Revelations
Last Thursday was day four of my cleanse, and at about 3:00 PM that afternoon my caffeine-withdrawal headache subsided for a few hours and I got a rush of energy that I had hoped would be an indicator of things to come. But that night I did not sleep a wink, and I felt like puking all day Friday. Saturday morning I woke up with a sinus infection to end all sinus infections that I tried to ignore, but by that afternoon I was lying prostrate in bed moaning in pain. By Sunday the entire right side of my face was paralyzed, and I could only chew food with the teeth at the back of the left side of my mouth. Which basically narrowed down my food choices to whatever would fit through a straw. My dead grandmother was allowed to eat more than I was.
Monday morning Jon said that if I didn't call the doctor to get some antibiotics he was going to call up there himself, except he wouldn't say it was because his wife had a sinus infection, he'd say it was because his wife needed a lobotomy. Did they have any spare q-tips? How about some cotton balls? Could he borrow a pair of dull-edged scissors? So I made an appointment for that afternoon, hauled my miserable body up to the clinic and told my story to the doctor. He nodded, said, yep, sounds like another sinus infection, and as he picked up his pen to start writing me a prescription I casually mentioned that I had started a diet cleanse a week earlier. Not a crazy one, no. It's not one of those cleanses that requires you to shove a garden hose up your colon, so you can stop worrying that I am going to poop right here on the table in your examination room.
He stopped himself immediately, set down his pen and was all, you're doing what? So I repeated myself and listed off all the things that I had not eaten in almost eight days. He shook his head silently, leaned over so that his elbows were resting on his knees and said, "Do you want to know my medical opinion about that?"
"That depends," I said, not sure yet if I wanted him to agree or disagree with me. Here I had gone almost eight days on this cleanse without slipping up once, and if he was going to tell me that he thought I was crazy then I might just have to poop on his examination table. Because DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVEN'T EATEN IN ALMOST EIGHT DAYS? I COULD GIVE YOU A LIST BUT YOU'D GET BORED AFTER PAGE 200. But if he thought that what I was doing was fine, then oh my god, I'd have to go how many more days without sugar? Thirteen? I can't even count that high.
He continued to shake his head. "I am absolutely certain," he continued, "that the reason you have this sinus infection is because you're doing this cleanse. And my opinion is that you should stop."
I almost kissed that man on the lips.
I hadn't gone into that room looking for a reason to stop the cleanse, but when those words came out of his mouth I realized just how miserable I had been all week. And because my emotions were so out of whack it felt like he had told me that from now on when I peed, one hundred dollar bills would fall out of my vagina and into the toilet.
So I got in my car, drove to the grocery store, dropped off my prescription at the pharmacy and then walked over to the British foods section, picked up a package of Hobnobs, and ate one right there in the aisle BEFORE I EVEN PAID FOR IT. I had to grab hold of the shelves to balance myself because I experienced a full-body orgasm.
And then Mama had a glass of wine with dinner.
But the interesting thing has been that I haven't gone off the cleanse all that much. In fact, I tried having a cup of coffee yesterday morning, but it tasted rancid. And all day today my meals have been meals I would have eaten on the cleanse. So I think that what I experienced and learned in those eight days has made a huge difference in my attitude and awareness of food. I've already made the decision to give up artificial sweeteners and to cut back dramatically on milk, cheese, and bread. I'm also excited to eat more of the foods that I found that have no added sugars (pasta sauces in particular, and I'm loving pasta made with brown rice), and am ready to cut back on all meat that hasn't been raised ethically (yes, I know, many of you will have so much to say about this in the comments, I can see the adjectives now). This means I will most likely go without meat for long periods of time which doesn't seem like such a big deal to me now that I've found The Sweet Potato. Also, I don't see myself ever being a regular coffee drinker again. That's a huge change in just eight days.
The biggest difference I noticed and continue to notice is how much better I am at handling my anxiety, it's almost like night and day. I'm knee-deep in the middle of making revisions to the manuscript of my second book that comes out next year, and because I'm looking squarely between the eyes of a deadline I'd normally wake up feeling like I'd just swallowed a box of razors. And I haven't felt that in over ten days. It's been a refreshing break from the dizzying nausea that usually greets me in the morning.
My friend Carol had been doing the cleanse with me, and she got just as sick if not sicker than I got, so when I was driving from the doctor's office to the grocery store I called her from my cell phone, something I don't normally do because if it were legal I'd carry around a gun and shoot people who drive and talk on their cell phones at the same time, but this was important, I was about to change someone's life. When she answered her phone she sounded like she was on the verge of dying, so I told her what my doctor had told me, and I thought I heard the faint whisper of a tear roll down her cheek. "Thank God!" she said. "Thank God you got sick and went to the doctor!"
And then we agreed that we should both send him flowers.
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Heather talks about public tantrums (from kids) on today's Momversation.
- Bedtime, Leta lingering defiantly in the hallway. Jon: "If you want fart stories, you better get in bed RIGHT NOW."
- RIP Louis Mortimer Armstrong: http://bit.ly/1R4tv6
- Hugs and kisses to you, too! RT: @Monkey_Tree: @dooce he probably committed suicide because he was tired of LISTENING TO YOU WHINE.
302. Z said:
I think your experience is really interesting... I wish the doctor had gone more in detail (or maybe if you had explained what the doctor said more in detail) because I'm really curious how this cleanse actually affected your body in such a negative way. Honestly, I was not expecting a result like that at all, only because I've generally heard people preaching the amazing graces of such cleanses.
I feel like caffeine and alcohol probably would not have affected you so badly, since many people live without those things on a regular basis. Maybe it was the meat, lack of sugar? Or something else? HMMM!
Anyhow, kudos to you. I think it takes more balls to prematurely give up on a cleanse like this because it went horribly wrong (instead of stubbornly insisting that you are right and continuing), than to start it in the first place.
303. Robbin said:
I almost laughed until I cried. Right here in my office, with all my coworkers trying to figure out what the heck I was snorting.
As a professional in the medical field myself I concur with the Dr.
Eat. In moderation. Mostly plants.
And the occasional hobnob.
I love your blog.
304. Andria and Co. said:
Welcome back to the dark side. :)
305. Julie said:
It's good to hear diet can help with anxiety because I struggle with it myself...and then it turns into procrastination, so I need some help with that.
Julie
307. Liz said:
Yeah! I can quit feeling guilty that i'm not cleansing too!
308. Chris Howard said:
Wow, previous commenter Amy J. really hit it on the head. The only thing I have to add is to read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. He discusses all the nutrition fads and crazes, and comes up with some very common sense rules for us all to follow- eat real food, mostly vegetables, not too much.
309. DeAnna said:
If yer gonna be gettin' all healthy and shit, you might like Susun Weed. She's an herbalist, and she's all about eating healthy and she talks about how "food is medicine" and other things that would make your mother roll her eyes. However, her website is pretty terrible and makes me want to roll my eyes so much that I can hardly read any of it. Best to try out her book, Healing Wise.
And also, I'm impressed that your doctor asked you first if you wanted his opinion. I like a doctor who knows how to let the patient choose the level of information they want. More doctors should do that.
310. Astrogirl426 said:
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear you got sick, but I'm glad you decided to end the cleanse. As soon as I read how sick you were, I thought, she needs to stop cleansing. Even if the cleanse itself didn't make you sick, once you got sick, it didn't make any sense to keep cleansing.
And good for you that you had such great results come out of it. I too am trying to be more mindful of what I eat, and have found that it's not about depriving myself of things I like, it's about upgrading. So when I want some chocolate, instead of eating a half package of Oreos, I instead eat few pieces of really good dark chocolate. We can still have the yummy things we want; we just need to choose the better quality items (the choice you made about meat is an excellent point). Yay, Dooce!
311. Jen in OR said:
I ALWAYS choose the thing with sugar over the thing with chemicals designed to taste like sugar. I don't understand why people are all excited about splenda and the like. The little voice in my head says that stuff is unnatural and wrong.
Enjoy your cookies, cheese and humane meat!!
312. Connie said:
SHITS WEAK! YOUR SHIT'S WEAK!
(Not really, I just always wanted to use that in proper context.)
I wonder what Oprah went/is going through. She probably lied. You know she must have lied. You know she threw in a cheeseburger here and there along with a bottle of Bourbon. You know it.
313. M@ said:
Did he say HOW they were connected? I don't know much about nutrition or health, but I don't know how a sinus issue can be connected to a GI cleanse issue. Did it lower your immune system perhaps? Was it shock from such a drastic change so quickly? I'd like to know because I was considering the same cleanse.
314. Wendy said:
Cheers Heather, congratulations on surviving eight days and on discovering things about yourself and diet in the process.
I live in a smallish town (147,000) and we have a couple of great free range/cruelty-free meat options, so I'm betting dollars to donuts lots of folks have that option available to them. And such a lovely option it is.
Also did a minor cleanse (no alcohol/sugar) for two weeks and did not get sick. Perhaps picking one or two items to cleanse is the way to go...?
Dooce.com = Excellent blog!
315. Tay said:
It's both a relief and a disappointment it didn't work out for the full 21 days. My guess is that, despite not depriving yourself of anything necessary to your health, your body had come to be dependent on all sorts of things and started to go into shock when it unexpectedly had to go without. It's like you got the DT's of food addiction, or something.
I fully support and am excited by your decision to eat cruelty free meat :) I've been vegan for some time now, couldn't be happier or healthier.
316. Little Read Hen said:
Have you tried the rice pasta from Trader Joe's? They do the best one that I have been able to find and don't charge five times as much for it. Tinkyada is also very good.
317. Helen said:
Okay, so now don't you feel just *a little bit* bad about having removed whatever comments were in opposition to your cleanse post?
You deleted a lot of them -- I went through and found many numbers were missing. I wonder why you didn't want to hear the not-so-good things people had to say. All positive comments sounds boring to me, but what do I know...
Anyway, glad to hear you're being less militant to yourself.
318. Tana said:
Food is a drug. It has a chemical reaction within our bodies so it stands to reason it would affect us so. It sure seems to me that sticking to a diabetic diet, whether diabetic or not makes a big difference. I know I get terribly depressed if I eat too much white foods (white bread, white pasta).
Good luck with that.
319. Jen said:
Awesome post!! I have entertained the thought of doing a cleanse, but thqanks to you, I will just modify my habits!!
320. Amy said:
#187: LION BARS. YES. GOD, YES.
