My diet & detox journal

I finished an 11 day Lemonade Fast - Master Cleanse about 5 days ago. Details will come at some point, (watch for them) but it raised the topic of raising metabolism on a board I frequent. As such, I thought it might be a good idea to share some of my thoughts here on the blog because metabolism is something I’m often asked about.

The post fasting time is often even more challenging than the prep and the fast itself. Preparing means eating cleanly, which for those of us on a healthy journey is neither abnormal, or difficult. We simply reign in a few of our extravagances (for me that’s dark chocolate and the occasional home brewed beer.) The fasting period while it may tax our will power and cravings, is also none to difficult because in the case of the MC, it’s fairly simple. The hardest part may be the juicing of the lemons or the shopping for food for others in the family. Although, in my case, I found both of those jobs pleasurable.

The most difficult part of the cleanse for me is generally the ‘reentry period.’ The rebuilding of the digestive system to accommodate foods which have been set aside for several weeks. Knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and how not to overeat or overcompensate is KEY to maintaining the benefits of any fast, be it 8 hours (overnight) or 8 days. In my case I didn’t reintroduce solids until 2 days after the cleanse. And I’m still doing 2 liquid meals a day, although they are highly supplemented with good oils and fats, as well as hemp protein, greens and the like.

The question that came up on one of my favorite online forums (Alisa Cohen’s RFT) was about feeling cold and even sluggish on a raw diet, particularly when post fasting. Since some of this content is new since I posted on the formum, I am not putting the repost is in italics.

I find it interesting that we crave fats post cleanse. Instinctively, our body knows what you’ve been abstaining from for a bit! I have noticed that while I don’t ‘crave’ the fats right now (I’ve been mixing lemon juice with avocado as my salad dressing rather than using pure olive oil) I have noticed that the lack of fat in the last three weeks has affected my bowel. (I’ve got IBS-C related to my gallbladder function, and it ‘notices’ when I go low-fat.)

Post fast I have to be very careful to not introduce too much fat at once, as low fat CAN trigger our gallbladder and induce a gallstone attack. [Been there. this was what first drove me to see an acupuncturist.] Many folks don’t realize this, but while high fat diets are generally blamed for gall stone attacks, a low fat, low calorie or long term fast can also induce them.

Once our body becomes accustomed to eating fats again, we can slowly increase them in the diet. Fats are crucial to the quality of our cellular regeneration. We are what we eat, and fats help make our skin soft and supple, our cells pliable and able to bounce back. Good fats build our brain, enhance our vision, lubricate our digestive system, and so much more. Fats are key to life. This is one of the reasons I never worry too much when I do super high fat for a few days, or even weeks. I figure my body is craving it, and hey, the quality of fats is everything. the type of fat is also a factor. Coconuts agree really well with me, and help balance my hormones and PCOS. I have been known to eat an entire mature coconut a day! (Back when I first went raw in ‘03 I lived in the islands and they only cost 10 cents each!)

I had a sudden urge to consume fats today (5 days post MC) and so I ate some nuts (well chewed) and plan to put oil on my salad tonight. I also added coconut ‘mylk’ to my smoothies today to up the fats in the am and lunch time too.

Try coconut oil, and other coconut foods. Coconut contains MCTs, or Medium Chain Triglycerides, which are burned more like carbs, rather than fat. In my experience, raw coconut is a helpful partner to boosting the metabolic system, prized by those with low thyroid, PCOS, and other concerns. Personally, I love it, and it makes all the difference. Works great as a spread, in smoothies, or even right off the spoon.

Also helpful are warming foods, and physical activity. Some find that strength training, which builds muscle and increases our metabolism 24 hours day can be a great help for ‘warming’ up.

One caveat, while I’m not 100% raw 100% of the time, I have been in the past, do a few 100% raw days regularly, and although I’ve remained high raw since 2003, I still feel sensitive to the cold. That sensitivity, in part, forced my return from a 6 month relocation to Boulder, Colorado in 2007. I have been living in mostly warm climes since I went raw in ‘03, (the Caribbean, Florida, California) and have had some trouble now that I am in Oregon. But I just dress warmly.

Sometimes I feel bad because I”m married to a guy with a very high metabolism who ‘burns’ warmly and holds very little fat. He wears tshirts and shorts most days, even when its in the 50s! He also turns the heater down on me.

I put coconut in smoothies, on crackers, I eat mature coconut right out of the shell. (Think Survivor! or Castaway! Good stuff.) I love coconut in its many forms. You can use the oil right off the spoon, or mix with cacao powder, agave, and ground nuts to make a ‘larabar’ type candy. While it may seem a bother to crack those brown mature coconuts, I typically buy a few at a time and prep them at once. I’ll chop them into pieces and keep in the freezer so when I want some they’re there.

Have you ever read Bruce Fife’s book on coconut? If not, check it out.

Also, my local co-op here allows us to buy coconut oil in bulk, so my husband pretty well uses it in place of most oil for his cooking (he does a lot of Asian style stirfry) and we’ve also replaced dairy butter with coconut oil on toast for the baby and house guests. People love coconut oil and cinnamon on toast. For those that practice eating 100% raw, are wheat or grain free, or don’t like toast, just replace the toast with a raw bread, gluten free option, or cracker. It’s a simple, delish, substitution.

Still struggling with metabolism post fast? You may want to look at your calorie counts. Low calorie diets are notorious for stagnating the metabolism. I’ve found that my own internal system slows when I fast, so it takes some time to rebuild it back up after an MC. That’s why the coconut and nuts help.

My two cents.

