In this part of winter it gets cold, dry and rough so we need more warmth and softness through warmer water/tea/soups, spices, oils, and layers of clothes!

However, we need to make sure not to overdo with spices and acidic foods and drinks like pickles, alcohol, onions-garlic, as it would create too much heat trapped in our digestive system which might create too much acidity, heart burn and other digestive and eventually other health problems.

Ayurvedic Daily Routine for Winter

A healthy daily routine for winter is key to wellness as every season. In Ayurveda, this is the season of Vata and moving into Kapha. They both require warmth and a gentle fire in the digestive system. This means lighter meals and healing teas. Fresh ginger is a very good friend these days, to be used as tea with lemon and honey or cooking your soups and stews with it. It is your insurance to apply what is needed at that time of the year.

Here is what Ayurveda suggests for a healthy daily routine:

1. Start your day with warm water and a few drops of lemon or lime juice. Have 2 tbs of aloevera to support alkaline, too. Don’t  start your morning with coffee on empty stomach which creates so much acidity
2. Try regular abhyangha (oiling-self massage) with warm sesame oil before showers and avoid keeping body too dry
3. Go for exercises that gives you rejuvenating energy like yoga, brisk walks, easy jogs rather than exhausting ones.
4. Make cooked warm breakfasts like oatmeals, porridges or simply cooked apples with warming spices (see next) and do not start with cold cereals, dry and hard crackers, frozen smoothies, raw fruits (especially heavy ones like banana)
5. Use warming spices like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, thyme, turneric, black pepper, fresh ginger. However do not over do the “spicy” as it creates too much fire and acidity.
6. Make your lunch the biggest meal of the day and have light, cooked dinners with vegetable soups and stews. Use ghee or olive oil.
7. Avoid dinners with heavy, oily, fried and with animal protein and using cooling oils like coconut oil. 
8. Take it slow like nature. Slow down, rest more and get cozy with a blanket and sweet tea or golden milk! Sleep about 8 hours. Make sure not to exhaust yourself, running around, not sleeping 8 hours

8 Winter Wellness Tips

Winter Wellness Tips

What do you think about the tips above? Do you also feel like these will make you feel better these days? Enjoy this wonderful season and just make sure to be in synchronicity with Mother Nature

If you need a helping hand to go through these transitions and apply the daily routines, join one of my programs like 10 Day Online Ayurvedic Winter Cleanse, or Winter Yoga and Ayurveda Weekend Retreat, or 12 Weeks Online Holistic Coaching Program Zenfitgourmet.

However, after the holidays, with -“not so healthy eating” and not being able to practice yoga regularly- period, I felt almost all of the above symptoms. It was also because there was a major cold and flu virus going around the city. I did not get sick as many people around me but my body resisted and fought a long time and that already sucked.

Exploring Ayurveda

This time in my detox I decided to use Ayurvedic approach, an area I was longing to discover more! Ayurveda is an ancient Indian holistic health system, combining mind and body. As Deepak Chopra explains here, “More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vibrant and healthy while realizing their full human potential.”

You might have heard about the doshas, which are the mind-body types, and are the foundation for Ayurveda. Doshas express unique blends of physical, emotional, and mental characteristics. The three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, are derived from the five elements of nature, which are: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The best way to identify your dosha is to see an expert Ayurvedic doctor but you can start having a sense by using one of the online tests. I did this one and it matched my doctor’s diagnosis. However, Ayurveda is so much more than that.

The 2 guiding principles are, first, the mind and the body are inextricably connected and second, nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind. Freedom from illness depends upon expanding our own awareness, bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body (Source: Deepak Chopra). There are very basic and logical principles, like decreasing stress through mediation, eating a colourful-flavourful diet, strengthening digestive power, getting abundant sleep, living in tune with nature, exercising, taking it easy and living-eating-drinking according to your dosha.

I have just started learning and there is soo much more than these about Ayurveda, in the area of healing ailments and living a healthier lifestyle and preventing diseases with a strong body-mind. I have ordered my books and booked my Ayurvedic retreat in Sri Lanka, so you’ll hear more about these in the coming months for sure. I learned that I am mostly vata and pitta person and started the detox that helps balance my doshas.