321. naia said:
i have to make a comment about tofu since it is what most vegetarians and vegans are told to eat. i think the tofu that's available here in the u.s. is highly processed therefore difficult to digest, especially food products with soy in them like soy patty for instance. people in asia do eat a lot of tofu (i'm korean by the way) but it's really different from how it's made and cooked here. and some people even make their own tofu which tastes absolutely amazing, full of flavor, nothing like the processed ones. i hope one day if you haven't already, be able to taste it. someone should really look into this. there's such a huge market for it.
322. Heather said:
MODERATION. Everything in moderation. Caffine, alcohol, meat, dairy, fruit. Even too many sweet potatoes can make ya sick if you eat too many.
323. Regular Girl said:
I doubt you would be reading this far down the comment page, but I just wanted to share that my mom suffered all her life from sinus trouble (always blowing her nose, sinus infections all the time etc.) and she finally just got her sinuses removed. Seriously.
She's a changed woman and even though there is a chance they'll grown back, the effects are amazing.
Maybe something to talk to your doctor about...
324. Jen said:
I'm glad that you're feeling better, cleanse or no cleanse. And I'm really happy that you've found positive changes that will help you in your life.
Keep on truckin'!
325. jeana said:
I think doing a complete cleanse with so many things would be a train wreck if your body is accustomed. BUT....what if there were 8 weeks involved, and each week you cut back on one more item? Or, once a month wean off of one of the items? You'd probably not notice as much, and feel wonderful.
Good for you to have attempted it and recognizing some of the healthy pros. I think your doctor was smart to make you stop it, there were too many different withdrawals going on in your body at once. :(
326. Andra said:
Gee, for all the vegans and vegetarians who claimed not to be preachy about their lifestyles earlier on in CleanseGate, they sure are making up for it now.
327. Kristy said:
Two or three times a year I get a sinus infection that makes the skin on my face hurt and my teeth feel loose. I take a couple of cloves of garlic and either cut it into pill-sized pieces and swallow it with orange juice, or mince it really fine and coat it with a tsp of honey to make it easy to swallow. Do that two or three days in a row and it will completely knock out the infection, but you'll feel much better by the next morning after the first dose. It works great for sinus-related sore throats, too.
328. emily said:
I think it is good that you have stopped doing something that was not good for your body, and that good things came of it. But doing anything cold turkey is a shock, and balance is needed to make long term changes. And you know this, and you don't know me, so this is silly to even be writing this.
329. monica said:
Thanks for sharing your experience on the cleanse. I had been considering doing it myself, but before this happened to you, I had already decided not to. I checked out the book and just really didn't feel like I wanted to commit to it. Like you, I think as long as I'm aware of what I'm eating, it'll benefit my body. So thanks for taking one for the team so to speak :)
330. CoffeeDrinker said:
Glad to know you are (mostly) off the cleanse and wanted to add...
COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU! It really is. It has been shown to lower the risk of Parkinson's, diabetes, liver cancer/cirrosis....google it!
Just saying. Coffee is almost exclusively beneficial to your health, it has very few drawbacks and a TON of health benefits.
331. unreliable narrator said:
OH THANK GOD. Enough with the orthorexia, right? We Americans, at least since the time of Tocqueville's observation, seem to think that no matter what our international sins of overconsumption, we can atone for them by not eating whatever things Oprah thinks we should not eat. It's like my new concept of envirorexia/ecorexia—"If I just reuse this Ziploc bag, I'm helping get rid of that Texas-sized swamp of plastic floating in the Pacific! And I'll be good and go to Jebus in heben when I dies." It started with Calvinism and survives to this day, our weird god-complex that we're individually and uniquely responsible for corporate and government emerging phenomena, and that our virtue or lack of same is represented by our diets. Bizarre, perhaps; but no more historically bizarre than nineteenth-century hysterical blindness/paralysis; or medieval witchhunts ("She turned me into a newt!"). Isn't the most politically powerful act a woman can perform, really—isn't it to EAT? Take up space, in the world. Breathe its air, imbibe its offerings. —And yeah, from one mentally interesting person to another: Coffee and excesses of sugar can fuck you up so bad, so fast. But food is for eating, and life for living. I toast your return to the immanent, incarnate world with an uplifted Hobnob.
332. Andrea said:
Fascinating discussion. As someone who is amateurishly interested in health and alternative health issues (albeit pretty well educated), it may well be that I am more interested in the comments than you. So you likely will not get down this far. But for what it is worth, my two cents, assvice, whatever you want to call it.
--I wouldn't put so much faith in a doctor who so regularly dispenses antibiotics, which we know can become less effective over time and lead to more problems. Also, the "conventional medical" field in general is beyond backwards when it comes to diet. Look at the food they serve in hospitals: jello in fluorescent colors. You did not go into detail about what you had given up, but based on the short list you provided, it did not seem in anyway unhealthy. So, while I don't necessarily think cleanses are essential, I don't see how you can take a doctor seriously who says, "Young lady, run home and resume eating sugar." Come on.
--Likewise, I don't put a lot of stock in all these come-lately writers who have no degrees in nutrition but profess to know what is good for you. Our bodies are all different. Some seem to do well on traditional diets with a lot of cooked meat. Some do well on raw. Here in San Francisco, I always find it interesting when I go to my favorite raw restaruant. Half the people who work there appear to be glowing and half look half-dead. If you search hard enough you can find all sorts of testimonials: People who were cured from cancer by eating raw, and people who got better after eating a lot of meats and stews and fats (Check out the Weston A. Price foundation). And so many doctors seem convinced caffeine is good for you , but I wonder if that is just because they don't want to give up their coffee.
I do know one thing that is dead wrong in that Quantum Wellness book is the advice to eat tofu like all the time. Tofu is a processed food, highly unhealthy when eaten in excess.
--The one piece of health advice I do think is universal is that processed foods are bad. As a loyal reader of your blog, I've noticed that you've had a fair amount of contempt for people who promote organic foods, or who criticize you for eating processed, but that stuff is full of chemicals, which just is not good for anyone.
--And, as a loyal reader of your very wonderful blog, I've noticed that poor you always seems to have a sinus infection. I can't begin to try to say why, but it doesn't seem to be strictly linked to your latest diet. And, FYI, there is a fascinating theory that sinus infections are basically caused by the shape of our faces, with some people just having more narrow passageways that causes stuff to clog up. Sounds preposterous, but in the unlikely event that you read this far, check out this site:
http://www.westonaprice.org/healthissues/facial-development.html
So, for what its worth, I think that processed foods are the enemy, doctors are not gods and need to be questioned, and medicines like antibiotics should be used in moderation.
And I apologize if I offend by offering unwanted advice. You seem to be looking for some advice.
333. Anonymous said:
People get sick when they go off heroin too, but that doesn't mean the heroin is good for them!
334. rb said:
My doctor essentially said the same thing about cleanses. She said they can help psychologically, but there is no physiological basis for them.
Now caffeine, on the other hand, is a great thing to be without. Or mostly without. I had to give up my Peet's drip coffee when I had PPD seven years ago. I still drink iced tea and the occasional diet coke, but I feel so much better not jump-starting myself every morning with trembling hands and racing heart. I drank two cups of regular coffee this last Sunday, because it was mislabeled decaf, and I was miserably anxious all day.
335. Self Righteous Eater said:
Everyone (including me) can be so damn self-righteous when it comes to food.
So here's my self-righteous comment: It seems that the Armstrong family is very susceptible to sinus infections, not dependent on diet. I also wonder if Heather was getting enough calories/fat/carbohydrates/nutrients on the cleanse. She's a very slim woman as it is, and probably burns up calories like nobody's business with all the stuff going on in that household! I don't think Hobnobs are part of a balanced diet, but the psychological benefit may be better than any sweet potato.
Also, I agree with the person who said that tofu should be eaten in moderation, not as a substitute for all animal protein. Particularly for women.
336. Dana from California said:
I'm glad someone in this world loves sweet potatoes. My father scarred me for life by making me eat them when I was seven. I hated them... I hated that cloyingly sweet taste and the texture. To this day, I have not had a sweet potato. I don't like yams, either. And, every Christmas, my brother-in-law makes some comment about how he just LOVES the yams.
They looked tasty. But that's where it ends. ;)
337. Lori said:
I could have sworn Oprah did a show that said the cleanse was bad, Dr Oz or something, that it doesn't help anything. This must have happened after Oprah's original cleanse. Anyway I think the idea, what I've always been told anyway, is to slowly cut back on the bad things, refined sugar, caffeine, whatever it is. I know it's not as fun because then you can't tell everyone I'M ON A CLEANSE and make people jealous because they'll want to do it too, remember this started with Oprah, how many difficult books have people insisted on reading due to her. I know I was jealous of this whole cleanse but that little voice in the back of my head that loves caffeine said hell no. The closest I did was going on the South Beach Diet and when I gave up I horded a box of Saltines like it was a bar of gold I personally found in the Amazon. So it's good that you got something good from it. Moderation is key I think.
338. latenac said:
If it takes going from one extreme to another to arrive at the middle then what you did was worth it. Being aware of what we eat, where it comes from and how it got to our plate is worthwhile.
I'd like to 100th a neti pot for sinuses. It saved me during pregnancy and now saves me during allergy seasons.
And if you should need to wean yourself off of caffeine again, try it gradually by eliminating one cup a day. It stops you from having to go through the headaches. We were very grateful growing up when my mother decided to try that method rather than quitting cold turkey.
339. Anonymous said:
I also highly recommend "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver for anyone interested in changing the way they look at their food. For me, it means that I now get the majority of my fruits and vegetables from a local farm. It also means that I am growing my own small herb and vegetable garden on my tiny apartment patio. It is highly gratifying.
I have not changed my animal product choices as much as I would like to yet (due mainly to the cost), but I am certainly more self aware and hope to move to eating locally raised meats also.
340. Melly said:
Damned if you do; damned if you don't.
341. Mrs. Chicken said:
I totally get this. I am on a gestational diabetes diet and cutting out sugar and most fat has totally sucked the donkey, but on the other hand, fruit now tastes like candy bars.
Like, it tastes so good I could eat a whole watermelon RIGHT NOW.
And I also discovered a really good whole-grain pasta with protein that will take a big place in my diet, even after I birth this kid. I've never liked meat that much, and I struggled to eat enough protein.
But giving up coffee? Never.
342. Vinsanity said:
Ethical meat is the best. And that is a purely selfish statement -- happy animals make delicious meat.
My family only eats ethically raised beef, pork, and chicken. And we eat meat every day - the trick is to get a meat freezer and buy the meat in bulk.
Seriously - try eating a steak from a grass-fed steer and compare it to one bought from the store. If you can't tell the difference, you probably want to visit the doctor to get your taste buds checked.
