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Detoxing

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06:38 / 06.09.04

Anyone ever done any detoxs? I'm going to have one for the month of September. No booze/cigarettes/caffeine/meat/sweets/crisps, lots of fresh veg and fruit and generally trying to eat well. I'm aware there's other more "calculatd" diets out there, but the above seems harsh enough for now (and I've done no preparation).

Anyone had any good experiences, know any good reading on the subject (or links etc)? Decided to do it because I've read a little about it and it sounds gooood.... plus I can only recall one two week period in the last 16 years when I haven't had a drink.

I will let you all know if I suddenly become immortal, have the strength of thirty men etc.

Scrambled Password Bogus Email

08:41 / 06.09.04

Strange, me too. It hasn't gone well so far.

I'm starting 'proper' today.

Apart from the ciggies, which can wait til next month.

Keep us posted on your boundless energy increases.

08:48 / 06.09.04

wrong time of year. september is for starting new things, not giving things up (unless o course giving up = the new thing) - the nights are drawing in and the small pleasures begin to supply great gains for the happy organism . what you need is lent.

10:05 / 06.09.04

Actually, that's part of the reason I'm doing it... big life changes afoot (I return to college to do teacher training) and I thought that going into it with a clear head might help. Plus I've wanted to do the detox for awhile and this is the biggest life change I've been through for a while ... seems appropriate.

10:15 / 06.09.04

I wish you luck on your expedition, but only if you promise not to flaunt your health in front of us and start going on about how much more you can accomplish without spending the entire weekend in a hungover haze.

10:23 / 06.09.04

Cheers Loomis, I don't feel I can accomplish much right now as I keep having attacks of "what am I doing! What am I DOING" type terror.. par for the course I suppose.

Money Shot - what happened? Did you give in to the demon drink over the weekend? Not having the daily cuppa first thing was a killer.

11:02 / 06.09.04

Myself and The Forth have much the same idea for Sept. Was going well for, um, about 6 days and then the double blow yesterday of me getting a much needed job (which needed some sort of celebration) and my Mother coming down to stay the night (which needed soothing de-stressing booze)put a stop to that...But it was only about 3 beers for myself and about 3 fags which ain't too bad considering...

Anyway back on track with a renewed determination today...

I did a similer month a year ago and i think the hardest for me was the 'no meat' thing which is due to forgetfullness mostly. I think it's ingrained into my DNA. Wake up - Eat Sausage Roll - Use Bathroom - etc etc

11:57 / 06.09.04

At least it's not wake up - use sausage - eat bathroom, as it has been for me on oh, so many mornings..

12:22 / 06.09.04

I gave up booze for a couple of weeks last Spring, and the bit I found strangest was the feeling of moral superiority that set in on around day 4 - I found myself walking past pubs and quite inadvertently thinking " losers, " which was so far out of character as to be actually quite disturbing. Safely back on the sauce now though, of course.

12:31 / 06.09.04

Meat is not actually toxic. (Well, it shouldn't be.)

There's a difference between a simple "not eating so much crap, not taking all the drugs I usually do" period and a "detox diet". The former is just being sensible and giving you a period during which you will hopefully feel physically better. You're probably well advised to avoid the latter; they're generally not based on any real science and a dietician wouldn't recommend them.

12:48 / 06.09.04

While not going for a full detox, I'm trying to cut down on the booze and weed, at least during the week. I generally have a couple of beers and a smoke every night and I find it best if I stop completely every so often, but I'm not doing too well this time. The problem is I get bored and then end up returning to my bad habits. It's also the first time I've tried to quit for no other reason than I think it might be a good idea, previously I have always had definite goals, like no smoking until after the exams or similar.

flufeemunk effluvia

13:34 / 06.09.04

At least it's not wake up - use sausage - eat bathroom, as it has been for me on oh, so many mornings..

"Use Sausage" sounds like how you'd masturbate in a Monkey Island game.

02:01 / 07.09.04

I gave up the booze and weed for a year once. Around month 2 I suddenly morphed into ubermensch - it was like being on a perpetual low-level speed trip (if that makes any sense). Creativity, stamina, energy, all that stuff. The effect eventually went away, but it was great wile it lasted. The next-bestest part of it was when the year ended. Party!

So when someone tells you that you can get high without the chemicals, take it from me, you can. But you have to come down from that too...

08:51 / 07.09.04

Alex: I'm with you on the "morally superior" - well, it's not just that, it's just when you look at things other people are doing, and you're not they just seem odd. I remember when I used to be veggie, when I'd see someone eating meat, I'd just think *weird*. Should be okay as long as I don't lose my sense of humour and start preaching.

Fridge: Totally with you on the "lack of science" thing. A mate of mine has tried Jane Scrivener's detox programme, though, and reported excellent results. Changed his sleeping patterns - out like a light, realtively early, and slept like a log. Plus he reported just generally beginning to feel fantastic after the third week (perhaps 'cos he knew it was soon to be over)? I haven't been aresd to do the preparation for the kind of thing though. Just have to see what effect it has, if any.

No star here laces

09:10 / 07.09.04

I used to regularly have such a ridiculously over-indulgent NYE that I would give up all booze, drugs, fags and unhealthy food for the whole of january.

The result of which was inevitably "rewarding" myself with a massive indulgence on the 1st February.

It definitely does make you more energetic, sharper, etc.

