Howdy All! No, I haven't fallen into a big ole vat of a green smoothie or moved off-the-grid with no internet connection. We have had some excitement around our place with the birth of a new foal. And to tell you the truth, I have been experiencing some symptoms of a "healing crisis." It is a much better term than "detox," don't you think?
Anyway, in our pursuit of health and vitality, we will all experience some unpleasant symptoms every now and then. This is a good thing! It means our bodies are healing and getting stronger. I imagine the way I recently felt was the "normal" way most people feel on a daily basis. I had been so used to my high energy, illness-free, and ready-set-go body, that going through this healing crisis knocked the wind outta my sails. It was a struggle to keep up with my regular go-go-do-do-do-it-all routine.
Now, after some encouragement from another raw foodist, I feel like I am not losing my mind or my health. I just need to hang in there, pray, and listen to my body. If I am not hungry, I should not eat just because the clock says it is breakfast time or dinner time. Sometimes our bodies need a period fasting (drinking water and/or fresh juice) so that energies can go to healing, not digesting.
We all have some sort of health issue now or have suffered from some ailment or another, right? It is amazing these bodies we have. God made us so great. As improvements are made in our eating and in-turn our health, our body wants to get rid of the stuff sickness left behind. Hence a headache or aches and pains or low energy or sometimes even flu-like symptoms occur as we purge junk from our systems.
Yes, even healthy-eating raw foodists have yucky stuff lingering in their bodies and are exposed to toxins in the environment, home, workplace, or even food. No one is exempt from this. My theory is that when your body is functioning at the high end of the scale, you notice all the wibbles and wobbles in your health. But if your body is at the low end of the scale (meaning your not feeding it enough "living" foods and are exposed to environmental toxins) then you don't necessarily feel it when you detox for a day or even a week. You are just used to feeling kinda sluggish all of the time.
I know that the latter was true for me. Each time I made an adjustment to my diet, I did feel better. I went from SAD (Standard American Diet) to vegetarian to dairy-free vegetarian to vegan (all animal product-free) to partial raw foodist to complete raw foodist. At each step I felt a noticeable increase in energy and vitality. And at each step I could feel it when my body was ridding itself of the nasties.
* I would like to say that I am not promoting leaving your medical advice or prescribed medication out of your health regime! I am an insulin-dependent diabetic and although I have seen a decrease in my insulin needs, I still need medication to live. And some of you may be taking prescriptions that also enable you to function and survive. In addition, do take into consideration food. We put so much of it into our bodies, shouldn't we do it to the best of our ability? *
So, if you are making a step or a leap into great eating, be ready to catch the vitality! But when you have a healing crisis, know that it shall pass and you will come out on the other side feeling even better. And able to do even more!
I have to share with you another green smoothie recipe I did this morning.
1+ cup cold water
spinach in the blender to the 3-cup mark
1 small apple or pear (cored)
1 handful frozen mango
~ if you like it sweet, add 1/2-1 frozen banana
Blend the water and the spinach. Add in the rest of the fruit and blend away. It is awesome and the most lovely spring green color you have seen. Please use organic produce folks.
Drink up and cheers to good health and vitality!