343. Calee said:
I'm so glad you went to the doctor. As for the cleanse, it seems like a good thing, but in moderation. We're Eastern Orthodox so we spend about half the year on a vegan diet, but the rest of the time- we love all sorts of food.
It's all about balance and doing what's right for your body while being aware of the effect what you put into it has on you whole person.
344. Rebecca said:
A cleanse that involves no sugar, bread, alcohol and caffeine!
There is only one serious problem with this cleanse, no sugar. As women our bodies need sugar, we crave it. Without a little amount of sugar within the run of a week I get bad headaches and extremely cranky (just ask my husband ;). I'm not a diabetic, have no health problems, matter of fact I'm as healthy as a horse. When I read that this cleanse was making you so seriously sick (sorry to hear that, btw) I come to the conclusion that it must be the sugar. All you have to do is cut back on the rest and have a little sugar fix (not overload) everyday and you'll be feeling great! So go buy yourself some Junior Mints and enjoy!
345. Anonymous said:
I went on a two week cleanse and about at day 10, thought I was going to die too. What the cleanse did most for me is to change the way I look at food - yes, I still eat too much sugar and caffeine, but it made me appreciate the idea of whole food. Good job. Congrats being done!
346. jennyg said:
I have not read all the comments.. but has noone talked about the elephant in the room?
You're underweight. Sometimes severely. If you don't get enough calories, you get sick. Then you die.
You should be challenging yourself to eat healthy foods that will help you gain weight. All of this cleanse/detox/whatnot is quite geared toward losing weight, which is probably one reason they work for some people a bit.
There is no evidence anywhere to suggest a "detoxification" effect of feeling sick. "Flushing toxins from your body" is A LOAD OF CRAP, SISTER!! But eating healthier, realizing what your limits are (some people are just not genetically good metabolizers of caffeine)- that's all good. Elimination diets to diagnose food sensitivies- fantastic. That's not "flushing toxins".
So much press and attention and garbage is paid to trying to blame being overweight for all health problems. And being overweight is a problem. But very little attention is paid to the health effects of being underweight; those effects are real, and can be severe, too. Just because your body type is not shamed, but lauded, does not make these go away. I'm sure it is a significant challenge for you to gain weight, just like it is for others to lose it, and often for similar reasons (mental as opposed to physical).
I've seen enough people masquerade unhealthy eating habits/disorders as "cleanses" or other weird, restrictive diets. I think you know that those things, and OCD, are related. Hopefully you are headed to a healthier place, where a healthy diet is not an excuse to starve yourself, but instead, is a tool to nourish yourself. You don't need a doctor to tell you that, but I'm glad you had one that did.
347. Anonymous said:
Funny, I saw this clip from Rescue Me on Hulu yesterday and thought of you... (it's cleanse-related, and only 5 minutes.)
http://www.hulu.com/watch/24078/rescue-me-fast
348. Liz said:
Glad you found The Sweet Potato. Have you also found spaghetti squash? I swear on my life, it tastes almost just like spaghetti. I'm eating some right now, with diced tomatoes, garlic, and parmesan cheese. It's freaking fantastic.
349. April said:
Congradulations on making it as long as you did on the cleanse. The longest I went on a cleanse was 7 days on the master cleanse aka The Lemonade Diet; and it changed my life as well. While it sucks that you felt like crap, it is great that you realized there were many healthier things out there that you like.
As for the sinus infection, I wish you the best. I have dealt with those for many years. My recomendation is Musinex, lots of water, sit with you head over steam for about 10 minutes and then a luke warm shower right after.
Thank you for talking about your experince on the cleanse. I have been thinking about doing one again and I kept telling myslef that feeling like crap was not so bad and I could get through it. After reading how miserable you were I realized that it was pretty bad and I don't want to put my body through that again.
Good luck with getting rid of the sinus infection.
350. amy said:
Well, you had me inspired to do the cleanse next month in an effort to kick-start a get healthy/weight loss program. Now you have me inspired to do Weight Watchers.
351. Lyndsey said:
First, carrying a gun in Utah is legal. I read about it in the LA newspaper. Although you can't shoot anybody.
Second, my husband is a nutrition consultant and is always bugging me to do a cleanse or a fast. Well, both have been a disaster for me so, I did cut back on many things like artificial sweetners and artificial flavorings. However, if I could have a Coke every day I would but I don't because my husband would give me the stink eye.
352. Mandy said:
Totally off topic, but I teared up at your Daily Photo and the text today. I also have a 17 year old niece who is the bees knees and one of my favorite people in the world. I'm glad you have one too.
353. Lori Magno said:
Heather:
Anything you do to feel better and more in balance is great. I'm glad the doc told you to chill on the cleanse, but I'm happy to hear you found some healthy aspects that you'll keep.
Cheers to you & the family. Accessories are in the mail!
-Lori
354. Franca Bollo said:
Factory farm animals everywhere thank you for your commitment to only eat meat from animals raised humanely. Before I turned to your site I responded to yet another call to action from the Humane Society regarding downer cows. There's always a video attached but I cannot watch. The opening still is bad enough and I know it's not the worst of it.
I would love to eat bacon again but until we change the way we raise animals for food I cannot be complicit in the suffering it causes.
Your thoughtful commentary is appreciated, not just on this issue but many others.
355. Erin said:
WHEE!
As someone who is as anti-cleanse as your doctor, I am stoked to hear you aren't doing it anymore. And yay for positive - and attainable - diet changes too.
356. Eavesdrop Writer said:
Whew! I feel better just knowing you will stop the cleanse. And I thought getting sick on bacon flavored vodka was bad...well, it was pretty bad come to think of it.
357. Dawn Coyote said:
Quitting coffee: if you have to do it again, mix it with increasing amounts of decaf over a two week period, and you won't get the dreadful withdrawal. I've quit drinking it 9 times, and only did it cold turkey the first time. 9 times. Not a typo. I refuse to go for 10. I'm a coffee drinker.
Wheat: I feel like crap a lot, too. If I give up wheat, and cut way down on sugar and dairy, I feel much, much better almost right away. YMMV.
Meat: Must. Have. I was also a vegetarian for 8 years. No more. My body loves meat, and loves it hard*.
* marbled, of course, like rib eyes and such.
358. Karina said:
I've been gluten-free for six years and casein-free for the last year. Giving up wheat and dairy changed my life (I can leave the house before noon again- without my bottle of Pepto Bismol).
Tuning in to our bodies, and paying attention to how food affects us is just plain smart. It's not new agey spiritual or virtuous. It's practical. More like an investment. And not only for us. For our kids, too.
And when you've got fabulous brown rice pasta, strawberries, wine and flourless chocolate brownies- it's not even deprivation.
359. Red said:
http://redswritinghood.com/the-fit-and-healthy-me-ahem/54/anyone-please-...
aha! yes, I love you Heather, as you confirmed my actions of killing the cleanse as well!
I am linking to your post.
~Cheers~ Here's to 0 headaches~ lot's of wine, coffee and bacon!!!!!
xoxo
Red
p.s. I was going to suggest Fakin' Bacon while you were vegetarian, but, not nearly as yummy!
360. TheSpectrum said:
OH NO! I'm on Day #6. Does this mean in a few days, I'm going to keel over and die too!?
361. eej said:
How/why would a cleanse give you a sinus infection? I don't get that.
362. Ingrid said:
Why did your doctor believe that cutting our sugar, alcohol, and caffeine make you sick??
363. Natalie said:
Thank you for trying this first. Oprah scares me.
I need to cleanse my body, but instinct tells me I can't do it all at once. It's sort of like when you've got a lot of goals, you have to face them one at a time instead of all at once.
I'm guessing (without any medical knowledge whatsoever) that your system went into a state of shock. Your body gets used to these things no matter how bad they are for you.
Cleansing your body should not make you ill, I don't care what anybody says.
364. Red said:
Ingrid and others questioning sickness:
It is really just the fact of toxins leaving the body which is why it plagues us with sickness, so in essence it is better to endure the pain and suffering, to rid it all from out bodies, then we will feel amazing......haha, in due time.
If we stop the cleansing process though, we will go back to our normal toxic state and not feel the withdrawl. Kinda like a drug~
It is actually better to go through it- but, only worth it if you plan on trying to stay toxic free!
xoxo
Red
365. ilovebutter said:
I would not take nutritional advise from an MD - they only do 30-40 hours of nutrition in their entire 8 years of training. I have a degree in nutrition, and rarely have I heard sound nutritional advice come from an MD.
Getting sick was probably a side effect of the cleanse. The theory goes that eliminating the "bad" foods allows your body to start processing stored toxins, etc. This often makes people get sick, or at least feel like utter crap for a few days. Your sinus infection was just another layer of crap being expelled by your body.
You should have stuck with the cleanse longer and stuck it out. But, I'm glad you learned something and hope you continue the changes for the long term.
366. Random Diva said:
LMGDAO. Sorry to laugh at your expense but the post is still dang funny. I have been waiting to hear how its going, knowing the inevitable sickness as happens with any major cleanse/change in diet was coming. But Kudos for 1st going to the Dr. and not being stubborn, and secondly for not going back to alot of carbs, coffee and non ethical meat.
Non-ethical meat abstinence makes me most proud of ya. I still cant live without my coffee, cigarettes and alcohol but I dont miss all the carbs at all, have decent energy, and am slim. Everything in moderation ya know and I certainly dont want to eat guilty meat, no matter how tasty. Keep it up and thanks for sharing!
367. holly in SF said:
I have done a cleanse, but not one quite so intense and only lasted 12 days. I think they illustrate something VERY important, which you have learned: we CAN cut back on the bad and STILL enjoy some of the things we love that aren't so great for us. It's all about moderation. Just being aware of what we eat is a first step. Two book recommendations, which I am sure you have heard: Omnivore's dilemma and In Defense of Food. same author.
btw, House of Stools is gone on Divisidero here in SF! I think of your site every time I drive past that intersection...
368. Duped said:
* OH. GREAT *
NOW you tell me!!! I just went out and bought the damn book yesterday, after all your lovely posts. :(
369. Heather said:
I've been following your posts about the cleanse and I don't really agree with your doctor. I don't think what you did caused the sinus infection. My sinuses actually are worse when I eat dairy. I need to quit coffee again. I quit and go back on a regular basis. Although like you I admit that when I drink a cup of it since my last long time off it, I just don't like it like I used too.
