21 DAYS, oh boy!

I am embarking on an adventure to heal myself! And I could not be more excited!  The Martha’s Vineyard Detox is a cleansing detoxification program.

“We are all exposed to chemicals and substances in our daily environments: cigarette smoke, smokestack emissions pesticide runoff, carpet, paint and bleach fumes, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, antibiotics and hormones, dry-cleaning fluid residue, nail polish, hair color harm our body and compromise our health…Overtime, toxic elements accumulate in our cells, gunk up our organs, erode our quality of life, and cause many of the low-grade discomforts that are familiar: allergies, fatigue, heartburn, headaches and loss of energy.  Toxins make us more susceptible to serious chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.  In fact, these poisons foul up the delicate inner workings of our bodies so much that many of us gain unwanted weight.”

Upfront I will say my mom is a trained naturopath.  She has been a vocal proponent of natural remedies and the belief in the body’s ability to heal and keep itself healthy.  Generally I would agree that traditional Chinese medicine makes sense to me — which is based on the concept that the human body is a small universe with a set of sophisticated and interconnected systems, and that those systems usually work in balance to maintain the healthy function of the human body.

But my “universe” has been messed up for some time.

I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life hearing about ‘this or that’ theory or the latest diet or fast she was doing.  And since my mom had struggled with her own health, and weight, and has yo-yo’d, I pretty much dismissed it all cart blanch. I heard her testimony about healing herself of thyroid problems and lung disease and took it with some skepticism.  I would use the occasional L-lysine for boosting your immune system and tried a few other things, but mostly — unfortunately — I was patronizing and glib about most of her plans, though I never expressed it out loud (to her)  — I simply didn’t listen to her.  Like Charlie Brown’s parents, her health advice went in as “Wah, wah.”  Very sorry Mom!

It is a mystery to me why I was open to considering my health right now.  I believe spiritually and physically I was searching for some answers and for whatever reason the timing was right.

My sister was doing this particular detox last year and I saw the immediate health results — that really sold me.  Health issues that she has struggled with her entire adult life just “went away” via this detox.  (She has since backed this up with her medical doctor’s analysis.) And so I read the book over Christmas break and just finished it.  And the book is compelling!

Read my blog  “I have eaten my last waffle!” here for how it began for me.

My fast begins today (when my stuff arrives in the mail) but it was not something that you can go into without planning.  I have to admit upfront that this fast is going to be a challenge!  Thus far, I have ordered my supplements and green drinks.  I have had the first dreaded colonic. (Not as bad as you would think!)  I will have a Lymphatic Massage tomorrow.  My first reaction is expensive.  Already expensive!  Your average person would not probably afford $200 of vitamins, supplements, etc. and the $110 for colonic and ionic foot bath.  Only if you were already extremely ill would it make sense.  But we’ll see.  I’ll keep track of the expenses vs. what I get out of it.

As a writer I thought this book was badly organized.  So one of the things I want to do during this fast, is to break things down more clearly.  The science and personal reflections in the book are important to read, so if you’re interested in this detox you will still have to read the book. It is 21 Pounds in 21 Days. The Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox by Roni DeLUZ founder of the Martha’s Vineyard Holistic Retreat.

Disclaimer: If you are at all squeamish about  how your bodily functions OR reading  about physical changes in mine, this [21 DAY FAST] segment of my blog may not be for you.  But I would say, give it a chance.  I may talk about colonics and other bodily changes, it is not because I’m strange but because I WANT THIS TO BE A REAL DIARY OF MY EXPERIENCE DURING THE 21 DAYS and we get squeamish about these things and ignore what our body is saying to us. And the point of a cleansing toxins out is to experience the changes within and I would like to be able to let others know of the benefits.  Because my prediction is that this will be life changing.

[OK, so you have been warned.]

As I finished up the book the Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox and began to make my plans, one of the things I needed to do was think about my goals.

Why am I completing this detox?

I think my reasons have evolved.  As soon as I began to read the book I began to be more aware of my body.  The extreme discomfort in my clothing, certain aches and pains like frequent head-aches, strange pain in my right lower tummy area after eating, constant constipation, sore stiff knees,  and difficulty sleeping sometimes.  On top of that I quit smoking and drinking alcohol in the last year, so my lungs and my liver are toxic.  I struggle with depression and anxiety and have taken an antidepressant medication for about five years.  I stopped another medication this year.  I have chronic allergies and pop Benadryl like candy.  As well as Advil or something like it for headaches. I’m addicted to caffeine and joke about it as if it’s funny.

Well apparently most of these things are not or do not need to be a part of my life.  Huh!   I can detox my way out of most of them. And so can you.  NONE of these things are something one HAS to live with and endure.

Oh, and I forgot the most troubling reason: I have gained some weight all over, but especially around the middle, and I can not seem to rid myself of it!  I am not a dieter, so this has frustrated me like hell! A lot of it has to do with my sedentary lifestyle but I just have no energy for things.  No Zeal, no Zest for life!

Guess what, we do not have to live with these type of discomforts and we can heal our body of these things with a detox.

I am looking forward to and expect: more energy, less need to sleep, better mental clarity, memory and focus; fewer headaches and backache; less knee aches and joint pain; a reduction in cellulite; fewer colds and a stronger immune system.

Next time I will talk about exactly what the detox involves.

I will keep you posted as to how I am feeling.