Day 4: Here comes the fatigue...

   Day 4 is here, and I'm still going strong. Well, relatively. Last night on my run, I was so exhausted I actually had to take a seat for a minute and walk part of the way - rarely does this ever happen! I feel like I was going to fall asleep standing up. I'm wondering if it's because although I don't feel hungry on the detox, I'm really not eating a lot of carbs. Had a pretty big day at work today, so taking the day off from running to let my body recover a bit.

   Today was the first time I had to go out to eat...eeeek! Furthermore, I was with a client, so I didn't want to look totally neurotic. Luckily we went to School Bakery which had seared tuna on a bun with a side of greens and avocado, which is what I went with (hold the bun, obviously!). Let me assure you, going into a restaurant specializing in baked goods is probably not a great idea when you're on this detox. 

   Speaking of yummy treats, one that I've tried that feels like cheating but isn't that's super easy to make: rice crackers and guacamole. It's clearly not close to real chips and guac, but it's a reasonable facsimile on the Wild Rose D-Tox diet. Obviously, I don't have a ton of time (or willpower) to cook, so I'm sticking to the basics that are actually satisfying: brown rice, avocados, almond butter, etc. Hoping to whip up some more interesting dishes on the weekend.

School Bakery treats. Drool.

Day 3: Wild Rose D-Tox, Meet My Day Job

   Day 3 was the first day I was detoxing at work...yikes! The key to staying on track here was preparation and making sure I had enough food to keep me full so I wouldn't be tempted to cheat. For breakfast I maxed out my 2 cups of coffee with almond milk. For lunch I had big salad with a salmon fillet and homemade dressing that was surprisingly refreshing and delicious (olive oil, chopped cilantro, juice from a lemon, and dijon mustard...although in hindsight I think the mustard has vinegar in it, so may have been a slight cheat, oops!). For an afternoon snack I had carrots and humus. Whenever I was feeling peckish, I had a cup of peppermint tea.
    So, real talk: one thing you can't be afraid of while on this detox is pooping in public. Seriously, unless you're a hermit, you're going to have no other option, so just be prepared. Also, I experienced my very first unpleasant side effect last night - woke up several times during the night due to major stomach pains! Tonight I'm trying to eat more food after taking the pills to try to reduce this, hopefully this will help. No headaches, nausea, flu like symptoms, or anything like that. I actually think my skin looks pretty good today, not sure if this is due to the detox though.
   For dinner I snacked on more brown rice & peas, a small bag of popcorn, a small boiled egg, rice cake with almond butter, and oatmeal with apples & cinnamon. The time I get home from is my most vulnerable: I am usually super hungry and craving carbs, in a major way! Saving my oatmeal indulgence for right after work sort of helped conquer this craving (vs pigging out on bread or toast).
   Another tip I have is to take your drops of oil mixed with water from a shot glass mixed with really cold water. A shot glass is like the perfect amount of water - and obviously, since you're on a cleanse, you won't be needed it for anything fun, such as actual shots of alcohol. You can leave it beside the sink and rinse it out each time you use it.
    I'm pretty tired from a very busy work day (had a post work nap), but will probably attempt a run in about an hour. I had originally scheduled a yacht race and special dinner at RCYC tomorrow night with a friend (we bought the package to support a friend of mine who is currently competing in the Olympics), but we decided to reschedule, since obviously we didn't want to be the lamest company ever, sitting there unable to eat 95% of the menu or even enjoy a glass of wine! (She's starting Weight Watchers this week.) So looks like I'm actually taking this seriously...3 days = 25% done! 9 days to go!

Day 2: Keep On, Keepin' On

   Hey all…just checking in at the end of day 2 of the Wild Rose D-Tox. After the concert last night, I dropped my friends off at Poutini’s (no booze = DD for the night) and went home to “indulge” in some late night rice cakes and almond butter. So yeah, significantly healthier than poutine – and felt no guilt in the morning! Speaking of almonds, I also bought some almond milk to add to my coffee this morning, which has made it much more enjoyable.

   As for food, basically ate a bunch of blueberries, cherries, kale chips, brown rice, apples, almond butter, humus,  rice cakes, carrots and oatmeal today. I think I may actually be eating more calories than I normally would – I haven’t felt hungry or deprived so far at all. Also, I think that I am eating a lot more fat than usual (good fats, mind you). Typically I buy low fat everything: peanut butter, yogurt, skim milk, egg whites vs whole eggs, etc. With this diet, I’m eating things like almond butter, humus and almond milk, which all have fat in them and are something I’d typically steer clear of or find a low fat alternative for. So, I’m a little wary of whether or not I’ll actually lose weight, considering I was pretty calorie and fat content conscious before. I’ve actually chosen not to weigh myself, since I know it will just make me completely neurotic and crazy, but I know I’ll be able to feel/see if I’ve lost weight at the end of the detox.

   As for other side effects, my stomach was making some pretty weird noises this aft, which I’d heard other people have dealt with on this program. As for the herbal laxatives, I don’t find them to be too much for me at all – if I didn’t know I was taking them, I wouldn’t notice much out of the ordinary on the bathroom front, to be honest! I know I’d read some people found them to be too harsh, but I’m not experiencing that at all. Fatigue wise, I am fine, because like I said, I definitely have not gone hungry.  I am a bit tired this evening, but I think it’s because I spent the afternoon in the sun with some friends hanging out at Trinity Bellwoods Park. I’m planning on going for a 6.5km run tonight once the sun goes down and it cools off a bit. In the meantime, I’m going to prepare my lunch for tomorrow.

