Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with detox

I like it raw.

blackcatcuriouser — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:46:54 -0800

Any suggestions for a 14-day raw food detox diet? What can I expect to feel like? I've been in the process of losing weight (via eating better and exercising) and have lost about 20 pounds since early summer. I fell off the health wagon in early November due to work/school stress, started ordering takeout more often, missed the gym for weeks at a time. Throw in a few weekend birthday celebrations and Thanksgiving - all of which involved indulging heavily in fatty foods and quite a bit of alcohol - and I gained about 4 pounds back.

I'd like to get back on board and continue to lose the weight I started losing. (I'm about 10-15 lbs to my goal.) I've started going to the gym again, and lighter eating began the day after Thanksgiving. But I still feel sluggish and generally gross from a month of face-stuffing and boozing.

I've developed, based on various internet articles, a plan for a 2-week raw (or mostly raw) cleanse. It's a variation of the vegan raw food cleanse in that it's not as super strict as some of the ones I've read about online. I plan to eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts and drink water and herbal teas. (Which is pretty much what I normally drink anyway.) I'm allowing occasional oatmeal with raw honey and fruit, maybe 1 or 2 mornings a week. I'm also thinking of throwing a teaspoon of olive oil per day into the mix, for salad dressing. Maybe some light salt and pepper. No meat, dairy, eggs, pasta, bread, alcohol, candy or processed foods. I am going to allow myself avocado and canned beans, but no tofu.

Anything else I should avoid? Any cool raw recipes I should consider feasting on or advice in general? I've never done this before. What can I expect to feel like? (Some background, I'm a mid-20s female of a healthy weight, and I usually eat everything.)

Detox

GComes — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:55:02 -0800

How do I "detox"? I work as a back waitress at a French restaurant. The majority of my meals come from work and I am also asked to taste a lot of the food that is produced. As a result, I end up eating LOTS of butter, cream, and other heavy unhealthy food. I have a couple of weeks off and am looking for a good way to "detox". It has nothing to do with weight loss. I just feel really gross and full of crap. What is the best way to do this and for how long should I do this?

Is Juice Feasting for Real?

hulahulagirl — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:34:26 -0800

Who has experience on an extended juice feast? I have to admit that initially a 92-day juice fast/feast (see website) sounds a bit like overkill. But also, a good way to detox while still getting all your vitamins and minerals. I'm not talking about a Master Cleanse, but an actual rather balanced diet of fruit and veggie juices. Um, and enemas?!
Does anyone have any actual experience with a long juice fast/feast because as inspiring as the testimonials are, I'm a little suspect.
Or maybe it's just that I'm lazy and I want to hear that these people are quacks?
They claim juice feasting accomplishes:
1. Ending the addition of toxic/foreign/depleted foods into our bodies.
2. Drinking Nutrient Dense Living Juices with Superfoods/Supplements
3. Physiological Rest
4. Removing Uneliminated Waste Matter in Small Intestine and Colon
5. Hydration
6. Removing Uneliminated Toxins in the Blood, Lymph, and at the Cellular Level throughout the body
7. Alkalinization
8. Reduction/Eradication of Inflammation/Chronic Pain
9. Oxygenation
10. Rejuvenation of Metabolism and Digestive System
11. Restoration of Nutrients
12. Rebuilding
I'd like to hear good and bad experiences from people who have tried this. Is it worth it?

How do I get short-term disability without losing my job?

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:34:11 -0800

I need extended rehab for alcohol. How do I approach HR without losing my job? I have been in about 6 rehabs and my sobriety would last for a short time the longest stretch without any alcohol has been about 3 months. My doctor and I both think that more than detox and intensive out-patient is needed. We do agree that detox is needed, but what I really need is a 28 day or more program.

Now, I have been at my job for about 7 months. I really, really love my job. It is probably the best place for me to be. But my addiction is affecting my work. I am well liked and generally do a good job but as I have said, my work is being affected.

We have the luxury of unlimited sick days but after 5 days you need a note from my doctor that puts me on disability and my employer offers Short-Term Disability for up to 90 days.

So I don't know if I need to be out for 5 days and then have my doc write me a note, or does my doc write me a note?

I have already started the ball rolling on getting into detox by talking to my insurance company, and am trying to find a longer care facility.

Please help. I am really serious about getting better and I think I have the perfect opportunity to get the help I need.

Thanks

Does my body need the booze?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:51:12 -0800

You could call me an alcoholic in that I have drunk nearly every day for ten years. I am 34 years old. I am thin and healthy looking. Because I’m asking in part for medical advice I want to be very specific about the amount I drink. Generally I drink 500ml cans of beer. I do drink other things, but if you were to only count my consumption of these other things I would have drunk much less than the average person.

I started in 1998 drinking four 500ml cans of beer at 5% vol = 100ml of alcohol daily.

By around 2003 I was having eight 500ml cans of beer at 5% vol = 200ml of alcohol.

Nowadays I’ve cut down a little bit and drink weaker beer. Six to seven 500ml cans of beer at 4% vol = 120-140ml of alcohol daily.

I only really act like an alcoholic when I’m on my own, in my own home. When I go out, sure I might drink, when others around me are too, but I can have two-three drinks and stop. Sometimes I’ll have no drinks. To be honest, if I go to a party, have two or three drinks, and then come back to my own home, alone, then I will probably have another two or three drinks before bed. Still, if I’m at someone else’s place, if I am not alone, then there’s a good chance I won’t have anything to drink.

I drink because I get bored on my own and I worry about not being able to sleep. It’s kind of ridiculous. I don’t really feel so dependent on alchol or anything, more like someone who just sat around watching TV for a while – I just fell into a bad habit. Nobody knows I do it. I’m never late for work or hungover or anything. I don’t actually get drunk on this amount. By the end of the night I can walk in a straight line, and chat to people on the phone without them realising I was drunk. I have a girlfriend and she doesn’t know about it. I see her three or four times a week: a third of the time we don’t drink; a third of the time we’ll have one or two drinks; the remaining third we’ll share a bottle of wine, maybe more. So I do get a day off drinking quite often. Or, rather, I did, because I haven’t been seeing my girlfriend so often in the last couple of months, which has led to my drinking being truly daily, which is why I’m writing this and wanting to change.

Anyway, my plan was to just stop drinking at home, alone EVER. And carry on drinking like a normal person when I’m in company. I know some people will think this is not possible, but I think it’s the best thing for me to try right now, and I’d be smart enough to realise it wasn’t working if it wasn’t working. Then I might get a new plan.

So I didn’t bother drinking last night and I wasn’t going to bother drinking tonight. Then I read this post: http://ask.metafilter.com/42895/how-to-help-an-alcoholic-stop-drinking, in which suddenly stopping drinking is made out to be quite dangerous.

But the guy in that question seemed to be drinking at least double what I am. And, as I say, I’ve gone whole days without drinking quite frequently in the last year or so, including yesterday. I’m not sure if I’ve gone two days in a row, but certainly I’ll have done a day without, then a day with only one or two drinks before going back to normal.

Anyway, I hope that’s enough background info for this anonymous question. Now onto the actual questions. I am ideally looking for people who have some knowledge of alcohol abuse & how it is perfectly possible to live a relatively normal life in conjunction with it.

1. I drink a lot, I know, and have done for a long time. But do I drink a lot compared to people who drink a lot? I’m thinking not – I feel closer to the bottle-of-wine-a-day guy than the bottle-of-whisky. I’m sort of a lightweight, yeah, for a booze-fiend? But how fucked are my health in general and liver likely to be right now and in the long term?

2. How safe is it for me to stop drinking? In the other thread, the poster was warned:

The first 2 days should see you through the worst of it. Expect to be on edge, nervous, agitated, sweating, maybe headaches or visual disturbances (double vision and the like), perhaps sneezing and skin crawling/itching/disturbed sensation. Perhaps the more intrusive symptoms will be your thinking -- difficult in concentration, short tempered, a depressed and/or swinging mood and self doubts. [I hope you're seeing why having someone around will likely make all of this just a tad easier, if only to take your mind off yourself].

As I say, I’ve gone nearly two days without booze plenty of times. I’m on around 30 hours now. I don’t get any of these symptoms ever. I feel totally normal without the drink. Can’t I just go ahead and stop without telling anyone? Because I’m really not going to tell anyone, and if I can’t just stop on my own I’ll just have to cut down gradually, which would actually be much harder.

