My Seven Day Cleanse

 My second piece of published work - page 12:

http://issuu.com/michaelabuzalaf/docs/november_master_single_page

Situated on Grove Business Park on the beautiful Alscot Estate, just outside Stratford upon Avon, is Motus Training, a specialist personal training, nutrition and lifestyle consultancy business.

Darren Putt, founder of Motus Training, and his team create bespoke fat loss, health and lifestyle programmes. Darren is one of the UK’s leading experts using a unique technique called BioSignature Modulation, a cutting edge fat-loss and health assessment method developed by world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin.

BioSignature is a system, based on thirty years of research, showing that where people store their body fat is an indication of their hormonal profile. In order to lose weight from these problem areas individuals need to correct their hormonal imbalances through specific steps such as; nutrition, training, lifestyle modifications and a supplementation protocol.

After a thorough consultation with Darren in which I was provided with my unique biological signature he recommended I undergo a seven day nutritional cleanse protocol under his personal supervision. This is something he has done himself three times and has used with many clients. The cleanse is based upon a protocol designed by Doctor Robert Rakowski, clinic director of the Natural Medicine Centre in Houston, Texas. Dr Rakowski is one of the world’s leading experts on nutrition and functional medicine and uses such techniques to help people ranging from elite professional athletes to children and to treating critically ill patients with a variety of cancers, inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases. Dr Rakowski’s protocols were modified by Charles Poliquin to work alongside his BioSignature Modulation assessment tool.

The cleanse procedure is not a ‘fast’ or standard low-calorie ‘detox’. Many people actually consume more calories, fat and carbohydrates than they do following their normal diet. It detoxifies and nourishes the body by flooding it with nutrients in order to promote healthy functioning. It allows your organs to be rested and replenished meaning they perform more efficiently when you resume your normal dietary routine. It improves performance both physically and mentally. People undergo the cleanse regime for a number of reasons; fresh start, to break through a plateau with training or weight loss and also people who suffer from health problems involving digestion like IBS. Many people see improvement in sleep, energy levels, mental clarity and mood, pain threshold and even sex drive. People emerge from the seven days feeling leaner and stronger and most importantly healthier and happier. On average people experience a weight loss of 5lbs and a body fat loss of 2%.

I’d been training for the Birmingham half marathon which took place on Sunday 21st October but I needed to train harder to achieve my goal, a time under two hours. I had successfully lost 18lbs but had started to reach a plateau and I’d also been suffering from urticaria since April. All of the above reasons are why I agreed to undergo the cleanse protocol. Darren had never supervised somebody suffering from urticaria so we were both intrigued to see what the outcome would be. We were hoping that the anti-inflammatory powers would help. In order to control my urticaria I was taking a combination of three tablets a day, two of which I had to take twice a day. For the purposes of the cleanse programme I decided I would stop taking all of these tablets.

The cleanse procedure consists of seven days of consuming ‘medical food’ shakes (which taste surprisingly nice), supplements according to your personal hormonal profile and your choice of a different vegetable each day which you can eat unlimited amounts of. It also requires you to drink plenty of water. Now this may seem a little daunting but you quickly adapt to the routine and believe me it’s worth every second.

I was warned that day one and two would be the hardest. I found day one to four hard! I experienced severe food cravings (every advert or television programme involved food), disturbed sleep, dizziness and tiredness. Also, on day one and two my urticaria flared nastily. However, by day five and six the hard part was over and I was beginning to feel the positive effects of the cleanse protocol. My tiredness had disappeared and I was feeling far more motivated and energetic and could notice the difference in my ability to concentrate. On the seventh and final day I was almost over-flowing with energy and motivation. The change in my mood was phenomenal. I could also see improvements to the condition of my skin, especially skin around my nails which had been quite dry, and hair. I experienced a body fat loss of  3% and a weight loss of 6lbs. However, the most important outcome of the cleanse regime was that after months of pumping my body with antihistamines my urticaria had finally vanished. Completely! This was an outcome that was hoped for but not entirely expected but shows the huge systemic health benefits of the cleanse programme.

My first day back on my normal dietary routine felt like Christmas day and my birthday all rolled into one. I chose to begin my day with an ‘unorthodox breakfast’ of lamb’s liver’s, smoked bacon and onions. Disgusting you might think? But so much better for your body than cereal or toast! Darren warned me I may experience a ‘euphoric feeling’. I didn’t. However, what I did experience was running my fastest ever mile of six and a half minutes! I was blown away by the change in my performance.

A week on it was clear the cleanse protocol was continuing to have a positive impact. I’d lost another 4lbs and my physical performance continued to improve. I ran a 12 mile training run in one hour thirty eight minutes meaning I was well on target to run the Birmingham half marathon in under two hours. I ended up running the 13.1 miles in a time of one hour, forty eight minutes and twenty eight seconds. I smashed my personal best by twenty minutes!

It is clear that the cleanse protocol produces a healthier individual with enhanced physical and mental performance. I would recommend it to anyone struggling with similar issues to those that I was or to anyone who simply wants to look and feel better and improve their quality of life.

If you would like to know more about the nutritional cleanse protocol then contact Darren Putt.

Website: www.motustraining.co.uk

Email: darren@motustraining.co.uk

Telephone: 07736 324456
Twitter: @MotusTraining
Facebook: Motus Training Studio