What is my problem and what do I for it?

The main principle of my detox is the same as last years and you can read the details here. I avoid gluten-dairy-coffee-alcohol-sugar for 30 days. The first couple of days are painful due to withdrawal effect of caffeine so I suggest you follow the rules I mention in my article. The body tells you what it needs if you know how to listen!

I am dry all over!

I was having dry skin-mouth-eye-scalp-skin for a long time and I was trying to heal them with drops- oils and creams which is just a temporary relief. So first thing I learned is I have been drying myself for long years, acting against my data dosha, eating lots of dry nuts-fruits and crackers (healthy or not)! I was also drinking too much herbal teas which causes the loss of urine (which is good to detoxify to a certain extent) and when you add my 1-2 cups of coffee to this, I don’t know why I was wondering why am I so dry!

My belly is bloated!

Digestive problems are one of the most common issues of our times. Most of my friends and students complain from bloated belly, gas, constipation or even some of the have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is the result of years of overloading the intestines and all digestive system. In my case, I was also forcing it too hard as I love salads and can live on salads on raw food in every meal! So, my digestive system and vata dosha got tired of it!

I am tired and have sleep problems

I have a very active life and teach about 2 yoga classes per day. With 2 kids, 1 dog and 1 cat, life can be really being “up on feet” all day. So in the evenings I am finished by 21:00! Which could be normal yet sometimes I wish I have more energy to read, meditate, do yoga and relax more in the evening or very early morning. As I approach the menopause my hormones are also playing its tricks on me with sleep and mood swings!

What is new from ayurvedic approach?

Here is what I have started to do during this detox period and hoping that these become habits to continue for life. After 2 weeks, I am already feeling lighter and more energised. My belly is definitely less bloated, flatted and happier! I am craving mostly the good old Turkish yogurt and sometimes feta cheese!! Coffee is also not so easy but I love my lukewarm water and its soothing effects so that is getting easier. I feel a bit tense during detoxes probably due to not being able to eat my favourite yogurt or cheese yet I try to focus on positive effects and sides. That is why meditation is even more important during this time.

• I make oil pulling and scrape my tongue with a tongue-scraper . More details of why and benefits are here. I do a nasal cleaning with a neti pot.
• Stretch, meditate and do yoga for about 15-20 minutes
• I drink a glass of lukewarm water (not room temperature, a little heated one) with a few drops of lemon juice or small piece of ginger.
• After shower or bath with epsom salts and lavender oil, I use sesame oil all over the body
• A warm breakfast of omelette (i.e. with mushrooms)and/or gluten-free porridge with apple/pear compote and almond-coconut milk with cinnamon and cloves. I also eat avocado and olives.
• I take my usual supplements and started a new one called shilajit with the advise of my Ayurvedic doctor and due to my symptoms above and plus some inflammation issues. So please do not take it unless you take the advise of an expert. It is a strong supplement made from rocks in Himalaya.
• I drink my lukewarm water all day long and add a small piece ginger or mint leave or a few drops of lemon but I try to make sure it is not a “herbal tea”.
• I do not eat raw food during these 1 month or keep it to really minimum only during lunch time.
• I eat a rich lunch with gluten free grains like quinoa, mostly vegetarian protein like mung beans, and steamed or baked vegetables (never over cook or burn).
• I avoid red meat, legumes like chickpeas and white beans.
• I use less salt and spices. Salt=water retention. I use more of cumin and ajwain.
• Made an apple-pear compote with cinnamon and dates and use it for snacking or dessert
• I soak all my nuts like almonds and walnuts and eat them as snacks or breakfast.
• Vegetable or chicken soup for dinners
• Early bed and making sure at least 7 hours of sleep! Regularity, routine and rest are important for vata-pitta dosha mix people.
• Had 2-3 times Ayurvedic and regular massage during these weeks to help the body aches, detoxification and relaxation.

