I’ve been given the gift of time this weekend, which is perfect because this is the Sunday I start my next juicing fast.
Juicing has grown in popularity over the past few years as the benefits have become more known. I was introduced to juicing over a decade ago through one of my sisters, but it was only seven years ago when I decided to embark on this myself.
A good friend (and at the time work colleague) of mine Lizzie told me that she was about to take on a ten day juicing fast. I thought she was mental – how was it possible to survive ten days without eating solid food and what was the point? I was never into fad dieting and although a few less pounds wouldn’t have been a bad thing, I just didn’t find the concept appealing.
Lizzie went on to educate me on what she believed juicing was all about. As a conscious person, she was all about connecting with her inner-self and found juicing as a mechanism to do this. Now THIS interested me. The person I am now, is not who I’ve always been – I was more high strung and could get stressed quite easily. I was fully aware of this part of my personality and wanted to do something to change the way I managed and reacted to stressful environments and situations.
Stress is creeping killer. By the time we’ve realised its impact on our health, sometimes it’s too late. I wasn’t about the high blood pressure life – it has killed too many of my family members. This was enough of a motivation for me to try juicing for a prolonged period of time. By this point I was eight years into stopping smoking and I hadn’t touched red meat in as many years. I could do this. I set my self a target of seven days, with the caveat that I’d review how I felt each day.
By day one I was HUNGRY, but I wasn’t hangry. It was a bit strange but I rolled with it. By day two I started having headaches, nothing too bad, but they were definitely there. On day three I started to feel quite energised; my tummy had gotten the message that there was no food coming its way and the headaches had subsided. Days 4, 5 and 6 were a breeze and that’s when strange things started happening.
You’re going to think I’m a nutcase, but for the first time in my life I was aware of the power of our senses. I could hear better, see clearer, smell everything – from someone’s food in a different room, to the flowers in my mum’s garden. During my fast, I continued to research juicing and I came across an article that reaffirmed everything I was feeling – fasting increases our awareness. I made the instant connection and recognised that juicing is really a spiritual practice more than anything else.
As well as detoxifying the body, juicing is a great way to detoxify the mind and soul. Combining other practices such as meditation and yoga, you can push yourself into a state of total self-awareness which can have a major positive impact on your life. This isn’t an exaggeration but the reason why I’ve been going at it for so long.
REST, RESTORE, RESET
When we juice, we give our bodies the time to rest by eliminating the energy spent on digestion (which is a massive burden on the body). This is when the process of healing can begin. Our cells (everywhere) begin to restore and we can completely reset our health. This obviously isn’t an overnight process, but even just one day of juicing can kick-start the self-discipline needed to change our future.
Consciousness is fundamental to change. The News Scientist states that “Experiments have suggested that consciousness helps us learn and adapt more rapidly than we could without it”. Consciousness and fasting go hand in hand when you’re not using it for the purposes of weight loss. I recommend this highly and have a wealth of information I’m happy to share. If you would like to find out more, then feel free to contact me. My work is all voluntary and I do not charge for any information, advice or opinion.
Enjoy your Sunday and as always, sending love and light.
DiDi x
Words from a Black Woman 