Well it appears that I survived the recent detox session as all of my limbs are still functioning and for some weird reason I seem to have more energy but that could be as a result of better sleep which i am told can also be a side benefit to detoxing as the toxins in your body cause it a level of stress and this is reflected in more REM sleep which is apparently not good for you.
It is surprising how quickly you can get used to a vegetable and fruit only diet but it is also disquieting and perhaps an indication of the excess I was putting my body through previously that the cravings start - some just 48 hours after starting the detox.
After nothing but carrots and apples for 4 days I decided that it was time to take advantage of living in Thailand and to make my evening meal a little more exciting but still restricting it vegetables - enter the Thai delicacy of Som Tam. This spicy papaya salad is a great favorite of the Issan region of Thailand and can be very hot if the right numbers of chilies are added - I find 7 or 8 perfect but most people stick with 2 or 3. As well as being quite healthy the chilies have a remarkable cleaning effect on you and speed up your heart a little this increasing blood flow.
After 7 days of this and then 7 days of nothing but water and the occasional fruit juice, several games of golf and numerous lengths of the swimming pool I was 12 kilos lighter and considerably browner.
A detox is not just how you prepare and go through the course but also how you break it and the consultant was there to give a lot of advice.
Having told me that my body shape was predisposed towards carbs and sugars (now I have a legitimate medical reason justifying my shape) she asked me what my plans were. The intention was to ease back in to eating with another week of just having raw and then cooked vegetables with the occasion fruit and introduce proteins a further week down the path and then the occasional carbs another week later.
This all sounded grand but I was warned that this might not be possible as my body had undergone quite a drastic reduction in all the things that it craved ( a kind of cold turkey in essence) and that it might tell me quite quickly that I needed proteins and maybe even carbs.
Listening to all of this but not really taking it on board I then made my way with a staff member to Singapore where we were to do some filming for our new TV show whose next episode was to be on Superyachts.
Wanting some background flavor we made our way to Singapore's Little India where it was Deepavali and all the lights were out and hundreds of small stalls selling local delicacies.
It was here that I discovered another side effect of a detox - your sense of smell is greatly enhanced and at times I could distinguish the individual spices that were going in to the dishes.
I also learnt another lesson that self will is only so strong but the body is eventually stronger and when I nearly passed out with giddiness I realized it was my body’s way of saying it needed real sustenance.
Deciding to take things easy we order some vegetable samosas, a chicken tikka massala and Naan breads. The assault on my taste buds was amazing and never had food tasted so good but the following morning was sheer hell as the richness of the foods was too much for my pore system - now I know what they suggest you ease yourself back to eating proteins with a little steamed fish or chicken. Suffice to say it was a very disturbing time the following day and I am sure the Superyacht agents we were interviewing must have thought I had a serious affliction.
I am now back to eating solids and am as proud as a mother with her new born baby when he also makes the move but everything in moderation. This far chocolate and beer are off the menu as is bread. A very few glass of alcohol have been consumed and I am waking up in the morning feeling so much better.
What is really amazing, in addition to the amount of weight I have lost around my face is how white my eyes have become and how clean my skin is. Even some friend shave commented on it making me all the more determined to carry on at least in part towards my goal of loosing a total of 30kg by the end of the year. I'm once hoping to take a true meditation or a traditional spa while visiting a beautiful place in Turkey.
It is going to be hard as I really miss my cakes and chocolates - fortunately there is a beer shortage at the moment so the temptation there is reduced
