A Cranky Morning...Day Two

Hey Miss Margareta,

Thank you for that fab post about Drake revisited.  I'm glad you didn't think I was a total flaky freak for getting such deep comfort from that track.  I kinda giggled at myself when I woke up in the morning cuz I didn't feel quite so inspired by it as I had in the foggy haze of night.

Well, today is Day Two. I woke up a few hours ago.  I'm kind of annoyed because I like to sleep in if I am working the evening shift.  I lay there shifting into a million different positions and tried to feel sleepy, but I was wide awake.  This annoyance is causing me to crave a muffin, or a biscuit, or toast...the mind is tricky like this, it sends out signals to our stomachs that it NEEDS some processed starch to feel better.  This is the challenge today.  I must remember that this juice fast is for my higher good, this morning of irritability is just drop in time in the big scheme of things.  Do I want a quick fix (and feel even more miserable later) or do I want to use this time to heal my body so that I can live a vibrant, healthy, energetic life?

Instead of grabbing a muffin, which unfortunately I keep around the house for my non-detoxing nephew, I sipped some kombucha.  I know this is technically not allowed on the fast, but it soothed my soul, and it looks so pretty in a cocktail glass:P.
 
According to the bottle of Synergy, the benefits of kombucha are as follows:
"Kombucha is a handmade Chinese tea that is delicately cultured for 30 days.  During this time, essential nutrients form like: Active Enzymes, Viable Probiotics, Amino Acids, Antioxidents, and Polyphenols.  All of these combine to create an elixir that imediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality, "

I've read that kombucha is not ideal, but sometimes, we have to decide what feels right for our individual bodies and what is the lesser of two evils.  The two evils this morning would be a muffin versus a sparkly cocktail glass of kombucha.

I've got my juices defrosting for my shift at work.  They look quite scrumptious.  The problem with freezing juices is that you have to wait for them to defrost and sometimes you want them like..NOW.  Good things come to those who wait and patience is a virtue, right?

For inspiration, I brought out a book I had purchased a few years ago called, "The 7 Day Total Cleanse," by Mary McGuire-Wien.  It also has a bunch of great juice recipes.

In the first few days of your cleanse, you may feel worse before you feel better.  This is because every cell in your body is dumping the toxic residue that it has absorbed from the air you breathe, the food you eat, and the environment you live in.  You may experience mood swings or general crankiness as emotional debris is cleared out along with food debris.  If you experience these discomforts, try to think of them as "growing pains"--they are indicators of the growing spaciousness inside you that will result in a remarkable transformation. 

Thank you Mary for the reminder. 

Now some inspiration from God :-)

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.  Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12.

Thank you God for the reminder.

Thank you Margaret for letting me share this space to get my thoughts and frustrations out.  It's amazing how writing can be so cathartic, even when the words are less than poetic and just spit out on the page.

Happy Day Two!!

Erin

Rihanna & Drake Revisited

Thanks to Erin, who introduced me to this sweet jam with a back beat rhythm and a high tech sound that makes me want to move my body down to the ground...I think I am in love with it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H86m44hQgy0&feature=youtu.be

At first I thought it'd be like LL Cool J. reminiscing about the days the many hearts that he broke and he ain't sayin' no names--but instead all I could think about was the sweet character of Christ here.

Rihanna-  "tho you've been hurt by someone else, I can tell by the way you carry yourself ..if you let me, here's what I'll do I'll take care of you...I've loved and I've lost..."

Drake- "I've asked about you and they've told me things but my mind didn't change..I still feel the same..don't be so ashamed.. they won't get you like I will..and that truth hurts and those lies heal and you can't sleep thinking that he lies still ..you cry still..tears all over the pillow case-- big girls all get a little taste-ah- pushing me away so I give a little space -ah dealing with a heart that I didn't break..I'll be there for you, I will care for you, I keep thanking you, you just don't know, trying to run from that..on your face it just don't show...when you're ready and the baggage ain't as heavy...you won't ever have to worry...you won't ever have to hide...you've seen all my mistakes..so look me in my eyes.

