Someday Isle

Many years ago, I became 

acquainted with the following poem:

There is an Island Fantasy called "Someday Isle" I'll never see;

Recession stops, inflation ceases,

My mortgage is paid and my pay increases;

Someday Isle where my problems end, 

Every piece of mail is from a friend;

The children are sweet and already grown,

Where all the other countries can go it alone;

We all retire at forty-one,

Playing backgammon in the island sun.

Happiness cannot be sought,

It can't be owned, it can't be bought;

Where you are right here, right now, 

Pushing the pencil or pushing the plow,

Life's most important revelation

Is that happiness is the journey,

At least as much as the destination!

It's knocking on doors and making your calls,

It's getting back up after your falls.

It's going to school and standing in line.

It's tasting defeat. And tasting the wine.

I've been trudging through life going mile after mile.

But, I'll never set foot on Someday Isle!

I've paid all my dues and pit in my time,

Then, out of nowhere....another Mount Everest to climb!

I've decided today to make it my vow 
To take Someday Isle and make it NOW! ~Dr. Denis Waitley~

What can we do to make it  happen NOW?

How often in your life have you put something off, saying, "Someday I'll get to that?" A big one for me has been, "Someday I'll improve my health habits and get into better shape!"

Procrastinating some of our stuff could result in fewer "somedays", such as the adventure on which I have embarked. By engaging the journey NOW I just might live longer. Just this morning my count of grandchildren increased by one! With five more sons not yet having any offspring, it would seem I need many more tomorrows to greet and love the coming generation!

How Do You Get Through Your Day?

Sometimes we think we have insurmountable challenges, wondering how we can ever overcome. I just learned of a man in South Carolina with a different perspective on challenges. (link) Watch this YouTube clip and think about what you can learn from him!

Now, our discussion is not about an automotive engineer or NASCAR championships. But, it is about learning to overcome our challenges and roadblocks! Learning is key to my health renewal adventure, as it is to yours. I have been looking primarily at the concepts and methods of juicing. Another common pathway is blending. Each has a strong advocacy. Some claim the other is wrong, some accept both and practice both. I like Joe Cross' comment that it's more about consuming the WHOLE fruits and veggies with all the nutients, combining juicing, blending, and eating them. He has a visual he has labeled as his "juicing vs blending infographic" which gives you a visual description of both processes.

For those wanting some great smoothie recipes, check out www.incrediblesmoothies.com/.

So, How am I doing?

Thank you for asking.  It has been twenty days since I have had any soda pop, with or without caffeine. This weekend will mark two weeks on this adventure. I still have not weighed myself. This because "weight loss" is not my primary focus. At the point of setting out on my journey, I had a hard time breathing, getting up from my desk was a chore. I was retaining fluids and related concern with that. I had trouble sleeping. My blood sugars were way too high, etc., etc.! My main goal has been to improve my overall health. As that occurs, the weight concerns will fall into place. So, twelve days along the path, I can breath much better. I am sleeping better. I definitely eliminate more fluid than I consume. So, my mobility is greatly improved.

My dietary practices are very different than two weeks ago. The first week, I did juice two meals and one meat-based meal daily. This week has been plant-based only. I have "snacked" on whole fruits and veggies, nuts (and even some popcorn), in addition to my juice, As I have prepared my juices, I have experimented with variation......pear or apple, jalepeno pepper, onion or garlic, beets, cilantro, etc. When I was shopping the other day, a friend saw my cart and commented on the amount of produce....something like, "What are you doing, Rick, buying out the produce department?". Of course, that gave the segue into explaining my adventure! 

Sleep it Off!

Are you "burning your candle at both ends?

We all develop habits that sometimes don;t really suit us well. We've discussed habits before. One such pattern many of us slide into is long, late hours, with very little time to sleep. Our bodies actually do need some down-time! I have noticed a coincidence recently. Remember that hint the other day about allowing your body to fast 12 hours every day? I've begun to apply that concept and find that I am sleeping better through the night.




