Monday, June 14, 2010
The Journey Begins
Sipping my coffee this morning, I realized that in a mere 8 days, my journey begins. I’ll have to give up this morning cuppa joe, even if it is only decaf. For me, coffee’s not about the jolt, it’s about the smell and the ritual of a quiet moment of contemplation, outside in the sunroom, listening to the birds, just me and the dog, before digging in to the day’s work. And I hadn’t even contemplated the loss of my 2 pieces of toast with homemade strawberry jam, made with organic strawberries from my friends at TLC Farms just outside of Medicine Hat.
Eek! What have I gotten myself into?!
Well, to answer my own question, I’ve gotten myself into a week’s worth of cleansing; mind, body and spirit, because anything worth doing is worth doing right, right? Go big or go home, I always say. I’ll just have to enjoy the morning with a cup of herbal tea instead.
Now, I know what you’re thinking…why make it that hard on myself when, clearly, if you read the instructions, you’re allowed one cup of coffee a day and you’re also allowed whole grains (good, complex carbs) but, for me personally, I know how good I feel when I do give it up so, here goes!
I want to take care of my mind as well, so I intend to ramp up my evening walks in the coulee (fresh air and mind-clearing before bed). I’d also like to pay more attention to my body’s pH balance for the week (if needs be – will write more on this topic in upcoming posts).
And as for spirit, well I’ve found the most wonderful guided meditations to try each morning. I’ve chosen to get my meditations from themeditationpodcast.com – they have twelve wonderful, free, downloadable meditations to choose from that seem to be based on EMDR. You don’t need an iPod (although I do have a Shuffle), you can listen to them right on your computer.
I invite you to take this journey with me. I’ll be blogging about this wave of internal spring cleaning until June 30th. Please feel free to share your journey with me too. It’ll be great to have a little tribal support, especially if it looks like I’m heading for the Mars bar I’ve got stashed in the back of the fridge.
Have you ever tried a cleanse? What was your experience like? Did you change your routine to accomodate it? What were some of your biggest hurdles and triumphs?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Why Cleanse?
So, today I’m asking myself, why cleanse now?
And what did you answer yourself, you’re probably thinking.
Well, it all boils down to a desire to wake up every morning feeling lighter, with a clearer head, and a new enthusiasm for what’s to come.
Wow, can a cleanse really do all that? We shall see.
I’ve tried diet-based cleanses in the past and know that cutting out carbs and sugar, or sticking with a single type of food over a few days, makes a world of difference to how you feel. It gives your body a chance to shift its detoxification cycle into overdrive; hence the term “detox”.
Sometimes a detox can cause dull, low-grade headaches as your body is cleaning its internal environment. That’s simply a sign that the cleanse is working. Some detoxs can trigger insomnia. This is because your body’s more intensive cleansing happens at night while you sleep. The easy fix to these symptoms is simply to drink loads and loads of water and stay calm and centered to help your body through the process. You can try slow, deep breathing to help with the headaches; in through your nose and out through your mouth. And, if you’re awake at 3am, pull out your journal. You may just pen the beginnings of a Pulitzer prize-winning novel!
Choosing when to cleanse, and going into one with the right mindset, is important. The best time to begin a cleanse is when you have the time to relax, slow down, and not overwork your body while it’s trying to detoxify. Pick a long weekend or take a week’s holiday in the spring and don’t make any plans with friends. Reschedule all your appointments and factor in activities that enhance relaxation for your body as well as your mind, such as long cool baths, afternoon naps on fresh cotton sheets, a little light reading, calming music, and possibly some meditation, journaling, or casual strolling in the early morning calm.
I’ve chosen this time to cleanse because the rest of this year looks to be pretty hectic for me. Moving forward from here, a clearer head and lighter body will serve me well. Who knows? Maybe another winter cleanse is in order for next January when things slow down again.
What time of year do you like to cleanse? Would you consider a “buddy” cleanse?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Zen of Office Supplies
Are you an office supply junkie like me? I love things like striped paper clips, colored file folders, and markers that smell like fruit. So I’ve gone out and bought myself a new little journal for this cleansing journey. I think I’d like to have something new to record my insights in while I meditate.
Record while meditating? Isn’t that a contradiction? Well, no, not strictly speaking.
Meditation is nothing more than clearing your mind of all the “noise” so that inspired thoughts can come through. But first you have to start by clearing your mind completely. How do you do this? Well, I’ve heard it described as “concentrating on the space between the thoughts.” My biggest downfall is realizing I’m actually doing it, getting excited, breaking the mood, and having to start all over again! A beginner’s experience, for sure.