In my view, this is the epitome of 'romantic'. It conjures up a modern day version of the Princess Bride where there is such devotion in the way that only true love personifies.  Maybe not the "It's my birthday and I'll get high if I want to" part, but then again I am partway convinced Jesus might have smoked weed if it was legal but I digress. I have been contemplating a lot over the year what traits exemplify Christ, and here are some that come to mind: He's a real Gentleman + He's patient with how much we 'miss the mark'; He's unconditional, kind, understands us to our core,  knows us intimately, compassionate, devoted, healing.  He, like Drake, wipes away [her/our] tears and when we're ready for Him, He is there.  He is enraptured by us no matter what the mainstream consensus may be. He knows the number of tears we have shed, hairs on our heads.. He is a God who redeems everything. The character(?) of Drake is the kind of male I would want to love ME. But he's just fictional. Or at best, a mere man mirroring the Christ we are designed as woman, to hunger for in our hearts.

Erin, thank you soooo much for sharing this. I am so glad it reassured all your fears and overwhelm because I believe there is a human version of Drake out there just waiting for you (not that that was the point of your post) and I also believe God Him/Herself was comforted knowing that a creative work by one of His creations (Rihanna) in this case soothed likely many a person's soul. Including mine tonight when my own husband I swear has PMS.

I think this might be the squishiest message I have ever written so I am going to sign off now. Inside, I feel like this:

Ron Swanson 

Love you so much girlfren'! Also the fact that someone who embodies near perfection (not to mention looks like Barbie) finds little ol' me an inspiration of sorts is the biggest compliment I could hope to receive.

PS: Here is the last juice I had for the night: desert juice. It was mango and strawberry and it was deeeee-lish!

Day 1: Hard but Erin rules so much for contributing to this blog, I stopped noticing.

Erin, can I marry so we can be wesbian wovas? Ahh man, too bad I am straight, I shall have to send you Paul Rudd instead just as soon as he realizes how much more amazing you are compared to almost all people.

OK a real post to come, as I just got home from my weekly couple's counseling with John where I felt "bulldozed", so in the meantime, just wanted to send a shout to Erin for being the friend of my dreams and also just to merely talk about how I got through today-the day that is notoriously the hardest, which it is for me. Not so much the day but the evening I should say. What helped was distractions, meetings, and amazing friends who warm up your heart (as opposed to resorting to food warming up one's tummy tum tum) that makes this all seem totally doable and friends like Erin equally encourage me right back. "Love not food" is my new motto for juice fasting/feasting. GratiTOOD not FOOD (for now) would be another one. And Erin, I'm so sorry for not writing and meeting you with the eloquence you offered. I plan to try tonight but your post was so soulful and deep, I will have to put my propensity for silliness at bay for awhile. 

So as I said, to come soon, but just wanted to paste a new beverage I tried tonight: Vegetable Chocolate Milk because I have heard it's hearty and BOY was it!  OH BOY!?!! (to be read in Dennis' voice from Nickelodeon's 80's version of 'Dennis the Menace')

Vegetable "Chocolate Milk"

Juice Recipe:

1 lb carrots

3 romaine hearts

3 "squirts" of the chocolate nunaturals stevia (as pictured).  Yeah, squirts you read me right. 

3-4 teaspoons of organic cinnamon

Verdict on taste? It pretty much tasted like a cold Mexican hot chocolate. So if you like that, you'll probably like this. Now that I've branched out and tried this with cinnamon, I don't think I'll be going back to doing it the old way, which was just the chocolate flavoring added to the carrot juice, which, as a few of my friends have pointed out accurately, does not quite cut it in terms of passing for chocolate milk.

After having this after some vegetable broth tonight, I can say I'm pretty satiated and feel incredibly satisfied. As Erin mentioned, when your body gets what it truly *needs*, it's no longer crying out for some of the crap we usually crave. And according to the Juice Feasting guys (I can't help but imagine them to be the Brothers Kratt form the hit kids TV show, Zaboomafoo, starring that adorable lemur, zabboo, not because they sound gay necessarily but because they all share in common a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm). Leap. Leap. Leap! You can see it on their faces here: