Cleaning

I need to clean up my act.

When I tore the muscle in my back last September, it put me out of action for months. I have NEVER gone this long in my life without being physically active.

Ever.

As a consequence, I have become soft, and flabby, and have gained 10 pounds. The weight gain could be a lot worse, so I am thankful for that.

However, now I am noticing that my skin condition (I have something called rosacea. it's a permanent redness of the face and upper chest) is changing and getting worse, and that I am having more break outs in general.

That's natural at this age, as hormones change. But I can feel that there's more to it than that.

My periods are also horrendous. I mean, HORRENDOUS. Debilitating. And unpredictable.

SO...I decided yesterday that I need to do a bit of a cleanse.

Nothing drastic, like the folks at the Chiropractor's office I used to work for would do...but SOMETHING.

Unfortunately, I decided this hours before one of my horrendous periods decided to start.

So much for staying off of chemical pain killers and avoiding alcohol for a few days!

I can't stand up straight without 4 ibuprofin having gone down my gullet. And red wine is THE BEST comfort for me when it gets bad.

BUT, be that as it may, I am going to do my best anyway.

I started on the liver tonic yesterday. This will help my liver flush out months' worth of bad choices and habits. Excess fat, excess alcohol, excess excess---all compounded by little or no exercise, and the resulting lack of lymph flow.

The tonic is just lemonade, basically.
The acids in the lemon juice help break up the deposits, and the extra tonic ingredient of powdered cayenne pepper stimulates the liver, encouraging it to open up and dump those broken up deposits.

It's very safe, and very effective. Juice of one lemon, cayenne pepper to tolerance, grade B or grade C maple syrup (for added nutrients and to cut the edge), and fill to 32 oz with pure water.

I'm also drinking apple cider. The malic acid in apples does much the same thing as the lemon juice.

Since the skin is the body's OTHER toxin processing organ, it's a sign for me that my liver is over-loaded when my skin starts to break out.

My hope? That clearing out the congestion in my liver will help it process my hormones more efficiently, thus making my periods less brutal. And, that my skin will look better.

I am also eating very clean, to help this process along.
I tried to buy mostly organic yesterday, and loaded up on produce. Even after nearly 20 years as a vegetarian, I am not naturally inclined to eat my 5 servings per day of fruits and veggies.

But, I am really going to focus for a few days. I made brown rice with miso, organic chicken breast, and veggies for lunch. I will have that for dinner tonight, too, and possibly breakfast tomorrow as well.

I included brocolli, asparagus, and yellow squash, and added some ginger, for it's digestive aid properties and anti-inflammatory properties....not to mention, the flavor!

I also made a batch of veggie loaded mulligatawny soup yesterday. I want the anti-inflammatory properties of the tumeric (which is what makes curry powder yellow), and the nurturing properties of chicken broth.

Hopefully, a few days of this will get me started on losing some of this sedentary goo in my liver, as well as on my body's frame!

Did a stretching routine today, and later, I will be going to P's house to do some dance movement. Maybe having someone else to encourage me will make it easier to get back into dance.

I've tried on my own, and it usually lasts about a day. Then, I'm sore the next day, and say to myself..."I'll give it a few days and try again...." and weeks go by.

So....wish me luck! Spring cleaning has begun!