My Recent Cleanse Experience and Results

I often like to squeeze in a 2 week reset between Thanksgiving and Christmas – just to slow down the runaway train of the Holidays – to prevent that icky over-done feeling that comes with too much partying, too many treats, not enough sleep or exercise and of course, way too much stress.

However, I actually haven’t done a real Cleanse in a while because I’ve been feeling really balanced with Keto, Intermittent Fasting and my practice of moderating alcohol.

BUT, this season I was experiencing some weird GI symptoms – it was an  uncomfortable, stuck feeling around my esophagus/sternum with subsequent bloating and a strange heavy yet hungry feeling…No amount of digestive support, PT and acupuncture was helping.  So I ordered a 14 Day PaleoCleanse Kit to try to pinpoint the issue and calm things down. 

I’ve done these cleanses for years. Your liver is the hardest working organ in your body. It is key in fat metabolism, ketone production and detoxifying all the toxins we’re exposed to on the daily – even toxic emotions.

These kits are super easy because everything is in individual packets so you can grab and go.  It’s made with lab tested, high quality protein and functional medicine designed nutrient formulations that support both Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification pathways. You have 2 shakes per day and a real food meal (meat/fish and veggies) and snacks (like a handful of nuts).  

I used to faithfully do this Cleanse with each changing season, but over time, I’d do them less and less –  and in the past few years, I found myself not following the guidelines to the ‘T’ by continuing to drink coffee while on the Paleo Cleanse.

The elimination plan is based in Paleo principles  – so all grains, legumes, dairy, sugar and processed foods are eliminated – along with coffee and alcohol. To make the Cleanse Keto, you just cut out the recommended fruit and starch.  I added flax seeds or Sunbutter and usually broccoli sprouts to my shakes for extra fat, fiber, a hormone boost, added nutrients and sustenance.  Although some of my Keto Smoothie recipes call for full fat coconut milk, I just used water or the watered down coconut/nut milk found in cartons, because sometimes coconut milk gives me that heavy feeling too.

This time around I decided to cut out coffee 100%.  It’s been something I’ve been thinking about, but avoiding.  I’ve just found myself needing to drink more and more – and just living for coffee. It had become my reason to wake up in the morning.  Having low adrenal output, coffee is something to consider eliminating – especially if you’re feeling off. 

And so I did! 

What happened after though wasn’t fun – and I was really surprised, so I’m sharing the good and bad with this experience so that you can be aware of some of the impacts too:

THE BAD-ish:

• MAJOR caffeine withdrawal symptoms…I’m talking 2 whole days of debilitating sciatica pain starting on Day 3  – along with a full week of headaches, dullness, fatigue. My body was not happy with this cold-turkey approach. I almost caved and had caffeinated tea, but I had already suffered the brunt of the withdrawal (I hoped), and I wanted to push through, so I did.  Lingering symptoms lasted nearly a week! 
• SLOWER MOTILITY – My Physical Therapist hypothesized that the bowel impact of caffeine withdrawal could’ve been the main contributor to my sciatica pain.  Caffeine’s stimulant action increases bowel transit time. Sorry if this is TMI, but although I’d poop everyday, it would be later in the morning (not like before where I’d ‘go’ just thinking about that pot of coffee!) Also, the volume was not like a complete elimination – so I’d feel like I’d have to go later in the day – and never really feeling completely done (if that makes sense).  I missed my morning “dumps” LOL!
• FOGGY BRAIN – I felt foggy the entire first week and that was really disappointing – especially being ketogenic. In the past I’d feel AMAZING by Day 3.  I did not feel refreshed and energized at all until well into week 2 (most likely due to those withdrawal symptoms).
• IRRITABLE – My poor family had to deal with my impatience, dullness, whining and grogginess that first week. I got better the second week :).
• FASTING SCHEDULE OFF – I realized I used the appetite suppressing effects of coffee to keep my fasting schedule in check.  During the Cleanse, I allowed myself to break my fast with either a fatty tea (with MCT oil powder or coconut cream) or I’d have my first Cleanse shake earlier. Which meant that some days I only fasted 12 or 14 hours instead of my normal 16:8 schedule. I also felt like I needed to eat/snack more often than I usually do with coffee.
• ANTI-SOCIAL – Because I didn’t feel good, I basically interacted with my clients, practitioners, family and the cashiers at Target and HomeGoods (I think I shopped more than usual these past 2 weeks too LOL).  By the second week though, I was really wanting to go out, be with people and have fun (and for me, as an introvert – INFJ – that’s not typical).