I might actually just start drinking two drinks a day until this question appears. I have a doctor’s appointment next week too, so don’t worry about me relying solely on the internet for advice. (The appointment is because I want to start doing some sports. I gave up smoking two weeks ago, now I’m gonna give up the booze, and I just wanna make sure I won’t have a heart attack or something.)

My eyes, the burning!

adamrice — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 17:45:41 -0800

Tricks for sanitizing hands after handling very spicy peppers? I'm not a pussy about spice. I can handle it. But we have some thermonuclear habaneros growing in the garden, and I chopped one today. I used some plastic wrap between it and my hand. The infernal oil penetrated or got around that. I kept my pinky elevated so at least one digit would be safe to, you know, scratch with. I washed my hands repeatedly.

I just carefully scratched near my eye with said pinky and it burns. Oh, my eyes, the burning!

Since the habanero plant is quite productive, this problem is going to repeat. I need a way to get the habanero fire-juice off me.

recipes for detox diet

rndm — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:31:25 -0800

Recipe suggestions for a detox diet limited to mostly raw fruits and veggies? For the next three weeks, my diet must consit of:
veggies
-collard greens*
-dandelion greens
-mixed greens
-mustard greens
-red, yellow, and green peppers
-onions*
-mushrooms
-spinach
-carrots
-cucumbers
-celery
-radishes
-kale*
-broccoli*
-swiss chard*
-brussels sprouts*
-asparagus*
-cabbage*
-artichokes*
-red beets*

*may be lightly steamed

fruits
-any fruit except avocado

I was despairing until I realized I could make some great tomato salsa (not that I have anything to put it on...). Is there anything else I could make? An actual meal that would be satisfying instead of just depressing?

There is a modified version of the diet that allows for 3oz lean meat, fish, or poultry, 1-2 eggs, and 2 servings of brown rice daily, but I'm trying to avoid that if I can muster the will-power.

(and, yes, I've spoken to my doctor about this!)

If not Vicodin, then ... what?

spaceman_spiff — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:55:23 -0800

[HouseMDFilter] What *are* the options for treating addiction in patients with severe chronic pain? (Spoilers for the January 9th episode and In the TV show, one of the major subplots is House's addiction to Vicodin. This is explained as having begun 5+ years ago when he experienced muscle death in his leg, which resulted in high levels of pain at the time and (I believe) continuing to the present.

In calling him an addict, is the implication that his pain is no longer real, but is now a physical dependency on the drugs? Or is his pain still as real as ever, but his physical dependency is 'too strong'? Or perhaps he has two issues going on - pain, treated by Vicodin, and an addiction fed by an overavailability of Vicodin, and his behavior and personality are seen as symptoms of the latter. Or his Vicodin-seeking behavior - hoarding the drug, stealing it, etc. (Too many 'or's. I'll stop now.)

Then assuming he is addicted, what would his options for pain management be? In a Season 1 episode, Cuddy tells him that there are other ways of managing pain, but it's not clear what these are - presumably if there was a nonaddictive method of treating pain, that would have been the original treatment. I can't imagine that anything less effective than the narcotics House is on would be acceptable to a patient with that kind of pain. Are there alternatives that are considered more acceptable because there is less of a risk of psychological dependence, at the cost of a greater physical dependence (in contrast to Vicodin, which is the other way around), or a difference in the euphoric effects?

Note: I'm aware that there are a broad range of opinions on pain management, ranging from the relatively prohibition-ish attitude of the DEA to the more permissive attitudes of some pain management doctors, including some who have been accused of acting as 'prescription mills'. But I suspect there's more to this than that.

(One last thing, as long as I'm here - Wikipedia says that buprenorphine is not administered orally. Wouldn't someone have noticed that the pills were Vicodin, or something other than buprenorphine?)

Where can a girl go to get her head clear for free in this country?

rileyray3000 — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 17:34:19 -0800

My girlfriend wants somewhere to, in her words, "detox" in the USA. But it's not drug or booze related. She wants somewhere go, chill, clear her head, be quiet for a while and concentrate on starting her life again. And she wants to do it for free. Any ideas? She's had a really rough year. She's taken her lumps, professionally, personally and familywise. Now she's ready to move across country and start again. But I think she wants to reset her clock somewhere before she dives into something with both feet. Thus her "detox" plan. I know she'd like something in the pacific northwest - mountains, fresh air, etc.

