Lost Generation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA&feature=player_embedded

Setting up house

The heart of the house is the kitchen. Our house underwent a heart transplant over the weekend, and by the end of this week, the kitchen will finally be finished, electrics connected, and ready for culinary creations. I am so excited.

When Andy and I got back from Bath, we went straight to the house as the first big piece of furniture had arrived. Our sofa, in a million pieces with a one inch thick instruction manual on how to put it together. I took 45 minutes out to thoroughly read this thing before assembly. And it took us 5 hours to put it together. We started at 2:30 and did not finish until 8. It took complete teamwork, there is no way one person could do it on their own. Andy and I were buzzing from our weekend that we didn't even notice the time go by putting the sofa together. When it was finally assembled we both felt such a sense of accomplishment. I collapsed on the sofa to relax a moment to take it all in. Renovation projects are hard work, even if you are paying someone to do the work. But in the end, you look back and realise it's totally worth it. Our granny house has underegone major change. Welcome to the ultimate entertainment lounge.

The Royal Weekend in Bath

I had a three day weekend and started Friday morning by meeting Luci and Sophia at the house. I wanted to show them the progress and have a nice little catch up. I had spent the night before packing and doing laundry preparing for our road trip to London to stay with Andy's friends.
By 2pm Andy and I were on the road and I had no idea that he'd prepared a suprise escape trip to Bath! We'd always wanted to go up there, and when I finally twigged in the car I burst into uncontrollable giggles. The stress of work came undone in a heartbeat and the fun began. We descended into Bath on a long hilly twisting road that had many beautiful old English manor houses with big gates. Bath is regal, has a wonderfully enchanting feel to it, and caters to a more creative appetite. On first impression, I was impressed. It got better though, because when we arrived to the road leading to the hotel, it led to an enormous green park, massive roman facade crescent, and smack dab in the middle- The Royal Crescent Hotel. Oh my gosh, are we staying there?! No way, really!!!! YAY!!!

The Royal Crescent has a proper Alfred style butler, who greets you and ushers you into the drawing room. They do not have a front desk, they come to you, take your info, unpack your car...dont' even think of lifting a finger. Finally, 5 star service in the UK. It was an impossible dream come true. Our room was romantic, soft Victorian furnishings with a beautiful sash window overlooking the gardens and lawn where we had afternoon tea. They have a private thermal spa bath house, which also offers spa treatments. We would have indulged in a massage if the pro-golfer who was also staying at the hotel wouldn't have reserved every single free session left that weekend. But we did relax in the pools and big barrells, basking in the natural light that came through the peaked windows. It was magical.

On Friday evening, Andy and I headed out to the Thermaspa in Bath town, to watch the sunset from the rooftop thermal pool. Awesome. On one side, sunset view, on the other side, Bath Cathedral lit up in glory. We feasted at dinner and I just couldn't believe that we finally had some down time to relax. Everything has been so go go go over the last two months with the house, and work, and prepping to move etc. We both really needed it.

Saturday We met up with friends for lunch, and had afternoon tea on the lawn and played some board games. Then we went into town to watch Rugby and do some shopping. The sun was out, it was warm, and again, the day could not be more perfect. In the evening Andy took me to the Moon and Sixpence for dinner. We gorged ourselves on a vegetarian rotollo made of butternut squash, ricotta cheese, sweet potato and spinach. Mouthwatering blessings all over the tastebuds, and at the end, we were stuffed to the brim.

Sunday we were up at 7am. I felt like going for a run in the park out front and visiting the botanical gardens before heading to breakfast. We jogged through the park and it was so private and peaceful. Almost no one was about. The sun was shining as we ran through tree lined paths. It was a very special morning. I felt it was blessed by God. I felt at peace, calm, and everything felt like it should. Fears that I'd been holding onto melted away. It was an incredible healing experience. Andy and I had a moment to ourselves that topped off the entire trip. He asked me to be his wife. I burst into tears, millions of tears of joy. I couldn't believe it. He told me I didn't have to answer, that he wanted me to make the decision from strength. And he knew that me going home would be good for us, and for me. The energy and power of that moment could have fueled the whole of Bath. We felt on fire.

For breakfast we happened to find Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant, and had a lovely meal before returning to the hotel and getting ready for the trip home. It felt like we'd been away for a week. I felt restored, at peace, and so incredibly happy and radiant. This year will be a transformational one. But I am not scared, I'm excited.