A key learning (or reminder) for me

Food should be a pleasurable part of your life. Eating a meal should be a joy and neither a torture nor a automatic-robotic action. Yet, if food becomes the centre of your pleasures, that you start to take most of the joy in your life from eating and drinking and when it becomes an addiction that you feel “your must have that cup of coffee to move on”, then it is sign of a need of detox. Every time I detox, I feel I realise the other pleasures in life, I strengthen my willpower, I explore what makes my body happy and disturbed. Sending the toxins away is beautiful process and you must be awake and calm to realise these benefits, hence once more again I advise meditation! I am at the start of this new journey and you will hear more about it in the coming months, therefore stay tuned here and on my Instagram and Facebook accounts for more daily updates.

Connection to Core: Detox Body, Mind & Spirit Retreat

Join our Retreat to learn more on detox and mindful eating! Me and Mironel are delighted to have you in our “Connection to Core, Detox Body, Mind & Spirit Retreat” on the 15th of July 2021, for 2 or 3 nights.

Click for more details: Connection to Core

• Improve the digestive system
• Decrease “liver loaders”
• Increase nutrient density by eating real food: not like processed foods.
• Flush out the toxins through exercise, baths and saunas.
• Give your soul a break through breathing, meditation, yoga and other forms of relaxation (especially a good minimum 8 hour sleep)
• Getting rid of toxins that make you sick!
• Increase in energy
• No more cold, flu or headaches
• Heal and manage allergies
• Age gracefully with better skin
• Stop cravings and break free from addictive substances (caffeine, sugar, salt…) and reprogram your biology

To detox and cleanse the body is to actually remove toxic, environmental and dietary substances through a specific regimen. So officially, it is to remove and eliminate toxins from the body and unofficially, it is to “spring clean” the soul and renew our inner selves. Various research results show that we ingest chemicals through the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air that we breathe. The main reason to partake in a cleansing program is to rid the body of these chemicals then rebuild it to optimal levels by using nutrient-dense foods.

Check my upcoming Ayurvedic detox programs: Ayurvedic Seasonal Detox

Why is it important to detox?

According to Dr. Libby, an internationally acclaimed nutritional biochemist, some common symptoms that show that you need a detox cleansing inside and out are:

• Skin problems, such as breakouts and congestion
• Sore, red, or stinging eyes
• Waking consistently between 2- 4am, especially if you have night sweats!
• Lumpy breasts that swell with your cycle, PMS
• Hunger, feeling like you could eat your arm off
• Fluid retention
• Not hungry for breakfast and craving only coffee in the morning
• Digestive problems, such as constipation and IBS
• Increase in body fat

Other signs are poor memory, brain fog, allergies, cellulite, poor energy, short temper easily angered…the list goes on! Our body actually has a perfect detoxification system that works 24/7. However, there are times where we overload this beautiful system with things that it cannot cope with and any of the above symptoms is our body’s way of ‘crying for help’. The liver is especially susceptible as this is the major detoxing organ; it gets overly stress when it is loaded with such things as alcohol, caffeine, and synthetic substances such as medication, pesticides, trans fats, refined sugar, infections and viruses. So where do you start?

There are hundreds of detox programs out there that promise you a miracle. It may or may not be the remedy for you, but just give it a try and see the results for yourself.

How to Detox?

Pre-detox Phase

The ideal way to kick-start your detox is to ease in and ease out with a pre-detox phase over a couple of days or longer (whatever suits you best) where you can gently eliminate the below from your diet to avoid your body going into shock and propelling you back into your old habits:

• Sugar, all processed food, trans fats, alcohol, flour (all types), dairy and in some cases grains (if you know they are heavy to digest for your, giving you gas and bloating after eating), some fruits with high sugar content (like bananas, grapes, etc)

Detoxing Days

Once your pre-detox is complete you can start your detoxing days with full on nutritional elimination diet supported by: daily routines for exercise of your choice such as walking, running, swimming etc, for some cardio and relaxation like yoga, meditation or just taking long relaxing baths. It is very important to give a break from social media and other distracting news, stress and events during these days.

