Mental Cleanse

I was chatting today with Mel about the detox kit she just started, which is basically a 7-day program with supplements and a recommended food guide. A while ago I thought I might do a cleanse while Luke was away in Portland for a juggling convention, which just happens to be next week. I tried 2 different kits last year with moderate success. I had 2 big problems. The first being that I can't handle huge powdered smoothies 3 times a day without gagging and the second being that it is damn hard to do a detox while working and preparing for a wedding (which at the time was just under a month away). The fatigue and added stress just wasn't working for me and so I ended the cleanses each after a few days.

I've decided not to try again for a few different reasons, but mostly because my habits have changed quite significantly than what they were this time last year. It wasn't until I started thinking about doing a cleanse that I realized that I feel way differently now than I did when I both did the cleanses last year and when I thought about doing another one this year. Weird how you don't notice changes day by day but when you reflect back you do notice small (or big) improvements. Improved skin, digestion, alertness... all those things. All of a sudden I realized I don't take naps immediately upon arriving home from work anymore. Huh, I wonder when that stopped.

One reason that I decided not to do a full cleanse though is the fact that for the past few months now, pretty much all of the produce we have been eating has been entirely organic, aside from eating out, which we have done far less just because there are so many damn vegetables in the fridge! One of the main dietary guidelines for the detox kits I have looked at is to eat organic produce. Another is to reduce the refined grains you eat (flour, white rice, pasta, etc.). I don't buy much bread anymore because I'm a sucker for toast with jam (and butter!). Rice and pasta lost their spots on our dinner plates quite a while ago and have been replaced by more vegetables. Those are empty carbs and unless you are running a marathon, you can get the nutrients found within (which are harshly overshadowed by the accompanying calories) by vegetables and whole grains... in my humble opinion. :)

Another significant change is that since the beginning of 2006 I've been drinking at least 2 litres of water per day. It's really not that hard when you have a water bottle with gradations marked right on it. And when you stop drinking juice and pop and drink water instead - it is so much more thirst-quenching and so much better for you! Try it, I dare you!

My yoga practice has become much more regular within the past year as well. The Ashtanga yoga primary series (which is what I practice at home and when I go to Mysore classes) is also known as yoga chikitsa, or yoga therapy and is incredibly detoxifying. It is designed, posture by posture, linked by vinyasas, to open your body (and mind) and massage your internal tissues and organs and to stimulate the release of any mental or physical blocks so that the prana, or energy, or lifeforce can flow unimpeded. Open body, open mind, open heart... :)

Finally, I've been taking the Greens+ Daily Detox for about a month and a half now and I can definitely tell the difference on days when I've forgotten to take it. It may partly be psychological; days that I make the disgusting drink (I mix it with far less water than they suggest so I can basically shoot it down and chase it with all the water they recommend - it can mix in my stomach), I'm more aware of how I'm feeling and in turn I'm more aware of the decisions I make, I get more exercise and I eat better.

That being said, there is a significant habit I'd like to break, with which a detox kit would help, but that I'm going to give a shot on my own: my sugar addiction. I'm fully aware that my afternoon cravings for chocolate (or anything sweet!) is a result of low blood sugar and that chocolate isn't the best solution. Doesn't help that my supervisor keeps a stash of chocolate in her office for exactly that purpose, but I resolve for the next week to eliminate, or maybe I should say avoid, all refined sugar products. Sugar is sneaky, it hides everywhere. I'll let you know how I do. Hehe.

Thinking of all of this though has brought up other thoughts that have been swirling in my brain. Healthy living, eating organic and locally produced food, toxins (in our bodies and in the environment), awareness and being happy to name a few. I'm trying to connect all these things and to see the bigger picture. It stresses me out to try and pick a career or path for my life that I think fits all of these things that are becoming more and more important to me and that encompass a whole lifestyle, not just a job. Especially when I feel like the decision has to be made RIGHT NOW. Why don't I clear my own path then and incorporate all of the things that I feel are so important? I haven't yet figured out what that will be, but the picture is definitely getting more clear. And I'm excited about it, not stressed, which is always a good sign.

There, a long-winded post like that makes up for not posting for nearly a week right? I've been thinking a lot! Feels good to get it all written down in a somewhat coherent form. I have a brainstorming list to which I add words when they evoke in me some kind of response in an effort to get those words from continually circulating in my brain. When I see it all written down, even if it is just a jumbled list, I can see the connections and it's helping. Who knows, maybe my silly list will become a business plan one day!