7 Day Detox- Day 7

Day Seven Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

Tomorrow morning you will be 10-17 lbs. lighter than one week ago. If you desire further weight loss, repeat the program again. You may repeat this program as often as you like, however, it is suggested that you are allowed two glasses of white wine in addition to the instructions on the program. You may substitute champagne for white wine. Under no circumstances are you to drink any other alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer which is allowed. Any liquor (bourbon, vodka, rum) is forbidden. Cream drinks are especially forbidden. You may have an occasional cordial such as creme de menthe or schnapps, but you must always limit yourself to two drinks. If you have wine, drink only wine that day. If you have beer, drink only beer that day, etc. Alcohol adds empty calories to your diet. However, after the first week it will help your digestion and settle your stomach.

 

Ok, Day 7….hardest day of all!

The rice and vegetables did nothing for me. I use brown rice regularly and I love vegetables.

But what my body really wants is substance. All Oreo jokes aside, I can’t wait to have a chicken salad lettuce wrap. I made chicken salad the other day for the dudes and it has been calling my name ever since. Normally my chicken salad is the bomb but Hubby said it didn’t taste the same this time. I have always used the taste as you go kind of cook (unfortunately the results always come out different. That’s why I’ve started documenting my recipes). I was doing the 7 Day Detox so I didn’t taste test. I wanted to get the full effect of the plan.

We were sitting on the couch in the evening after Dancing with the Stars Elimination show (I am an addict and have seen every season), and Hubby sat down with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. He asked if I wanted one: black.

During this Detox I realized something; I honestly forgot that I used to like my coffee black in my pre-hubby days. Hubby turned me on to the art of cream and sugar (ok, I can’t totally blame him). Since then I have graduated to sugar, powdered cream AND a splash of flavored liquid cream. Talk about a morning carb-fest!

In all reality, that was the easiest eating plan I have ever followed. I ate as much as I wanted, so I was always full. It is something I would be willing to repeat every once in a while. My waist went down by 3 ½ inches. Hubby said I look slimmer. It’s been eons since I weighed myself. If I had to venture to guess, I probably weigh about 150 (give or take 5).

The point of this was to cleanse my system and see how much healthier I felt. I don’t get the science behind the food plan, but it worked.  I know the excess water flushed me out, as well. I’m pretty sure I can stick to the water habit. If I drink one full jug of water (74 ounces) throughout the day and watch my caffeine intake it should be easy. I need to take my jug to work with me too. Just because the soda is free doesn’t mean I should drink it all the time. I really need to break my sugar addiction.

At the beginning of December, I’ll take you through another detox called the Lemonade Diet. It is a 10 day program. More details on that later. I’m still in the midst of research. My next project is going to be Photography based with a co-running project in Recipes. My best friend of 20some years is here for a 3 week visit from New Mexico. One of our favorite things to do together is cook.

I feel like a kid on Christmas eve waiting for Santa. She’ll be here tomorrow!

Cost Breakdown
¼ bag of frozen peppers and onion blend $0.27

¼ bag frozen broccoli $0.50

½ bag frozen California blend veggies $0.60

Brown rice ¼ a bag (made in a rice steamer) $0.25

Apple juice ½ gallon container $2.00

Total Cost: approximately $3.65

Total Combined Cost of the 7 Day Detox for me (and my belly was full feeling the whole time):  approximately $40

7 Day Detox- Day 6

Day Six Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your heart’s content.

It occurred to me this week that popcorn can be classified as a veggie. It’s dried corn, right? I don’t know why I didn’t think of it the first 2 times I tried this detox. I put ¼ cup of popping corn in a brown bag and pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes. This is one of our staple snacks at my house. I don’t buy the prepared ones (I usually don’t buy anything prepared that I can make myself. I save a lot of money on groceries this way).

I had some heartburn issues again, mostly in the morning though. I wonder if it’s also the meat causing that. It was a chore to eat all the beef again. I made a hamburger (for lunch) and a big meatloaf with the ½ lb of meat. There were meatloaf leftovers. One of the vultures…I mean, my loving dudes, will eat it; it won’t go bad.

I think that the water drinking will be easy to integrate into my life. I have my trusty, easy to tote water jug and with the discovery of fruit water (Thanks Pinterest! J) I now have a new love for water. As I should! It is vital to healthy living; it is something our bodies require;

My leg is feeling better. I can walk better now. I had to limp around for a couple days. There is still a very large knot and a pretty dark-blue bruise; it still hurts a little to walk from the jiggle of my thigh. Hopefully I won’t try to catch anymore falling restaurant sized ice cream containers with my leg.

