Phase II - Heal your life

Well, it's a whole new ball game, as the saying goes.

The juicy road has come to an end (but hey, I have a good map now and I know how to go back there!) and now it's time to focus on a healthy diet that will continue to support the healing process. My approach will focus on a healing diet that is raw, alkaline and high in greens. I will draw from my experience juice feasting and all the things I have learned on that journey to guide my way towards health. Juice feasting has been a springboard to better health and clearer skin. The battle is not over; a healthy raw diet will continue to support the hard work juice feasting has begun.

I'm happy to report I actually wanted some green juice this morning. It was great to bring green juice to work and look forward to a nice salad. I realized once I got to work though, that I had left at home the fresh salad dressing I had made earlier that morning. No worries; I biked home and had lunch there... it was worth it; that salad dressing was good!

Here's a quick look at what I had today:

1.25L water+lemon (I'm out of msm right now)
1 casgara sagrada (last one)
1 intestinal movement
1 leaky-gut formula
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1.5L cleansing smoothie from RFRW (grape/fig)
2 probiotics
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1L celery/kale/parsley+E3live+kelp+Hsalt
Enzymes
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1/4 small watermelon
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Salad: Arugula/baby spinach/pear/currants/pumpkin seeds + sweet grapefruit dressing
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Flax crackers
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Zucchini noodles with almond pesto
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2 apples
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6 dates
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1 banana larabar

And yes... the PESTO was ridiculously good. I'm so happy I made that to celebrate my first day back on raw. I was also proud of myself that I only had a small portion and left enough for tomorrow. I used to eat HUGE portions of food before, so I really hope I'm able to continue having smaller portioned meals.

Now... onto something REALLY interesting. Has anyone heard of Louise Hay? I bought her book "You can heal your life" after I saw a really short video about the movie (that references the book) on youtube. I wasn't planning on reading the book until later... I was busy reading "12 steps to raw foods" by Boutenko. I just happened to flip through it on Sunday a bit and found something astounding. First, here's what Amazon has to say about the book:

The timeless message of the book is that we are each responsible for our own reality and "dis-ease." Hay believes we make ourselves ill by having thoughts of self-hatred. She includes a directory of ailments and emotional causes for each with a corresponding affirmation to help overcome the illness. For example, the probable cause of multiple sclerosis is "mental hardness, hard-heartedness, iron will, and inflexibility." The healing "thought pattern" would be: "By choosing loving, joyous thoughts, I created a loving joyous world. I am safe and free."
--P. Randall Cohan

Pretty intense right? According to this, thoughts are at the root of our ailments. It's not the first time I've heard this: I read a book called Skin Deep that was of the same opinion. It was about how repressed memories, anger and resentment are at the root of psoriasis and other skin diseases. I wasn't too thrilled about the idea then. Edgar Cayce also said that negative thoughts create acidity in the body.

I've never tried to "emotional detox". I do have a lot of repressed anger and resentment from the daily torture I was inflicted as a child and teenager while growing up as a closeted gay kid in a really hostile and closed-minded small town. Repeated beatings, name-calling, threats... I even had a guy throw a kleenex full of semen at the back of my head once. Those years were HELL. When I finally was able to move away (as soon as I graduated high school, I was 16) I did! I'm 100 times better off but I still have a lot of repressed anger. I still expect the worst of people I don't know. Having friends (I had none in high school) still feels very alien to me.

The thing about Louise Hay's approach is that she's adamant that it's not about condoning the behavior; it's about letting go of the past's hold that it has on us. It's about filling your mind with loving thoughts and positive affirmations to heal yourself. I can't get enough of this. I went on itunes and downloaded tons of her affirmation mp3s so that I can listen to them while I sleep, while I work, while I make food... etc etc. I wake up to Louise and I go to bed to Louise! :) I want to rid myself of all these negative thoughts.

I've done so much work on my body... it's time to detox the mind now. :) Here is what Louise says the cause of psoriasis is:

Fear of being hurt. Deadening of the sense of self. Refusing to accept responsibility for your own feelings.

That sounds about right. Here is what the daily affirmation for healing psoriasis is:
I am alive to the joys of living. I deserve and accept the very best in life. I love and approve of myself.

This book is just mind blowing. I am so happy it found its way to me. I still can't believe it's almost as old as I am and I had never heard of it. This seems like it should be one of those books that everyone should know about.

Well that's it for today's post. I'm going to go lay down now :)

Lots of love!

- Ben