But I for one find that brigh-eyed bushy-tailed feeling almost intolerably awful and can hardly wait to get back to feeling sluggish and blunted.

No star here laces

09:12 / 07.09.04

Also - if you have to detox, you have to eliminate ALL vices. If you leave one intact, you just shift all your consumption to it (if you're anything like me).

When I give up drugs, I drink more. When I give up fags, I smoke more weed. When I give up drinking, I take more xanax etc...

09:21 / 07.09.04

I've noticed the change in sleeping patterns and quality kick in quite soon already even after a week (ok so we'll forget about the 3 pints). A week doesn't sound like much but like Illmatic i can't remember a time (apart from the month last year) when i havn't been quite pissed at least 2 or 3times a week. The thing i've noticed more the last couple of years (hitting 30 really) is how a hangover isn't just there for the day after. It really is about for a few days physically and emotionally.

One thing that both myself and The Forth noticed yesterday morning after drinking on Sunday was that although what we'd had was a relativly small amount (she'd had about 1/2 bottle of wine) we both woke up with horrible hangovers.We also had had quite bad disturbing dreams that we both instantly said was because of having that drink last night.

This morning however i was up at 5.30 to watch the sunrise feeling the best i've done in ages. Although this has also got to do with the early nights that have gone hand in hand with the non boozing. Definatly the first time ever i have been in bed reading by 10.30pm on a Friday and a Saturday!! The Forth came to bed later on Sat because she flat out refused to go to bed before 11 on a Sat night drinking or no drinking...

BTW Ilmatic....Had a dream about this thread last night where you had sucessfully completed a year of detox and was celebrating by changing your fiction suit to '1 Yr - Lucky Liquid' ???!

10:05 / 07.09.04

I think part of the health benefit to cutting out junk isn't so much that you're not eating crap, but that you're eating more good stuff. When you snack on nuts, dried fruit etc. rather than crisps and chocolate and generally eat more high-nutrient, high-fibre, easily-digestible foods, then that is imho what is accountable for many of the benefits, so if you go back to your normal life after the detox it might be a good idea to continue some of the healthy foods/habits to balance out the booze/fags etc.

pointless and uncalled for

10:09 / 07.09.04

The human digestive system retains foodstuffs from the day we start eating. Even after a detox period residual deposits can still release toxins into the system.

There is one method of removing these deposits though.

10:12 / 07.09.04

Detoxing works okay in that you feel rough for a few days and miss all those wonderful things, but then you get a little freshness in you. My plan too was to spend September clean, then my housemate offered me a beer, and it was such a nice day, and then a friend phoned and we went out for white russians and it was such a nice evening, and then another friend turned up and we went back to his to smoke turkish tobacco and then and then and then....

10:14 / 07.09.04

Sounds like you need a "friend detox" Benny. One month in isolation.

ONLY NICE THINGS

10:18 / 07.09.04

There is one method of removing these deposits though.

Not till we're married.

pointless and uncalled for

10:31 / 07.09.04

Look, if you're going to retain your puritanical stance on premarital high colonics then there is little chance of this relationship going anywhere.

You really need to address some issues in life.

10:35 / 07.09.04

Had a dream about this thread last night where you had sucessfully completed a year of detox and was celebrating by changing your fiction suit to '1 Yr - Lucky Liquid' ???!

Fanstastic! It would be almost worth a year off the booze just to bear that name.

Scrambled Password Bogus Email

10:51 / 07.09.04

Wait - you had a dream about a thread?

You definitely need a detox.

I succumbed to a beer last night. Just one, lonely Efes Pilsner, but a beer nonetheless.

What's my punishment, mistress?

10:53 / 07.09.04

I'm trying to stop the booze, so far it's going well but I only decided to stop on Sunday so I'll give it awhile before I claim success. I'm sure I'll start drinking again when my folks come to stay next months, it would be rude not too.

Jack The Bodiless

11:28 / 07.09.04

Giving up speed and pills until our Halloween party (plug!), when I will become ONE (1) with EVERYTHING in a BIG MISH-MASH of LOTS OF PIECES OF DRUG.

11:40 / 07.09.04

those new one litre innocent smoothie cartons are the motherload.

12:08 / 07.09.04

Bet they're not bloody cheap though. £1.80 for one of them lickle bottles?! Tsk.

12:17 / 07.09.04

the one litre cartons are £2.40. much better deal.

12:22 / 07.09.04

and you have to put it in perspective.. how much is a wee bottle of becks down your local boozer?

but we dont think about it do we, when it comes to buying booze and fags. its just "here, help yourself to my wallet"..

Tryphena Absent

13:40 / 07.09.04

My first and only reaction to this remains the same- are you completely insane? My god, I mean giving up three of those things would be fine but no more sweets!?

I know, I know, if you have nothing nice to say than don't say anything at all. I'll take my negativity away now.

14:26 / 07.09.04

Hey Anna, it's no problem. Whenver I get a craving for a Yorkie, a Mars Bar or one of those lovely cakes from Pattiserre Valiere, I just reach in my pocket for this packet of Granny Weatherwax's Pre-Digested Gooseberry Chunks, with added fibre. Or these unsalted nuts. Mmm. Yum.

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:47 / 07.09.04

I have to agree with what The Smiths said: 'Meat Is Murderously Tasty And Delicious'.

Scrambled Password Bogus Email

08:24 / 08.09.04

I've now officially given up giving up.

It's just not my time.

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