During the selected number of days, you eliminate completely:
• Sugar and artificial sweeteners, grains (like flour, oat, rice), legumes (staples like lentils, beans), alcohol, caffeine, dairy, some fruits like banana, apple orange

So you eat mainly non-starchy vegetables, red fruits like berries, kiwi, lemon, lean protein like eggs, meat, fish, chicken, turkey, tofu; healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado. And of course you drink lots of water, minimum 2 litres.

How Many Days Do I Need to Detox?

This all depends on you! In most holistic centers and programs a minimum of 10 days, and up to 3 weeks are suggested. During the first few days you may have side effects caused by the elimination of toxins but within a few days you will start feeling much better. However, I would prefer that you started with something rather then nothing! If this is your first time and you want to start with a 3 day detox only, go for it! Each time you detox, your willpower and self-confidence will increase and your next detox with be longer.

Choose the one that you feel is most suited to you, but don’t forget to seek out the opinion of your doctor before you start – especially if you have a specific disease or problem. Cleanses and Fasts Are NOT For… Anyone who suffers from any of the following, raised blood pressure or heart disease, hypoglycemia, diabetes & insulin resistance, kidney disease, ulcers or if you are pregnant, you must consult your doctor before making any kind of changes to your diet.
So, in a nutshell, choosing the right program for you has multiple factors, your health, your background and your expectations. But most importantly your willpower for making this change a reality.

What Happens When You Detox?

• Clears out the toxic substances
• Improves excretion of toxins
• Decreases the load on liver by eliminating from your diet common loaders like sugar, caffeine, alcohol, dairy, grains, etc.
• Cleanses the mind and spirit
• Releases mental toxicity (i.e. negative, self-defeating thoughts)

What Types of Detoxes Are There?

1. Fast: water, juice, broths, or combo of both
2. Cleanse: raw and vegan food
3. Food based elimination detox: common food triggers, towards vegan, towards raw

Recomended Detox Programs

Here are two of examples I can suggest to get you started: Juice Detox and Dr. Mark Hyman’s 10 Day Detox Program.

1. Dr.Mark Hyman’s 10 Day Detox Daily Meal Plan:

Morning: Smoothie –Breakfast Detox Shake,
Snack: A handful of nuts (10-12)
Lunch:

• Vegetable Soup or
• Rich greens/veggies Salad plus protein or
• Vegetables with protein

Snack: Dips like “tahini-lemon” or “sun-dried tomatoes” and crudités
Dinner:

• Vegetables (raw, steamed or sautéed) plus protein (grilled, oven baked or steamed).
• Rich stews and curries, just no grains!

(Use recipes with anti-inflammatory, detox boosting herbs, spices like turmeric and vegetables like onion, garlic, ginger. Check out my blog for more recipes).

I have used Mark Hyman’s programs for both myself, and my clients and found it worked very well especially if you are detoxing for the first time, as you can eat many delicious meals during the program. It is typically protein and healthy fat oriented and you can have meat.

I also have a 10 day Detox Facebook Group, where you can find inspiring recipes from breakfast to dinner and tempting snacks. I also strongly suggest that you read Dr.Mark Hyman’s books and take a look at the website for more information.

2. Juicing Supported Detox Programs

If you tried juicing before and liked it, or you are willing to give it a try and you prefer more vegetable based detox program, then I would also strongly suggest the juice detoxing. You can go for full juice fasting, where you only drink juices and lots of water and sometimes soups. This is a tough program and you must consult your doctor as previously mentioned before you make this kind of big change.

A very good combination of juice and clean eating detox:

• Vegetable and fruit juice in the morning (2 glasses plus another glass as mid morning snack)
• Protein, healthy fat and lots of vegetables at lunch
• Green juice or homemade almond milk or green smoothie for afternoon
• Green juice and/or vegetable soups or smoothie in the evening

Meanwhile, you again of course eliminate sugar, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, flour, all white grains like white rice and pasta and some shadow vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, aubergines, etc. If you need more inspiration for this type of detoxing, visit these websites for recipes and ideas:

• Green Juice Lovers Facebook Group, where they keep many files for recipes and juice detox programs (mostly in Turkish though).
• Joe Cross, who inspired me for the first time and almost the father of green juicing in modern world I strongly suggest that you watch his first documentary movie where he shows the change in him when he only drank green juices for 60days! You can get many recipes for free.
• Juicing for Health website: It is where you can get more information on juice fasting or Juice Feasting- as they say- with some combination of raw or cooked healthy foods.
• Hello Glow for smoothie recipes for stocking them into a freezer for month! Very practical and clever idea!