St. Patrick's Day- Go GREEN!

Today's post is about Liquid Chlorophyll. While many will be pounding down pints of green lager today, what the Fighting Irish should be drinking is something that has been proven to Fight Cancer, a universal enemy among every single demographic and nationality of mankind.

Today at my desk, I am drinking glasses of liquid chlorophyll in my water. Just a tablespoon diluted turns my glass a lovely spearmint green color, and the water has a very pleasant and cooling taste.

WHY?

*It's an antioxidant, meaning it fights free radicals that make you age and look old.
*It's a cancer preventative, and has been tested in labs to fight cancer.
*It's a natural deodorant.....yes, it fights body odor.
*It heals scars, infections and as it's just about allergy season you'll be happy to know that chlorophyll has been proven to help relieve sinus problems. Need tissues for your hayfever issues? Mmm hmmm, go Green!
*It's alkaline, so it helps to ph balance your system if you eat acidic foods such as sugar, meats, fried foods or alcohol. YAY, No More Heartburn!
*It's the magic potion found in leafy green vegetables.

CHLOROPHYLL

(Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin)

DESCRIPTION : Chlorophyll is a ubiquitous green plant pigment that supports the process of converting solar energy and carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbohydrates. Sodium copper chlorophyllin is stabilized chlorophyll.

BIOCHEMISTRY : Chlorophyll is a network of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogenand oxygen atoms surrounding a single magnesium atom. (The blood pigment hemoglobin has an iron atom in place of the magnesium.) Chlorophyll may be an antioxidant. It is capable of electron transfer, and has been studied for use in biological solar electricity production. Sodium copper chlorophyllin is produced by replacing the magnesium atom with copper and sodium.

PHYSIOLOGY: Chlorophyll has strong antibacterial action, and clears up odors of putrefaction effectively. It has been used in surgery, in ulcerative carcinoma, in head colds, acute rhinitis and rhinosinusitis, and chronic ear infections and inflammations. It has also been used for Diabetic leg ulcers, contagious impetigo (a scabby, pustular skin eruption), rectal sores, vaginitis, and infection of the uterine cervix. Another doctor used it effectively for pyorrhea. Chlorophyllin is a derivative of chlorophyll. It was shown to be a potent, dose-responsive inhibitor of aflatoxin B-1 DNA adduction and cancer formation in rainbow trout liver. Inhibition of up to 77% occurred at chlorophyllin levels well within the chlorophyll content of some leafy green vegetables. The authors conclude that the finding 'may have important implications in intervention and dietary management of human cancer risks.'

INDICATIONS : Odors, infections, sores and inflammations, gum disease, cancers.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE : 100 mg to 200 mg of chlorophyll or chlorophyllin per day.

Why? That's why!

Go get some :)

If you have a hard time finding it at your local health store, go online, or contact me and I can direct you to my supplier.

God bless St. Patrick and all things green.

Nurture thyself x,

Raquel

Time and Money

The two most valuable things that we usually seem short of- time and money.
Now that I'm on deadline to vamoose England there are so many little things to do in prep.
It's a balance between living here in the now and trying to plan for future. I'm pretty bad at this I admit. I do leave things til the last minute often. But I am trying to focus my attention to this, trying to practice more action, and practice some discipline- my main focus overall for the year.

The meeting with the Parisiens went so well yesterday and it was sad to say goodbye to them. I dont' know when or if I'll ever see Jean-Philippe again, and he sent me a very heartfelt goodbye. At the end of the day, yes it's business....but we looked at each other as human, with heart and with dreams. He is very kind, I've always thought so, and I'm glad that my interaction with my clients has been more than just figures and numbers. It's great if you can establish some kind of friendship.

Today I am running around at lunch, negotiating with the bathroom designer for Andy's house, dropping off and picking up prescriptions, dry cleaning and trying to get in touch with Aeroplan to book my flight home on points. It's hard to find the time to do things when you only get 1 hour for lunch. This morning the washing machine repair guy turned up and hopefully when I get home I'll be able to do the mountain of laundry that has accumulated over the last week. That will no doubt keep me busy on my day off tomorrow. I need to pick up a court summons which arrived at Carlo's address, and then get to the house as the carpet delivery and installation is happening. The wardrobes were built yesterday, and the kitchen goes in on monday. It's all coming together. It is exciting to see it being transformed from granny to sexy contemporary. In the meantime I'm also informing utilities of my last day in the flat, paying off anything outstanding and starting to post things home....it's all overwhelming me. I'm trying not to panic, but some days I just feel like i'm spinning too many plates. I've posted some of my things for sale on the internet, and no bites yet. I need to consolodate and I hope I can do it in time.

