing so will lead to the bloated feeling that we are trying to get rid of. You will get a pamphlet with the detox that tells you all the detox-approved foods that you can have for your meal times. It is important to stick to the list you are given as this detox week is meant to be a break for your body. We want to go easy on digestion and minimize unnecessary modes of draining energy.
Afternoon snack/meal is another two scoop DNS shake and your last meal will be a paleo-based dinner. If you don’t usually consume animal proteins, you can stick to vegan or vegetarian options, but for people that typically do, pay attention to what proteins are detox-approved. We will be avoiding red meat during this time as it can be more difficult to digest but wild game such as bison is okay. Other options that are lighter like poultry and fish are included in the approved list as well. Day three is also the day to get back in the gym. If that is a regular habit for you, I typically wait until the evening so that my body has had at least one meal before starting a workout. However, this week is not for adding weight to last week's number, your body is doing some extra maintenance at a calorie deficit, give yourself some grace. For those that typically workout in the morning, you can get back to that on day 4. And if the gym is not somewhere you are typically found, that is okay too, this is not the time to start a whole new workout plan. Stick to the walks you have been going on, maybe walk for a whole hour instead, do what feels good and works for you.
Taking Full Advantage of the Detox:
There will be additional supplements included with the detox, AYU (Ayurvedic) Detox and the other is FM (Functional Medicine) Detox, these are all natural supplements meant to further support your liver and whole body through the detox process. They do both come in pill form and you will consume two of each in the morning and at night, so unless you happen to be traveling during the detox, you won’t have to carry them everywhere with you. I will be honest, I have tried just doing the 7-Day Detox with just the DNS and no extra supplements. It is not the same and will definitely not get you the same results, though it is still a good way to reset, the additional supplements are vital to taking full advantage of the detox.
I want to offer you a little extra thing to get even more out of the detox. If you have access to a sauna, this is one of my favorite things to do regularly and especially during the detox. Utilizing a sauna or steam room promotes the body's natural detox pathways to release toxins by sweating. Taking a cold shower right after the sauna is extremely revitalizing and feels absolutely amazing afterwards, plus it is important to rinse off all the toxins you just sweat out anyways. This isn’t something that I recommend to everyone as your adrenals do need to be in a good place to handle such a big temperature change, but if you have tried it before I highly recommend it.
Conclusion:
If you are interested in the 14 or 21-Day Detox, you will just continue the same process once or twice more. It is completely up to you if you want to do the two fasting days again each week, it is not a requirement but is recommended to get the most out of the detox. This Functional Medicine Detox is such an easy way to get a quick win and start to feel and see some progress. You will likely have more insight on where your body is at and what you need to continue on the path to feeling well every day. So many people that have done the detox before share that just in one week they stopped getting the headaches they have had daily for years, they don’t experience bloating anymore, and notice a decrease in inflammation in general. Many detoxers expect to be moody with their family and friends due to the change in diet, but are pleasantly surprised to notice that they actually handle situations better with greater mental clarity. There are so many long-term benefits to take away from the detox and I look forward to hearing all about your personal experience!
On January 8th, 2024 I will be hosting a Community Functional Medicine Detox utilizing the same detox I wrote about above. You will have the opportunity to join the free Facebook Group to share your experience and get extra tips and tricks for an extra successful detox. The last day to order the detox and get started with the group is December 23rd, but you are welcome to start at any time and the group will always be there. Click here to join me today!