Potential Side Effects

In most detox programs, the first few days you can expect to see some side effects as toxins leave your body. Many initially get worse as the body prepares to process the toxins/food allergens which shows detoxification works but they will go away. The best is to have slow days with lots of rest or at least go to bed early on those days, after a long relaxing bath to ease the symptoms. And in the end, you will feel lighter and energised and join me for a happy jump!

Some of the side effects of detox are;

• Bloating,
• Constipation,
• Diarrhea,
• Mental fogginess,
• Headaches
• Acne

Detox

I will be writing more about my juice detox program very soon, so follow my blog and Facebook pages for new articles and to make sure you don’t miss any news register for my newsletter and receive straight to your inbox. Wishing you a wonderful spring season where you’ll have the opportunity to refresh and re-energize yourself!

Preparation:

• 2-4 days before your detox, start decreasing the intake of caffeine, sugar and dairy to half your normal amount and then to a ¼.
• Make sure you shopped for lots of vegetables, healthy fats and protein. Check out my shopping list below

During Detox:

Eliminate completely

• Sugar and artificial sweeteners,
• Gluten (wheat bread, pasta, bulgur and products made with flour) and
• Refined grains like white rice,
• Alcohol,
• Caffeine,
• Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese),
• Optional:
• You can eliminate legumes (staples) like lentils, beans, chickpeas if you think that they give you a discomfort for digestion. You can also eliminate animal protein like red meat and chicken as this can be heavy for digestion for some people.
• Some fruits like bananas, raisins with high natural sugar content
• Any packed-processed food

You can eat:

• Non-starchy vegetables, red fruits like berries, kiwi, lemon
• Lean protein like eggs, meat, fish, chicken, turkey, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, beans
• Healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut and olive oil, coconut and almond milk
• Grains like quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, gluten free oats (limited)

Daily Meals and Routines

Morning

Start your day with warm-lemon water. Squeeze half lemon into warm water, add as much or as little lemon as you like.

Breakfast: Choose one from the below

• Classical Breakfast: Omelet with mushrooms, flaxseeds, peppers, spinach, etc
• Smoothie: Detox Shake, made of berries/kiwi, seeds, nuts, nut butter, almond milk, avocado and then some recipes with spinach, kale, herbs or ginger, cucumber. A good one is here and smoothie celebrity site is here!
• Green Juice: Cucumbers, apple, spinach, carrot, orange, celery, etc

Mid morning Snack: A handful of natural nuts (10-12) or a Green Juice

Lunch:

• Very rich greens / veggies and or salad with some protein and complex grains
• Protein: tofu, chicken, turkey, fish, egg, legumes, red meat is only twice per week, vegetables.
• Grains: gluten free grains like quinoa, buckwheat or brown rice.

Portions for lunch:

Divide your plate into 4 sections:
Protein: Divide your weight by 10 i.e. if you are 60kg, you will need roughly about 60g-65g (if you do not have a specific need/illness)
Raw vegetables (salads and crudité)
Cooked vegetables
Fruits and complex carbohydrates

Afternoon Snack:

Smoothie with homemade almond milk or a green juice.
Or 1 fruit and a handful of natural nuts.
Or dips & veggies, crudités (peppers, cucumber, carrot, celery, etc) with dips. Check out my website for recipes.

