There is no measuring what improving your health would do to your life. There is no dollar sign, no percentage, no color coding… when you have been struggling with your health for a while, call it weeks, months, years, decades, and you have tried everything under the sun to feel better but not much works, finding something that gives you a little bit of improvement, changes your every day. You see the colors brighter, and your mood improves, which in turn helps your body feel better. By no means am I implying that you create this in your mind, oh no! But I do know by experience, that every ounce of extra energy and every bit less of pain you feel, has an effect on your outlook and therefore on your recovery. In this journey I have decided to stay on this lifestyle a while longer, and I plan on telling you what has happened since I finished the cleanse (officially), and my reasons to go this route.
It has been a few weeks since I have been done with the cleanse, and I decided to continue on without processed food, sugar, processed vegetable proteins (I was vegetarian before anyway), caffeine, etc., etc., etc. I continue to eat vegan. I have added other veggies and I have added cooked meals in the evenings mostly. I continue the morning routine with lemon water, celery juice and the detox smoothie. I have added some foods like quinoa and potatoes back into my diet. I did so gradually and had absolutely no problem at all, and I haven’t even had heartburn at all. It was a constant issue for me previously. I added vegetables with tons of protein like mushrooms and eggplant, and more avocado than the once-ish a week suggested in the detox. I keep seeing the inflammation go away, and I keep losing weight steadily and slowly (no more than 2 pounds per week). It is great that the weight loss is slow and steady, which will make it more sustainable and less shocking to the body in the long run. And seriously, it is unlikely that I can eat any healthier than I already am! I like the fact that even though I am still not sleeping nearly enough (yes, partly blame the toddler), and I don’t get to exercise as much as I would like to, the effects of the lifestyle change I can definitely see and feel. It has been a few years since I felt like myself, even a little bit. I cannot remember the last time I could run or jump with my son and not feel like I needed a bath followed by a massage and a pain killer that night to survive the next day. Let alone being able to actually keep up with him. That right there, makes my eyes tear up a little! Then there is the brain fog… not going to lie, there has been days when I still forget where my phone or headset is, but the way my brain processes information is way clearer. Some days I even feel like I am myself again, I look at my face on the mirror and I can recognize my smile once more. I can plan for things and retain information much better again. Am I out of the woods? Unfortunately, no. I am a long way to healing completely, but I will take every bit I can, and every little thing that provides me with better quality of life, even if I have to ditch my beloved chocolate ice cream, bread, and cheese. And if it is in the cards for me, I can heal, and enjoy those once again. Or will I? hmm… time will tell, but what I do know is that being constant, disciplined, and committed to myself, is slowly paying off so far. I have not decided when I am going to stop this vegan diet. I am listening to my body right now, and it feels good. I follow the lead and pay attention to what it asks me for. Sure, the chocolate IS tempting, but I will go for a piece of fruit, or some baby carrots instead. And yes, I will have a homemade popsicle if I crave it after playing outside with my son without feeling bad about it. It is really ok to have some balance. I want to add some other foods like beans and garbanzos little by little and see how I feel. That is probably the easiest way to decide if the time is right to go back to them or I should wait. I really hope this information proves helpful. I hope someone finds this and gets motivated to do something similar. You can make small changes today: drink 2 coffees instead of five (or none at all); drink to fresh celery juice in the morning, or simply cut all processed sugar! Every little thing you do to improve your health, will be compensated in the end. We have this one body and this one life… might as well do good by it. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey once again. You can find more on my IG and YouTube channels. Please reach out, comment, ask, tell me your story, your challenges. I love hearing from you! Have a wonderful day! Love, Light, and Music, Yeshiva Lex~
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