370. Stephanie Brown said:
Everyone who has recommended Michael Pollan's books (like In Defense of Food or Omnivore's Dilemma) is spot on. I think all this fad stuff is really taxing on your body, especially all at once... Try to think more simply and eat real food and make small changes where you can... gradually. You're on the right track with the meat, etc. I'm always trying (keyword: trying) to think, "What would nature do?" these days when I'm at the grocery store. Would nature produce all the stuff that's in this x, y or z thing?
371. Janie said:
Oh Good God, I adore HobNobs!!!! And the ones with chocolate on them?!?! I can't believe you have HobNobs in Utah! I have to go to the UK for HobNobs or make my friends bring me them when they come here. I might have to move to Utah. You have HobNobs and Malteasers and God only knows what else! You're killing me!
Re: your cleanse. Anything that is 'over the top' is nuts as far as I'm concerned. Listen, I cleansed and lost 120 lbs merely by frequently eating small amounts of food prepared (or not prepared acutally) as naturally as possible. Yes, when I wanted to keep losing I cut out sugar completely for almost a year, but in the maintaing phase you just keep it as unprocessed as possible, indulging in processed cookies and crap in a REASONABLE FASHION. Believe me, that was pretty damn cleansing because when I did eat some sugar or some salt or some processed foods I practically got high! (or sick depending on what it was LOL). Heather, indulging in unprocessed....non-packaged...foods as much as possible is really the only cleanse you need. Just try to keep away from the chemicals in packaged food whenever you reasonably can. Geez...why bother living if you can never eat M&Ms? Malteasers? Doritos? (Meanwhile, LMAO, just keep eating those HobNobs....they'll cleanse the crap right outta you in no time!!!!)
372. NeoCleo said:
Sounds to me as though you found your natural balance between the two extremes you've been living so I think this kinda makes up for having to get sick in order to prove a point to yourself. Makes sense to me, anyway, if not in fact to anyone else. Me and the voices in my head. We're off to see the Wizard now. TTFN
373. Janie said:
Laughing my a** off, Jessie!! I just adore Dooce fans! They are so funny!
<<<<2. Jessie said:
I want to thank you for being so honest and descriptive about your anxiety. It is a little ray of sane sunshine to me when I am loosing my own marbles.
oh, and also?
FIRST!!! Woot!
06.25.08 - 08:14 PM
3. Jessie said:>>>>
damn.
374. The Modern Gal said:
I'm interested in hearing more about the doctor's reasons why he thought the cleanse caused the sinus infection and you should stop.
375. nicole said:
so interesting! i would love to hear your dr.'s medical opinion about *why* doing the cleanse made you sick ... i think some people would say it's just the toxins leaving your body but perhaps it is something else? more details!!!
but that's great you are off the coffee. speaking from experience, i am so much more anxious when i drink coffee regularly. i mean ... it just heightens it so much, as you probably know.
good luck w/ the deadline!
376. Ad Suit said:
TO #313 ~ M@ ???
Is that YOU???!!! Have been looking for you, if it's you, former 6D co-victim. Hope you are well? If you're out there, drop me an e-mail & let me know how to contact you. Love and miss you, your former next door office neighbor. :)
377. Anne Lindenfeld said:
Thank the Lord. I can now keep on eating scrapple for breakfast and know that everything is okay with the world.
I used to be a big cleanse, vegetarian, no this or that person. Now I just try to eat in moderation. Just like my grandmother did, who died at 99.9 years of age. (She was so trying to make 100.) She didn't need glasses, take any kind of medication, or abstain completely from anything. And that dry martini every night before dinner was de rigeur.
378. Anonymous said:
surely you're smart enough to know that there is no logical connection to being on a cleanse (which is more just a healthy diet) and getting a ... sinus infection? right? i mean, maybe flu-like symptoms, but a sinus problems? seriously. confirmation bias is a dangerous thing. :)
379. Liz said:
I'll never forget the time I went off my dancer's diet of 1200 calories a day with an allotted 20 g of fat/day. Holy crap... it was like the heavens opened up and suddenly I could see again. My senses were heightened, I smiled... SMILED while I ate; something that hadn't happened in years. I've never turned back and I thank God every day for Doritos. :) Congrats on making it as long as you did! I'm sure you did your body some good, right?
380. Bonnie said:
Wow, that's really unfortunate. The reason why you were sick is because your body was throwing out old toxins that had built up in your body from eating junk for so many years. Yeah, it sucks when it comes out, but if you start eating junk again, that just means all those told toxins are going to stay in your body. I'm surprised that this doctor didn't tell you that. He could have at least suggested that you slow down the cleanse. It sounds like that's what you ended up doing anyway, though, so that's good.
381. Jeni said:
@ #340-
My exact thought. It's always the same with Heather's posts. We readers are never happy either way.
382. almost vegetarian said:
Doctor's receive a woefully inadequate maximum of three hours of nutritional training. Training that, all these years later, is now ridiculously obsolete.
Unless he can plausably explain how giving up sugar, gluten, caffeine, alcohol, or animal products can possibly give you a sinus infection, than I would seriously question his diagnosis.
Remember, doctor's are wrong all the time. And patients die because of it. So you may not want to take his word as gospel. Especially as he still gave you a prescription when, if his diagnosis is correct, removing the cause would cure the symptom.
Here's hoping you feel better.
Cheers.
383. Catlin said:
It's my own humble opinion that most radical "progroms" like that, weather about food or anything else prey on those of us who suffer form anxiety.
I'm so glad you quit. Be healthy, feel good, and remember this motto: "Always question Oprah." :)
BTW, you were the light in the darkness for me when I found your blog during my own bout with postpartum depression a while back. Thank you for existing.
384. Amber said:
I did an elimination diet last summer to find out what was making me have ulcerative colitis and constant symptoms of inflammation. Turns out it's dairy. I felt terrible for about 5 days and then I felt better than usual, but not like F'ING AWESOME or anything. I also use a supplement called UltraInflamix which helps my tummy lots. The biggest thing that helped me and my anxiety actually was stopping taking hormonal birth control. My body hates extra estrogen, so I finally stopped fighting it. Something to consider...
385. Lynn said:
I wanted to tell you about these fabulous treats that are actually ok for you. they're called thinkThin bars. you can google them. they are gluten and sugar free and rather tasty. they should have them somewhere in Utah, but if not you can order them over the interwebs.
386. California Chef said:
So there was a time when I worked for a couple, who were seriously wealthy, as their chef. It was a great job when they were not around as I could make normal food for the rest of the employees. But I dreaded cooking for them. They were always on some sort of plan or another. Weird stuff. Lots of fasting, juicing etc. Anyhow, my point is they were always sick. Not to mention I now believe having alot of money messes you up. Talking to you, Oprah.
387. Kara said:
Hi Heather,
I hope that you and your friend Carol are shortly feeling much better. Sinus illness is the worst in my opinion! Also, sorry for the dauntingly long entry. I promise not to be too controversial!
After reading a mixed bag of comments, I just wanted to add my two cents and hopefully keep it positive. First, I wanted to say thank you for being honest, and not feeling any shame that you had to stop the cleanse. I think it is *Amazing* that you went 8 days on such a sudden-dietary-change-regime. Way better than I could do, and I'm already vegetarian.
Thank you for posting such delicious looking food and recipes from your experiences, and I hope you will keep doing so. Just reading your blog while you were on the cleanse encouraged me to take up (again) my goal of going increasingly vegan, or at least eating more vegetables.
As for ending the cleanse, my feeling is that you felt awful and who could be expected to keep up a cleanse under those circumstances? I'm sorry you had to suffer at all, but it sounds like you are still going to enjoy some lifestyle changes from the experience.
For what I know about toxins, you might want to consider taking some liver-cleansing herbs for awhile, just to get things back in balance. This is what my doctor recommended to me to counteract a slightly out of whack liver brought on by an unhealthy diet. I think a professional herbalist, or even the more knowledgeable staff members at Whole Foods or The Vitamin Shoppe could direct you to the right stuff; I personally take Milk Thistle.
Finally, I was going to mention that you could take Probiotic capsules or Acidophilus caps to replenish the healthy bacteria in your body (which I too, think is fairly critical after a round of antibiotics). I personally like both kefir and the Stonybrook farms yogurt smoothies, but if you want to keep avoiding dairy, the capsules will do the trick too.
Best of luck and looking forward to your future progress!
388. eddeaux said:
I made it 18 days on the detox. On day 8 or so I had a failed root canal. I thought it was just sinus issues as well. I wonder if the detox caused the failure? I haven't ruled it out.
On day 18 I cheated and had some popcorn that night. Day 19 I tried to stay on track, but splurged on some Indian food. Day 20 I tried to stay on again and found some cookies in the freezer. Finally I said, Effit, and patted myself on the back. I did lose 25 pounds though in those 17 days.
I'm back to eating the same crappy way I did before the detox though.
389. Collier said:
Weak! You're weak! 96 hours (or less) of clean unprocessed food and you got a sinus infection? That's the stupidest thing I have heard. You're weak, and your weak American sicko culture allows you to perpetuate bad health. This is a sad, sad, terrible and childishly early end to a perfectly simple task. I live in England and you don't deserve Hobnobs.
390. eddeaux said:
I'd like to shove a can of Hobnob's up Collier's butt. He's probably never tried this detox...
391. Love and Laughter,Amy said:
I did the master cleanse some odd 7 years ago. It was horrible and amazing. I'm glad you survived, and I applaud you your bravery. though I admit, you probably had no idea what you were getting into. ;-)
392. Kim said:
Hey Commenter 346, maybe the reason no one has mentioned the elephant in the room is that Dooce ISN'T underweight, she is naturally slim. I have been petite all my life and eat like a horse, I can say to you that you can't assume that just because someone is skinny that they have an eating disorder! Some of us have small frames and high metabolisms. I think it's dangerous to make assumptions like this.
393. Laurie said:
I am so grateful you've gone back to the glass of wine with dinner. It's ok with me if you have a couple before dinner as well. Anyone with a name as cool as Dooce has got to be enjoying cocktails along with her life.
394. American Dooce Lover said:
To #389, above:
FUCK YOU, you little snob. This is AMERICA! Heather is an AMERICAN. If you don't like what she has to say then stay the hell in your own little Brit world.
And? If she doesn't deserve Hobnobs, there are a million products we produce here, in the great USA, that are so much better. I know. I have lived in the UK.
Watch your mouth, Collier. And stop being a hater.
395. Single mom in New England said:
WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO! I'm so happy for you. It's all about BALANCE, not EXTREMES -- listen to your body -- if it wants Teddy Grahams, it needs Teddy Grahams!! (Just not the whole Bulk package of them) You are going to feel great, I just know it. Yay You!!!!
396. C'tina said:
I LOVE SWEET POTATOES!! Baked in the toaster oven...cooled and wrapped in foil, where they get carmelized and sweet....sprinkle a little cinnamon on sometimes....anyhow, I'm in So Cal this week and have loved visiting some of the spots suggested about 4-6 months ago from your readers...Hash House a Go Go, Starlite on India St. and Extraordinary Desserts tonite.....
397. C'tina said:
AND Black Mission Figs are the perfect sweet snack...with your daily allowance of almonds. I buy the figs dried...carry them in the car...livesaver.
398. Single mom in New England said:
Heather - I really enjoyed your radio interview -- I think reading web blogs fits our busy lives so well because it feels to me like we're reading a novel -- the story of your life - one chapter every day! Thanks so much for letting us in and making us laugh daily.
Feel better soon after you get over your sinus infection!
Responding to these other comments -- it's just like dooce said in her radio interview - it all goes downhill in the 11th hour!!
As the 20somethings at work say, Peace out!
399. bird said:
good for you.
ps i'll bet oprah cheated.
400. TJ said:
Oh, that's the best news ever. I was starting to feel motivated by you and NEARLY started the cleanse myself. Now I think I'll have a mountain Dew.
401. Lisa said:
Yea, Hobnobs! Love those cookies. Been reading the book about Fatherhood and loving it. Good for you! I even had to be wait listed at the library to get a copy.:)
402. Kristan said:
You know, I'm listening to your interview (sorry I know it's the wrong post) and I have to say (a) thanks for the very insightful comments about blogging and writing the books (and about blogging VS. writing the books), and (b) THIS INTERVIEWER SOUNDS LIKE A MORON.
I'm not saying he is, I'm not saying he's a bad person, but omg I am so not impressed right now!
He must have been too busy thinking of insults about the Avon World Sales Leader...
403. The Horror Diet said:
Gah. This is my 3rd comment on this post. I just had to ask if you've been here:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/living-cuisine-raw-food-bar-salt-lake-city
Raw food restaurants are popping up all over the country, I'm sure in part because quite a number of people are ditching meat, wheat, dairy, sugar, etc. from their diets. Apparently this restaurant is getting rave reviews. If you go, let us know how you fare.
404. Bob said:
If you would of just kept the "word of wisdom", you would not need to do a cleanse... Just thought you would like to know. Love ya... Bob
405. scrappy said:
YESYESYESYES. i just had the exaaact same experience. only, i don't know if you can wrap your head around this, my cleanse was EVEN MORE LIMITED foods-wise. it just was not ok. and i was miserable and couldn't figure it out, and had a huge whopper of a headache. but, i did start to think about my food more. i'm so glad i wasn't the only one.
406. Anonymous said:
I would like to know how you know that the beef you consume is "ethically raised?" I am a beef producer myself and we sometimes sell our calves to another rancher who raises the "feeders" and then they sell them to the feedlot. I really don't know how you could check all of these avenues for certain to see that each step is done "ethically". And again for your vegan readers, google "beef-by-products" and make sure you are giving up all products that come from beef if you are going to be a true vegan. That means no leather shoes, (I can't tell you how many vegans I have seen wearing Birkenstocks, driving cars, or eating yogurt.) I laugh. Just thought I would post again since you seemed to have deleted my last post, maybe us non-vegans shouldn't point out the facts of the beef industry.
407. Lynne Thompson said:
Heather, I am doing Atkins right now because low-carb definitely fixes all kinds of insulin resistance problems and it's the only thing that helps me lose weight. But someone mentioned that it also is a wheatless diet and that some of us may have wheat allergies and feel way better on the Atkins diet..you may have a sensitivity to wheat and feel less anxiety because your cleanse basically cut the wheat down in your diet. I had a bipolar friend who wasn't as bipolar when she cut out wheat. Thank you for being so honest...good luck LT
408. joan said:
I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to do "Phase 1" of the South Beach diet for several weeks now. During Phase 1 you eat only lean meats and certain vegetables. This is supposed to stabilize your blood sugar and stop your craving for sugar and carbs (or in my case intensify it to the point of obsession). The first time I fell off the wagon had to do with vodka and cranberry juice - both of which are strictly verbotten. The second time - well let's just say it involved chocolate cake.
I say we all drink a toast to all things in moderation.
409. mackley q greene said:
Isn't it amazing what food does to you besides furnish vitamins, minerals, calories and caffeine?
It's interesting that catching an infection is a side effect of a cleanse. Can it be that your body's immune system is so used to combating food irritations that when those stop it relaxes and you get sick? Or is the usual dietary routine in effect a sort of balance that is upset when irritating things are removed? Inquiring minds with too little else to do want to know ... !
Also, yay for the lessened anxiety! As I have said in some comments on previous posts I too reaped that benefit from cutting some things out of my diet.
I like really simple foods now -- the plainer the better. Your taste buds become more sensitive when you 'edit' your diet, I think.
410. Yvonne said:
Great choice on the HobNobs, I would have gone straight for those too. Several years ago I had a nasty bout of IBS and an anxiety level that was through the roof. I travelled around Australia and could only afford to eat veggies and cook everything from scratch - no frozen, premade meals. My IBS disappeared. Ever since then I've eaten meat rarely, cooked most of my meals from scratch and cut out alcohol to once a week. I could never go back! Not only do I feel better but it's so much cheaper to live the way I do. But I'm not an angel by any means. when I cheat, I cheat big - hobnobs all the way - and I never feel bad about it, because it's a treat rather than a daily thing.
411. Anonymous said:
LAME! Thought you'd make it.
412. Jennifer said:
Okay, I understand the cleanse and how you may detox some crappy shit and feel awful, but how does that translate into a bacterial sinus infection? Because if you are taking antibiotics, I assume you have a bacterial sinus infection and not a viral one (because antibiotics are for killing bacteria). Not passing judgement - just trying to help. Antibiotics are way over-prescribed and did you know that the CDC reports that 80% of sinus infections are viral - so you take the crap medicine for no reason - it sucks! I know you love your doctor right about know - but most MD's have NO IDEA about cleanses....so....good luck...and I hope you feel better soon....
413. Lex said:
I'm disappointed that you quit the cleanse. Your body was ridding itself of toxins and now you've stopped the process. Very disappointing.
414. unreliable narrator said:
Oh, and now you done gone and inspired a post:
http://theunreliablenarrator.net/2008/06/26/orthorexia-part-2/
Feel better soon--sinus infections are a bitch. I had one a month when I lived in England and they were worse than PMS, which is seriously saying something.
415. Tammy said:
Heather - Good on ya.
For all those touting "don't blindly trust a Doctor, they aren't always right - you should see a Naturopath/herbalist/witch doctor...." - UMMMMMM, do you see the flawed logic here?
The Doctor ASKED if she wanted to hear his recommendation, and he gave it - and if I read the post right, it didn't say cleanse automatically = sinus infection, but rather that she's made herself vulnerable, letting her predisposition to sinus infections take hold. Therefore, by stopping the cleanse she would avoid further damage, but she would still need antibiotics for the infection (bacteria don't just dissapear - I don't like taking anti-biotics either but I don't want to harbor a colony of agressive microbes in my nasal passages, either).
Naturopaths, et al, are just as capable as MDs in dispensing flawed advice, and (in my experience) more likely to hit you with scare tactics (pamphlets stating "What THEY Won't Tell You About XY or Z....", etc.)
Common sense, independent research, and knowing your own body will serve you better than deifying or vilifying any health practitioner - of any variety.
Heather - rock on. Explore local farmers with a commitment to pasture-raised animals killed humanely if you add meat back to you/your family's diet. Your tastebuds and your conscience will thank you.
p.s. Your "Human Visitor" test says "$25 Gustav." Sounds like a Russian Manwhore....
416. erin said:
I just finished up a really cool class called "Menu for the Future" which is offered by the Northwest Earth Institute. It is a 6 week class where you read 45 minutes of reading and then discuss in a group for an hour. If you are feeling conscious of food - this might be an interesting thing to explore. Here is a link to the course description: http://www.nwei.org/discussion_courses/course-offerings/menu-for-the-future.
To find a class in your area (or to start one) click here: http://www.nwei.org/n_american_network/north-america.
And no - I don't work for them. :)
417. The Cube Monkey said:
Ever think that you felt like shit because you were detoxing? =)
I've been debating the cleanse, but I think "leaning" into that kind of eating would be easier.
Asking me to give up my Starbucks Doubleshot on ice is like asking me not to breath. lol
418. Katie said:
I'm glad that the cleanse only sort of worked, because the last thing I want right now is a real reason to give up sugar and caffeine. I like to think that I've got a firm grip on my vices, haha.
And with all the fat-free, organic, free-range chicken broth that I consume, I'm sure it all evens out, right?
419. Betina said:
My sisters have done cleanses similar to yours. They always get sick too, but supposedly the theory is that your body is flushing out all the toxins and that you have to get sick before you get better.
I have no idea. I'm not giving up chocolate for anyone. But that is what they say.
Cleanse or no cleanse, I would continue eating the breafast cereal/berry thing you posted the other day. That looked so so good. Hopefully it was not the cause of your sinus infection, because I could eat that every morning!
At any rate, I hope you feel better.
420. J said:
Hey, glad you gained valuable awareness through the thing. Just wanted to mention, though, going off caffeine is normally a tricky thing...and shouldn't be done cold? It makes sense that you would be feeling so bad. I think doing the "cleanse" would be a good thing to do with a naturopath's consultation.
421. Heidi Bengtson said:
Yay, you've discovered the secret! Srsly, I'm so glad I quit caffeine three years ago. It's been one of the keys to keeping tabs on my anxiety.
422. Kris said:
Well since the cleanse didn't work, it's time to go back to the leeches.
423. Moira said:
OMG. Hobnobs were my favorite sweet when living in Ireland 10 years ago. Haven't had one in years. YEARS.
424. Bibi said:
After overcoming my shyness, I frequently post comments on your site. When I read your entry about the cleanse, I couldn't come up with anything to say about it - although I knew it was huge undertaking. Now that you survived eight days of horror, what I will tell you is this:
My psyche went bugshit after I assimilated the enormity of what you were doing. I went on a food binge of pretty epic proportions at the very notion of changing anything in my own diet - and food isn't really my DOC.
Anyway, my best to you and your family - I am excited to hear there is another book in the works, glad to hear you are feeling less stress, and hope you mend quickly from your sinus infection.
