I woke up the morning of Day 4 feeling “pretty good”. I didn’t even complain about grocery shopping (which I generally don’t enjoy). The “pretty good” lasted until dinner when “pretty bad” took over. The irritability showed up as I was trying to make myself a salad for dinner. I wanted to make a Salsa Brava salad but when I read the label on the pico de gallo, I realized it has salt in it. Instantly I became frustrated. Then I realized that the only lime I had in the house was almost “dried up” and it only produced a tiny bit of juice. By this point the Husband could tell I was about to lose it and he was trying to squeeze as much from that lime as he could. Poor guy. Seeing his efforts to help, I calmed down and came up with a plan B. I blended the mango, lime juice, some grape tomatoes, an avocado, and a tiny bit of onion together to make a rich, creamy dressing. It was delicious! For a moment, I felt better knowing I had something good to eat…Then it happened (can you hear the ominous musical interlude?).

Detox symptoms hit like a freight train while I ate my “enormous salad”. Fatigue, headache, body aches, chills, swollen glands, nausea… Oh my! I really wanted some cooked food in that moment, and as would be the case, the “cooked vegans” in my house were enjoying chili and french fries. Actually, the Husband got Pita Pit for himself on his way home from taking the kids roller skating, but he still had fries with ketchup… ooo la la!

“Think of that vat of fat, think of that vat of fat from Freaky Eaters!”

I did not eat any of it, but I couldn’t finish my big salad either. After about half of it, I wanted to stop eating. Knowing I would be really hungry later if I didn’t finish it, I kept going. At three fourths of the way through it, I felt that if I took another bite I was going to throw it all up, so I stopped. Everything hurt. I took some Ibuprofen and laid down. A little while later I felt hungry again so I ate three cuties, and fell asleep.

For those who haven’t heard much about detox, and in hearing about it you’re thinking why on earth would anyone want to go through that… well, there is a very good reason. Detox basically means that my body is no longer fighting against what I’m putting into it. It has shifted from defensive to offensive mode. Unfortunately, because of all the toxic stuff I’ve put into my body over the years, it’s first order of business is to detox. Detox isn’t so much about withdrawals (although that plays a role too), it’s about the toxins my body has stored being released into my bloodstream for removal. The body tries to usher them out which engages bodily systems like the nervous system and the lymphatic system. This explains why one feels so ill when this happens. Fortunately, this doesn’t last forever, but for now it isn’t pleasant.

Are you looking to make some changes in 2013? Check out The Journey for more information.

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What I read: Job 1-5

What I ate:

• Breakfast – Ten oranges juiced with electric citrus juicer
• Lunch – 10 Bananas blended with 8oz of water – YUM!
  
• Afternoon Snack – the other half of my watermelon juice from day 3
• Dinner – 1 lb of romaine & 2 cups of grape tomatoes with creamy dressing (1 avocado, juice from one shriveled lime, 2 mangos, handful of grape tomatoes, and a thin slice of onion) – I forgot that I had fresh cilantro, otherwise I would have added that too.
  
• PM Snack – 3 cuties
  

What I did: I walked for 4:20 on the treadmill before I decided that it was just too boring. So I bundled up and went for a 42:13, non-sports-bra walk (translates to sloooow) with the dog. It was freezing out there.

Here are the notes I made regarding my symptoms throughout Day 4:

• slowed digestion (gas, abdominal pain, bloating) – had a bit more gas last night after eating the avocado, but it doesn’t smell.
  
• headaches – I didn’t have a headache until dinner – see detox section above
  
• puffy hands, feet, and face (thank you, salt)
  
• sinus congestion – had almost no sinus pressure till detox hit
  
• dry/itchy eyes, skin, and scalp
  
• acne – clearing
• aching muscles and muscle spasms – bad that night
  
• foggy brain – clearing
• irritability – bad that night
  
• mood swings – none
• blood sugar fluctuations
  
• fatigue, but unable to sleep well – slept like a rock the night before, woke feeling pretty good
  
• unquenchable thirst (again, thank you, salt) – really bad thirst from about 2pm on
  
• cravings – wanted heavy cooked food to make the detox symptoms stop, but kept thinking about the “vat of fat” and how much better I’ll feel once this passes.