Resignation follows action plan

Yesterday I gave my written resignation at work, informing them of my move back to Vancouver. It was a bit of a sad moment, and I hesitated for a few hours before actually handing the letter to my boss. I feel slightly bad letting her down as she is already down one member on our small team of 4. With me gone, that's half the team missing.

However there is another side of me that feels a sense of relief, mainly because now that there are decisions made, I can follow through with a plan and focus my energy on something. I was in limbo about the whole thing for so long, not really coming to terms, walking around with such strong feelings of uncertainty all the time. I know this stress made me feel weary and kept me up countless occassions at night. It's not just a change of jobs, it's everything....new life change.
Although Vancouver is my native home it's been 5 years since I've lived there and a lot of things have changed, not just for me, but for many of the people that I used to hang out with all the time. their worlds have transformed and moved forward, into different fields and countries etc. I am under no illusion that inserting myself back in will come seamlessly. For the last two years, my visits to Vancouver came with reverse culture shock. Re-adjusting to North American life is so very different from England. Although we speak the same language, our lifestyles are a completely different way, the mindsets are a totally different approach.

I'm not fearful of change, I know it's always funky at first, and it always challenges me, but I know I can handle it. Despite going through big moves before, you're never really ready, you just get on with it and take it one day at a time. Like everything else in life. If i didn't live by that code, I wouldn't have ever left home to begin with, nor would I have done the kinds of travel I've done. So, I plod on.

6 days back on food and I am feeling fine. I have kept my sugar intake to a very minimum. I did have some ice cream on the weekend and a few biscuits ( as I am the ultimate cookie monster). But I did behave. The last few days I've modified the Detox Diet that Gweneth Paltrow mentiones in her blog, and everything I've made has been yummy. Last night I made broccoli and watercress soup. It was bright green, smooth and creamy goodness. Andy's face was shocked when he saw the bright green colour though. It reminded him of something bad, but in the end, he finished his bowl....(with quite a few toasted bagels and spelt bread.)
In the morning I blend up a smoothy of super foods with probiotics, whey isolate protein powder, some almond milk and blueberries. It is so lovely, contrary to what I thought it would taste like, so I made it again this morning. For lunch, I have some rye bread and another protien shake with flax powder for my fibre. Also tasty. I've not gone without my treats, I have raw almonds and fruit with me at my desk and am off coffee/tea totally. Now I drink lots of water, and am continuing to flush flush flush. My weight is leveling out after going without food. I am now just under 55kg, so I've gained about 4 lbs back. This is normal after doing the MC, as you tend to lose a little bit of water, and your guts are bone empty. I'm happy with where I'm at, and continuing to train the rest down.
Last night I was at the gym for 2 hours. I ran 10km in about an hour, then burned another 20 minutes on the bike. In total I burned nearly 900 calories as I hit weights and did some core exercises as well. I was totally done by the end of that, and wolfed down my broccoli soup as if it were liquid gold.
My sleep is awesome. I fall asleep so fast since I've come off the cleanse. And my skin continues to improve. I'm so happy I did it, for the fact that my skin alone has drastically improved has been worth it in itself. I now know what to do if I ever had another flareup. Fast, cleanse, detox straight away.

It's 3:15pm right now and definitely naptime. I wish....
I'm working on some prep for a meeting with my French partners tomorrow. Three are coming from Paris just for the day, so we will be manically covering 5 magazines in 4 hours with a quick break to fit in lunch. I love when the French come, I have such a soft spot for Parisienes.

Feasting in...

Easing in has been easy. I have loaded up with enzymes, superfoods, probiotics and fibre. In the mornings I start with fresh fruits, some cracker bread with honey, raw almonds and almond butter, and sip hot water with lemon.

Last night I went to feast at my favorite Thai restaurant in Poole. I ate till I couldn't eat anymore, I was ready to burst and ended up passing out in my bed.