Another of life's negative natural patterns is discouragement. Often a repetitive activity such as a juicing fast could become, it can become discouraging and boring....drinking the same green stuff several times a day. So, discouraged, folks often quit and return to their old habits. Would it break up the boredom and discouragement if you varied your juices? Search out the numerous options of juice recipes providing similar outcomes and "mix it up"!

Albert Einstein taught that mankind uses only 10% of his brain's capacity. We need, for this journey and for life, to discover much more of the possibilities available. This graphic claims that our mind controls only 5% of our brain's function. The other 95% would be unconscious controls! What if we increased our mind's conscious control of our lives?  That may ease the challenges of this and other journeys life presents.

Well, off to work....I'll post more after work!

Life has a way of placing valuable gifts in our paths! Do we watch for them and appreciate them? While I was "at work" today, a dear friend posted a really cool YouTube video on his facebook today....it's about dreams, and about  increasing our consious control! Another coincidence? I was just discussing that concept before I left for work earlier!

One more of those "serendipitous" events of the day - I began reading a book between phone calls, that I received last night.....The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard. Take a look at it. It discusses in depth, many of the success and motivation concepts we've touched on in this and past posts! Again, encouraging taking conscious control! The link offers the book free (limited time), for just the shipping!

Is Your Attitude Up Today?

As with most things in life, our success in renewing our physical well being is strongly guided by our attitude! 

If you are doing a juicing adventure like mine, are you telling yourself, "I have to do this thing!!"?
Or, are you actually excited to begin each day of the new adventure? Are you learning new concepts and steps to take toward success in the journey?

If you are approaching this journey as a drudgery inflicted upon you by your doctor or spouse, any benefits will be lost the moment "they" get off your case! Whereas, if your approach is that of embarking on an adventure, you may find some life-changing learning opportunities along the way. Your benefits will last a long time or even become permanent.

As you travel along this trail of juicing, be sure to experiment with a variety of fruit and veggie blends. Figure out what tastes awesome to you and still provides the benefits you seek! You'll discover combinations you never thought of before. Read blogs and articles on juicing options. Articles, blogs, v-logs, and YouTube channels abound in endless numbers on the topics of juicing and health renewal and attitude renewal! Find mentors in those arenas to give you the boost you needs! With all this information available at your fingertips, you will need to sort out what fits you the best. You will find a whole spectrum of theories and practices from radical religious to totally "look at my sexy body"! Each of us entered this mortal realm with the capability to sort out such details in our own minds. We each also have the capacity to discover how this information resonates with our hearts! There is some pretty wild, even crazy, information available. How does it feel to your  mind and  heart?

(I began this post before beginning my work shift today.So, when I clocked out a few minutes ago and commuted home, I picked up where I left off...)

We can continue this discussion later today. It's time to go to work!

 [In my case "go to work" means to open a dozen browser windows for my employer, and close (or minimize) all my stuff for a few hours. My commute is ZERO!]

Small Steps are Fine!

 The question is, "Are you moving the right direction?", not how fast you're moving!

While I may not notice the individual steps I taken in my Juicing Adventure, as I look back over the last eight days, I can see a great deal of progress! As long as I am facing the direction I need to travel, I know that I will achieve progress. This fact does provide a measure of motivation and encouragement! If you can do so, surround yourself with people and situations that will encourage you in your journey! There are always plenty of folks who have a will to share their "stinkin' thinkin" attitudes! Avoid them.

An interesting tip that I found......

• allow your body 12 hours of fasting every day. This simply means if you consume your breakfast at 7am, be certain to consume you last meal before 7pm! After that stick to water.

What do you do with your juicing pulp? Here are some suggestions:

• If you raise chickens, they will love the pulp!
• If you raise worms, they, also would enjoy helping you recycle the pulp into worm casting for the garden!
• If you keep a compost project going for your garden, it fits well!
• If you don't presently do one of these, I sure your neighbor does! Share it with her.(Who knows? It may become a great friendship!)

