7-Day PUFA Purge: What to Expect
TL;DR
Eliminate all seed oils for seven days. Cook with butter, coconut oil, and ghee. Avoid restaurants. Track your morning temperature and pulse daily. Day 1-3: might feel worse (headache, fatigue, irritability). Day 4-5: energy stabilizes. Day 6-7: warmer hands, better energy, clearer thinking. Most people notice tangible improvements by day 7.
You've read about PUFAs. You understand the theory.
Now you need to test it on yourself.
Seven days. No seed oils. Track what happens.
This isn't a cure. It's an experiment. You're gathering data.
Your body will tell you if this matters.
You're clearing contaminated fuel from the tank. The first few days are rough. Then the engine runs cleaner.
What You Do
Day 0: Preparation
Clean out your pantry. Read every label. Learn how to identify hidden PUFAs. Throw out or give away anything with:
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
- Soybean oil
- Sunflower oil
- Safflower oil
- Corn oil
- Grapeseed oil
Buy supplies:
- Butter (salted or unsalted)
- Coconut oil
- Ghee if you can find it
- Eggs
- Meat
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Fruit
- Salt
Buy a digital thermometer if you don't have one. Full temperature tracking protocol.
Day 1-7: The Protocol
Cook every meal at home. No exceptions. No restaurants. No takeout.
Use only butter, coconut oil, or ghee for cooking.
Eat whole foods. Eggs. Meat. Potatoes. Rice. Fruit. Vegetables.
Salt your food generously. You need salt when you're cutting processed foods.
Track your morning temperature and pulse:
- Every morning before getting out of bed
- Digital thermometer under your tongue
- Count pulse for 60 seconds
- Write both numbers down
Note how you feel each day:
- Energy level (1-10)
- Sleep quality
- Digestion
- Mood
- Hand temperature (warm or cold)
- Any other changes
What You'll Feel
Days 1-3: The Purge
You might feel worse. This is normal.
Headache. Fatigue. Irritability. Brain fog. Muscle aches.
You're mobilizing stored PUFAs from your tissues. Your body is dumping oxidized fats into circulation. Your liver is working overtime to clear them.
This is temporary. Push through.
Your morning temperature might stay the same or even drop slightly. Don't worry. It takes a few days to stabilize.
Keep eating enough. Don't restrict calories. You need energy to clear the PUFAs.
Days 4-5: Stabilization
The headache lifts. Energy starts to stabilize.
You wake up feeling slightly better. Your hands might feel warmer.
Your temperature might start climbing. 97.0°F becomes 97.4°F.
Digestion might improve. Less bloating after meals.
Sleep might get deeper. You wake up fewer times during the night.
Days 6-7: Improvement
Energy is noticeably better. You don't need as much coffee.
Your hands are warmer. You don't need as many layers.
Your morning temperature is climbing toward 97.8°F. Your pulse is stronger.
Your thinking is clearer. Brain fog is lifting.
You feel more motivated. Tasks feel easier.
This is your metabolism recovering. Your cells are clearing damaged membranes. New membranes are being built with saturated fats.
Seven days isn't enough to fully clear PUFAs. But it's enough to notice a difference.
What Your Data Will Show
Temperature trend:
- Start: 96.8°F average
- Day 3: Might drop to 96.5°F (stress of purging)
- Day 7: Climbing toward 97.5°F or higher
Pulse trend:
- Start: 65 bpm average
- Day 7: Climbing toward 72-75 bpm
Energy level:
- Start: 4/10
- Days 2-3: Drops to 3/10
- Day 7: Up to 6-7/10
Everyone responds differently. Some people feel amazing by day 3. Some take two weeks to feel improvement.
The data doesn't lie. Track it. Compare day 1 to day 7.
After the Seven Days
If you feel significantly better, keep going. Two weeks. Four weeks. Make it permanent.
If you feel the same or worse, something else might be wrong. But seven days isn't long enough to fully judge. Consider extending to 14-21 days.
If you felt better but want to test the effect, reintroduce seed oils deliberately. Eat a restaurant meal cooked in vegetable oil. Track your temperature the next morning. Does it drop? Do you feel worse?
This is self-experimentation. You're testing a hypothesis on yourself.
Most people who try this don't go back to seed oils. The difference is too obvious.
Common Issues
"I feel terrible on day 3. Should I quit?"
No. You're purging. It gets worse before it gets better. Day 4-5 usually turns the corner. If you quit on day 3, you went through the worst part for nothing.
"My temperature isn't rising yet."
Seven days might not be enough. Some people take 2-4 weeks. Keep going. Look for other changes: energy, sleep, hand warmth, digestion.
"I'm starving all the time."
You're not eating enough. Add more butter to your potatoes. Eat bigger portions. Don't restrict calories during the purge.
"I ate out on day 4 and had to restart. Should I?"
Ideally yes. One restaurant meal means you got seed oils. But don't let perfection stop you. If you mess up, just keep going. The goal is to minimize PUFAs, not achieve perfection.
"My family thinks I'm crazy."
Let them. You're running an experiment on yourself. The data will prove whether it matters. You don't need their approval. You need your own results.
FAQ
Q: Can I do this if I have a health condition? A: Cutting out processed seed oils is generally safe. But if you have a medical condition or take medication, talk to your doctor first. Track carefully.
Q: What if I travel during the seven days? A: Bring your own food. Butter travels well. Hard-boiled eggs. Fruit. Cheese if you tolerate it. Or postpone the experiment until you're home.
Q: Do I need to track macros or calories? A: No. Eat whole foods. Use butter liberally. Eat when you're hungry. Stop when you're full. Don't overcomplicate it.
Q: Can I drink coffee? A: Yes. Add butter or coconut oil to it if you want. Avoid coffee shop drinks made with soy milk or almond milk (usually has seed oils). Black coffee or coffee with cream is fine.
This isn't medical advice. I'm not your doctor. This is an experiment. You're responsible for how you apply it.
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