Juice Pause
Ooof! Sometimes life presents us with a set of occurrences whose combination can feel overwhelming like exhaustion, or painful, like a punch in the gut. In my last post, I briefly alluded to a family crisis I’m currently in the midst of. At the end of her 94th life and love filled year, my grandmother Veda, my namesake, passed away at home and in the company of loved ones. Life’s challenging experiences tend to occur together, combining to offer us incredible growth opportunities when we can find and hold the right perspectives. And so, my romantic partner experienced a life event and required emotional support. Joyfully, I began driving back and forth between visiting with my family while sorting through my Grandma Veda’s possessions and providing extra support at home. With time at a premium I found myself on day 3 of my fast with only a morning and evening juice, nowhere near enough nutrients for a full day of errands and packing.
When the same thing happened again the fourth day, I decided to put my fast on hold until I have the time at home to juice. To continue my commitment to purification and improved health I have continued to juice at home and to stop at local places like Green Mouth and Smooth Juices, who make fresh juices, 2 or 3 times a day. I have also continued to eat in the pre-fast fashion, lots of salads, fruit, vegetables, and leafy greens. I’m also really enjoying Ningxia, a wonderful Young Living juice that provides an incredible immune boost.
Most lately I’ve been reading about the Crazy Sexy Diet, developed by Kris Carr. She focuses on the dietary balance of alkalinity and acidity. A diet higher in alkalinity helps bodies get and stay healthy. This means eating lots of fresh leafy green, raw or lightly sauteed vegetables, and avoiding meat products and sugars, even the naturally occurring ones. I’ve been adding Donna Gates’ thoughts about food combining from the Body Ecology Diet. Since though I am committing to a better diet, I know I’ll still eat the occasional meat, cheese, and bread. Therefor, for me, food combinations are an important addition to guarantee my digestive health.
Once I hit another calm plateau, a place where I have extra time for breath and energy for reflection, I will again begin a strict juice fast. For now, I’m loving the vegetables I’m eating and enjoying the increased energy I’m experiencing. I’ve been walking quite a bit. More and more everyday. Even as the increased humidity causes my foot to ache around my metal plate and screws, as my improved diet continues and body clears increasingly, returning to balance, the pain in my foot is lessening.
Until I reach that plateau, my next break for regrouping, I’m completely grateful for the increased energy and decreased pain I am experiencing. Kale, carrot, pear, spinach, and beet makes my favorite breakfast drink, a sweet and energizing way to start the day. With a salad or cereal an hour or so after, I feel balanced and ready to start to move through the day.