Dinner

Green Juice (Spinach, broccoli, cucumber, apple, lemon-lime, parsley, mint, etc)
Pure vegetable soup (Check out my recipes here)

In the Daily Routine

• Exercise everyday, from 30minute walk to whatever you can!
• Take your supplements like fish oil, fiber, vitamin D or multivitamin if you have already been taking. Otherwise consult your doctor for advice.
• Having a good nights sleep! When you are sleep deprived the body craves and asks for more and more! You want to reverse this so try sleeping more then usual during detox days!
• Relaxation, through meditation, Take 5 five breaths, detox baths (with salts, lavender oil,etc),
• Hydration! Key to success is drinking enough water, not only for this program, 8 glasses a day minimum!
• Taking a break from media, a detox for Facebook, Instagram, etc!
• Meditate everyday minimum 5 minutes up to your regular routine. Read more here how to start meditation.

After 5 days

• Well done! You did the most difficult part of a detox program! Now, slowly go back to routine, introducing the eliminated elements in small portions.
• If you feel like continuing, do it for a total of 10 or 21 days! You will feel great.
• Try drinking decaf coffee after detox, maybe you can continue like that since your body adapted to life without caffeine. Or stay with green tea, it makes you younger!
• When you do it for the second time, you will find it much easier and doable! Your willpower will be stronger; your taste pallet would be different. You’ll adapt much faster then the first time around. Try it!
• For more information and a free 30min health coaching consultation please contact: ceylan@ceylanayik.com

Shopping List for a Detox Plan

Vegetables

Non-starchy, green leaf or other colorful vegetables and salads.
Onions, garlic, tomatoes, lettuces, cucumber, peppers, ginger, mushroom, spinach, artichoke, asparagus, kale, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli,
All Salad greens and herbs

Staples, grains:

Lentils, Chickpeas, Beans prefrably soaked overnight and sprouted.
Brown/wild/whole Rice, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Gluten free Oat

Oils

Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, other healthy nuts&seeds oils like walnut, nut butters, olives
Nuts, walnuts, almonds (get a lot if you’ll do your own almond milk), peacans, brazilian nuts, cashews, all seeds, hemp, chia, pumpkin, sesame, flax
Nut butters like almond butter, *avocado

Condiments

Tahini, Coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk
Dried tomatoes, * Almond meal, coconut flour * Apple cider, balsamic vinegar
Lots of herbs and spices like parsley, mint, rosemary, cinnamon, anti-inflammatory turmeric, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, sage…
Sea salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, glutenfree soya sauce (tamari), miso to boost taste!

Fruits

Berries, kiwi, lemon&lime, ginger

Meat/Protein

Turkey, Chicken, Beef, Tofu, tempeh, eggs, shrimps, salmon

Always try to go for bio/organic, as much as you can.

For more information and a free health history consultation please contact: ceylan@ceylanayik.com

HEALTH DISCLAIMER

The views and nutritional advice expressed here are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical services. This Detox does not claim to “cure” disease, but simply to help you make physical and mental changes in your own body in order to help your body heal itself. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider before beginning this or any other program. It is not intended to suggest that you should not seek professional medical care or that you should disregard professional medical advice. Always work with a qualified health care practitioner to ensure that this complementary approach suits your specific needs. No information offered here, or products suggested for use, should be interpreted as a diagnosis of any disease, nor an attempt to treat or prevent any disease or condition. It can be dangerous to start any health program without consulting your local health professional first. The information and statements in this guide and on this website have not been evaluated by any authorities. The information and suggested products are not intended to diagnose treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I did simple detox programmes for a 10 days or 3-5 days before in the last 4 years.

Sometimes this was for a 10-day period, others for three to five days. I have also occasionally done juice-fasting for couple of days.

This time I decided to detox for 21 days, as I had been feeling a lot of discomfort in my digestive system; as well as inflammation in different areas of my body.  I decided to take a break from gluten, dairy, sugar (including dried fruits, sugar replacements and most fruits), alcohol and caffeine.

At the same time, I also visited a Nutritional Therapist (NT) as my symptoms were worrying me. I answered a 19-page questionnaire and took blood tests to look for food intolerances. I also went for a fine-detail check with urine and further blood tests. These results took a while to come back so, in the meantime, I continued the detox program since my NT had approved it.

