The Health Journey: Becoming your body's BFF....

Hi Folks....

I took a break from writing over the last week because I have been EXTREMELY EXHAUSTED.  I have been totally void of all that good raw energy I became acquainted with over the last few weeks during the 30 Day Raw Food Challenge .  So tired in fact that I started having flash backs of my first trimester while pregnant with Caleb.  I went for walks outside to clear my head and I could have fallen asleep while walking.....I was done....finished.....way-layed.....

Confession time:  I fell asleep at my desk.........AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TASK.......that is some serious fatigue.....

Granted I was working with 4 to 6 hours of sleep per night but I was also incorporating cooked foods back into my diet.  I've gone off of 4 to 6 hours a sleep per night before and have NEVER felt this crazy! So I can only deduce that it was the food! It had to be the food! And no..I was not chowing down on oxtails and mac and cheese!

I was talking to my girlfriend who did a three day juice fast a few weeks ago and as she began to incorporate food back into her diet a similar thing happened.  She was bloated...and sick....and EXHAUSTED! She recognized that certain foods were NOT jiving with her system (namely bread and some grains)....and has vowed to STAY AWAY from them.  I'm using all these capital letters to EMPHASIZE the point I'm about to make. 

Here it is: Once you clean your system up and begin to reintroduce food (especially the food that you should not have in the first place) your body will REBEL.  It will talk to you.  It will let you know what it can and cannot handle.  Brain fog or the "itis" is NOT cute and it signals that you ate the wrong thing.  In order to truly be healthy you have to be your body's BFF (Best Friend Forever).  Pay close attention to the headaches, joint pain, bloating, constipation, acne and all other ill effects that may come from eating and drinking things your body does not need.  Keep a food journal to track reactions.  PAY ATTENTION! Sometimes we suffer with headaches and other ailments and have just accepted them like that's how our bodies are supposed to feel. We do not have to suffer as much as we do.   I ignored chronic leg pain for years and just suffered through it.  

After a cleanse your body is more sensitive and fresh.  It will tell you immediately if you've consumed something you should not have.  LISTEN.  If you do not listen it's like committing  suicide.  Everyday   people  are   killing themselves slowly with what they put in their mouths. Because dairy products make me feel sick...I have to completely eliminate dairy from my diet.  If I don't then I'm causing unnecessary injury to my body.  I'm making my body confront known offenders...ON PURPOSE...and to me that's lunacy. To cope with the lost of ice cream I'll be buying an ice cream maker in the next few weeks so I can get my cream on this summer with elements that will NOT make me sick.  Enough is enough. 

So I had to go back to eating MOSTLY ALL raw foods (80 - 90%) to give my body a break and a chance to bounce back!  I'm not mad....I'm actually happy about it.  I like feeling light on my feet, alert after eating and full of energy.

I have a new BFF and she is pretty cool!

Are you friends with your system???



Peace and blessings!

Sleeping Beauty

Good Night Folks (like my Caribbean bretheren would say) -

I am really tired today.  I ran a few miles (first time in months) and my body is asking me: WHY? WHY? WHY?

I have to get ready for a duathalon I signed up for months ago.  Due to the knee pain I started having a few weeks ago, I stopped running.  Now it's time to rev up my running engines! I pushed myself today and my body is telling me to go to sleep.

knee pain! uggggh!!
 

Have you been getting sufficient sleep lately?  In the article The Health Journey: Why are you still awake? I list ways to promote good sleep habits and a restful environment to help you wind down.

Some of the techniques in that article have really helped me!  Since I'm revving up my running engines I must get the proper rest.  It's the only way for my body to truly rejuvenate and heal in preparation for the duathalon.

Lately, I've put more emphasis on my eating habits and the substances I'm putting on my skin, and the same emphasis is needed for improving my sleeping habits. 

Sleeping Beauty was called that because sleep promotes beauty (inside and out)!

I'm going to sleep folks! Gotta get my beauty rest!

Peace and blessings!

The Health Journey: Why are you still awake?

Folks...today I am utterly pooped!  I know I need more rest, but feel compelled to stuff as much as I can into the hours that I am awake...sometimes that means sacrificing sleep.  Good peaceful sleep is the only way for our bodies to truly recharge and heal.   With out it, you cannot operate at optimal levels.  Ever been driving and got tired to the point of falling asleep at the wheel?  Very scary!

Unfortunately, I am an expert at not getting any rest.  It started when I was pregnant.  I would wake up at 2 or 3 a.m. and would not fall back asleep until it was time to get ready for work.  I will admit, this week the homestead is a bit of a mess.  I just don't have enough energy get everything done!  Work is a beast and I am spent.  So why am I still up???????????????????

Getting good rest is a tip I gave in 11 Ways to Eliminate Stress Naturally.  I admit......this tip I rarely fulfill although I know the importance of it.

In the book Back to Eden the author lists ways to relax yourself before bed to ensure a better nights sleep and herbs that can assist.

• Hops
• Motherwort
• Mullein
• Peppermint

The book Digestive Wellness (A Bunch of Papers Put Together for the Journey) also cites a set of herbs to enhance sleep:

• Chamomile
• Valerian root

I will add lavender essential oil or a sleep sachet to the mix. 

We give Caleb Chamomile tea almost every night before bed occasionally jazzed up with peppermint.  During the months when sleep was really a luxury (do to the eczema woes) we tried giving him diluted Valerian root tea.

Both references site very similar tips on how to get a good night's sleep.

1. One hour before bed, turn off all your gadgets (2)
2. Go to bed at the same time each night (2)
3. Don't push yourself to keep going after your steam levels have been depleted. Stop and rest! (1,2)
4. Exercise during the day (1)
5. Make sure your bed is just right (not too soft, not too hard) (1)
6. Try to go to bed on an empty stomach ( I am guilty of late night snacking!!) (1)
7. Purposefully relax your muscles, try deep breathing, listen to music or read a book (1, 2)

This child is knocked out! This is my goal!

So instead of pushing myself to the limit...eating snacks...getting aggravated at what has not been done yet...I AM GOING TO SLEEP TONIGHT!  I will miss my favorite show....but there is always abc.com and Hulu!!

I must start doing what I know to be right concerning getting more quality rest.  It's the only way for me be in my right mind, heal, and be effective during the day.  I almost fell asleep on my keyboard today at work!!! Yikes!

I want to hear back from you!  Do you have any "good night" tips?  Please add them to the list!!

Good Night!

Peace and blessings!



References for this post:
1 - Back to Eden - Jethro Kloss
2 - Digestive Wellness - Elizabeth Lipski