Whatever you do, be gentle with yourself. Don’t let yourself get upset because next week’s meeting schedule or upcoming dental appointment creeps in while you’re trying to concentrate like hell on nothing at all. Simply acknowledge the thought’s presence (“Oh, it’s you again.”), don’t assign them an emotion, and send them on their way. Your mind will soon cotton on to what you want it to do, or not to do, as the case may be. It takes practice, so be patient. The peace and quiet will come.
Beyond a vessel for my innermost thoughts, I think I bought myself this journal as sort of a pre-reward for my impending commitment and to remind myself why I’m doing this in the first place. The little book has become a symbol of better times, a clearer mind, and a renewed dedication to a better me.
Chocolate aside, what would you reward yourself with?
Slipping to the Dark Side
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Slipping To The Dark Side
Speaking of acid/base balance (were we?), I bought some pH strips yesterday to test my body’s pH level. But before I reveal the results, let’s go through the list first (no peaking ahead):
You might be acidic if:
1. You’re still tired in the morning.
2. Your sleep is disrupted between 1:00am and 3:00am.
3. You get frequent, severe headaches.
4. Your skin is oily, especially on the face.
5. You have morning breath.
6. Your hands frequently feel cold and damp.
7. You’re more sensitive than normal to cold.
8. You suffer from muscle pains.
9. The rear part of your tongue often feels pasty, and
10. You have a set of salad bowls that say “Cool Whip” on the side (oops, sorry…nope, that’s not acidic, that’s a redneck ;o)
The list goes on, but these are a few of the more common symptoms you might experience if your body has slipped to the acidic side.
Your body maintains a precarious pH balance every minute of every day, with one pH level in the tissues and another in the blood. The tissues in your body can flucuate between a pH of 7.0 to 7.5, whereas your blood has a much narrower range; between 7.36 and 7.42. Given our monumentous swings in eating habits, it’s pretty remarkable that our blood pH seldom slips below 7.36, and a good thing too, because if it does, we could slip into a coma and our heart could stop. Yee-ikes!
Acid-producing foods play a big part in altering the chemistry in our body along with an individual’s level of physical activity, living environment, and personal metabolic capacities. Stronger acids in our diet come from consuming foods such as animal proteins, while weaker acids come from foods such as milk and milk by-products, peanuts and peanut oil.
So, what’s a girl to do if she loves a well-done steak and cauliflower smoothered in cheese sauce followed up with a strawberry milkshake?
You can start by adding more sea salt to your foods to help your kidneys expel acids from your body. You can also consume more of the alkaline-producing foods such as fruits, vegetable roots, wheatgerm, millet and by-products, whole rye bread, fermented milks (kefir), whole grains, vegetable juices (which naturally contain sodium) and aromatic herbs such as parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, and rosemary.
Adding any exercise to your day that accelerates your breathing increases the elimination of weak tissue acids (i.e., from muscles) and contributes to de-acidifying your body through your urine. So drink that water and take that walk!
And now for the reveal! It turns out that my diet isn’t turning my body to the dark side after all. But I’ll be keeping an eye on the food I eat, all the same.
Have you ever had your pH checked? What was the end result for you? Did you change any lifestyle habits because of the result?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Day One ReCleanse Cleansing
8:00 a.m. — I woke up early this morning and started the day with my lemon water and cleansing capsules. An hour later, I’m still not missing my morning coffee and am very clear-headed and looking forward to the day. I’m sure I can blame it on that “honeymoon phase” of the cleanse; the one at the beginning where you’re telling yourself (and still believing yourself) that what you’re doing is so healthy, that a missed cup of coffee doesn’t matter in the grander scheme of things.
Some people don’t like to, or can’t, eat a thing in the morning. I’m the opposite. I like my toast and coffee almost before my feet hit the ground. However, breakfast is still two hours away and I’m not feeling the least bit peckish!
I think what I’ll enjoy most about this cleanse is the fact that it allows me to maintain a fairly regular eating style – no astringent restrictions that won’t allow me to eat with my family at the dinner table. And I’m sure that the foods I’ve chosen for dinner will meet with my family’s approval, so no special meal prep solely for me. That saves me time, effort and cleanup.
Well, that’s it for this morning. Will update you on my day’s progress later this evening.
Cheers!