As I write the full moon is rising above the tree line directly in front of me. It's in Gemini tonight which is all about communication, so it's an apt time to share with you my experience of the cleanse and its effects.It's been almost two weeks of slowly re-introducing the omitted food groups back into my world and watching carefully what happens. I think this process is just as important as the cleanse itself.
The first observation is that I, personally, function a whole lot better without wheat or sugar in my diet. The Indians and Chinese would explain this through their theories of doshas and energies of food. For example, in my case, I am a blend of Vata(air) and Kapha(earth). Things like sugar and wheat are both cold and damp (heavy by nature), which aggravates Kapha's inert tendencies. The result is that I no longer enjoy the lightness and clarity which I experienced during the cleanse when I removed the culprits from my diet.
Many of you would share that same experience, as most people I pulse test react negatively to both wheat and sugar.
My next observation was how convenient food became again once wheat and sugar were allowed back in. During the first couple of days, you may recall that I reported I was caught in the gastronomic gulag of Rye, desperate for something to bring my blood sugar back to normality, but alas went without as there was NOTHING to eat that wasn't black-listed.I realised that most foods of convenience contain wheat. Think about all the snacks or easy-to-make dishes, or foods that take you less than five mins to buy or prepare and what they contain.
Then think about the times you reach for something to eat as a reflex to quench something that may not be hunger related. If it isn't a piece of fruit or some nuts, then it's likely to contain wheat or sugar.What I'm attempting to highlight is the relationship between our lifestyles and our health. It seems that the world of convenience isn't particularly beneficial to our wellbeing. Food is one thing, but what about other areas like pharmaceuticals, exercise and the age of technology?
Ask any open-minded doctor after he/she prescribes a pharmaceutical for a common ailment what the difference between it and taking a natural alternative is, and they will answer "time". Mild ailments like the flu, ear infections, lung congestion etc are not convenient so we turn to acid forming drugs to 'get over' them more quickly in order to return to our regular routine. Not only do we shoot the messenger, a sign delivered to us to say STOP, REST, NURTURE and address the imbalance that caused it in the first place, we also tell the immune system to sit back and take it easy buddy, because something else will do it's job.
Why can't we fit in 20-30 mins of exercise a day be it yoga, walking, swimming or whatever?If you spend the time, the old adage of 'what you give is what you'll get' will prevail. The 30 min investment will return more energy, better focus, and an increase in productivity.
If your mantra is "I don't have enough time/money/energy" and that's the premise for most of your decisions, then when will you?
And think about how convenient our lives have become since computers and mobile phones have snuck into our world requiring satellites and creating wi-fi zones. Hey...I'm the first one to take advantage of these new tools of communication (this blog a case in point) but consider the effect and possible interference the free-range frequencies are having on our beings. We too vibrate at various frequencies...every organ, cell and quark, and when that frequency changes due to interference, we become unwell.
There's a great story about an office of people all dropping like flies which appeared to be a total mystery. The culprit turned out to be a faulty ceiling fan which was resonating at 18Hz. The length of the room matched an 18Hz wavelength, and coincidentally, the brain also operates at 18HZ. The story's not great because people became unwell, it highlights the fact that just because we don't see it, can't touch it, smell it, hear it or taste it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.There's plenty of research going on in this field, and if you wanted to watch a short clip from a BBC story on electro margnetic fields and the effects they have on cells, click here.
What I recommend is common knowledge. If your life requires a number of hours in front of the screen, tear yourself away from it every 50 mins, turn yourself upside down if you know how (hand stand, head stand or shoulder stand) or check in on nature and see what it does for your energy levels and brain.
Nourish and nurture yourselves through diet, relaxation, breathing, and exercising and you will find your body/mind/spirit will enjoy harmony with positive effects on your life.
I am happy to consult anyone on any or all of these areas. For a private session, call me on 0423 161 503 or email b@palateearth.com. For more details of the logistics of the session (location, price and duration), please click here and scroll down to 'Yoga Therapy'
For some healthy and delicious spring/ summer recipes, browse through the articles written here in November, or go to Marieke's recipe library.