The GOOD: 

• NO LONGER ADDICTED: I have become free of my addiction to coffee! In fact, the smell kind of repulses me now. I can’t say I’ll never have it again, but I’m intending to start my day with tea for now. I’m used to it – I now enjoy tea in the morning –  so why go back?!  I know I write a lot about overdoing wine, but after this experience, I realize that going without wine is a total breeze compared to how coffee abstinence was for me. I’m totally fine without wine – despite a few passing urges – but having no coffee nearly crippled me.
• SLEPT LIKE A CHAMP:  Other than when I had the sciatica pain (which made sleep impossible), I found myself going to bed earlier and sleeping deeper. My ND had also recommended a KAVA KAVA tincture for muscle relaxing, so that probably helped my sleep too (along with my usual Magnesium and Melatonin, blue light blocking glasses and stretching/yoga.)
• GUT MUCH IMPROVED: That stuck feeling in my chest is pretty much gone – and bloating is completely gone – tummy flat(ter) again!  My BMs are still a bit off – not as stellar as they were with coffee, but I’m guessing they’ll come around as my body continues to adjust to this change.
• LOST INCHES AND POUNDS: My gut and hips have have gone down 2 inches. My jeans, that were uncomfortably tight after Thanksgiving, fit perfectly now,  so that’s a real plus.  And although I don’t regularly weigh myself, I’m also down 7 lbs from my last recorded weight – which is pretty amazing for me.   I attribute this to losing inflammation and rebalancing my liver and gut microbiome – maybe from the Cleanse shakes and supplements, the coffee/alcohol elimination, good sleep and from drinking so much water and tea???The only other food items I eliminated were dairy (cheese) and cured meats (both are popular Keto fare), but I ate those things only occasionally before. I did cut back on coconut milk too so I’ll keep an eye on that. I ate about the same calorie/volume-wise – actually having more total carbs because I ate flax seeds.  Besides my daily 45 minute walk, I only did yoga a few times, so movement was actually reduced over the 2 weeks.

So there ya’ go, this is literally all the poop and scoop on my recent PaleoCleanse!  All in all, although I suffered more than I ever have on any detox or elimination;  I’m really glad I did it – and I won’t hesitate to do it again – probably in the spring or maybe after New Year’s depending on how I do with alcohol over the Holidays :).  

Of course, I’m still trying to understand the root root cause of the strange GI symptoms. I believe it goes back to stress. One of my Physical Therapists noted that I carry a pattern in which I brace myself, tighten my diaphragm and create a twist in my upper torso that brings my stomach up and in. This can impact digestion, metabolism, the nervous system, structural alignment – basically everything! Caffeine obviously doesn’t help with stress since it activates the stress response.

The intense sciatica pain that I experienced combined with this pattern AND adding on top of that, major caffeine withdrawal – a nervous system and bowel stimulant – and a vasoconstrictor (meaning vessels and nerves that used to be constricted from caffeine are now dilated or expanded off of it) created the perfect storm in my body.

Hind sight is 20/20, but knowing what I know now, I would have taken it slower and weaned myself off of the caffeine.  My stress is self induced. It’s a perception thing, so I am always working on reducing my stress patterns with mindset, gratitude, prayer, music, nature, yoga, stillness, body work . All that – yet still, that sudden withdrawal from the drug was just a bit much for my caffeine dependent – highly sensitive, adrenally challenged, menopausal (meaning highly stress sensitive) system. 

Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class and is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Unlike other psychoactive drugs, it is legal, cheap, and not regulated in almost all parts of the world. Individuals who habitually drink caffeine-contained beverages may develop a physical, emotional and psychological dependence on it and may experience a caffeine withdrawal syndrome after abrupt cessation of caffeine intake. Multiple studies have demonstrated that caffeine withdrawal syndrome is a clinically relevant entity, and is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430790/

I hope I don’t scare you off from experimenting…Like I said, I’m actually quite thrilled to have broken my caffeine addiction. Coffee actually has many health benefits too – but like anything, it’s about balance.

If you feel you may have a similar physical dependence or adrenal/hormone issues, you may want to take it slower as you cut back (versus going cold turkey like I did).  Start a week or so beforehand by cutting back the amount of coffee, switch to decaf, a herbal tea or herbal coffee supplement. Once you feel like you’re weaned off the caffeine, go for it! 

Got questions on the PaleoCleanse , adrenal health or coffee?  Post your questions here or reach out to me directly. I’m happy to answer your questions and may even create a separate post on your topic!