We all know it's important to care for our physical health but sometimes we slip. Last year I went off the rails when it came to eating and I knew it, which is why doing a detox this year was one of my goals. I wanted to realign my relationship with food and recalibrate my body.
What a perfect time and opportunity to cleanse my body as mother earth is undergoing her own cleanse.
So, here I am, still alive, on day four of a five-day juice detox which consists of two different juices, twice a day plus a shot of ginger. Besides water, that's it!
I'm getting more fruit and veggies in these five days than I would in a month, and it helps boost my immune system. And the ginger, wow! Each morning I have a shot of ginger juiced with half an apple and it's potent. Talk about kick starting your system!
I touch on ginger in Natural Healing Techniques; it's been used for medical purposes in eastern medicines for hundreds of years and is known to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. Ginger increases your body temperature and helps to flush out toxins. As I'm writing this I now, I realize why felt so hot the first three mornings!
When I was buying all the veggies at the market, I was asked, 'aren't you going to be hungry?'. Possibly, but if I focused on being hungry, I wouldn't make it through this.
Day one reemphasized how habitual grabbing food can become. The detox forces me to be more mindful about what I'm eating and when. My mind keeps thinking it wants bread and pasta.
Day two, I'm feeling a headache linger, a normal sign of releasing toxins. Day three, I'm halfway through and feeling excited that I'm feeling better. Day four, I'm past the halfway point, whoopee! I'm not really thinking about my next juice, in fact on day two I didn't even need all four juices.
Doing the detox allows me focus on questions such as: what is it deeper within me that causes me to choose to eat when I'm not hungry or when I'm full and what do I need to address to change this?
Through this period of social distancing, I'm utilizing this time to refocus on my physical and mental well-being with this detox, and of course feels better to know I'm caring for my body. Consider it my regular maintenance check.
How are you caring for your physical self during the coronavirus timeout?
Continue to care for your mind, body & soul and wash your hands regularly.
Joanne
Live Your Yellow Brick Road
FB & IG: @LiveYourYBR
Update Day 5/5 of Juicing Detox:
Seems like there is more fruit in today's juices whereas it was quite a mix of other greens veggies throughout the week like, broccoli stems, spinach, kale & so on.
Juice #1: apple, pear, parsnip, lime & mint
Juice #2: apple, carrots, raw beetroot, berries
Until now, parsnips were not a part of my diet, so I'm going to focus on them today.
Parsnips have numerous health benefits including they:
- boost your immune system as they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and organic compounds
- contain vitamin C, E, K & B, and potassium which reduces blood pressure & glucose levels & enhances digestion
- are filling & prevent the release of the hunger hormone (ghrelin), which can reduce your feeling to overeat & snack between meals. Great for weight management.
I'll definitely be including parsnips into my regular eating habits moving forward!