Day 1: So Far, So Good

   So far, so good! Day 1 wasn’t that bad at all. Started the morning with the pills and drops (FYI, the drops aren’t that bad, I mixed mine with a couple sips of water). Breakfast consisted of a bowl of oatmeal with sliced apples and cinnamon on top and a cup of black coffee (tip: put cinnamon in your coffee filter or your French press…helped take a bit of the shock out of having to drink it black). I snacked on fruit all day (half an apple, some blueberries, cherries, baby carrots with PC masala hummus) and also baked my very first batch of kale chips. So easy and so delicious – will definitely make them again!

   Mid day I went on a 7-8km run along the water. I have read that some people get super fatigued mid-detox, so I wanted to get in a decent work out in case this happened to me.

   Post run I went on a big grocery shop and came home to make my first dinner. I baked a plain salmon filet and made this awesome peas & brown rice recipe that included coriander, basil and cumin. Really fresh tasting, perfect for summer. I cooked a few cups of brown rice, since I figure it’ll be a staple over the next 12 days, and saved some to use in different recipes. For dessert I had an apple with almond butter – ummm, how have I not actually tried almond butter before now?! It’s so delish. One of the foods I was most sad to give up was peanut butter, but I think I’ll be totally fine replacing it with almond butter. Bonus for people who are lazy and live alone (aka, like me): almond butter is runnier so you can actually dip the apple slices into the jar, no knife required. You may think that's gross, I think it's awesome.

   Tonight, I’m heading to see The xx at The Phoenix with a bunch of friends, which means I’ll be surrounded by people drinking. This will certainly be a test of will power, so we’ll see how it goes (but I’m feeling confident!). As for cravings so far, it hasn’t been bad – although I felt like bread at dinner, the salmon, rice, apple and almond butter was totally fulfilling so I’m OK. I feel like I might crave carbs come 2am tonight after the bar, however, since I won’t be drunk I’m hoping I’ll have more clarity in my late night snack choices.

The kale chips I baked today

Introduction: Getting My 'D-Tox' On

   Welcome! If you're here, you're probably considering doing the Wild Rose D-Tox and (might be) looking for reviews on this cleanse...which means, hey, we already have something in common. After hearing about the virtues of Wild Rose from friends (and some extensive Googling), I decided to give it a whirl. Although I found some info on the process, the one thing I was unable to find was a more in-depth, day by day account of what the expect on this cleanse - which is why I'm committing not only to the cleanse for 12 days, but also to chronicling it here. I'm hoping to give other gals (and guys) honest feedback on the process, meal ideas, tips, tricks and share my challenges along the way.
    OK, so a little about myself. I'm a 28 year old who works in marketing in downtown Toronto. So basically, I'm busy (who isn't?). In my business, summer time is event time - which means lots of open bar parties, delicious hors d'oeuvres, and [cringe!] the occasional casual cigarette or two. Add that to weekends filled with nights out on the town (read: too many drinks & the occasional post bar Poutini's) and weekend brunches, it's unsurprising that I'm ready to get my detox on (or, in the nomenclature of the clever folks at Wild Rose - 'D-Tox'...so edgy!). Another fun fact: I'm a detox/cleanse virgin.
   Despite my social schedule, I don't think I'm completely hopeless in the health department. I run 6.5km 5-6 days a week and bike to and from work in Liberty Village daily. During the work week, I have a coffee for breakfast (tsk tsk, I know...), a niçoise salad for lunch, and by the time I get home I usually cave into my carb cravings and have rye bread with peanut butter & jam, a banana, low fat deli meat, low-cal popcorn, granola and low fat yogurt, or a combination of several of those. Sprinkle in a dinner or two out during the week and the occasional naughty afternoon snack. I have a love affair with sugar, and am an aspartame junkie (love diet pop, Crystal Light, and am a sucker for artificial sweetener in my coffee). I'm 5'6.5" and weigh around 117lbs. Here are the reasons I've decide to do this cleanse:

• Trigger a change in eating habits: As aforementioned, I have a weakness for carbs, sugar and artificial sugar. Additionally, I have a very narrow range of foods that I stick to when eating at home. The Wild Rose diet will definitely force me to try some new options, while at the same time limit me from eating some of the not-so-great foods that I should be avoiding (bread, peanut butter, sugar, etc.). While I don't expect to maintain the Wild Rose diet forever, I hope that this will reduce my carb cravings and allow me to incorporate some new options into my diet.
• Increase energy level: We've all read it in the reviews - this detox is supposed to make us feel fan-f*cking-tastic at the end of the 12 days. I've felt super sluggish lately, so hoping this will boost my energy.
• Lose a few pounds: Let me caveat this by saying I'm realistic - I've read about people shedding 10lbs on this detox. For a girl my size, I'm not sure that's realistic (or healthy). However, I do want to decrease stomach bloating and maybe shed 5lbs.
• Improved skin tone: Did anyone else read this in the reviews around the web? Because this would be a definite bonus! We shall see...

After researching several detoxes and cleanses, I decided on Wild Rose because I've heard good things and $40 isn't breaking the bank. I picked up my kit at Noah's at Bloor & Spadina last night. Well, I think that about sums it up...wish me luck! Daily blog post reviews to follow!