Eating has been such a joy, tasting food is a new luxury, and I can distinguish between clean and dirty food. When I came off the fast I had some beans on toast. What I was so looking forward to was such a disappointment. It tasted, dirty. My palette was left with a terrible aftertaste and film. I'm off beans now, and I just loved them before.

Elminations have been easy, and also clean. I have suffered from IBS for years, and I haven't felt like this since I was a kid. I'm hooked on detoxing. I'm going to keep it up. There are plenty of healthy foods that taste great, and I'm also into trying some healthy baking too, as I have always loved treats. But I think it can still be enjoyable without all the preservatives and REFINED SUGAR- the most evil one of them all.

I'm off to Durdle Door on this beautiful Sunday, and looking forward to the rest of a great weekend.

9:30pm- Durdle Door was blown out, we got to the top of the steep hill, and the wind was howling so hard it tossed me around like a toddler. The wind was so cold it hurt inside my ears and my nose was dripping from the drastic elements. We went back down, headed to the calm of the cove, skipped some stones and headed back to Bournemouth. They should put some wind turbines up at the top of Lulworth...i reckon they'd power the entire town no problem.

For dinner I made a portabello mushroom, bok choy stirfry with prawns and tofu. I added some miso paste and it was really yummy, not a single drop left on the plate. Stuffed. Tomorrow we start our Gweneth Paltrow detox diet. She laid out a detox recipe for each day and I went shopping today to gather all the bits necessary. Tomorrow consists of hot lemon water, herbal tea, blueberry smoothies, coconut water, and yummy salmon for dinner and avocado cucumber cold soups. Mmmm.

Tomorrow, I'm also hitting the treadmill again. I miss training properly.

Easing in

Photos of before and after in only 10 days!

7:40am- I weigh in this morning yet another pound down, 53 kg or 117 lbs.

It's snowing outside, loads of big fluffy snowflakes, it looks pretty but I'm sure it'll send the town into a spin as usual. I am feeling good today. I woke around 6 and was out of bed before 7. I've just made a hot water with juice of a half of lemon and a little bit of honey. I'll follow this up with some fruit juice and then my super foods at work. For lunch I'm hoping to find a veggie soup.
My arm muscles are still a little sore from my work out the other day. and I am happy to see that my tongue looks pink in the mirror, YAY!

12:53pm- I had a mango/orange/lime juice this morning, all fresh and diluted it 50/50 with water. It was magical. At noon I started with my probiotics superfoods and that was very strong. I noticed that my tastebuds are very sensitive to the flavour and I had to dilute it a little more. It was just too strong. I am about to head out for lunch and hope to find some veggie soup. I am more looking forward to eating than ever before. I don't know if I can wait another day!!! Oh, when you know you can eat soon it does start to make you anxious!

3:39pm- Oh lunch! For lunch I had some fresh tomato and basil soup, 3 clementines, some green goop, and a small ryvita cranberry bar which I chewed and ate very slowly. IT WAS SO TASTY! My tongue was having a fiesta. I'm getting through the day, looking forward to home time. I want to go grocery shopping and buy some real food so I can start tucking into goodness this weekend. And I am definitely up for some blueberry buckwheat pancakes as I missed out on national pancake day. As long as I go organic, lots of fibre, and lay off the wheat and sugar, I'll be smooth.

11:15pm- just arrived home from a comedy night for charity. It was amateur night and a good laugh. The walk to the car had us both chilled to the bone, and when Andy and I got home he chefed up some beans on toast. Sooooo....I had a little bit. So far, no tummy dramas! For dinner I had some yogurt and a couple pieces of fruit. I also had another ryvita bar with no nasties or sugar in it. At the comedy sketch I had a small glass of cranberry juice, and I have to say my tummy has gurgled some this evening. I had a bit of bloating but I'm hoping I'll get through the night without any embarrassing moments in the loo.

I had been doing some research though about the symptoms of the detox, which I found quite disturbing as I had all of the following:

Gaseous stools, some temporary lower bowel cramping due to the gas build-up, mild headache, maybe some temporary joint pain. All are temporary and resolve as soon as the toxins are expelled from the body. Oxy Powder ( the laxitive capsules I take), release monatomic oxygen. Monatomic oxygen has shown in lab tests to kill forms of fungus, yeast and bacteria. The oxidation of the compacted toxic material along with the possible die-off of harmful MICRO-ORGANISMS, yeast and FUNGUS from the monatomic oxygen can be absorbed back into the blood stream through tiny holes (resulting from years of damage) in the intestinal lining. This may cause you to experience temporary cramping, DRAINING SINUSES, FATIGUE, SKIN ERUMPTIONS AND INSOMNIA.

