Juice Fast Day 7 - Morning Thoughts

Confession

Yesterday the wheels almost fell off. I spent the day longing for pizza. I didn't have one. But the TV ads for Minsky's gluten-free pizza were almost porno.

In addition, several of my friends read the blog and now I am embarassed somehow & don't want to see them in real life. I can't explain it but I know it is true.

The "Fast" Concept - Why am I doing this?

There are two idea behind the fast. The first - and maybe simpliest - is that I am trying to do something radical to change the way I eat and to recalibrate my food preferences. 

The second idea, which I will address in a later post, is that jucing is giving my body a rest from the work of digestion. By removing most of the bulk from foods by juicing, while at the same time loading up on easily-assimilated nutrients, I am enabling my body to concentrate more on internal healing.

The catalyst was my recent Pilgrimage to Wales. I knew that I had serious arthritis in my knees. Every doctor who looked at them said I was heading for knee replacement. But deep in my heart, I had not appreciated how serious it was. Wales changed that. For sure.

The more I walked, the less I could walk. I was slower than people 20 years older than me. I could not sleep for the pain. I was, as they say, freaked.

Part of me wanted to run, not walk, to the surgeon and have them both done. Immediately. At once - while I still have good insurance from work.

Another, perhaps more sensible, part said, "Why are you always looking to someone else to fix you? Why are you always looking for the softer, easier way? Honestly, you haven't tried very hard to manage this condition yourself. Have you done all you can to see if diet can affect the pain level? Every doctor who talks to you says 'Lose weight'. Have you made a real effort to do so?"

When you are seriously walking down the wrong path, there are two steps to change. First, stop. Don't go any further. Second, turn around.

The fast is the first step. Stop. I am going to spend maybe two weeks NOT eating the way I was.

Perhaps it is the preparation for the second step as well. Turn around. Head in a new direction. If the way I was is not serving me, I have to learn a new way to be.