But...she's poor.

I offered to pay for something I knew about but she's kind of against it. I mean, if it's not too much, I'm happy to spring for it on her behalf. I want a person to better themselves. But I don't think she wants to start her new life in debt to me. She says it'll take away from the experience.

So it's up to you folks. I waited two weeks to ask this question and gave up on my fairly important question I had ready (something about program replacements for Norton Ghost) but if it's what it takes to help her, well then I just gotta use my question for her.

So in the spirit of the new year, give me your best: what buddhist monasteries, 60's communes or special programs does anyone know about that might help her to get her head clear? She's up for anything, but, at the same time I want to steer her clear of anything that might end up with me calling an anti-cult counselor in six months. I don't want to trade one spiritual monkey on her back for another.

how to help an alcoholic stop drinking

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:52:29 -0800

What is the best way for a long-time alcoholic to quit? Primarily concerned with medical aspects/health risks of detox. 10 year functional alcoholic. No other drug habits besides cigs. Average 12 drinks/night. Want to quit, but concerned about withdrawl health risks. What medications are recommended? How long does physical withdrawl last?
Not interested in 12 step information, purely medical advice requested.

Looking for rehab in Terminal City

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:31:56 -0800

I need recommendations for private alcohol treatment programmes in Vancouver or the Lower Mainland/Vancouver Island area. The subject has been suffering, as far as I know, all his life but has recently taken a turn for the worse after many years on the wagon (with AA). This episode has been an abject lesson in the complete lack of publicly-funded in-patient detox/rehab spots. Luckily, the family is not without means so are looking at private facilities in the "Betty Ford Clinic" vein. Googling turns up less than zero and AA haven't been helpful, either.

Any good hints?

(Oh, and I want to add I do not feel alcoholism is something to be ashamed of or hidden; the subject does not and would be mortified if it was revealed. That's the reason for this anonymous post.)

Thanks.

gack...hack...sputter...aaahhhh....ptooooiieeee!

mds35 — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 08:27:12 -0800

I just quit smoking about 10 days ago. What kinds of food/herbs/vitamins can I take to help gently detox my tissues and organs? I'm not interested in any hardcore program or new lifestyle regimen, just something that I can easily incorporate into my daily life. For example, I have taken up drinking green tea for its stimulant effect and for the possible anti-oxidant benefits.

Also, I'm starting to cough up that legendary ex-smoker goo, but only in small amounts. I have heard that it will get very nasty before it's all over. If any of you ex-smokers want to share gross black phlegm anecdotes, feel free to do so in this thread.

I heart my liver.

russmail — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 10:24:33 -0800

DetoxFilter: I'm entering my 5th week of sobriety (yay!) and it just struck me this morning that although this is a nice thing to do for my liver, maybe it's not enough...? I wasn't some big time alcoholic drinking a quart of vodka for breakfast, but I've been drinking regulary for the past 15 years and this is the longest I've ever gone without. I feel much better and I'm also now taking regular exercise, but I was just wondering whether my liver could use a bit of pampering, and how I'd go about it.

Will fasting metabolize "waste material" before healthy tissue?

Asef Jil — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 17:23:28 -0800

"Within 24 hours of curtailing food intake, enzymes stop entering the stomach and travel instead into the intestines and into the bloodstream, where they circulate and gobble up all sorts of waste matter, including dead and damaged cells, unwelcome microbes, metabolic wastes, and pollutants." [cite] Could this possibly be true? I know that eventually the body will start metabolizing itself, but is the process selective in its initial stages to only metabolize "waste matter" and not healthy tissue?

Anybody ever flush out their gastrointestinal tract?

taumeson — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 11:56:36 -0800

Anybody ever flush out their gastrointestinal tract? I don't mean just an enema, as that's totally lower-GI based. I'm talking about really detoxifying their insides. I heard about a product on the radio a year or two ago (something akin to this, but less snake-oily) that purports to do this, and have no idea what it is or what it's name is, all I know is that it supposedly flushes out most of the gunk in your small and large intestines and can really improve health. Anybody know what I'm talking about, and does anybody have any recommendations?