As I wrote in my previous post, it's not easy for me to give up on something.
Thankfully though, I have been lucky enough to have an honest chat with Louise, a sweet and incredibly knowledgeable nutritional therapist from NutriAdvanced.
As soon as she read on the detox Facebook group that I was really struggling, she contacted me immediately to assess the situation. And together, we agreed that it was time for me to stop. So from tomorrow no more supplements from the programme, and I will be reintroducing one of the foods that were not allowed, such as eggs, every couple of days. This will allow my body to adjust and give me the chance to notice any potential reactions. Slowly and easy.
Only a handful of participants in this program did not have positive results by the end. But as I said before, everybody is different. And also, yes, I am repeating this again, this is why it is so important to be supervised by a professional practitioner: so you can have the support and guidance you need throughout the programme, whatever the final outcome might be.
Unfortunately I experienced noticeable bloating, worsening of skin and increased forgetfulness, in addition to a change in mood. And not for the better. I am generally the happiest, bubbliest of people and trust me, these three past liquid days especially..You did not want cross me. It did not feel like me. And unexpectedly, the first day of liquid only, when I stood in front of the mirror with a bloated belly that looked like I was 3 months pregnant, a thought jumped into my mind which I had not experienced for many years, since I had eating issues as a teenager. "I look fat".
I am not sure how that happened. Everyone that knows me will tell you that I love to eat, I truly enjoy it. And I do not eat like a bird. The opposite. I do not overdo it (except maybe at Christmas, and a little at Easter and ok...a couple of days when I fo back to Italy in summer...hihi..) but I will finish whatever is my plate. I love vegetables, fish, meat, fruits and I also have dessert. I think of it as an 80:20 balance, you know? Eating fresh and nutritious food makes me feel great and I like that, but I also do not deny myself a dessert if on the weekend I am at a street food market and something catches my eye, or if I am with friends and we want to have ice cream. Without guilt. Because life is too short not to enjoy your desserts.
So, that toxic thought might have been a combination of mental stress which as I mentioned before, has not made me think clearly, and too much sudden bloating. I am not sure. Nevertheless, I will be having a chat with another nutritionist at Nutriadvanced who specialises in eating disorders, just to check if she can give me a clearer explanation. I want to be able to know myself as best as I can, if I want to be able to help people at the best of my capabilities.
Back to the programme: this experience has taught me so much. And I am not only talking about the science behind detoxification. But I know how much attention I am going to pay to my clients' lifestyle, health and emotional history before deciding which kind of detox could be the best approach for them. If detoxifying should indeed be what they need.
Would they benefit more from just a cleaner diet? Could they also add a few helpful supplements? Can they go through the whole programme? Would then enjoy it, or would it add additional stress to their current lifestyle? Different people respond to stress in different ways, so it would all depend on the type of person sitting in front of me. The time when that will happen is getting closer and closer, only a few months to go and it's both scary and very, very exciting.
Learning more about myself and the type of practitioner I want be? I couldn't have asked for more.
And I would like to close the detox posts on high..With a delicious smoothie recipes tried out this morning!
SMOOTH MANGO, SPINACH & STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE (don't knock it till you tried it..)
1 chopped frozen mango
2 organic strawberries
1 bug handful of spinach
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp protein powder ( optional)
2 tsp cinnamon
1tsp vanilla extract
1 small handful mint
Unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds ( optional. If you use them make sure you drink the smoothie straight away otherwise it becomes too gelatinous.)
Pop everything in the blender and whizz it up.
Enjoy with a spoon...
Love,
xxx
Foodolina
Pop everything in the blender and whizz it up.
Enjoy with a spoon...
Love,
xxx
Foodolina
PS: For any of you who have been following this Blog, not sure why I did not let you know before..Sorry..
I am telling you now, if you have ever thought about seeing a nutritional therapist for any kind of issue you might be experiencing such as low energy, skin problems, weight loss or whatever it might be..Feel free to contact the training clinic at ION (the Institute of Optimum Nutrition), and you could book two or three sessions with a third year student (under the supervision of an experienced and qualified nutritional therapist), at a much lower fee that you would with a qualified one.
Two sessions are £40 and 3 are £55. They are currently looking for clients for the months of February and March. I am not entirely sure how many places are left, so if you want to book or just know more, feel free to call the teaching clinic on: 020 86147822 or email training.clinic@ion.ac.uk
And yes, you can tell them you heard it from Valentina, I am a third year student too :)
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