My twelve day journey through Wild Rose’s Herbal D-Tox has finally come to its conclusion. I am happy to report that the experience has been a mostly positive one – something worth repeating in the future. As with all life experiences, there were pros and cons to my cleanse/detox. I always like to save the best for last so we’ll begin with the cons.
The Cons
Everybody Poops... But Seriously Now!?!
I found this formula to be way too laxative! The herbal philosophy I’m being taught in school is one of least interference. We don’t want the herbs to do the work of the body, we want them to support the body’s natural processes. That being said, the use of no less than three stimulating laxatives in Wild Rose’s formulas was overkill. I can understand their desire to ensure that people’s toxins are being properly eliminated from the body, however if a person’s body doesn’t need stimulating laxatives to get the job done, then they shouldn’t be in the formula. They were too strong for both my husband and I. A bulk laxative like flax seeds would have done the job just fine!
Headaches and Breakouts and Fatigue, Oh My!
Although I was fully expecting some of the regular detoxing side effects with this particular kit – I still have to place it firmly in the con category. For me personally, the side effects were relatively mild and didn’t last very long (3 days tops). For someone who is inexperienced with cleansing or is especially toxic, these side effects would be a huge deterrent and moral killer. No one wants to feel like crap and most people won’t put up with those types of reactions even if the end result is a good one. I truly believe that you don’t have to feel like you’re detoxing to know you’re detoxing.
The Pros
Honey!! Do you know where I put that extra weight I lost?
Many people who are interested in doing a detox/cleanse kit want to see results in the form of weight loss. Shedding unwanted pounds is a measurable result that people can appreciate and understand. Sometimes the result of “you’re less toxic” just doesn’t cut it for people. Due to the combination of dietary changes and the herbal formula, Wild Rose’s kit delivers in this category. I lost a total of 6 pounds over the 12 days detox and my husband lost 7 pounds.
As a caveat I will say this – I completely expect some of that weight to come back as a few of the food categories are integrated back into our diet. As long as we do it properly, in moderation and continue to eat the same amounts of food the weight gain should be minimal.
Who Knew Mother Nature Was Such a Good Cook?
By far the best benefit I had during this cleanse was the experience of new foods, cooking and healthy eating. My husband and I (like many people) have often used two common excuses as to why we didn’t eat as healthy as we could – money and time. In twelve short days we discovered that wholesome, nutritious and healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive (it was actually cheaper) and it doesn’t really have to take more time (and the extra time it does take is more than worth it). Although we ate fairly well to begin with, we still consumed some processed foods and junk at times. Many people eat nothing but those food items because they believe that it will be cheaper, but when we cut out everything junk-like and processed we found our grocery bill dropping by almost 40%! We ate better, felt better and it was cheaper. That’s a tune that most people can appreciate!
The eliminatory diet also allows people to integrate food groups back one at a time. This gives the added benefit of discovering what your food sensitivities/allergies might be.
I’m So Buzzzzzed!!!
When I told my husband no caffeine, no energy drinks and no sugar he looked at me like I’d just grown a horn in the middle of my forehead. You’ve got to be kidding right? What do you mean I can’t have my “wake-up juice?” This part of the diet change could be a major obstacle for people, but I tell you folks, it is worth it in the end. One may think that 12 days just isn’t enough time to eliminate the need for these nasty vices, but the results will surprise you. Sure, at the beginning of the cleanse I would have given my right arm for some chocolate or ice cream. But now that I’m finished I don’t even desire sweets, caffeine or junk food. I have more energy now that I ever did consuming caffeine and I’m sleeping better to boot!
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who Has the Best Skin of All?
Well certainly not me! But I will tell you this, my acne and my eczema have both improved dramatically. Sure I suffered a few aggravation promoted breakouts in the beginning of the cleanse, but now that it’s over I can see a huge improvement in the appearance of my skin. I’ve had to deal with acne since I was a teenager and this was a most welcome change.
Well there you have it folks! My twelve day detox has come and gone. I’d like to thank everyone who supported me during this cleanse and for all of you who have followed me on my blog and fanpage. I really do appreciate it. If I’ve inspired even one person to cleanse/detox this spring then it was all worth it.
Until next time,
Correne
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