The most difficult part for me is the cheese and yogurt

A typical bagel from Turkey called Simit and cheese-tomato, my all time favourite! This is a picture of the one I baked when I was living in Azerbaijan and missed home!

I don’t struggle to quit sugar or caffeine as I’m not a regular consumer of these things. Even bread is not a huge temptation as there are some great replacements for it. However, cheese and yogurt are my staples; my favourites since childhood! Unfortunately, any attempts to find their replacement have not worked!

Over the years I had been cutting down on these dairy products as they had been the cause of bloating – but – they were  still part of my weekly meal plan!

The first few days of detox are usually tough;

Headaches and strange feelings of withdrawal are common. The body reacts to not having its usual meals and, for me, this sometimes made me irritable. Occasionally, I felt nauseated or very tired as the toxins began to leave my body; plus, I suffered the effects of sugar and caffeine withdrawals.

After two or three days, I was slowly becoming used to it; by the end of the first week, I felt accustomed to this way of eating. I found that if I went to sleep early and exercised regularly, I would feel so much better during the detox program. Exercise helps to sweat the toxins out; extra sleep helps the rejuvenation process.

The second and then the third week felt much faster then the first one!

My afternoon tea is very different to the Queen’s!!

I really became accustomed to living like this – eating lots of vegetables, soups, green juices and protein (mainly fish or chicken; occasionally red or dried meat.) Also drinking lots of water; preparing my own anti-inflammatory teas (with ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cardamom, clove, lemon or cinnamon); and discovering new tastes (e.g. sugar-free, 100% peanut butter) all became quite routine during this time!

During the fourth week, I received the first blood test results. Apparently I have multiple food intolerances – to gluten, dairy, corn and even some greens, including lettuce! That last one was a huge shock!! I had learnt to live without cheese and yogurt but the thought of living without certain greens?! This was, and still is, a big problem for me!

I am a person who craves salads!

My staple!

I have been craving them since my childhood! My mum had to take the salad away from me as I always ate so much and left the main meal!! So when I read this report telling me I am intolerant to greens, I wanted to find the person who invented that test and …  (well, you can imagine!)

My NT suggested that I continue my normal detox for one or two weeks more whilst waiting for the detailed test results. So I did, and eventually completed a 35 day detox … however I admit to taking a sneaky break during the half term vacation!!

A Detox in holiday on the French Mountains

Imagine a place where everyone eats delicious mountain cheese day and night; where the bakery next door bakes the most delicious baguettes and croissants; where every restaurant serves mouth-watering chocolate desserts and crepes … and you are NOT allowed to eat any of them! I know that there are so many incredibly more-difficult situations in life than this!  But when you are fortunate enough to have these in front of you – yet unfortunately, cannot touch them – then life seems a bit strange.

I realised once more again how much importance we put to eating!

Eating has become, or maybe always has been, the central point for socialisation. Getting pleasure from food is almost the most important part of many people’s lives! So, when they are restricted, not only are our reactions biological, they also become psychological. We feel depressed or stressed about not being able to eat our favourite things!

However, we forget that there are other pleasures in life; and there are millions of people who never have the chance to have any at all.

I kept repeating this thought in my mind during my holiday and I partly survived it. Only partly – my eating & drinking was about 80% clean!!  When I returned from my holiday, I also returned to my strict program and, straight away, felt so much better.

What happened in these 35 days ?

After the rough first few days, I started feeling better, lighter and less bloated. After a few weeks, the energy kicked in and I felt stronger. I lost 2kgs, although it felt like more as it was mainly fat that I lost.  

My willpower became so much stronger once I realised I could survive without my comfort food. I also became more creative with cooking and choosing food and drinks in restaurants. I discovered lots of new recipes and snacking options, and I became more aware of my body’s reactions to different food types. Best of all, I learned not to think about food all the time and enjoy other things in life!

What Next?

Eating out in a pizzeria during the detox and finding a delicious option!

My detailed test results finally came through. I learned that my intestines are inflamed and therefore my vitamin & minerals levels are too low! My NT advised me to clean the gut first and support with some vitamins and pre-biotics (fermented vegetables).

