So, it’s that time of year again! Thanksgiving marks the kickoff of the “piling on the pounds” season for America. By January, everyone is resolving to LOSE SOME WEIGHT! Easier said that done, right? Of course! If this is your pattern, then now is the time to be thinking about what you are going to do to lose some of that weight and what your longer-term motivation and goals are to this end. I find it very helpful to follow a structured program of some sort when cleansing or losing weight, and there are several that we offer through the office. What are the differences and what are the pros and cons of each? Here are my conclusions on the various programs. (And yes, I have done them all. I never recommend anything that I haven’t tried myself!)

The Standard Process 21-Day Purification Program:
This is a great program if you enjoy structure and need lots of daily support when embarking on a cleanse or dieting program. This program includes e-mail support which involves receiving an e-mail for 22 days telling you about how you might feel at that point in the program, recipe tips and ideas, etc. and also you can e-mail Purification Program directly for even more support, if needed. This program (a combination of supplements and shakes plus greatly restricting simple carbs from the diet – and NO meat or fish for the first 10 days) is great if your problems are HIGH CHOLESTEROL and sugar cravings! Not only is there a published study showing that this specific program lowers cholesterol, but we have seen the proof in a number of times in the office! My own cholesterol dropped after this program (from “borderline high” to “very healthy” range), but the most dramatic drop was in a patient who started out with a total cholesterol number of 300 (!) and then right after the program, it had dropped to 159 (!). Her Kaiser doctor was blown away by the results, to say the least, and now she does not need cholesterol medication. And the most amazing thing is that this patient did not even do it “perfectly.” She ate some of the forbidden things here and there. Nobody’s perfect, and you don’t have to be perfect to get great results! (You just have to do way better than whatever you’re doing right now!) The basic cost for this kit (which comes in either dairy-free [rice protein] or whey protein options) is $239. Optional supplement add-ons include Gymnema (which destroys the ability to taste sweet things for about 3-4 hours), Tuna Omega Oil, and Cataplex GTF (which helps tremendously with that low blood-sugar headache that some people get the first couple of days into a cleansing program). The average weight loss on this program is about 15 pounds. Again, the primary purpose is really to help balance the blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. It is safe, however, to use this program for healthy weight-loss. One patient (who was about 100 pounds overweight!) did this program every 2 months for 1 full year and ended up losing about 70 pounds over the course of the year – and ran her first marathon in October!!! Wow!

The Biotics 10-Day Detox Program
The name of this program is a bit deceptive … In reality, it is basically also a 21-day program, because prior to starting the actual 10-Day Detox, you have to do 7-14 days on an anti-inflammation / hypoallergenic diet, which preps the system and gets the basics under control. During this 7-14 day preparation phase, you greatly restrict all of the common allergens and inflammatory foods (such as bread, dairy, etc) and take 2 supplements (which support digestion and detox). If your system is in pretty good shape, then you only do 6 or 7 days on this prep phase. If there is a lot of toxicity and inflammation, then 10-14 days is better. The next 10 days, you are following pretty much the same diet, but now adding in a detoxifying shake (NutriClear) and more supplements. Finally, there is a phase 3, which is basically a tapering off and reintroduction to normal (but hopefully healthier than before) eating. The pros of the Biotics detox program over the Standard Process program are mainly that the supplements are much easier to keep up with and take because they come already set up in individual packets for each dose (3x/day), so there is only one container to deal with and it’s easy to toss a few of the packets into your bag or purse for the day. With the Standard Process program, you have individual jars to contend with, and it can be a hassle. Also, the general consensus is that NutriClear tastes better than SP Complete! It is sweeter, for sure, but if your issue is sugar addiction and you are planning to take Gymnema to kill the sugar taste, then NutriClear will NOT be tasting so great. This is a great program if there is a big TOXICITY issue, whether it is from chemotherapy or other medications, alcohol or recreational drug use, environmental toxicity, overeating of processed foods, etc. Average weight loss on this program is also around 15 pounds. I have not checked blood work on anybody immediately before and after this program, but I’m sure the numbers look better. People feel really good after this cleanse, and many people opt to continue using the NutriClear shake as a breakfast or lunch drink. It’s loaded with great stuff and makes a good multivitamin! It is also safe to do this cleanse frequently if wanting to lose a lot of weight. The basic cost for the Biotics 10-Day Detox Program is $248.

The Real Results Program – for Rapid Weight Loss.
At $499, this is by far the most expensive program that we off through the office (and, of course, the smallest kit!) but it is POWERFUL. This is not really a cleanse or a detox (but it can have the same effects), but rather a specific rapid weight loss program for people who are wanting or needing to release a lot of excess FAT from their bodies. The guidelines are pretty much the same as the popular HCG diets that are out there: 500 calories/day during the “release” phase of the program (the first 3-8 weeks, depending on how much weight you are wanting to release) consisting of very limited food choices, plus taking some supplements. The difference is that this program does NOT contain any HCG and does not require injections. The key supplement in this program is the “energetically enhanced trace minerals” which are taken in the morning (10 drops in a glass of water). The average weight loss on this program is about 30 pounds in 45 days. I did this program myself and lost about 20 pounds in less than a month (and did not go too long, as I didn’t really feel that losing 30 pounds would be a great idea for me, personally)! While I had/have no doubt that people will lose weight on a 500 calorie/day diet (hello!), I DID have serious doubts about the claim that this program is “easy,” “fun” and that I “would not feel hungry!” So, here is what I have to report. It actually is a remarkably easy program to follow, and I like that even though the choices are limited, I was able to EAT during this program (as opposed to something like the Master Cleanse, where there is no solid food being ingested). Also, I have to admit, it was kind of fun looking at the scale every morning and watching pounds magically vanish. And finally, while I was, in fact, hungry much of the time, it wasn’t a desperate kind of hungry. You know how sometimes if you haven’t eaten, then you are just DYING to eat something? It wasn’t like that at all! The feeling was more like, “Man, I am kind of hungry. Oh well.” It was very tolerable, and it made the meals taste all the more amazing. Also, with this program, since you are actually eating foods and therefore having regular bowel movements (unlike with the Master Cleanse / saltwater flush protocols), your gut flora stays balanced and does not have to be replenished at the end of the program. Another great thing about this program is that it actually resets your brain to the new weight, which is why you will NOT rebound and regain the weight rapidly following this program. With this program, it is, however, recommended that you come in for weekly N.E.T. treatments surrounding issues with food and weight. (This is actually a good idea when undertaking any kind of cleanse or detox where your regular or favorite foods are eliminated or reduced. Food comes with a shocking amount of emotion wrapped up with it!)

So with that, I bid you happy holidays! I love the new year – time for new beginning and getting back on the various wagons. Be well!
-DK

p.s. a lot of people ask about the Master Cleanse. I like it for simplicity, but I don’t recommend it in the middle of winter, and I don’t recommend it for permanent stable weight loss!