My health journey is just that… a journey.  It will never end and the learning curve is great.

I became a vegan about 6 years ago.  I was in the midst of silicone poisoning.  {You can read more about that here.}  It was clear that my health was diminishing and I could not function normally in my day to day operations of homemaker, wife, mom, and teacher.  I oftentimes taught school from the couch and shouted out cooking directions to the 8 year old from my bed.  I needed to make a change to my diet if I was going to survive to the point where I could get the explant surgery.  My doctor had recommended a detox and I was fortunate to find a great holistic doctor that would work with me and my many ailments and restrictions.  I was already sugar free, dairy free, and gluten free due to some other health issues.  Making to leap to become a vegan made sense at the time.

It made sense for ME.  My body was already taxed with battling the silicone poisoning that the extra energy it took just to digest animal products, made my energy levels plummet.  At the time, it was recommended that I not do a complete detox until the implants were removed.  I was able to do some modified detoxing and after my implants were removed, I got serious about doing more in depth cleanses.

When my holistic doctor and I sat down at an appointment one day, he looked me straight in the eyes and asked me if I would be serious about making changes for my health.  He was so intense and to be honest, a little intimidating.  Well, of course I was serious.  I really had no idea what level of dedication he was referring to at the time.  He did… hence the laser beam stare and quiet voice.

I was about to embark on a whole new level of self control and commitment.  I would never look at food the same way again.  He spoke slowly and steadily as I frantically wrote notes about the specific program he put together for me.  The ingredients I had never heard of combined with all the restrictions started to make me sweat.  Then came the protocol and time commitment.  When he got to the part about juicing and fasting and not eating solid food for three whole weeks, my knees buckled and I nearly threw my pen down in protest.

Something nagged at me at the back of my mind.  That something was the feeling of complete exhaustion and the life I was missing out on with my family because I was so sick.  Determined to live life again, I refocused on what he was saying and finished my notes.  I committed to do this cleanse.

I just completed another five week cleanse/fast a few weeks ago.  This one was the second one of the year.  I usually do one to two every year now to keep my energy up.  He tweaks each one depending on the latest blood tests or other scans I have done combined with my latest symptoms.  Each cleanse is similar, but very specific to me and what my body needs.  This cleanse, my counter looked a little like this:

The time commitment is huge. I added up how much time I dedicate each week during a cleanse to my cleansing/fasting activities and it averages around 20 hours a week.   In fact, the financial commitment is huge too.  Keeping healthy always has a price.  The self control is daunting.  It’s hard when I am preparing a meal for my family and I am not eating any of it.  It’s hard to sit there with my green drinks while everyone else is chomping on their dinner.  The discipline to keep at it when I am juggling homeschooling three children, wrangling a toddler, and writing for 31 days is a challenge.

People tell me that they couldn’t do what I do.  Maybe not, but perhaps they could.  I’ll be honest and tell you it’s not for the faint of heart.  I think it all comes down to, what is your motivation?  My motivation is to stay healthy for my family.  I do it to have energy to keep doing the things I want to do.  I do what I think is necessary to keep healthy.  Being really sick is a huge motivator to get healthy.  I want to be an active participant in my life with as much quality of life as I can.  Fasting is a discipline that I never thought I would do or could do.  Now, six years later, I am still doing the hard things.  It has stretched me and grown me in so many ways.

My health journey will continue to change and grow depending on what my body needs.  That’s the part I like the best.  If it’s working, keep going.  If it’s not, change it.  It’s okay.  I encourage you to do the same.  Just be brave enough to listen to your body.