THE DETOX mother & daughter share their story after trying a 21 day detox.

The Deep, Deep Clean
by Heather Warburton 

Once I committed, my first reaction was how can everything in my life stay the same, but just my eating habits change?
And that’s the joy of a three day juice cleanse. But twenty-one days—it means I’d have to be OK with going to a birthday party sans glass of red wine, and three weekends with nothing “fun” to look forward to.

Leading up to my Day One, I registered on the Clean forum, where you have full access to any of the nutritionists, and other cleansers. This is usually not my style—I’m definitively not in the Facebook status-updater category.
But I wanted to dive in, and take full advantage of their resources. I got so into the forum, I even uploaded a picture and started “liking” and congratulating other peoples posts! Soon I was writing my own diary, sharing my favorite recipes, groaning and asking for help, and even ‘confessing’ when I had my one cheat (a chocolate mousse).
Having someone say, “It’s ok! Tomorrow is a new day!” helped me see the light, and prevent me from ‘catastrophizing’.

The first three days were a breeze—making smoothies like a pro.

The change in eating was the basic, or the ‘neat’ part. The first three days were a breeze—making smoothies like a pro (my favorite: almond milk mixed with mango, a sliver of avocado, almond butter and a smoothie pack topped with a bit of sea salt).
I was sending photos of my daily concoctions to my mom, “How good does this look?!” I anticipated smooth sailing and slimming down ahead.

But after a few days the emotional effects hit me.
I had heard about the emotional effects of detoxing, but assumed they didn’t apply to me—I’m not a big drinker, and only had a few pounds to lose.

When your body is tired from detoxing and telling you to nap and go to bed early, the schedule of your day has to change.

When you can’t connect with friends over a meal, your life changes. When your body is tired from detoxing and telling you to nap and go to bed early, the schedule of your day has to change. And on top of that, the cleanse urges you to cook your meals at home—something I don’t do too much.
So there’s a natural isolation that happens, and for me, it became a time of real reflection. Why was it that receiving an annoying email made me head for the cabinet to look for nuts? Why was it that I caved for chocolate mousse, after incessant taunting from a friend?

Around day sixteen, I began to feel in control.
Sweets were what I missed, and although fruit is allowed and encouraged, it was also important to be aware of portion size.
Gorging on two containers of blueberries is better than on gummy bears, but it’s still gorging—it’s still this intense, aggressive eating experience. A few of the Clean counselors suggested I try incorporating more fat into my diet, to quell my sweet cravings. But I don’t want to eat fat, I thought. I again, wanted to do the cleanse ‘perfectly’.
And then I listened. I went outside the norms of what I consider ‘healthy’ or light, and had a breakthrough.

At the end of the twenty-one days comes a “reintroduction” period—where you test gluten one day, and dairy another, writing down what sort of side effects you experience. The twenty-one days gives your body a chance to be as blank of a slate as possible—and in the best condition to test foods. Although I had no extreme reactions like hives or an upset stomach, I noticed a slight headache after eating bread, and a puffed up stomach after Greek yogurt.

What’s more difficult, but perhaps more rewarding, is leading the kind of layered life that my results told me to take—everything in moderation.

Finding out I had a definitive lactose allergy would have been easier, in a sense. What’s more difficult, but perhaps more rewarding, is leading the kind of layered life that my results told me to take—everything in moderation. Having a light, and early dinner, felt amazing in the morning; a hearty, ‘fatty’ lunch starved off sugar cravings. Would a Greek yogurt with berries be a great snack for me in a pinch? Of course. But given the option, I’d choose chia seed pudding with some raspberries and almonds. When I think about how my eating habits have evolved over the years, there was no day or month or year that ‘changed all’- rather, each season has given me tools, tricks and reminders on what feels good, for both mind and body. I am still a work in progress.

On the Road with The Clean Cleanse Program
by Julie Warburton

Sometimes an honest look in a poorly lit dressing room mirror is all it takes to motivate one to shed a few extra pounds in order to fit into a bathing suit. At my age there is already a built in concern as to whether or not it’s wise to even consider exposing that which should possibly remain covered up!
My husband and I spend time over the seasons walking the beaches, eating long lunches and swimming in the glorious waters of the French West Indies. Therefore there’s no excuse. Off with the pounds and on with the bathing suit!

So I committed to what might have turned out to be a mistake, but which positively transformed my thinking about food intake .

After a Christmas vacation of over indulgence, I threw in the towel and purchased Dr. Alejandro Junger’s 21 day “Clean Cleanse Program”. My daughters hinted and encouraged me to try this truly invigorating challenge so as to shed the 15 lbs. I had gradually packed on following an 8 month food and exercise free fest while recuperating from a broken foot. The website was easy to navigate, enticing really, so I committed to what might have turned out to be a mistake, but which positively transformed my thinking about food intake .

A nifty white box arrived two days before my birthday and a day before leaving for a 10 day trip to California. The word CLEAN and the simply sophisticated packaging looked delicious; the instruction manual and recipes were, well, easy! I packed the bullet mixer ( loaned to me by a friend who had just completed the cleanse), alongside enough individual shakes, and crisp looking packets of supplements in my carry on bag, and held my breath as I passed through airport security, explaining confidently that it was my “medicine”. In retrospect, I get the feeling it wasn’t the first time the guard had seen those pristine looking packets pass by his wary eyes.

As the week progressed, I felt both exhilarated and honestly, from time to time, sorry for myself.

As the week progressed, I felt both exhilarated and honestly, from time to time, sorry for myself. No NOBU for me in Malibu!
My traveling shakes were prepared in such diverse places as the American Airlines Club ladies room, hotel mini bars, and roadside rest stops enroute to northern California. Nothing stopped me from peeling back a perfectly ripe avocado, popping it into the shake as women dried their hands next to me, skeptically curious as the mini blender whirled away.

By the second week, all of the fears I had of leaving my treats behind suddenly turned into a feeling of comfortable well being.

By day 5 I felt I had completely de-toxed from the magnums of over indulgence consumed two weeks earlier; the absence of baguettes and croissants had not even crossed my mind! Gluten free took on a new meaning for me. No longer did my stomach feel queasy after a midnight spoonful of ice cream, nor did I crave my daily ritual of dairy laden iced café latte.
By the second week, all of the fears I had of leaving my treats behind suddenly turned into a feeling of comfortable well being. The awareness of which “triggers’ were leading me around the wrong intake of food became distinct and clear. I realized it was only the oldest of triggers that was hardest to forget. Licorice! And soon that faded away into a distant memory…

My energy and clarity of mind was renewed, and compliments of how my skin glowed were happily welcomed.

Three weeks later, and 14 pounds lighter, the cleanse was complete!
My energy and clarity of mind was renewed, and compliments of how my skin glowed were happily welcomed.
I was sort of sad, though, to look at the empty white box, and tried to recycle it for mittens or stray socks. It became a symbol of something important that had transpired in my life. My husband was so inspired by the dedication and seeming ease it took to see the cleanse through to completion that he signed up and made it for the full 21 days.
He looks just great in his bathing suit!