425. Anonymous said:
When Doug said, '...there are complete sentences, there are complete thoughts...' I wanted to whack him in the head. Thanks for enduring his condescending questions and 'I'm not really learning here, I'm just getting through this while trying to come off smarter' interview style. Did he do ANY research, beyond 5 minutes?
You are a blast. Thanks for sharing your writing with the masses.
426. Karen said:
Heather, cleanses don't generally make you sick. Well, you are detoxing and so you may feel lousy, but they wouldn't give you a sinus infection. cleanses probably aren't necessary, but a sinus infection? nope.
oh, Heather, I find I'm not enjoying your writing as much as i used to, which was a whole lot.
I worry
427. DaMomma said:
Everything in moderation. Take it slow and your eating habits will change. I think the key to success at anything is not to take it too seriously.
And you closed comments on your picture, so couldn't say how lovely you and your niece are, and that you have identical chins.
428. Lindsay said:
When I heard about your cleanse I had to remember last summer, my boyfriend's mother went on a 21 day cleanse and ended up in the hospital.
There are certain ones that are very good and successful, but a lot of plans coming out lately aren't very good.
Kudos to you for the choice in ethical meat. I was vegetarian for 3 1/2 years. Out of necessity (aka: it is impossible to eat out vegetarian-style anywhere in the South) I ended that, but nowadays I barely eat any meat at all.
I've found I have a lot more energy and a lot less mood swings eating only the occasional free range turkey/chicken.
429. jenive said:
Hats off to you. It is pretty brave to go off on such an endeavor, let alone tell the internet you are doing it. You seem to be an 'after the fact' sort of blogger on many big issues. It took guts to tell us before, and then to admit that you are not...The Valedictorian...of cleanses.
I know emotions and humor don't always translate, but I mean the kudos without an ounce of snark!
430. Mom Quixote said:
Heck of 425 or so comments!
I don't have anything to say about what to eat/not to eat, whether toxins escape out of sinus cavities or not, or if pee in fact does come out of our vaginas. For my part, I
can only wish Franklins poured out my hoo-haa.
Now I'll have to get the whole vegan pet food thing raised by some commenters figured out. I guess I'll do some solid research and "google that."
431. sarah said:
Even though it made you sicker than a dog I am glad you got to take away some parts of the cleanse that you liked!
432. Dara said:
You know, whatever you eat or don't eat is fine with me. But re: cleanse it's something all my friends seem to dabble in once they are making good money. I don't know what exactly starts it. It's always after 30, when there are no babies around and when they can afford to eat ethically. The "I am coming up in the world, must inflict restrictions on my diet" is probably caused by the same spore that gave Madonna the yoga/Kabbalah urge. AI'm happy for you and kind of jealous. I'm not poor, but I've still got babies and am not at a point where I can try wild new diets.
Soon I hope.
433. The Bitch said:
Boy, I can totally relate. I've been working the Core Plan with Weight Watchers these last two weeks and it has changed my eating habits completely. I even get my lazy ass outside everyday and walk for about an hour.
434. Katie said:
I LOVE Hobnobs! My mom is from Ireland and she has lots of wonderful friends from England and Ireland who keep a steady stream of wonderful Irish and British treats flowing over the pond. Have you ever had a Crunchie??? That'll cure your cleanse!!!
435. Wendy said:
Good for you for trying to do something good for your self. Even if it didn't work and left you writhing in misery. I've recently given up Diet Pepsi, and I'm trying to each healthy food 6 times a day. Seems easy, but not so much.
The only thing I don't get about your revelation is cutting out milk and cheese. They're good for you. They have protein and calcium, right? Unless you're lactose intolerant. We don't want you farting and pooping every where...
www.notesfromthesleepdeprived.blogspot.com
436. Amanda said:
Is very common!! Sickness like that often goes hand in hand with a radical switch to a clean diet -- is DETOX. I encourage you to keep at it, but gradually! Hope it's right for you. I wish you luck!
437. Miss Britt said:
Thank you GOD.
Medical approval that I should stick with my unhealthy living!
438. Inventing Matilda said:
I think you had it right before when you said you wanted to work out the mental clutter. Ending up with a clogged face and a bad mood can't be healthy.
It seems every time I decide I will avoid certain foods I end up wanting them the most. I crave them.
-Inventing Matilda
439. cat said:
Dunno. I'd seriously think about getting rid of the doctor, not the cleanse.
I mean, from reading your blog, you are often sick with similar symptoms, correct? And you do know that the caffeine withdraws subside, right? And after you've suffered, you are promised heaven on earth. Right?
So I checked out the cleanse, and truthfully, it just doesn't come off as a crazy diet.
From Oprah's blog - "oatmeal with fresh blueberries, strawberries, chopped walnuts and a splash of soy milk and some agave nectar. For lunch, chunky mushroom soup with wild rice and pecans. As a snack, a handful of roasted almonds. And for dinner, a baked potato drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper with a salad of shredded lettuce, cranberries, pine nuts and tiny orange slices with a vinegar and oil dressing."
And one day she even had pancakes? And this is a cleanse your doctor is worried about? Yeah, I'd go through the pain of getting a new doctor, for sure.
A serious cleanse is freshly squeezed fruit juices with tons of water. Nothing else.
You my dear, have consumed a smorgasbord of delights!
And think about it. If it helped clear up your anxiety even a little bit, perhaps having a second try is worth it?
Suggestion - instead of starting out with the megga 21 days (possibly too much for a first timer), take it easy with 3 days at a time (perhaps twice a month), then build up. Then each month ditch something on your list. The good news is chocolate is fair game :-)
And if you want to get dairy out of your life, read Skinny Bitches. I was so grossed out I still can't touch the stuff.
I know I'm not you, but after going through 6 years of severe panic attacks I would have done anything on this earth to get my life back (by my 20's I was heavy into menopause and doctors were NO help at all).
And yes, if it was suggested at the time, eating pancakes with strawberries would have been high on my list!
440. CarolXue said:
OMGosh! You are a Crack! Meanwhile, I didn't even finish reading your blog for today, I'm savoring it with my almost-nightly fare of Pizza Pocket and 9 oz. of Chillable Red (wine of course). Keeps me a spry 50! HAH!
What I wanted to tell you so badly that I had to hurry and get to this "post new comment" page, just in case it can help a single other person along with you, oh funny one, is that if you're at ALL EVVER a sinus infection sufferrerr, all you need is a nasal "wash" squirt in each nostril (I only use it once a day but you can use it as often as you like) of good ol' XClear. It's made here in Utah, in Orem I believe. I was getting SI's (yeah, Sinus Infections) back to back, off antibiotics, then right back on! Started using XClear (sold in fine neighborhood grocery stores or on-line in bulk by the manufacturer for a slightly better price) and have not had one single solitary itty bitty infection in my nose holes since Nov 2006. PRAISE THE LORD! (or the guy in Orem!) So, I'm telling you like I tell everyone, unless you enjoy those obnoxious torturous nasal crisis-es, use the XClear. If the one you got is the only one you've ever had, then, all hale the stopping of the cleanse. Gotta go, must finish your awesome blog (which is the only one I read beside my sister's in PA cuz I love her) that I heard about from your interview on KUER FM 90.1 (NPR) ! Sorry so long, wish I could be brief like you! Yawn, shorter next time? Thanks for your awesome blog.
441. Cheryl said:
Good for you! Not because you gave up the cleanse, but because you learned something from it, and are more thoughtful about food now. I think that's awesome!
442. Dejoni said:
For hormone, steroid, antibiotic free gate to plate beef, check out www.greenrivercattle.com.
443. vanessa said:
I think the not eating meat thing is fantastic. Try reading Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" for waaay more great info on ethical eating.
Congrats of eating more food!
444. Diane said:
A few years ago I went on a popular diet. No dairy, no processed carbohydrates, low fat, very little meat, no sugar. I did lose a lot of weight. A year later, still faithful to the diet, I went for my yearly check-up thinking I would get wonderful test results - Ha! My cholesterol was high, the bone-density test showed osteopenia, and most dreaded of all, the mammogram picked up breast cancer. I don't blame the diet for causing any of these problems, but it didn't keep me from getting them either.
While on chemo I couldn't stay on the diet so I added back whole grains, skim milk, a little more fat since I seemed to crave comfort food and best of all - chocolate! Surprisingly my cholesterol went down to normal.
Just saying, I don't think there is a cure-all. Some things work or don't work and we all have to find our own way, and like so many others have said - moderation.
I love your blog, admire your honesty and hope you feel better soon!
445. blaux said:
looks like you are really starting to enjoy florida
446. cattitude said:
I had to comment when I read somebody's comment discouraging people from eating tofu.... I have osteogenesis imperfecta and have had many, many fractures. I've been put on a multitude of medications to try and reduce my fractures but nothing has helped...until I started eating a lot of tofu. I've only had one fracture in the last year (which for me is a miracle!) and I totally attribute that to my tofu diet. I don't eat it every single day but I do eat it a couple times a week at least. I've read online that many other people also think it has strengthened their bones dramatically.
Just sayin'.
And Heather, I think you should do whatever feels right to YOU and not worry what anyone else thinks. Good for you for being strong!
:)
447. Anonymous said:
So - I've not tried the cleanse, but could it be that your sick because you body is doing just what the cleanse is meant to do? Cleansing your body? Your body's having like freak out withdrawals from all the crap you've cut out? Maybe? I dunno. Doesn't make me wanna run out at try the cleanse, but I'm just sayin'...
448. Anonymous said:
Eat up, babies.
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=232287
Texas Firm Recalls Cattle Heads That Contain Prohibited Materials
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 - Beltex Corporation, doing business as Frontier Meats, a Fort Worth, Texas, establishment, is recalling approximately 2,850 pounds of fresh cattle heads which may contain specified risk materials (SRMs), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
SRMs are tissues that are known to contain the infective agent in cattle infected with BSE, as well as materials that are closely associated with these potentially infective tissues. Therefore, FSIS prohibits SRMs from use as human food to minimize potential human exposure to the BSE agent.
The products subject to recall include:
Cases of "BEEF WHOLE HEAD." Each shipping package bears the establishment number "EST. 7041B" inside the USDA mark of inspection, as well as a package code of "51904" or "63922."
The company is recalling all products packed between May 31, 2007, and June 24, 2008. These products were distributed to retail establishments and lunch carts in the Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, area.
The problem was discovered by the State of Texas officials during a routine inspection at a retail establishment.
Media and consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company Sales Department at (817) 624-1136.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
Source: USDA
449. Anonymous said:
I really suggest seeing a nutritionist if you want to continue eating healthy. A primary care physician wouldn't necessarily know enough about nutrition to say for certain that these new eating habits are bad. If you're serious about removing anything from your diet that you're accustomed to eating, I would see a specialist. They spend years and years in college focusing on nutrition, whereas a primary care doctor has to cover many many areas.
I do think the cleanse is a bad idea, but getting certain things out of your diet isn't. You should just take it one thing at a time. For example, you could stop eating meat one month, then the next month stop consuming sugar, etc. I did this, albeit a little faster than monthly but not just a "cleanse", and I didn't get sick at all, I felt more healthy. However, I also started exercising regularly around the same time and always limited my intake of meat, dairy, sugar, and caffiene because I don't really like it.
Also, if you like seafood, I suggest keeping that in your diet but getting rid of meat. It's so much better for you, as long as you eat the right stuff and don't overdo it. (Shrimp isn't great for you, though it is so tasty.)
450. Gigi said:
Non-meat-eating ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE!
No, so I'm glad to hear you're off the cleanse. Sudden deprivation tends to do those things to you. My sister actually ended in the hospital once. Good thing you went to the Dr.
It's also great that you did get something out of it.
451. Randee said:
Glad you got straightened out, seriously.
I never did find it in me to do a cleanse, but often as one of my New Year's resolutions, I will resolve to remove (fill in the blank) from my diet for as long as I can stand it. (This usually lasts until about June or July, depending on what it is.) I know I'm not going to live forever without (fill in the blank) but I do discover that when I'm off of it, I make other choices in my diet that widen my palate and make me less dependent on whatever it was I was OD'ing on in the first place. Then, if/when I go back to the (fill in the blank) I find I can regulate my interest in it much more easily.
Hope you're feeling better now!
452. Kari said:
Hobnobs are full of healthy, yummy oats. I bet they clean our arteries better than Cheerios.
Feel better soon, Heather.
453. lara said:
Inspired by Heather, I started my own cleanse. Here's my Journey. http://laraslousylife.com/oprahs-detox-diet-laras-journey-day-i/
She lasted longer than I did. Thank God she saw the light. However, last night I got some type of VIOLENT stomach virus. Talk about cleanse. So, I'm still going to try and lay off the vino.
454. Maureen said:
I agree with the Neti Pot recommendations. I tried one for the first time on Monday during a horrible sinus infection. Despite the irony of deliberately putting water into my nose, I can now breathe easily through both nostrils for the first time since allergies hit in March. I'd also recommend watching some you tube demonstrations, as well as carefully reading over the "how to blow your nose properly" instructions.
Feel better.
455. Melissa said:
I have been following your blog for months (which I guess makes me pretty new...considering how long you have been doing this!), but this is hands down my favorite post. Hysterical! But is it bad that I do the same thing to hobnobs in the store even when I haven't been on a cleanse?
456. Dragonfly said:
The Sweet Potato is pretty good really.
457. Jen said:
Read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, and What to Eat. No cleanses, no deprivation, just knowledge that will naturally lead you to healthier and happier eating. Eat food (i.e., real, not processed shit), not too much, mostly plants. Amen!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field...
458. Tez said:
On the fifth day of my cleanse I was so sick and stayed that way pretty much for two weeks. I had cleaned everything tempting from my cupboards and was literally two weak to get to the store. After I didn't return to my evil habits . . . well not exactly. I drink one cup of coffee per day but it has to be the perfect cup at the perfect temperature or I won't drink it all. And I am making smarter choices shopping carefully for organic foods. The only side affect (besides being sick) is chocolate tastes nasty. I crave chocolate but I am always disappointed with the first bite.
459. Mandy said:
Heather,
I can not express enough how glad I am that you went through that and not me. I am sorry that you had to go through it though. I was waiting to see how you did before I started. And now, thanks to you and your doctor (bless his heart) I don't have to. YEEHAA!!! I am guessing though that these last two yummy brownies shouldn't be part of any diet that is meaning to lose weight. Or, maybe it SHOULD. Glad your going to make it through.
460. Meat Hustler said:
Bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon.
461. Carrie said:
458 comments and not one person has explained what "toxins" are leaving the body and how that happens, or provide any scientific research to support this claim.
Also, be VERY wary of "nutritionists". There is no liscensing, no education, and no requirements whatsoever to call yourself one. Registered Dietitians, on the other hand, have 4 year degrees, complete post-grad year long internship, by 2009 or so will be required to have a Master's Degree, AND have to pass a nationally administered exam to be considered "registered". They also have to maintain yearly liscensure in their state as well as attend a certain amount of continuing ed hours per year. This is the person you should take nutrition advice from.
Another also, most MDs don't really get much of an education in nutrition beyond the Krebb's cycle and the biochemistry of metabolism. None of the practical what to eat and what nutrients are in which foods. At least that is true for med school. Most who know more, have taught themselves that.
-Carrie, almost R.D. married to an M.D. And who also had Eggos for dinner.
462. tea said:
Wow. I'd like to agree with the other four hundred people who commented on this entry and thank you for telling us this story in a genuine yet clever and humorous way. Wishing you well with the new way of eating!
463. DudgeOH said:
You sure the cleanse you followed was preferable to the hose in the colon type?! *lol*
As for the post appointment "binge", as a Brit, I'm kind of tickled you fancied some Hob-Nobs! *l*
464. Terry said:
This post is EXACTLY why I love reading you - anyone who would abandon their principles (the ban on driving and using the cell phone) to commit a grade A number one humanitarian selfless act (like calling your friend Carole to save her from THE CLEANSE) is someone I need to keep tabs on.
465. Angela Lauterbach said:
Indeed. I got angry, grouchy, bitchy, and downright ugly. I was mean and hateful. I stopped the "cleanse" after I saw my doctor this week as well. There is no reason you should not have things in moderation and appropriate proportions. 2 cups of food at each meal, and 1/4th a cup of food for a snack 2 times a day - you are good. So - I am taking stock, and I am careful to look into where things come from, and I am better about proportions.
Now if I could kick this nasty meth habit...
466. jenB said:
Honestly that Quantum Leap woman on Oprah gave me the creeps.
Also, every time I see Hobnobs at the grocery store I think of penises.
loving you
xo
467. Anonymous said:
i always say that you should do everything in moderation. Going on the Oprah cleanse sounded really hard and it really isn't a realistic way to eat for the rest of your life but i am glad you feel kind of better for it. My diet is pretty bad since having the children and i jnow i should really give up caffeine, sugar, alcohol etc etc but i really don't have the energy to live like a monk with two small children!!!
Rebecca from Salisbury, UK xxx succession
468. pogonip said:
Moderation is my mantra. Seems like eating a balanced, unprocessed diet makes the most sense and avoids all the "do this, don't to this" fads and diet advice.
469. Kath said:
Man, the LEAST Jon could have done while you were sick was to buy you a baby hippo!
Glad you are feeling better and good for you at making those dietary discoveries!
(But wouldn't a hippo have been nice to come home to?? Just saying..)
470. Menopausal Mom said:
Wow! I'm sorry you got so sick through this. I was pulling for you, but it sounds as though you got out of it some things that will really work for you.
My belief: Moderation is key. Oh, but wait, I drink tons of coffee and I really like red wine. Sigh . . . guess I need to find another belief!
Take care of yourself :0)
471. Kolly said:
I'll still trust the judgment of any billionaire. Love ya, Oprah!
472. michelle said:
To #488 et al.
Yeah, factory farmed anything is gross but let's include in that the organic baby spinach that got contaminated with e coli last year and the tomatoes that got contaminated this year. There is a major, sometimes unseen, high cost to cheap food--animal, vegetable, and mineral.
Also, as for sinus infections being toxins leaving the body...please, show some scientific evidence otherwise it's the same to me as pain being weakness leaving the body--HOO HAA.
473. Lotta said:
The reason you may have gotten the sinus infection is because the yeast in your body was going nuts trying to gain an advantage. When you cut out the sugar and booze you were starving those yeasty buggers.
Try adding some kind of probiotic and see if the sinus infections ease up for you all. We've had our son on Threelac (a yeast buster) for almost a month and he's gone from having some serious behavior problems to our normal, happy dude again. http://tinyurl.com/6gwctt
He took antibiotics all the time as a young tot because he would get a febrile seizure with EVERY ear infection he got. So hell yeah I wasn't leaving the Dr. without a prescription. But the theory is that the antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well as the bad. So at the end of the prescription you become a yeasty petri dish just ripe for a sinus/ear infection.
Lotta
474. Suzanne said:
Pat yourself on the back dude!
You lasted about 8 days longer than I would have..
475. Lotta said:
PS - I'm hoping you got those button hair slides I sent in the mail for Letta awhile back. Something to clutch at night other than the local circular. ;)
476. califmom said:
Oh sure, 32 hours into starting the same cleanse myself, you've jumped ship. Seriously though, the changes I'm having to make to do the cleanse are minimal, and the moment I don't feel well, I'll scrap the whole damn thing. Why? Because I've done an elimination diet before (for food allergies), and had symptoms just like you described. I felt like shit on toast. I remember calling my mother in tears, migraine raging away, and her telling me to quit the damn thing and go eat whatever I wanted. Best damn Taco Bell meal I ever had.
477. Cherie said:
Hooray for trying something new and hooray for realizing when it isn't working for you (and hooray for wine for dinner, CHEERS!...hiccup)
478. Tracye said:
Cleanse smense. Women will do the craziest things to their bodies I swear. I say this as a woman who is surrounded by other women obsessed with numbers and what not to eat because God forbid should ice cream touch their lips and they gained a pound that they actually needed. It's just ridiculous.
I am aware that you wanted to be more conscious of what you're putting in your body and that's cool but our bodies need protein. Protein, vegetable. Carbohydrates. Protein Vegetable. Carbohydrates. Rinse and repeat. Moderation is the key to anything in life but I applaud you, I think, for giving it a go. I'm glad you found a middle ground.
479. Julie C said:
I hope he appreciates the flowers as much as you appreciated his lovely advice. :)
480. Ginrod said:
Kosher meat is lovely. And sweet potatoes apparently increase a woman's fertility. In the twin sense. They got it from a case study of some tribe in Africa who have the highest ratio of twins. Sweet Potatoes.
481. Ann from Montana said:
Isn't life about making the choices that are right for ourselves? ...as in you making a choice right for you, me making the choice right for me, etc. and appreciating that they (yours and mine) might not be the same.
So as said by many before me - Kudos!!! for making the choice right for you, for learning some things and for sharing what you learned in a wonderful way.
482. ~j. said:
I love this post.
483. Michelle said:
I certainly don't have the willpower to go on that kind of diet. I'm doing good trading in my Cinnamon Toasters for Honey Nut Scooters in the morning.
484. KG said:
Just watched the first minisode (6 mins) of Rescue Me (Dennis Leary) - one of the guys at the station decides to do a cleanse also. Given your decision you will enjoy this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7b6jgFaqeY
Enjoy!
KG
485. Chubby said:
Well, I have to admit that I'm not going to read through hundreds of comments to see if this has been beaten to death yet, but: "Dairy products are not only the end result of rape and torture and the direct foundation of the veal industry, but they are pure poison for humans to ingest."
Really? As the neighbor and friend of several organic dairy farmers, allow me to say "spare me the histrionics." Thanks.
486. Jill said:
When I think about all the starving people in the world, it makes this topic seem so bizarre. Too much damn food, too many choices, that's my problem. Pretty high-class problem, I guess, when you consider the alternative.
487. Eve said:
You're supposed to feel sick!!! It's the toxins leaving your body. When I quit smoking (all four times) I got sick as a dog like that, INCLUDING a sinus infection which I have NEVER in my life had before. Should I just have started smoking again? Oh well, sounds like a lot of the toxins left your body anyway.
488. meme said:
I hope you might tell us a bit more about why the doctor thought the cleanse had something to do with your being sick. Just curious.
I am a dietician. I haven't seen the particular diet you are doing, but I know that many of these diets are not based on any science whatsoever. I'm not a real hardass about this, because I know that there's a lot science doesn't know about food, and your body, and how the two interact. But I do know that some of these so called cleansing diets can be downright dangerous. And sure, most people do feel better on just about any diet, no matter how wacky, weird, or unhealthy. Look up the HAWTHORNE STUDY and you will know why.
The best diet I've found--for those who want to follow a plan--is the Pritikin Diet. Balanced, low fat. etc.
I do support the use of organically grown foods in your diet---I don't see any reason to put chemicals in your body that don't need to be there. I do think you feel better--and it's better for your digestion and elimination---when you limit consumption of refined foods, like white flour and sugar. Caffeine is a DRUG people. Use it like one. Hydrogenated fats have been processed to have a longer shelf life. Limit those. And margarine--I think that is just about the worst "FOOD" ever INVENTED. There is NOTHING natural in that. Use butter---it tastes better and you don't need as much to feel satiated.
And the best "quick meal" you can make? A baked potato with good toppings or a quick stir fry with rice. You can use one of those Bird's Eye mixed vegetable stir fry kits and it will work pretty well. Quick, easy, tasty.
PORTION CONTROL is my mantra. Most people have no idea how much they eat of anything. MEASURE IT< WEIGH IT< whatever.
489. Christy said:
We bought this book before I read about it here on your site. We too wanted to become more conscious of what we put in our bodies, etc. We stared the cleanse around the time that you did and MY HUSBAND GOT SICK TOO. He was totally believing it was b/c of the cleanse, and I was like, "yeah, nice try." But his doctor said the same thing (and just for the record, his being sick was more like a stomach flu, so it can come in all different varieties I guess.) We're still doing a modified version--being off meat and most dairy has been fine, so I'm sticking with that for now.
490. kris said:
i am so glad you stopped the cleanse! albeit..now you are more aware of what you are eating...heather you are so thin! whatever happened to eating and being happy...? just living?
491. shlily said:
HOBNOBS!
oh sweet jebus i could eat a case of those in a sitting.
492. All Adither said:
Oh, the coffee will come back...it's insidious.
493. Wendy said:
Um, I doubt you'll ever find this in all these comments, but I thought I'd share anyway. The best thing I've ever taken for sinus infections is Turmeric (based on Ayurvedic medicine). Well, usually I take it when I start to feel the pressure building and it just loosens the snot up and makes it flow right out. I'm not kidding. I give it to my daughter when she's sick, but not right before bed because it makes her nose run so much she can't sleep. (They sell it in capsules at the health food store.)
Though, it sounds like it wouldn't have helped you as much as the antibiotics if it was that advanced. Just something to keep in mind for next time. (And, yah, it's the spice, the one people put in their curry, so, unless you're allergic to it, it's fairly safe.)
I'm glad you're feeling better.
494. Enna said:
I thought so much about emailing you and telling you that any diet that made you feel like absolute hell was BAD for you - but I worried it would be presumptuous. I'm so glad the doctor helped you out, and that you're still eating healthier, without semi-starving your body of carbs, protein, and sugars. Depriving your body of so many nutrients and macronutrients that it is used to having - and using - can't be good for it.
There's lots of diet health "knowledge" that comes and goes. (A hundred years ago, they thought roughage - raw vegetables - was bad for you.) If your body is absolutely screaming at you that it is hurting, listen to it. It knows what it needs better than the latest diet guru, telling you that half the foods that sustained your forebearers for generations - bread and meat and milk - are completely wrong.
I read a Duke medical study that said a cup of coffee would raise your stress level for 6 to 10 hours. Caffeine is not something your body uses, so by all means give it up. But your body uses carbs and sugars (even sucrose). Feel good about feeding it.
495. Anonymous said:
Did your Doctor explain why the cleanse caused you to get a sinus infection? I would be interested in knowing because I'm on the verge of slowly becoming vegetarian.
Umm, I've never left a comment before, but my girlfriend and I read your blog all the time. So hey!!!
496. Stacy said:
I'm sorry you got sick and vegetarian diets do work well with most people, but I suspect that this "cleanse" that Oprah was on wasn't a balanced diet, hence the reason that nobody should follow her and her stupid ideas of what sound nutrition is.
I really wish the woman would stuff a box of Twinkies in her mouth and shut it. If she ate well and got some exercise everyday, she wouldn't need a stupid cleanse.
People don't need all the crap in their diets that they claim to, but eating well isn't hard. Nobody needs a 500 calorie coffee from Starbuck's with a gallon of Mountain Dew and a few large cheese pizzas as a chaser...
497. fi said:
wow, i'm very pleased to hear that hobnobs (nobhobs) have passed over the pond. i take it they were the chocolate ones? mm.. try bashing them up in a bag and sprinkling them on caramel ice cream. xxx
498. Wild Dingo said:
Dooce! I was going to comment on how great that was you were doing a "cleanse" in your other post. I recently did my first cleanse for 5 days and felt great, but it was a juice fast, monitored by my naturopath (not this Oprah thing). Personally, I balance my health between western medical and naturopath opinions becuase they both have good & crazy points. I never told people I was going to do the fast because you get all sorts of "expert opinion!" I was a bit skeptical about the 21 day "Oprah" one you were on... because gosh darn, anything that long has got to be hard. The sinus infection was no surprise, definitely getting sick is part of cleansing.
A couple of comments on Tofu above are absolutely on target. Sometimes even our "healthfood" marketing is crap and full of complete lies. Marketing soy as a replacement for dairy or protien is ridiculous. Tofu is not fermented. The Japaneese eat FERMENTED soy. Unfermented soy (soy milk, tofu etc.) is linked to nasty thyroid reactions. What I do is listen to my body. My body NEVER liked soy milk anyway, so i wasn't surprised when I read about it. Since i was a child my body never liked cheese or dairy (taste and body reaction), and it's not surprising based on how its processed here in the US. Surprisingly enough, in France, I eat tons of cheese with no bad reactions and even enjoy the taste of it. Here in the states, i found out, I LOVE rice milk and almond milk. I know, weird!
Although the cleanse made you sick, it probably was detoxing your body. (Think a junkie going off heroin.) BUT: who needs to suffer that much? The best thing this did was made you conscious of what you like to eat!
My fast was one of the hardest but best things I ever did. I did it to clear up a 2 year health problem I'd been having and I truly did relieve about 80% of my symptoms. I'll probably keep doing 2 or 3 day juice fasts 2x /year or something like that. I feel like it resets my body. It gives the body a break from digestion and the energy goes to healing other areas of the body. The "no-pulp juice" keeps the glycogen levels at good levels so you don't need a labotomy or go too crazy. If you can get past the hunger pains in the tummy (just stay busy), then it's not that bad!
Oh, and didn't anyone ever tell you never take advice from Oprah? ;) More power too you!
499. Sprite's Keeper said:
And now I am canceling my book order for that cleanse book. Hell to the no for the side effects.
Thanks for taking one for the team!
500. Helen said:
Hi Heather,
I think cleanses help us re-evaluate our relationship to food and also to where it is we have stored up "toxins" from our past. I worked with a nutritionist for two years and UP FRONT she warned me that as we began to take more trash out, our cells way deep in our system would begin to let go of trash that's been there a long time, and this would cause what is called a "reverse healing crisis". What that means is that we (unfortunately) will go in reverse to cleanse those ailments. For a while our chronic sore throats will be worse, or (for me) our acne would get worse. So, if sinus infections tend to be where your body breaks down, this is where you will cleanse the most and temporarily be sickest. I found this on a website:
"This is called the reverse healing process. You are retracing the path you went down as you became ill in the first place. Some days on the crisis times you may feel sick enough to think you are getting worse, not better. The body is eliminating toxins and poisons, but you should start to notice that the lows are not low as they used to be and the highs are getting higher. Most experienced health people will tell you there is a time of feeling worse before getting better."
Honestly, the work that you have done with this cleanse, and the changes you've made in your long term diet, will help your sinuses. Best wishes!
Helen
501. SAHM: Surviving Assorted Home Mayhem said:
That's great! So, essentially you learned that making healthier food choices & using moderation is a good plan. Gotta love that whole moderation concept--you know, the one that some "organizations" claim they beleive in & then go on to ban everything...ha!
502. Denise said:
I believe that any diet that requires one to live without chocolate was invented by some one very Evil with devious tendencies. No one should have to endure that.
503. girlplease said:
This makes me rethink the cleanse I wish my husband would do. The man NEVER eats fruits or vegetables. I still believe there is a steak from 1978 in his colon and he'll die by 40 from a heart attack.
He could never survive a cleanse like you did. But a good roto rooting of the poop shoot would do all of us a favor. I told him to sit on the garden hose and do his high colonic.
504. Kelly said:
I knew where this post was going after the second paragraph, and I absolutely enjoyed every word! Congratulations for getting as far as you did, and for sharing the experience with us!
505. Casey said:
If you want to find that panacea that seems to dramatically improve most problems, it's exercise. I quit exercising regularly for a few years and started running again about three months ago and I can handle just about anything that comes my way. If you're sensible about it, you can feel great starting on day one. I'm totally serious. It's the answer for whatever ails you.