Better out than in
21 May
Some of my most introspective, a-ha moments happen while I’m taking a shower. I haven’t yet figured out how to safely bring my laptop in there so I have to quickly scurry to my desk, towel loosely wrapped around my bottom, and type up anything interesting that’s come up while I was washing my hair.
What came up today was mucus.
Thick, yellow mucus came up and out after a painful, chest opening sneeze. To clarify: the mucus came from my chest, not from my nose. My nose is clean. It’s not stuffed. It’s not runny. I have a little post nasal drip, but that’s about it. There’s no indication that I am sick. No fever. No headaches. Just a tight chest, some asthma, and this thick yellow mucus coming out from my chest.
I have a stong hunch that this stuff’s been hanging out in my chest for a while. And now that I’m doing a detox, it’s free to come up.
Do you know what else besides mucus is likely hanging out in my body or yours? Yeast (Candida). Poop. Bacteria. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. And as my integrative physician, Dr. Marc Devito says, by the time you show symptoms of disease, you’re in pretty bad shape. That shit has been brewing for years. (I’m paraphrasing Dr. Devito here.)
Mucus. Candida. Bacteria. They are all ingredients in a cocktail that leads to inflammation. And that inflammation leads to disease and death. And if you think you’re clean, WAKE UP, you’re not.
Unless you’ve been a contestant on Survivor for the last 15 years, you’ve likely been leading a toxic life. It’s almost unavoidable in our society unless you are making a conscious effort.
Like I do, you probably have some shit simmering in your gut, taking up space in your lungs, or moving carefree through your bloodstream. This is the shit that causes allergies in your kids; cancer in your parents; and all the other illnesses of the 21st century.
First step? Freak out. Second step? Chill out and figure out your next step. First place to look is your diet. Second place to look is how you take care of your body when it’s sick and when it’s well. Third step? Ask for help. There are lots of folks who are ready to listen.
That shit wants OUT of your body.
And no matter how old or how fat or how slow or how scared you are: You’re not a lost cause.
You should totally try out for survivor!
I was wondering if the detox your on now is something you came up with to follow from research or your following a detox you found. Ive been looking to start one myself and just need a little guidance and help…I dont wanna starve!
Hi Bridgette: I’m following a detox program with a colonhydrotherapist and holistic nutritionist (http://www.wiwellnessinnovations.com) and she’s been really supportive through the entire process. I’m not starving, though I’m definitely starting to crave things, mostly coffee and carbs. On this particular program, you can actually eat as much as you want, as long it’s the approved foods.
But I had a conversation with Dr. Joel Fuhrman recently (http://www.drfuhrman.com) who is pretty much against the idea of “detox” unless you start first by examining your diet. His concerns are that the average American diet is so poor that to do any type of drastic detox like a juice fast or even like the one I’m doing right now would lead to such withdrawal symptoms that the person wouldn’t follow through or would feel so bad they’d go quickly back to their shitty diet and lifestyle. So for him, a first step detox would be moving to a plant-based or near plant-based diet (preferably forever, but at least for a few weeks) to clean out all the toxins from the processed crap most of us eat.
I’ve been on elimination diets in the past so I kind of knew what to expect. A lot depends on what you’re hoping to achieve. Weight loss? Improved concentration? Less irritability? Get rid of addiction to certain foods? I was clear on my intentions so that’s helped a lot.