In the first week I had so much energy, I just didn't know what to do with it. This week it is the complete opposite. My energy has disappeared, I'm struggling to sleep at night and when I do sleep I'm having really vivid (and strange) dreams.
Unfortunately, you cannot completely avoid Herxheimer Reaction. If you think about the amount of high sugar, high gluten, high caffeine foods you have eaten over the years and possibly your entire life, your body is not used to the amount of goodness that you are pumping into it at the moment and rebels (think teenager and you have an idea). The good news is that this only lasts for a relatively short time. Obviously, this amount of time varies from person to person, but the average is one to two weeks.
So what is a Healing Crisis?
Basically a Healing Crisis is what happens when bad bacteria die off and release toxins into the blood at a faster rate than your body can deal with. You will feel a general worsening of your symptoms. You may feel more tired than normal, you may feel sick or have a bad headache (I will include a list of possible symptoms later in the post).
The important thing to remember is that it DOESN'T LAST LONG! It is a positive sign and will be over soon. DO NOT stop what you are doing, you are cleansing your gut and removing lots of toxins. You can't clean a car without getting a dirty bucket of water and these side effects are your dirty water. Keep telling yourself that you will feel the benefits of all your hard work soon.
I am reminding myself about how I felt last week and that I will feel like this again in a week or two and that is enough to keep me going. Getting healthy the natural way is a long path and although I would like a quick fix, there just isn't one. Yes I feel like I've been run over by a bus at the moment, but once the Healing Crisis is over, I will be able to stop that bus like Wonder Woman!
What are the side effects?
Right, here goes. A healing crisis can bring on many symptoms and they can get quite bad. They include:
- headache
- acne
- joint pain
- depression
- general aches and pains
- muscle pain
- boils
- fatigue
- insomnia
- congestion
- being over emotional
- constipation
- diarrhea
- hot and cold flushes
- night sweats
A Healing Crisis can also cause past health issues to come back to the forefront such as chest infections, shingles and viral infections. A very common one is sinusitis. The reason these illnesses reappear is because they have been laying dormant in the body and the release of toxins has awakened them. The good news is you will become much better at fighting them off than you were before you changed the food you are feeding it.
I promise you that it will all be worth it.
What causes a Healing Crisis?
Well, as I have said, it is the big change of eating healthy that causes a Healing Crisis, but some things are more likely to cause it than others.
Eating healthy.
The fact that you are filling your body full of vitamins will cause it to expel toxins and make you feel rubbish for a short time. Cultured foods that are high in probiotics and coconut products - all of which you should be adding to your diet - are the main culprits. Introducing them slowly will help to reduce the symptoms, but basically the more toxic your body is, the worse your symptoms will be as a rule.
Supplements.
Introducing supplements to your diet can cause a Healing Crisis. Vitamin B12, probiotics and herbs should also be introduced slowly, if you choose to use them.
Therapies.
Some treatments and therapies can cause a Healing Crisis to occur such as: chiropractic treatment, psychotherapy, acupuncture and homeopathy.
A period of fasting can also induce a Healing Crisis.
Is it worth it?
YES!!!!
The old saying 'no pain, no gain' really does apply here. Do not give in. You will feel so much better after the crisis has passed. Keep in mind that the only reason you feel bad is because all of the nastiness that has been accumulating in your body is being kicked out. You will probably be tempted to give in and go back to your old habits, but stay strong. You can do it! Just take things slowly. If you have started drinking 250ml of kefir a day, cut it back to 100ml, if you have just started taking vitamins daily cut them back to every other day or reduce the dosage. If you have stopped caffeine completely - keep it up, don't be tempted to shift the headache with more caffeine.
If you love your body, it will love you back.
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