I’m pretty sure it’ll be a bit before I have any more beef. I’m all cowed out!

Cost Breakdown

¼ bag of frozen peppers and onion blend $0.27

½ bag frozen broccoli $0.50

½ lb ground beef $1.50

½ bag frozen spinach $0.50

Fresh green chile salsa from my lifelong, best friend’s garden $Free (I love her she keeps me going with New Mexican food…man I miss home)

3 small sweet potatoes approximately $0.75

Cucumber for my water $0.88

Package of Oreo cookies $just kidding

Total Cost: approximately $4.40

 

7 Day Detox- Day 5

Day Five Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

I did a little research on uric acidout of curiosity. The cause of high uric acid is purines. According to Wikipedia,” In humans, purines are excreted as uric acid. Purines are found in high amounts in animal food products, such as liver and sardines.^[53] A moderate amount of purine is also contained in beef, pork, poultry, fish and seafood, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, green peas, lentils, dried peas, beans, oatmeal, wheat bran and wheat germ”  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uric_acid).  Another cause of high uric acid is excessive consumption of beer and wine. Increased water intake, dairy intake and regular exercise depletes uric acid, along with eating less meat.

Too much uric acid can cause kidney stones, and a painful form of arthritis called gout. This is very useful information to me. I, at the age of 38, already have arthritis in my left arm and a few other miscellaneous places from injuries that have occurred in my life. Also, a few years ago I had an ultrasound that revealed un-passed kidney stones (probably from my caffeine habit).  I think it’s a good idea to control my uric acid levels to get ahead of the game.  I’m learning a lot on the 7 Day Detox. I really am on my way to healthier living.

And now, on to my take on Day 5.

The 6 tomatoes were easy for me to eat. Slice them up; add a little pepper and viola! Insta-meal.  Piece of cake! (ooh….cake! That would be awesome right now….or some Oreo cookies…mmm… wait! Focus, Nikki!). Ok, obviously I’m craving sweets today.

I’m thrown off by them calling it “Feast Day”; maybe a cow festival with all that meat. My first portion of beef was last week’s roast that I froze in expectation of the beef days. I made sure to eat the full 20 ounce allotment; it wasn’t easy for me. If I have meat, I prefer chicken or seafood. I get to do it again for Day 6; I’m just glad there’s no portion requirement.

I also noticed that adding 32 ounces more of water wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I even had even space left in my belly to have a mug of herbal tea at the end of the day. I thought for sure I would be water-logged.

I had a slight case of heartburn throughout the day as well. I figure it was from the tomatoes. 2 antacids took care of it for me.

Ok fun fact that has NOTHING to do with this detox: Did you know that you can download an app that acts as a T.V. remote? Hubby just showed me. I’m blown away with technology. There really is “an app for ‘THAT’”! Now if they would just make an app for a Dish Fairy to make my sink-full of dishes disappear!

Cost Breakdown:

Last Week’s leftover roast $0.00 (I feel justified in saying this because my dudes would have polished this off if I hadn’t put it away for myself. Therefore it was food I was already buying for them)

Tomatoes $3.20

Ground Beef approximately $1.40 (at $2.79/lb, there are 16 ounces in a lb, I ate approximately 8 ounces of this)

Total Cost: approximately $4.60

7 Day Detox- Day 4

Day Four Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.

I finally made it through Day 4! I feel accomplished! No amendments to todays post…..yay!

I decided to make it easy on myself (and I’ll tell you why in a minute). I measured out the 3 glasses (24 ounces) of milk and threw 7 bananas in the blender. Banana milk is pretty good stuff. It’s very filling too. I decided to go with all 8 of the allowed bananas since I was substituting rice milk for real milk. The stuff I use is fortified with extra calcium. I ate one banana for breakfast. I have never been a breakfast person but I have been waking up hungry in the mornings since starting this detox. Later in the day, I ate one bowl of cabbage soup. It says limited quantities. It’s not specific so I only had one, which was my lunch.

On the night of Day 3, (while I was at work) I was in the walk in freezer getting cheesecake since I had used the last 2 pieces. We keep desserts on the top shelf and the 3 gallon tub of ice cream was in front. The ice cream fell off the shelf and for some ridiculous reason I tried to catch it with my leg. I have a huge bruise, a fabulous knot and am having a bit of trouble walking. Lovely!  Of course I had a ton of stuff to do and was supposed to work. The bad part of being a waitress is that if you injure a major appendage, you can’t work. My son, who has always wanted to be an EMT, spent the day nursing me back to health.

I measured my waist for reference for those who are using the 7 Day Detox as a diet plan. At the beginning of this week, I was at 34 inches on my waist. Today I measure 22 ½ inches. So, I have lost a little bit of weight.