YIKES! It creeps me out to think I may have had parasites or fungus inside my GI. One more reason to cleanse and keep on cleansing. I'm definitely doing this again in the future, and next time, I'm going longer. I'd like to go even further into the cleanse and see how my body reacts. But I will do it when it is warmer out, because to feel so cold in the middle of winter makes it so hard. Invest in a hot water bottle if you do this, it will be a savior when you're feeling ever so chilly!

On that note- good night!

Day 10- The Last Day is finally here.

8:30am, I am running late this morning, I was up again in the night a few times, horrible cramps....it's gotta be the tea. I think i've purged almost everything out of my body now and I'm so happy for this, I can't wait to start easing back in.
I am pretty tired and my body is aching from my work outs over the last two days. It's a good ache though, the kind I don't mind. I think part of my increased exhaustion is due to my cycle. A few days before my energy dips, and then I have enormous energy while I am on it. I'm thinking that maybe my moods over the weekend had something to do with it too, although I am not usually THAT moody.
I weighed in this morning at 53.5 kg or 118 lbs. I lost another pound of toxins. My tongue was an evil color this morning too, I am still scrubbing it. I studied my complexion today and it continues to improve. I suggest to anyone who has acne to do the MC. Our bodies heal from the inside out, and blemishes are a symptom of imbalance in the body. The MC helps flush out toxins so the body can restore it's balance. I am a full believer.

I'm hoping today is a fruitful day at the office. Yesterday was okay, I am hearing alot of concerning feedback from international publishers and hope the GFC ( Global Financial Crisis) turns around soon. I think the whole world needs a good cleanse!!

HOPE is the health code to live by:

H- High Fibre ( remember a diet consisting of 70gms of fibre a day is the optimum for digestive health.)

O- Omega Oils ( Get your daily dose of 3*6*9, we need them all) Imagine you are the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz. Omega oil is what helps keeps your joints moving and your respitory system clear. It also helps prevent arthritis.)

P- Probiotics ( healthy bacteria in our GI keeps our immune system strong and fights the bad bacteria that cause us to get ill. )

E- Enzymes ( Western eating has a majority of cooked foods. Cooking kills enzymes. Enzymes are found in fresh raw fruits and veg, but even most regular supermarket spray their produce and this means a loss in enzymes. So take a supplement with each meal. Betatine in particular (aka Hydrochloric Acid) helps the stomach break down your food, so that you can absorb it better. Fresh and organic is best, but I'm not a fan of eating all raw, I love warm meals, especially in winter, but I prefer warm over cold any day. )

This is an easy way to remember how to ward off toxins and keep the body in balance and health. Even without doing a detox or cleanse, by practicing this code daily in the average diet you will still notice a difference. Of course you will still get vitamins and minerals from eating a balanced diet, but taking extra supplements is always a good idea.

3:11pm- Normally around this time I do feel on the sleepy side. I always have, no matter what job, my body clock says naptime. When I worked in car sales I used to go home at lunch and try to cat nap for 20 minutes, I found it was really helpful. Here in Bournemouth I do sometimes, but normally I am so distracted with chores and errands that I have no other time to tend to. When I lived in Vancouver, my routine once I was off at work (6pm) would be to have a 30 minute nap, where sometimes if my mind was too stressed to sleep, I would try to meditate and clear my thoughts. I found this really healthy and it also divided up work mode from home mode. I would feel re-energized to continue with the remainder of the day and pack in as much as possible till collapse. Ah, to be 25 again! Now I box and hit the gym to take care of that. I gotta get my standards back on track though, I have slipped so much in the last few years. Baby steps, one day at a time....

At lunch I took 5 capsules of Oxy Powder. I know i'm supposed to take it in the morning, but since I have very little in my system I do not think it will take all day to kick in. The monatomic oxygen from the capsules is what oxygenates the whole intestinal tract, killing any left over bacteria or toxins lurking in the deep. I think the body is so miraculous, it is so fascinating how it all works. We are indeed a work of art, a masterpiece made in God's image. How awesome.

