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

When researching the satiety index of fiber containing foods for a project at work today, I found a fantastic article (click to read) which outlines (in laymans’ terms) how fibrous foods increase the satiety hormones in the body. The article addresses CCK, which is ‘choleocystokinin’, a hormone produced in the small intestine, that stimulates both bile release from the gallbladder, and pancreatic enzyme release from the pancreas. This will assist the body to digest proteins and fats. Additionally, CCK has been shown to mediate hunger, as it will promote satiety as well.

Referencing a study of the affects of various foods on our CCK levels, (by Suzanne Holt, Ph.D. professor of biochemistry at the University of Sydney in Australia,) white potatoes top the list! That’s not to say that white potatoes should be considered more healthful, but it does point out that whole foods can have benefits beyond just their ‘glycemic index.’ Here is a brief outline of the top CCK producing foods according to Ms. Holt’s study:

Foods & the ingredient which stimulates CCK Release
Potatoes - Contains Pot-II protein
Fish - High in protein
Oatmeal - High in soluble fiber
Oranges - High in pectin
Apples - High in pectin
Brown Pasta - High in soluble fiber
Beef - High in protein
Baked Beans - High in soluble fiber
Grapes - High in pectin
Whole-Grain Bread  - High in soluble fiber

“A satiety index of common foods. Holt SH; Miller JC; Petocz P; et al Eur J Clin Nutr (England), Sep 1995, 49(9) p675-90 ”

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Well…I had a nice experience yesterday at the Chiro…I have been seeing the doc since June and my car accident. For the first month I saw him 3 times a week and had a massage at least 2 times a week. The second month I went down to twice a week on the adjustment, and the massage once a week. Throughout that time I also had several other types of rehabilitation therapy for my back and neck to aide healing.

For the past month, however, this has all been out of pocket, as my insurance paid 80% until October. So, I asked the chiro when I would be getting my bill for the other 20%, and they said they are writing it off! He said he knew I didn’t get an attorny, and all, and that he didn’t want me to worry about it! I felt so honestly appreciative, as this is a real help considering everything! So, I still see him now once a month, and will continue to do so, especially since the therapy really helped me.

Tuesday, however, I am going to start seeing an acupunturist. I am thinking this may help with my digestive woes, and stress levels. I have been having low-level belly issues since what I assume is my gall bladder, flared up in October. Basically I have been sensitive to things I was not as sensitive too, and fats in particular upset my tummy. Mostly bloating, and yet I know things aren’t normal, so that is why I want to chat with the practitioner. Working in digestive care, I know that much can be affected by diet. However, since my accident my stress level has been so high, that it is affecting my digestion. I know it. I say that because I feel it at its worst when I get stressed. Then I even get shortness of breath and panic, and then nausea. WHen I calm down, miraculously, my belly feels that much better. Arg, IBS.

Considering I have never had acupuncture before, and the fact that I am afraid of needles, this is pretty well surprising that I have agreed to this. HOwever, knowing that accupressure works, based on my own experience with massage and reflexology, and the fact that I am not thrilled about endoscopies, or a HIDDA scan, where they inject radioactive dye and then stimulate your gall bladder to see how it is working, I will gladly have tiny needles tucked under my skin. I guess that makes sense, right?

I would love to say that eating raw food would help my belly feel better. TO the contrary, many uncooked veggies were NOT agreeing with me these days, and I know that too much fruit wasn’t good either. I have been subsisting on ezekial bread (sprouted grain & seed muffin things) plus apple juice, and apple sauce and the occasional smoothie, or beet-lemon-apple juice. (fresh homemade in juicer). TOday, however, I did a search online and found a great greens soup recipe. I found it here, and it is good. HEre is the recipe:

Green Soup Recipe

One bunch parsley 3 medium zucchini
½ lb. Green beans
5 stalks celery

Steam together for 8-10 minutes.
Or partially steam and boil in ½ cup water.
If you have a steamer, you retain more nutrients and flavor
with that method. Puré in a blender.

This soup is wonderful for relief from all sorts of gastric disturbances such as stomach pain, gas, and indigestion. I do not add any fat or salt to this recipe. It can be used anytime but is particularly useful as a three day fast with nothing else but water. It is both nourishing and easy to digest. You can alter the amounts to taste. More beans add more sweetness.

To be honest, I am usually good with bland things, so I wasn’t too worried about trying to consume a greens soup without salt or anything. To be honest, it was really good, even with NO spices or anything. Seems like it went through me pretty quick, and I did use two yellow summer squash in place of 2 of the zucchini. But it was warm and creamy, even with no cream. I chalk the flavor up to the celery and parsly. I was pleasantly surprised.

Anyway, I am still a bit ambivilant about the acupunture treatment, yet I really hope it helps me relax. WE shall see. I thought the comic here would put me at ease…

Well, I suppose I have made my point. This is shaping up to be a nice relaxing weekend, so I best go enjoy it.

Hasta.

Cassy