Green Smoothie Detox Feast

Earlier this year, I did my first Green Smoothie Detox Feast.  Nothing but green smoothies for seven days.  It was hard, but not as hard as I expected.  It was in February, and I even went to a Superbowl party during my detox and managed to stick to my meal plan.  I was pretty proud of myself, because when my friends gather to eat, we eat really, really well.  And it was potluck style, so the food was out/available throughout most of the event.  I'm not really saying this to brag, although I am proud of the accomplishment.  But more accurately, I believe that my ability to stick to it is a testament to the fact that I was not depriving myself nor was I hungry/starving during this Detox Feast.  I was satisfied.  That is a testament to the power of raw fruits and vegetables.  Here's a picture of me (in the Cardinals shirt) and my friend Sherry at the Superbowl party.  See the crockpots on the island behind us?  That counter was FULL of food.  I decided to stick to my plan, and I did.

At any rate, after I completed that back in February, I felt fantastic.  I stayed mostly raw, mostly vegan for a good long time.  I felt so good in fact, that I thought to myself I would do this detox quarterly or twice a year.  I am going to do it again, starting tomorrow.  This time, I will blog about it as I go through it.

I did the Green Smoothie Detox Feast with Living Raw By Grace. You can check it out here:  Living Raw By Grace.  Haley coaches people through the Detox Feast about once a month.  She also offers individual coaching and different classes.  I have learned a lot from Haley.

I did happen to be local to Living Raw By Grace when I did this the first time.  There are some great benefits to that, such as meeting other detox-ers face to face, and meeting with Haley to go grocery shopping prior to the Detox Feast starting.  However, it is not necessary to be local to do this.  This time, I am 1200 miles away due to my relocation.   For the past couple of months, I have been really slacking in the area of my exercise and nutrition (I don't say diet, because to me, this is not a diet, it is a way of life).  But between the stress of packing, moving and getting settled in a new state, quick and easy  has become the norm.  I have mostly stuck to vegetarian meals, but eating out because it's fast and requires no prep on my part has become way too common of an occurrence.  So when I got the email inviting me to participate in the November Detox Feast, I thought this was a good chance to add some structure and accountability back in.  I'm looking at this as a "reset" for myself.  My aches and pains have started to return, my clothes are starting to fit a little snugger.  I haven't gone up a size, but I can surely feel a difference.  My energy is less, my sleep is not as good, all the benefits from the February Detox Feast are fading.  I do not have the luxury of allowing the aches and pains to return.  I do not know my weight, I packed the scale away and will not be getting it out for this process.  It's just a number, and I may have focused too much on it.  I'm trying a new approach.

Tomorrow, I begin my Detox Feast. I'm excited.  This time around, I have a lot more experience with raw food, smoothies and vegan recipes.  I am no expert, and I don't even like the term "vegan"  I don't like labels and I know there are people who are self appointed "vegan police"  and "raw police".  So I don't claim those labels for myself.  I stick to herbivore and/or plant strong.   And truth be told, if I really, really want some thing that is not plant based, I have it.  Most of the time it is not as good as my memory / craving insisted it would be.  Sometimes it is.  Other times, I feel so lousy after indulging that I'm "scared straight", lol.   My diet is not perfect, because I am not perfect.  This is more about me trying to be the best me I can be.  Some days it goes really well, some days I blow it.  That's okay.  I'm a work in progress, God never gives up on me, and for that I am forever grateful.

I am spending a little time tonight making my grocery list and planning my meals for this week.  I always have the fixins' for some type of green smoothie in the house, as I have one most days for breakfast.  So on day 1 I will use up what I have and go shopping for the remainder of the week.

A couple of challenges I can foresee include that I will be doing this alone.  My kids will enjoy smoothies with me, but they will continue to eat "regular" food.  My husband can't get over the green color, so he shies away from the smoothies.  But I did this alone in February too and was successful.  I also see the Halloween candy in the house as a potential stumbling block.  Oh, and the fact that I'm living in an RV and have limited fridge space-that could be a challenge too.  (That is a whole 'nother blog series-downsizing from 4400 square feet to less than 300.  It's been an adventure and a great learning experience too.)

Life is an adventure.  And what if something as simple as adding more greens, more fruits and veggies into your life could change how you feel?  Increased energy, better sleep, clearer brain, better skin, less aches and pains, all of these things could be yours.  I'm not guaranteeing any of that, but what if?  Just, what if it was possible?  Wouldn't even one of these benefits be worth it?  It is to me.  I'm living proof that what you eat matters.

Peace.