Things that make you go “hmmm”: Insights from a Juice Cleanse!

So, this juice cleanse was a really interesting experience – with many ups AND downs! (If you missed part 1 of our juice re-cap, you can check it out here!)  And if you’re in the mood to shake things up a bit…food challenges are a really good way to do that!! And it doesn’t have to be a juice cleanse…it can be giving up coffee for a week. Or giving up sugar for 21 days. Or packing your lunch for a week. Etc. Keep it simple!!  We all tend to hold attachments to the foods we eat and temporarily taking away those attachments can really make some hidden thoughts and feelings apparent. I definitely learned a lot on this cleanse.

First off, let’s talk about mindless eating. When I was prepping the juices by chopping up fruits and veggies, I was surprised at how many times (pretty much every time haha!) I would go to put a piece of food in my mouth! I stopped myself before I actually ate anything…but still – it made me think. You might be thinking “Popping some pieces of fruit in your mouth isn’t a big deal – heck it’s good for you right?!” Well, technically yes. You’re right. But it really made me wonder how many other times I mindlessly eat and don’t even realize it….just popping food in my mouth because it’s there and not even because I really want it! (hello – candy jar at work!) The cleanse also made me realize how much food I THINK I need vs. how much food I ACTUALLY need. Many times when I eat, I will only have half of my plate finished and feel full. However, my brain pops in and starts saying things like “you only finished HALF! You definitely need to eat more. You’re thin so it doesn’t matter! It’s so good! What if you get hungry later?!” Etc. So I end up eating more than I actually need! I justify it in my head because “I’m thin so I can get away with it” – but do I really get away with it?? I’ve been plagued with digestion issues for years and I could never quite attribute it to any certain food. Perhaps the answer to my problem is the fact that I am “disobeying” my body so frequently! Hmm…interesting right?!

I also noticed during the cleanse that I would feel hungry, but not in an “oh my god, I need food NOW” type of way. It would just be a mild stomach grumble and then I’d be fine. As soon as I started eating again….those “I need to eat or I will DIE!” sensations came back. That’s interesting to me as well. I’m wondering if it is due to the fact that during the cleanse – I KNEW I wasn’t going to be eating, so the desire wasn’t there. I love food and will often make excuses to eat and if I DO get hungry I start to get a mild “panic-y” feeling – like I NEED TO EAT!!! I am wondering how much of that is all in my head….after cleansing, I am thinking most of it! Just something more to be conscious of…

A third interesting “revelation” was the guilt I experienced after eating again. Where did this come from? I thought my days of “feeling guilty because I ate something” were OVER!! Hmm….perhaps it was my inner perfectionist?? Or perhaps a small part of me still holds on to the “thin is better” mentality. Hmm…that’s even more interesting! I honestly thought I didn’t hold on to even a shred of this belief!! I stand corrected…it’s still there – but usually only when I am thinking of myself. I can see beauty in a variety of body shapes and sizes, but for whatever reason I sometimes feel like thin is better on me. Does this make me a bad person? Not at all! Is it a faulty belief…for me – DEFINITELY! Because I AM thin..and I still manage to find things about my physical appearance that I would like to “change”. Must be deeper than weight… At any point, I’m glad it came up because now I can work on releasing that belief and flipping it. You see it’s NORMAL for our brains to have preferences (like for me…”thin” is a preference. “Clear skin” is a preference. “Humor” is a preference). Preferences are completely fine as long as you understand that they are just PREFERENCES and you don’t CLING to them. For example, if I was to cling to my preference of being “thin” – I might be led to engage in behaviors that are counterproductive to my health – just to achieve that preference. It would be like saying “My mind knows what’s best and I am going to ignore my body’s wisdom.” If you find yourself going down this path (and I HAVE gone down this path myself)…it is a slippery slope!! So if it is HEALTH you truly desire, you have to be willing to see through your preferences. Does this mean my preference for being thin will go away…maybe or maybe not. I just won’t be giving much attention to these thoughts and instead I will focus on the desire to be healthy. Does this mean I will give up caring about my appearance – nope! I just won’t be SOLELY focusing on my appearance. Does this mean I will gain weight – possibly..if it benefits my health. Does it mean I will LOSE weight…possibly – if it benefits my health. See where I am going with this? Focus on what you WANT – not what you DON’T want. For me…yes I prefer “thin”, but not if that means it’s to the detriment of my health. So I will acknowledge my preference. Focus on my health, focus on the enjoyment of food (and life!) and let the rest go..allow it to be…This means that sometimes – my body will require A LOT of food. Sometimes it will require very little. I am working on honoring what it is my body is telling me…without focusing on the input of my brain. Because honestly, most of the stuff in my brain (and yours too) is not actually mine. It’s from conditioning. The media. Your friends. Your family. OUTSIDE sources. YOU always know what is best for YOU – you just need to get back in the habit of listening to yourself.

Anyways, I am glad this all came up into my consciousness, because like I said, now I can release it! Otherwise, I would have just continued to hold onto this unconscious (and silly!) belief about life that would hold me back a big way! Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., a Cincinnati psychologist who was quoted for the article, said, “Neuroscience has shown that whatever you focus on shapes your brain. If you’re constantly thinking negative thoughts about your body, that neural pathway becomes stronger—and those thoughts become habitual,” she explains. So what does that mean?? Well thoughts LITERALLY create. Science has proven this. So if you’re always thinking BAD things about yourself, what do you think you will create? More BAD!! Does this mean you are BAD or somehow defective for having negative thoughts?? NO! We ALL have them!! It’s a result of SO many things outside of our control. But we CAN be aware of them and we CAN choose NOT to believe in them. What are you hiding from yourself? From others? In order to make yourself appear more “perfect” or more “in control”?? This isn’t a BAD thing – we ALL do it!! But if you continue to live in denial…it just holds you back from your goals-dreams-life! Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t EASY stuff and it’s not any easier for me than it is for you. The reason why I “know” half of this stuff is because of my own trials and tribulations.  So take it a day at a time and practice being truly authentic with yourself.

All-in-all I am really glad we did this cleanse! It brought to my awareness some things that I never really thought about before. PLUS I kicked my caffeine addiction and learned some yummy juice recipes! I plan to continue juicing on a frequent basis!

And just as a side note: For anyone partaking in your own juice cleanse or planning to partake – PLEASE listen to your bodies. This is supposed to be an overall enjoyable experience. Yes – there are some “uncomfortable” detox symptoms that you may experience, but it’s not supposed to be UNBEARABLE. If at any time it does become too much to handle…just break the fast! Try to eat a fresh, raw vegetable or fruit salad. And then maybe you will feel like you can continue with the juice cleanse…or maybe not. Your call! Listen to your bodies!!!! And try to remember that it really isn’t that serious!

What do you guys think? What negative thoughts do you hold on to? What would happen if you would let them go (“good” and “bad”)?? What food (or other) challenge can you do today to shake things up a bit?!

Let us know!!

Until next time…