-Cassy

Having taken much time off from my blog to focus on my family, I’ve decided that an ideal way to reestablish myself with my followers here at Ask Cassy would be to publish some of my current written material. In other words, I’ll post for your enjoyment the stuff I’ve been working on for the company. Someday, when I have the time I’ll archive it all to my article pages and portfolio, but for now you’ll get the good stuff without the advertising fluff. If you’re sensitive, please forgive the product call outs. Those of you who know me well will have no fear writing to me to banter on formulas…bring it on…I invite it!

[You’ll also note that the choice of images is mine, not my employers. When needed I’ve credited images in the ‘alt’ code. Thanks!]

I recently wrote this article for my employer, Enzymedica. It ran in our July/August 2009 newsletter. Enjoy!

The Cleansing Effects of Digestion and Detoxification

It has been said that our intestinal tract is the root of good health. Unfortunately, impaired digestion, poor food choices, and improper elimination can leave our bowels at risk for countless health concerns including a bacterial and yeast imbalance. Combining healthy microflora, however, along with a sensible cleansing diet and supplemental enzymes to promote optimal digestion will help bring our intestinal health into balance.

The Roots of Faulty Digestion and Impaired Intestinal Health Revealed!
It has been said that our intestinal tract is the root of good health. This system houses the important processes of digestion, nutrient absorption, and elimination, so there is little doubt that if it ceases to function properly, poor health will follow.

What we often think of as a long hollow tube is actually full of the byproducts of our digestive processes, including fiber, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in various stages of digestion. These contents are activated by digestive fluid such as stomach acid, digestive enzymes from our pancreas and other organs, and bile acids from the liver. Broken down into smaller and smaller pieces, food is transformed into usable nutrients and waste is passed down the tube to the colon for elimination.

There’s a Fungus within Each of Us
These close quarters are also inhabited by countless microorganisms which feed on the contents of our intestines. Trillions of microorganisms, including yeasts and bacteria, make their home in our gastrointestinal tract. We offer these microflora a place to live and in return they provide a multitude of benefits; aiding digestion and elimination through fiber fermentation, producing vitamins such as B and K, and the manufacture of enzymes that will help us break down the foods we eat.

We take in healthy bacteria through our diet in foods such as yogurt, raw sauerkraut, and kefir. Other common sources of these organisms are dietary supplements such as capsules and powders. These beneficial microflora are commonly referred to as probiotics and their numbers are largely dependent on our own diet, the supplements we take, and our environmental burden. Unfortunately, many of these critters are easily damaged by chemicals such as chlorinated water from drinking and bathing, as well as the preservatives and antibiotics found in some foods and medications, making probiotic supplementation necessary.

Our internal ecosphere consists of both beneficial and pathogenic organisms. In proper numbers, the healthy probiotics we house will feed on the contents of our healthy diet and secrete byproducts that are antagonistic to pathogens, such as yeast and other pathogenic bacteria. This process helps keep our intestines healthy and our microbial balance in check.

However, if we consume large amounts of processed foods, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates, we provide fodder for fermentation by pathogenic organisms such as the yeast known as Candida Albicans. This pesky beast can be the cause of countless health challenges including food sensitivities, low energy, skin issues, indigestion, occasional gas and bloating, and can even compromise immunity.

While in balance, Candida is generally a harmless yeast organism. But when overgrown and imbalanced it can damage our intestinal lining. In fact, Candida can shift into a fungal form, growing long roots which can burrow into intestinal lining, affecting other organs and causing harm to our health.

Impaired digestion, irregularity and improper bowel elimination allow undigested food to sit in the intestines where it, too, becomes food for bacteria and yeast. The condition of such a colon inhibits proper assimilation of nutrients and encourages further overgrowth of pathogens. To maintain a healthy intestine and gain the full benefits of our diet we must avoid impaired digestion at all costs. Optimal digestion can best be achieved by the healthy production of digestive enzymes from our pancreas, stomach and intestine, and supported by the enzymes found in raw foods and dietary supplements.

Finding your Internal Balance
While few will argue that diet is a key component in maintaining a healthy intestinal tract, as we’ve seen, enzymes and probiotics can be important aids to help you avoid the chaos of intestinal imbalance. Enzymedica offers a novel approach for those concerned with intestinal imbalance and yeast overgrowth: the enzyme product Candidase and its companion supplement, Pro-Bio.

Combined with a healthy diet the cellulase enzymes in Candidase will help break down the tough outer shell of Candida, while protease (protein-digesting) enzymes digest the protein based nucleus of the organism. This will aid our body’s own immune system to remove the yeast and properly eliminate the fungus. Not only do protease and cellulase enzymes digest the Candida cell itself, but they also help clean up the intestine, aiding detoxification and elimination. This will help healthy probiotics flourish, aid nutrient absorption, and contribute to a healthy intestinal environment.

A probiotic supplement such as Enzymedica’s Pro-Bio will supply the colon with a flood of healthy organisms to impart healthy benefits. Probiotic organisms such as the lactobacillus acidophilus paracasei and other strains found in Pro-Bio have been shown in studies to balance and maintain levels of healthy intestinal microflora. This, in turn will help keep our yeast populations in check. Shelf stable and enteric coated to allow the organisms safe passage into the lower GI where they will flourish, Pro-Bio is a promising partner in digestive health.

After over a year long hiatus, I’ll be back to blogging soon and I am working on a face life for my website, AskCassyFirst.

This year has brought many changes for me, including the arrival of my son Will, perhaps the best thing I’ve ever experienced.

“A son,” you say?

YES!  Women with PCOS can conceive naturally and deliver full-term babies in great health! I’ll be back online soon with more details…

And for those of you that have called or written, my mum has recovered from her cancer treatment and had her first anniversary cancer-free!