One thing I noticed about Day 4 of this detox is that I should have spread my banana milk out. I was pretty hungry by the end of the day. Once again my teeth hurt from all the sugar. I have terrible teeth and too many sweets make them achy. I also find myself looking forward to a little meat tomorrow. I know I’ll enjoy eating 6 tomatoes.

Cost Breakdown:

Bananas approximately $2.50

Rice milk $4.00

Total Cost: approximately $6.50

7 Day Detox- Day 3 the Remix

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Without a doubt, Day 3 was easier than the first 2. Fruits and veggies only is definitely my natural element!  The grilled veggie stuffed bell peppers (see recipes) were amazing. Even though I made it up, I give Hubby all the credit for that recipe. I had him grill 5 of them so I have leftovers for day 6. Regarding the name of my peppers; I know, I know……my recipe has tomatoes in it which are technically a fruit, but according to answers.com(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_tomatoes_considered_a_fruit_or_a_vegetable), I’m going to count them as a veggie. And since the diet doesn’t have any specifications against it, I feel comfortable making this exception.  (not to mention, I’m a tomato fanatic).

Here’s a fun fact: did you know that some think the tomato was the “forbidden fruit” from the Garden of Eden in Genesis? (Years ago, I took a 3 year bible overview course that followed Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible; that was one of the points of view it showed).  The yellow ones have called the “golden apple” according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

Anyhow, back to the task at hand.

I’m feeling less bloated today from the water. I make frequent trips to the bathroom still, but I don’t feel like floating away like I did the first 2 days.  The water consumption part of the diet is a good habit to keep; I hope I don’t revert to my cola habit when I’m done with this deto, seeing as though I am on a quest for healthier living. My body is the Lord’s temple after all. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)

Today was the easiest day for me to follow. My body will probably rebel on Beef day (at least I have the tomatoes to keep me happy).  My son said “Don’t worry mom, I’ll do the beef thing with you.” Easy for him to say…..he’s the opposite of me and would eat nothing but red meat every day if I let him. Thanks son. LOL

Amendment: Nothing new to note about today. Still anxious about Day 4. I think I’ve figured it out this time, though. I can use lactaid milk in small portions, so I’ll mix it with soy or rice milk and make banana smoothies for my meals.

Cost Breakdown: 

Can of mandarin oranges $1.00

Leftovers from yesterday’s brussel sprout concoction $0.00

Stuffed Bell Peppers-I made 5 last week for $8.00 and froze which makes each pepper $1.60. I had 1

Blueberries for my water $1.25

Mixed frozen veggies $1.00

Total Cost: approximately $4.85

7 Day Detox- Day 2 the Remix

Day Two All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day 2 went a lot better than Day 1. My first thought when I woke up was of the baked potato (my usual breakfast consists of coffee. I’m just not hungry in the mornings. So this was new to me). I headed downstairs to get a healthy dose of complex carbohydrates. I added a pat of Smart Balance Light since I am also dairy free (yes, I am definitely anxious about Day 4 which is milk and bananas day-still trying to decide what to do. Time to do more research).

As I said yesterday my normal diet consists of mostly vegetables (I’m not a vegetarian, I just don’t like meat all that much), so today wasn’t such a system shock. Regarding my anemia, I made sure I added in plenty of leafy greens for extra iron. Upon research, I also discovered that potatoes and chickpeas are high in iron (now it makes sense why I regularly crave both. Good info for the future).

I made the soup and added a ton of seasoning (I make my own onion soup mix, as well). Being a southwestern girl, I added green chile to it for a kick (the guidelines said the veggies could be changed or added to for taste differences). It still came out bland. So I kept adding spices. No salt though, so I didn’t feel like I needed even more “replacement” water since salt can deplete water. I also added twice the amount of water to the recipe because I couldn’t justifiable call it soup without any liquid in it. It seemed like just steamed vegetables. Plus, I like to have veggie broth in stock for normal recipes so I put some juice away for later.

When I got to work I realized I didn’t bring my water and in my city we don’t drink public water. I’m a waitress and my shifts only last 4-6 hours thankfully. So I drank some coffee instead. (Self note- don’t forget to take water to work. I don’t need all that soda that I normally drink there anyway). Even with that error, I still got in the daily requirement for water (although, I paid for my mistake with multiple trips to the bathroom throughout the night). As a bonus, since I started infusing my water, I have a new love for it and am pretty sure it’s something I can sustain (I’m on my way to a healthier diet and it’s only Day 2). By bedtime I was definitely stuffed with veggies………and of course, craving fruit (Go figure!).

