get the funk out!

so.... i won't go into to many details, mainly so this entry isn't 800 pages long, but I've been pretty sick and tired this winter, well maybe even this past year :( It started about a year ago, where i found it difficult to be happy anymore, and my husband and I were not in a happy place (spending lots of time together, but no time together, if you know what i mean). So, we realized that was not good for us, and have been working on that issue. at the same time, I've been trying to identify the specific things that make me happy as an individual, and have been incorporating more of those into my life. we went on a long trip to Europe in september and had a wonderful time. It was a good time for us to regroup, come together again, relax, be free from the shackles of everyday life, and have some real FUN!

So, when we got back, I thought everything was fixed! But then we got back into the routine of life, I started a new job and was focusing on that, and all sorts of other things, and basically, we ended up being sick for months on end.... continuous colds, lethargy, blank minds, and the flu for both of us. not very fun. it didn't seem like we could get ahead in anyway. we were eating crappily, and not excersing, and not having the energy to do anything about it. we finally, with time and some antibiotics, got rid of the flus and colds, and started to see a glimmer of health at the end of the congested tunnel.

We've done fasts and cleanses before, not that many, but a few and I remembered how good I felt after them, and suggested we do an extended one together. We'd done them for 3-6 days before, but this time we decided to do an 11 day one. I have several books by a nutritionist named Dr. Bernard Jensen. He was one of those health and wellness people like Dr. Kellogg at the turn of the century, believing that a squeeky clean inside and the right combinations of movement, food and happiness would help anyone feel better. Jensen was actually a really big proponent of having clean intestines and bowels. I actually own two books that have bowel care and bowel management in the title! There were pictures in the books that showed how intestinally centred this guy was - but they were so freaking disgusting that I cut them out. I can now read my books without gagging from here to eternity! We did NOT do the home colonics which are step-by-step explained in the books, but I have the directions if anyone wants to try one!! Anyway, he was very focused on healing the WHOLE person, not just healing bits and pieces, and one does this, according to him, by good regimes that lead to tissue cleansing - basically, stay clean and whole from the inside out, and you will live long and prosper.

I like this guy's way of thinking. I bought these books ages ago, one of them even before I moved out on my own, in my early twenties. I just don't always crack them open and follow the suggestions as often as my body would like. SO.... we decided to do his 11 day elimination diet. It was great! We made it through the whole 11 days without cheating (too many times) and feel so much better than we did three weeks ago! I myself feel like a totally different person, and feel better and more energetic than I have in months. I've even started going back to the gym, and that's helping even more. Yeay me! I only hope that I have the courage to keep it up! We've been eating fairly regularly since the end of the cleanse, but we've definitely cut back our portions, and have added more fruit and vegetables into the daily intake, and less wheat and other stodgy foods. Just being more watchful of what I'm eating is better than shovelling whatever the hell I wanted to into my hole. Even if I have the occasional TimBit at work when those EVIL people bring them in, I know that it's ok in the grand scheme of things, as I am going to chase it with a soy-harvest-fruit munch. Not really, but it's the thought that counts ;)

Anyway, I'm including the cleanse below for any who are daring enough to get rid of those toxins you are carrying around! Oh, perhaps once you've recovered from the image of those toxic intestines, one day I'll tell you about the stuff that came out of me :) Don't be frightened, it was just lots of liquids.... :)

This diet can be adjusted how you like. For example, you could do stage one for only one day, and stage 3 for three days, it's up to you.

Stage 1: 3 days
- water and fruit juice only, preferably grapefruit juice. One glass of juice every four hours.

Stage 2: 2 days
- fruit only - grapes, melons, tomatoes, pears, peaches, plums, dried fruit (reconstituted, ie, soaked in water overnight), baked apples

Stage 3: 6 days
- citrus fruit for breakfast
- salad of three to six vegetables for lunch, plus, two cups of Vital broth
- two or three steamed vegetables for dinner, plus, two cups of Vital broth
- of you get hungry between meals, you can have fruit juice or fruit (you won't really get hungry, since your stomach has shrunk a lot by this point)

Vital Broth
- 2 quarts water
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable broth powder
- 3 cups finely chopped celery stalks
- 2 cups finely chopped celery tops
- 2 cups finely chopped carrot tops
- 2 cups finely chopped (1/4 inch thick) potato peelings
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped

Place all ingredients in a large soup pot. Slowly bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about twenty minutes. Strain the broth and allow to cool slightly. Drink.


The broth is really quite tasty - especially since we added more garlic, and threw in a hot pepper for more flavour (well, really, to disguise the celery flavour which we don't like).

So there you go! Enjoy, and happing releasing! :)

For those of you just looking for updates to my recent sewing project, and have stayed even after reading all the above, do not fret, the Project will commence this weekend!!