Zen and the city: A daring detox diet

It has been more than a week since a grande, iced coffee with a shot of soy and vanilla syrup has crossed these lips.

In an attempt to detoxify my system from the embarrassing and horrible eating habits that have grown from my busy spring quarter, I have completely cut out all caffeine and have drastically reduced sugar and food preservative intake.

Whenever I hear detox diets mentioned on E! News, it’s typically in correlation with a scary water-and-apples-only diet or an expensive meal delivery plan.

I have chosen to do more of a replacement detox experiment as opposed to a daunting or expensive alternative.

In place of the unhealthy items in my diet came a lot of water and whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts.

The end goal was to achieve a clearer mental state and a body that could function with more natural energy.

I have always considered myself the independent, free spirited type who had, for the most part, control over the way I feel, until I realized my body needed a cup of coffee with a dose of caffeine to be optimally functional at work.

My mind would become less foggy; I would have more energy and instantly be put in a better mood. It’s scary to think a food item had that much influence over my mental state.

While coffee is a seemingly harmless addiction, I wanted control over my mood and state of mind, not caffeine.

In addition to the boost of energy received from caffeine, I also wanted to get rid of the high that comes from sugary fumes and the adverse affects that come from increased sugar consumption.

Not only does sugar bring about, as we all know, a resulting energy crash, it damages the body’s proteins and can cause premature aging by damaging collagen, the protein that keeps skin taut.

In order to make the detox more manageable and less overwhelming, one item a day was replaced.

Day one ended coffee binges and replaced them with water. Day two seriously cut sugary foods and increased fruit and vegetable intake. Day three replaced foods high in preservatives with whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice.

Days two through four were not fun. My head hurt, I was tired and irritable, but also completely shocked by how much my body was affected with the choice to cut out these unhealthy food items.

I was skeptical as to how much a detox would affect my body. I’ve always read that our bodies don’t need detoxification because the kidneys and liver do it for us, but it was clear my body had become dependent and addicted to caffeine and sugar, and it was not happy they had been replaced.

Toward the end of the week, everything started to balance out. Energy levels were restored and headaches disappeared.

In addition, I fell asleep easier and slept better. I lost three pounds. My skin became clearer and brighter, and I just felt good.

I felt clearer and more in control of myself.

It’s something I would have never realized or appreciated before, but it’s liberating to know that healthful decisions are getting my mind and body more natural results as opposed to quick fix food solutions.

It’s not my intention to become a crazy health nut. I do love my coffee and slowly, it will make its way back into my life, but on a balanced and less dependent scale.

It is a good feeling not to need coffee anymore and to be working toward relying on myself and good decisions for the energy, clarity and happiness that I need.

Not to metion, I’m sure my coworkers appreciate that when I miss the bus and don’t have time for a Starbucks run, I’m not doomed to being tired, cranky, sluggish and unproductive for the day.