For the intestinal cleansing I am starting a homeopathic medicine and I will also not eat raw food (including salads and fruits!!) for a while to give my system a rest.  Once my intestines are ready to metabolise again, she will advise on some more supplements for vital minerals and vitamins. During this cleansing period, gluten, corn, raw greens and dairy are not allowed so that my intestines do not get inflamed trying to digest them. This whole process can take from six months to a year.My homemade gluten free granola that i eat with my homemade almond milk! Now  I am addicted to this!

Why me ??

So to those people who think food intolerance is just a new fad, I would advise a re-think! Consider how many digestive systems are suffering inside the people around us. The root causes of these go back to our childhood and continue with the toxic world in which we live.

People are usually shocked when they hear that my intestines are inflamed, because they think, kindly, that I have the best nutrition! Thank you for thinking that; and, yes, I do make a lot of effort! However, if “healthy” foods are not helping “your” intestines, then there is no way of escaping from inflammation.

So all those years I spent eating my delicious homemade yogurt and kefir; the goat-milk feta cheese that I carried all the way from Istanbul; whole grain breads with gluten; soy sauce-baked fish and chicken … did absolutely nothing to help my intestines.

I investigated deeper into the cause of my sensitive intestines, and there are a few of them.

One being the mercury fillings in my teeth which were there for many years before dentists realised they must be removed. Another is that I had a very stressful time last year when my father was diagnosed with cancer, and eventually passed away last summer. Stress alone is enough to ruin the guts, yet I believe mine were weak even before. I also remember having heavy cramps as a child for seemingly no reason!

So please please, without freaking out completely, listen to the body and its signals.

So to those people who think food intolerance is just a new fad, I would advise a re-think! Consider how many digestive systems are suffering inside the people around us. The root causes of these go back to our childhood and continue with the toxic world in which we live.

People are usually shocked when they hear that my intestines are inflamed, because they think, kindly, that I have the best nutrition! Thank you for thinking that; and, yes, I do make a lot of effort! However, if “healthy” foods are not helping “your” intestines, then there is no way of escaping from inflammation.

So all those years I spent eating my delicious homemade yogurt and kefir; the goat-milk feta cheese that I carried all the way from Istanbul; whole grain breads with gluten; soy sauce-baked fish and chicken … did absolutely nothing to help my intestines.

I investigated deeper into the cause of my sensitive intestines, and there are a few of them. One being the mercury fillings in my teeth which were there for many years before dentists realised they must be removed. Another is that I had a very stressful time last year when my father was diagnosed with cancer, and eventually passed away last summer. Stress alone is enough to ruin the guts, yet I believe mine were weak even before. I also remember having heavy cramps as a child for seemingly no reason!

Is detoxing a myth?

During this period I learned a lot about detoxing; what it really means and what is required. It certainly is neither a myth nor a short, easy diet plan! You can help yourself by clearing out your system with a short period detox. However, if you have a health problem that remains for a long time (e.g. bloating, eczema, low levels of essential minerals, thyroid, etc) then you must consider a more serious approach and see a specialist in this area.

A change in lifestyle

And one last thing: This is not only about what we eat, but also about all the different chemicals we inject to our body. I am also changing my approach to choosing cosmetics, textiles, shampoos and all other personal care products; anything that touches my skin or stays around me. It is a long and slow process but I am glad that I have started!

And, surprisingly, I actually realised that by eliminating some cosmetics and routines that have toxins, I actually made my life easier and simpler! This is a subject of another blog post which I shall write when I have more experience of it!  

Please message me if you have any questions, comments and suggestions. I will be very happy to hear your story, too!

And enjoy these beautiful spring days!

Hugs and Love!

Ceylan P.S. There are two nice articles to read on detoxing if you are interested.

1. From Amelia Freer, Qualified Nutritional Therapist FdSc, Dip ION, mBANT, Detox: Fact or Fiction?
2. From Alex , Nutritional Therapy Consultant, Detoxification Demystified