        

*[editor's note...if publishing a blog, remember to hit the "publish" button! This was intended to be yesterday's post.]

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

It's a great day to be juice fasting! No green eggs and ham!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

OH NO! Those Darned Cravings!

What should I do when I get a craving for old favorites, when I am engaged in a Juice Fast? 

Here's a link to Ka Sundance, discussing cravings! I enjoy many of the videos and articles from the RawFoodFamily's website, and YouTube channel.

Most of the information I've read says basically the same thing, with some variations. Those common points basically boil down to:

• Drink more juice
• Drink more water
• Refocus on  your motivation, "why am I doing this adventure?"
• Check your progress....blood pressure, blood glucose, weight loss, mind clarity
• Distract yourself with an activity you enjoy....go for a walk, do some yoga, watch a funny movie, read a great book, work in the yard (or shovel some snow)!

Have you ever read the story,  Acres of Diamonds? It's kind of sad. He gave too quickly, like if we were to let the craving get to us and we quit!

The following segment is from YourVegLife:

Probably the toughest thing you have to worry about during the fast are the signals your body gives you. The first 4 to 5 days are the toughest because you will feel incredibly hungry and ready to eat whatever you can find. Make sure you empty your fridge and cupboards of all possible temptations, particularly if these temptations fall into the “binge addiction” category. You don’t want to compromise the success of your fast by being tempted all the time. When you go to work, avoid eating with co-workers during the juice fast. If you have to watch them eat each day, that is torture, unless you are a masochist. Avoid passing by restaurants and places that serve food or limit yourself to doing quick grocery shopping because of all the smells you will have to face. The solution I found was to get my produce delivered at home to avoid having to “see” food in my grocery store.

During the fast, you will also be assaulted by your cravings for certain foods. It may also be foods you used to eat and have chosen to part with years ago. In my case, I found myself with cravings for certain animal products. These were the ones I used to love but let go off. Cravings will pass. Addiction cravings also surface a lot. In my case, I had a lot of cravings for simple carbs like pasta and bread. This is normal. Your body has its own consciousness. It never forgets what used to be. You just have to be vigilant to not fall back into old habits and that is not always easy.

When you feel all the above, just keep drinking your juice. The absorption of nutrients helps calm hunger and cravings. Time to be strong!!

A Day of Renewal and Rebooting

Have you read any good nutrition labels lately?

Of the ingredients on that label, how many of them were in clear, understandable English? Would the food you are consuming, and feeding to the family, be recognizable by your grandmother? Generally speaking, if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it!

Here are just a few of the noticeable highlights of Week 1 of my Juicing Adventure:

• improved mobility and flexibility
• increased energy throughout the day
• blood sugar down significantly 
• no more caffeinated or carbonated beverages! It is said by some that it takes 21 days to make a new habit....I am 15 days into that one!

Moving forward from this point!

An important principle to remember is that you should be looking for improvement, not perfection, in this journey of health renewal. And it should be a journey of HEALTH RENEWAL as opposed to a journey of weight loss! As your health works on the reboot, you will most likely reduce your weight, often significantly. But, the goal should be health renewal!

One major difference between shopping for a juicing adventure and the "normal" way of shopping is the quickly recurring need to restock! Typically, I would go to the store a day or two after payday and buy most of my groceries for the coming month .....meats, canned goods and packaged foods, non food stuff, and some produce. I would go home, portion out the meats into single serving portions and pop them into the freezer. Of course the canned goods would go into the cupboards, etc. Now,  under this newly adopted routine, I need to visit the market much more often! Real foods don't store the same! Many things I intentionally didn't have in the kitchen already (sugar, flour and such). I already managed avoiding much of that junk when I moved into my new man cave six moths ago!