Well, I’m off to the store to buy some more toilet paper….we r SO out!

Amendment:  I am ashamed to admit how addicted to potatoes I am. I am now aware of my problem. Once again, my first thought was of that stupid potato. That’s probably another good habit to pick up from this detox; avoiding eating so many carbs. Hi my name is Nikki, and I am a carboholic.

Cost Breakdown:

Frozen California blend veggies- about $0.60 (half a small bag)

Brussel Sprouts $2.00

Bell Pepper $0.80

The Red Onion and Celery I used can’t even be counted in money I had them on hand and used small portions

¼ head of iceburg lettuce- $0.25

Romaine hearts $1.00

Tomatoes $0.50

 

7 Day Detox- Day 1 the Remix

So instead of rewriting my posts (since there have only been 3), I decided to amend them and add a new part……a cost breakdown.

Day One All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.

Thankfully, coffee is acceptable without cream or sugar; otherwise I would have to throw in the towel before beginning the program (I’m not a morning person to begin with, much less without my java fix). In past research on healthier living, I’ve found that it is suggested for every drink consumed containing caffeine, one extra glass of water should replace it. This program doesn’t refer to any “replacement” water, but for the sake of prior knowledge I have been doing so since this is a system flush.

The evening was pretty cold so instead of my normal herbal hot tea. Even though green tea is acceptable to the plan, I opted for hot water with lemon wedges instead (which is also ok and probably healthier than my regular 3 mugs of tea). I’m really hoping to change my normal water intake ways during this week. Our bodies require much water regularly to function properly.

The biggest issues I noticed about Day 1 were the constant hunger even though my stomach was swimming in all the water (which I should be drinking anyway) and the fact that I was sick of all the sweets. My teeth ached by the end of the day from all the sugar (nothing a little toothpaste and a toothbrush didn’t fix though). I tried to consume mostly melons as well (oddly enough, my tight jeans fit a little looser this morning so the 3 lbs. deal must be true). I also added in grapes, apples, pears and peaches. By the afternoon I had a pretty serious craving for vegetables which is the bulk of what my normal diet consists of.

Obviously I didn’t see a lot of results the first day. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes. Day 1 went smoothly other than the few noticeable things listed above. I can’t wait to see and feel the results at week’s end. For certain, I’ve used an obscene amount of toilet paper in the last 24 hrs (the water flush is obviously doing its job. I seem to be peeing every 10-15 minutes). So all in all, Day 1 went as expected (even with my husband’s relentless offerings of miscellaneous food….ever the jokester). I went to bed thinking about the potato I would have in the morning.

Amendment for the remix:

I still agree with what I said the first go round. I did notice that I’m already used to all the water, though. That’s the only noted difference.  I felt the same serious craving for vegetables and went to sleep thinking about the potato again. I eat a lot of potatoes on a regular basis anyhow. They are one of my favorite foods. I am a carb fanatic. Potatoes, breads, pastas, anything high carb is my favorite food.  Hubby says I need to cut back. I know he’s right.

Cost Breakdown: (This is definitely an affordable diet. It mostly consists of what I already buy)

Day 1:

Gallon of water- $0.25 (We don’t drink the tap water in my city)

Watermelon wedge- (I know it’s cheaper to buy a whole one, but they had none) $2.60

Small Cantaloupe- ½ to eat $1.75; ½ for my water $1.75 (which I can also use for Day 3)

Rosemary for my water- 3 gallons worth $0.99

Black grapes- about $2.00 (I probably ate 1 lb. of them. They were on sale for $2.08/lb.)

Blueberries ¼ of a small container $0.88

Total Cost: approximately $10

Thoughts from a Roll of TP- Coming Clean about the 7 Day Detox

Ok, so my first attempt at the 7 Day Detox challenge failed…..and so did the second. This plan seems easy to follow from a glance. One thing to note is that it takes planning. Think ahead and make sure the foods and water are accessible to you for the whole 7 days.   I haven’t changed my water habit. I’ve still been drinking lots of water (I want to retain this habit).

My first attempt was the week of my birthday, before I created this blog. I figured I didn’t have to mention it because it was irrelevant. I have realized I was wrong about that.

Anyone who knows me knows I celebrate birthday week. With the way I used to treat my body and my drug addiction in my early years, I never thought I would make it to 30.  Each year that passes is an accomplishment. It is a blessing….a gift from Abba (my heavenly Daddy).

The first run failed, on Day 4, because my friends took me out for my birthday dinner. As a mom, wife, dinner-shift waitress, I don’t get a lot of time with my friends. I take the time that I am given since it only happens every few months or so.

