In the spirit of Spring (or at least the yearning for it) I dedicated this week to fresh starts. And added a juice fast to the equation to aid in the quest to refocus. Here's a mini-diary of my inner dialogue during the process.
Day 1: I LOVE this! Prepared juices for the entire day and went easily about my routine. I feel better just having this much produce in my house! And there's something to be said for spending time in the kitchen...I feel so put together!!! Thrilled for a fresh start!
Day 2: This really is far easier than I remember (JuiceFast.NYC.2011 was the first). I could probably do this for a month and be fine with it. Juice is tasty. I'm really not as attached to food as I thought. Going strong.
Day 3: Little thrown by the morning juice prep...clearly no slacking allowed in the morning or it means not eating all day. So long extra half-hour of sleep. Luckily this is going so well.
...
First hunger pangs! Forgot to juice between coachings and concert...this would be so much easier if I could just attach myself to a juice IV.
Day 4: SO. TIRED. 6 hours of Russian class, 6 metro rides AND work can't possibly be done on only juice! If I can just make it to my train without passing out this juice fast will be a success...I might never need to drink juice again.
...
Such a drama queen. Survived the rough stretch of the day. Which was...well, most of the day from 9-5. Note to self: work on continued attitude adjustment.
And then...it was over. And despite my dramatics on Day 4, the process was actually relatively painless. There was actually a moment mid-fast when the thought crossed my mind, "Shouldn't I really be suffering a lot more?" And now we get to the life lessons portion.
Making a change doesn't always have to painful. When we focus on the thing we want to change, or effectively eliminate from our behavior, it seems like removing all those weeks, months, or years of routine can only end in misery. BUT really all that's needed is a new habit. Look at it from the perspective of creation and formation and it's far more rewarding.
While I'm most definitely not trying to build the habit of only drinking juice for the rest of my life, spending more time in the kitchen for me is a must. I hardly ever do it. And even making only juice this week quadrupled the amount of time I spend "cooking" during the week. Why this is important? It's me time. Me caring about my health. Me not feeling victimized by my choices at our cafeteria. And me not being so rushed that I convince myself I don't have time for the little things. Like actually making a meal.
Eliminating the ability to eat your emotions enables you to evaluate them more effectively. For the first month I was in Russia, I considered the woman at the local bakery my closest friend. I saw her nearly every day and she was always prepared to recommend the newest sweet. Without chocolate to run to, you're forced to actually acknowledge and deal with the feelings that you so desperately want to eat.
I love food. I love the taste and texture. I love the social element it adds to life. I love the experience of trying new things. I love the insight food brings to a culture. Basically...I'm grateful to be eating again. With improved judgment and perspective in doing so!
For those interested, my all-time favorite juice recipe!
Spinach (3 large handfuls)
Kale (Around 6 stalks)
1 cucumber
2 green apples
1 lemon
small handful of parsley
I end up doing some estimates, but keep the spinach and kale ratio about 1:1. Unfortunately I have yet to happen across kale in my current country...if you're in the same boat, just stick with spinach. Still tasty! Add celery or pineapple to the mix if you want to switch it up!
I also experimented with beets a lot this time around, as we have them in abundance here in Russia. I loved this blog and tried several of the recipes included, with slight variations. My only complaint would (strangely) be that the green juice recipes posted all came out too sweet for my taste! But it's a great site for inspiration on all fronts of healthy eating!
Here's to juice, spring, renewal, and a Saturday off!
Day 1: I LOVE this! Prepared juices for the entire day and went easily about my routine. I feel better just having this much produce in my house! And there's something to be said for spending time in the kitchen...I feel so put together!!! Thrilled for a fresh start!
Day 2: This really is far easier than I remember (JuiceFast.NYC.2011 was the first). I could probably do this for a month and be fine with it. Juice is tasty. I'm really not as attached to food as I thought. Going strong.
Day 3: Little thrown by the morning juice prep...clearly no slacking allowed in the morning or it means not eating all day. So long extra half-hour of sleep. Luckily this is going so well.
...
First hunger pangs! Forgot to juice between coachings and concert...this would be so much easier if I could just attach myself to a juice IV.
Day 4: SO. TIRED. 6 hours of Russian class, 6 metro rides AND work can't possibly be done on only juice! If I can just make it to my train without passing out this juice fast will be a success...I might never need to drink juice again.
...
Such a drama queen. Survived the rough stretch of the day. Which was...well, most of the day from 9-5. Note to self: work on continued attitude adjustment.
And then...it was over. And despite my dramatics on Day 4, the process was actually relatively painless. There was actually a moment mid-fast when the thought crossed my mind, "Shouldn't I really be suffering a lot more?" And now we get to the life lessons portion.
Making a change doesn't always have to painful. When we focus on the thing we want to change, or effectively eliminate from our behavior, it seems like removing all those weeks, months, or years of routine can only end in misery. BUT really all that's needed is a new habit. Look at it from the perspective of creation and formation and it's far more rewarding.
While I'm most definitely not trying to build the habit of only drinking juice for the rest of my life, spending more time in the kitchen for me is a must. I hardly ever do it. And even making only juice this week quadrupled the amount of time I spend "cooking" during the week. Why this is important? It's me time. Me caring about my health. Me not feeling victimized by my choices at our cafeteria. And me not being so rushed that I convince myself I don't have time for the little things. Like actually making a meal.
Eliminating the ability to eat your emotions enables you to evaluate them more effectively. For the first month I was in Russia, I considered the woman at the local bakery my closest friend. I saw her nearly every day and she was always prepared to recommend the newest sweet. Without chocolate to run to, you're forced to actually acknowledge and deal with the feelings that you so desperately want to eat.
I love food. I love the taste and texture. I love the social element it adds to life. I love the experience of trying new things. I love the insight food brings to a culture. Basically...I'm grateful to be eating again. With improved judgment and perspective in doing so!
For those interested, my all-time favorite juice recipe!
Spinach (3 large handfuls)
Kale (Around 6 stalks)
1 cucumber
2 green apples
1 lemon
small handful of parsley
I end up doing some estimates, but keep the spinach and kale ratio about 1:1. Unfortunately I have yet to happen across kale in my current country...if you're in the same boat, just stick with spinach. Still tasty! Add celery or pineapple to the mix if you want to switch it up!
I also experimented with beets a lot this time around, as we have them in abundance here in Russia. I loved this blog and tried several of the recipes included, with slight variations. My only complaint would (strangely) be that the green juice recipes posted all came out too sweet for my taste! But it's a great site for inspiration on all fronts of healthy eating!
Here's to juice, spring, renewal, and a Saturday off!
It's so interesting to read your internal dialogue during juice moments. I'm looking forward to try kale. I like the refreshing and good feeling juices give after a good run or workout. Have a great weekend X
ReplyDeleteI've never really got into juicing. But I'm glad that you survived the week! And with a good lesson to boot!
ReplyDeleteSo the unbelievable part of this blog is that I now want to do a juice fast. Send me the recipes for each day. I think I might like this after all.
ReplyDelete