Cleansing and working out... what can i take? Can anyone help me?

[Spartacus]

hey, quick question... i'm trying to get out of this slump im in and get my body back into good shape. ive abused lots of marijuana and other various drugs over the past two years and now im ready for some detox. anywho, i just bought PERFECT CLEANSE by the Garden of life and its a 10 day program to detox your body. well ive lost a lot of weight over the past two years and now im down to about 135 pounds. i just signed up for the gym and have been going frequently. although i dont take creatine right now, i am taking GNC weight gainer, a multi- vitamin and a green drink supplement in the morning to get all my greens. . should i wait to take this perfect cleanse until after my weight gainer is gone, or is it okay to take all of them at the same time? i'd love to start this asap, so any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks a lot.

[Matts]

Hi Sparatacus

Glad to hear you are cleaning up and doing a detox and cleanse. I know many people who used to take marijuana a lot, and after coming off it they are happier, smarter, stronger and healthier.

Doing a detox, as you are obviously aware, is a great way to start the transition away from drugs. How quickly you cleanse it up to you. If you would like a quicker, more thorough clean, I would recommend eating only alkaline forming foods while on the cleanse from the list here www.detox.net.au/Acid-Alkaline-foods.htm . This will ensure your body goes into a process of elimination. Too much processed food can slow down or even stop the cleanse. I would be wary of your super greens mix if it contains added vitamins. I would recommend a pure supergreens mix, such as the one here www.detox.net.au/natural-health-supplement-green-superfood.htm . You will notice all the vitamins come from natural ingredients, no synthetic ones. I would also not worry too much about your weight while doing this, the body has 2 processes, elimination and rebuilding. If you have toxins, elimination should come first. Then rebuilding once you are happy you are clean.

We also have a a page on going through this detox transition here www.detox.net.au/Cleansing-body-transition-Detox-Diet-Cleanse-Recipes.htm . There is 4 detox diets outlined.

Hope this all helps and best of luck.

Matt

[Nat]

Hey Spartacus

Some suggestions from me would to be a general healthy diet. None of this "detox" stuff. My friend has decided to try one of these detoxes (he refered me to this site - hense why Im here) and by reading through alot of "advice" from this site I am extremely concerned at what has been posted as "healthy".

Now I do martial arts as a sport, and as a result of being around and listening to qualified health professional here is some basic knowledge that I would like to share. And I hope it will give you an idea what research in terms of good health. Above all if you are really wanting to get into a healthy lifestyle, see your doctor and he will be able to direct you to the correct, and reliable sources.

One thing I definently agree with this site is not to do drugs, including smoking and keeping the alcohol consumption to a minimum, or not drinking at all. By quitting with the pot smoking is a great start!

Now when it comes to healthy eating, it is a good idea to keep away from fasts food. Anything that has high levels of saturated fats should be avoided.

But contrary to most beliefs not at fats are bad. Unsaturated Fats are good fats, this includes Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats. If you find them in natural resources such as a variety of nuts and seeds and a whole range of vegetables then feel free to consume them in moderation.

Also another myth, is that carbs are bad. This is not neccessarily true. Sugars and other refined carbs such as flour etc are not healthy to have a lot of. Certainly not in the amounts that western cultures consume them. I suggest looking into Low GI Carbs. These carbohydrates are good because they take longer to process and digest than simple carbohydrates (sugars). This means you get a much steadier stream of energy, instead of the huge spike and then a "crash". There are many other reasons why these types of carbohydrates are good for you and I suggest you look into them. Especially if your thinking of going to the gym and leading a more active like then low GI carbohydrates are definently something you need to incorporate into your diet.

Protein. If your going to be working out, then this is your friend and should not be left out of your new eating habits. Protein does a lot of things. Our body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. In concern with your gym routine, protein will help in muscle repair and development.

Vitamins are also something else that is good to have. Eating more fruits and vegetables will definantely give you the vitamins you need (but sometimes have a multivitamin helps if your still not getting enough.)

But if you could get one piece of information that you take away with you is, look at other sources of information. Compare and contrast what different sources tell you and ask questions.

The problem with detoxes is that they cant go on forever...and what do most people do when they stop a detox, they go back to there old habbits. So change the habits. Thats the key.

I hope this helps and good luck with your lifestyle change

Nat