When I started this blog I decided to try the 7 Day Detox again for my first project. Of course, as you know, it failed again (oddly enough, Day 4 was the culprit).  Important note about this plan: Don’t forget to consider Day 4 which is mostly about milk. Unless you have the money to buy multiple containers of milk (especially for those like me who can’t drink regular milk) and water while out and about on errands (I know bananas are easy to carry around), I suggest making sure Day 4 is an at home kind of day.

We had to buy a couch before I went insane. With 4 people in this house and only 3 places to sit, I was getting frustrated. Today’s youth are not taught to respect their elders. It’s a shame that we have to tell our young’ens to give up their seat for those older than them. Especially when that elder has been running around like a chicken with its head cut off and wants to relax for a few minutes before heading off to 6 more hours of running around at work.

So today I begin again with the 7 Day Detox project. Hopefully the 3^rd time’s the charm! I am posting the day after for full effect. And since my day usually doesn’t really begin until noon, I’ll post in the afternoons.

Well, I’m off to buy some more watermelon.

7 Day Detox- Day 3

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Without a doubt, Day 3 was easier than the first 2. Fruits and veggies only is definitely my natural element!  The grilled bell peppers (see recipes) were amazing. Even though I made it up, I give Hubby all the credit for that recipe. I had him grill 5 of them so I have leftovers for day 6. I know, I know……my recipe has tomatoes in it. But according to answers.com, I can count them as veggies(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_tomatoes_considered_a_fruit_or_a_vegetable),so I will. And since the diet doesn’t have any specifications against it, I feel comfortable making this exception.  (not to mention, I’m a tomato fanatic).

Here’s a fun fact: did you know that some think the tomato was the “forbidden fruit” from the Garden of Eden in Genesis? (Years ago, I took a 3 year bible overview course that followed Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible; that was one of the points of view it showed).  The yellow ones have called the “golden apple” according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

Anyhow, back to the task at hand.

I’m feeling less bloated today from the water. I make frequent trips to the bathroom still, but I don’t feel like floating away like I did the first 2 days.  The water consumption part of the diet is a good habit to keep,  I hope I don’t revert to my cola habit when I’m done with this detox.  After all, I am on a quest for healthier living. My body is the Lord’s temple after all. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)

Today was the easiest day for me to follow. My body will probably rebel on Beef day (at least I have the tomatoes to keep me happy).  My son said “Don’t worry mom, I’ll do the beef thing with you.” Easy for him to say…..he’s the opposite of me and would eat nothing but red meat every day if I let him. Thanks son. LOL

7 Day Detox- Day 2

Day Two All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day 2 went a lot better than Day 1. My first thought when I woke up was of the baked potato (my usual breakfast consists of coffee. I’m just not hungry in the mornings. So this was new to me). I headed downstairs to get a healthy dose of complex carbohydrates. I added a pat of Smart Balance Light since I am also dairy free (yes, I am definitely anxious about Day 4 which is milk and bananas day-still trying to decide what to do. Time to do more research).

As I said yesterday my normal diet consists of mostly vegetables (I’m not a vegetarian, I just don’t like meat all that much), so today wasn’t such a system shock. Regarding my anemia, I made sure I added in plenty of leafy greens for extra iron. Upon research, I also discovered that potatoes and chickpeas are high in iron (now it makes sense why I regularly crave both. Good info for the future).

I made the soup and added a ton of seasoning (I make my own onion soup mix, as well). Being a southwestern girl, I added green chile to it for a kick (the guidelines said the veggies could be changed or added to for taste differences). It still came out bland. So I kept adding spices. No salt though, so I didn’t feel like I needed even more “replacement” water since salt can deplete water. I also added twice the amount of water to the recipe because I couldn’t justifiable call it soup without any liquid in it. It seemed like just steamed vegetables. Plus, I like to have veggie broth in stock for normal recipes so I put some juice away for later.

When I got to work I realized I didn’t bring my water and in my city we don’t drink public water. I’m a waitress and my shifts only last 4-6 hours thankfully. So I drank some coffee instead. (Self note- don’t forget to take water to work. I don’t need all that soda that I normally drink there anyway). Even with that error, I still got in the daily requirement for water (although, I paid for my mistake with multiple trips to the bathroom throughout the night). As a bonus, since I started infusing my water, I have a new love for it and am pretty sure it’s something I can sustain (I’m on my way to a healthier diet and it’s only Day 2). By bedtime I was definitely stuffed with veggies………and of course, craving fruit (Go figure!).

Well, I’m off to the store to buy some more toilet paper….we r SO out!