On with the detox...

It is a new year once again, a time full of anticipation and excitement of what this year has to offer and a time of reflection on what last year taught. I have spent the last couple of days reflecting on 2008 and all of it's joy, sorrow, excitement and drama. It has brought tears to my eyes on a few occasions thinking all that happened this last year for my little family. I celebrated a lot and I also mourned a lot. It was a interesting year that is for sure!

But now...I am preparing myself for 2009 and what it may bring. First of all I am starting with physically getting my body cleansed and healthy because it is the time of year that I must rid my body of all of this junk that has been building up in my system. Which means it is time to detox. For the last couple of years Greg and I have created a ritual by starting the new year with a serious detox. We follow a strict diet eliminating processed sugar, dairy, starches, caffeine, yeast and alcohol for 21 days and follow a 14 day herbal detox supplement.

For those of you who are not familiar with what it means to detox I will do a little explaining. Our bodies are exposed to a lot of junk-chemicals, pesticides, toxins, not to mention all of the crap that we tend to put into our body that aren't necessarily the best things to consume as frequently as we do, such as processed sugar, excess dairy, alcohol and caffeine. By doing an herbal detox it is possible to flush your system of these toxins that have built up over time leaving your body feeling healthier and full of energy. If you are interested in doing a detox and have never done one please do some research first. There are many detox kits around, a lot that are weight-loss oriented, especially online, so I highly recommend to go to your homeopath, your chiropractor, or the local natural food store and talk to someone who knows about the best detox that fits what you need.

There are many reason why people detox but for me it has a deeper meaning that eliminating food that I tend to eat out of habit or stress. But it brings me back to a place where I am connected with my body and I am connected with my food. I have found that in the winter it is easier for me to get lazy when pertaining to eating healthy. Between the weather outside being way too cold and miserable and celebrating a long season of holidays I find myself very sluggish as January 1st rolls around.

I love food as you have noticed, but not just eating the food, but feeling a connection with the food-knowing where it came from, how it was grown, who grew it if possible (which is not usually possible this time of year) and what benefits it offers to my body. That is part of why I garden so intensely, that is why I freeze and can as much from my garden as possible and that is why I go to Eastern Market as often as I do, because I want a direct connection with the food that sustains my body and those of my family's. So for me...detoxing helps me regain my energy and overall feeling of health, but it also reminds me to make a conscious effort to connect with fresh food numerous times a day.

This year I have decided to add to my detox ritual by focusing on my mental and emotional aspects of health as well. I have decided to add daily time to meditate, exercise, read and sleep. These are things that as a mom I have realized get ignored too often. I get so wrapped up in making sure everyone else is okay that I forget to stop each day and ask myself that very same questions. Am I okay today? If not, why? And what can I do about it?

So this week as we started the detox I have asked myself these questions and incorporated these other aspects of health back into my life. In doing so I have vowed that I would pull myself away from the computer and T.V. and take time to be reflective and enjoy life without so much visual stimulation and noise.

So I will close for now saying Happy New Year to all and I hope to be back writing on here in a couple of weeks refreshed and renewed. I wish you Blessing & Peace.