9:30pm- I am so happy to be finished my first MC. I do believe this is a great way to jump start into spring and will look at this again in the fall. I have my peppermint tea by my side, have finished all my juice, and look forward to easing in over the next few days.

Day 10 Verdict-
Body- no cravings, sleeping well, good skin, 9 pounds of toxins eliminated.
Mind- feeling accomplished, mastered the 10 days with enormous discipline.
Spirit- sparkling, happy, got my mojo back!
Energy- fantastic.

Day 9- The 4 day countdown

To the right are 3 photos:
Day1, Day 5, and Day 8.

Starting weight- 127
Current weight- 119
Total weight loss= 8 lbs of fat, crap, and toxins!

8:30am-As the MC comes to an end in two days, I will have two full days of liquid foods to continue with as an ease in. What an incredible thing to look forward to. I actually contemplated going for 14 days, because I really do think there will be extra benefits. I am not as concerned about my digestion anymore, but it's my skin i've seen the most difference in. The pores in my face have shrunk! Any little rough patches have faded and all my blemishes are healing much faster. I do think the cleanse is taking care of whatever has been causing my acne, and for this purpose I would stay on the MC as long as it takes! I have had problem skin for years. I would definitely do this cleanse again, and I think the best times of the year for me are February and September, because they are both after times of the year when I am most naughty with my diet. I love to be out in the summer and am usually on a patio somewhere snacking and drinking, so these would be ideal times.

The Master Cleanse is supposed to beat you down and then send you into a state of euphoria. Mmmm, I wouldn't go as far as euphoria yet, at least that's not my experience so far. But maybe I need another few days to find that out?

As my cycle is approaching I notice that I'm not shifting any more weight. Normally the female body retains water around this time, and I am a solid 54 kg/ 119 lbs.

I slept well last night and was asleep by around half 10. I woke up at 7 and felt fine. I just prepared my juice, and I've decided to opt out of the laxative tea as I don't want a reprise of yesterday's attack. Instead I'm drinking a hot mix of wheatgrass juice which is mixed with a little lemon juice. It is a lovely change and I know my body needs the protein after training last night.

9:30pm- It was a pretty mellow day today, nothing to report, other than I only had 1 BM today. I think it is because I didn't do the lax tea in the morning, so i am definitely having it tonight.
I went to the gym after work and burned about 350 calories, just a little cardio on the treadmill and bike. I'm taking it easy, I didn't want to spark out and I didn't want my body to go into starvation if i'm only taking in about 500 calories a day.

Day 9 Verdict
Body- normal, my nose is cold, but my temp is finally regulated
Mind- neutral
Spirit- aggitated a bit, not sure why.
Energy- relatively good, with a sleepy patch around 4pm.

Two more sleeps till I'm done!

Day 8 - The Calm after the Storm

8:30am- I made it thru the weekend, and this morning I feel.....normal and calm. I had a good sleep, no nightmares, and can't believe I am on Day 8. I have overcome so much, and to come to this point is like a miracle. Only 3 days left til I finish, and I am already feeling such a sense of relief and accomplishment. My outlook is much more chilled out now, all the agression I had built up over the weekend has melted away. I've ordered some liquid chloryphil and some more Super Foods from Garden of Life. To get back on my green goop after this is over will continue to detox my body. After doing this cleanse, the most important thing will be to restore the probiotics back into the GI, as this is to maintain our immune system. I will still be detoxing at this point, and will attempt to continue with a gentle detox nutrition system, like the one i found at www.goop.com. Gweneth Paltrows blog was quite inspiring and she mentions a great detox recipe for the whole week.

I feel that I need to increase my standards, in myself. I feel it is time to stretch again, and I think doing this cleanse has given me that confidence. When you can master something, even if it's just one little thing, it gives you confidence, and you want to try for more. Step by step, day by day, we improve, we progress. My friend Nick said to me to stop thinking about the past or worrying about the future, forget about survival. His advice was to focus on the now, as giving our best to the "Now" is what will carve out our future. That is how we pull the best of ourselves, by giving our full attention to the present moment. I cannot help but fully agree with him.

12pm- STORM!! The lax tea got me badly around noon. I experienced terribly painful stomach cramps that had me to the point of blacking out in the office loo. I had to call for Hayley to bring me some water. How embarrassing. I thought I was going to collapse in the stall. Now my body is very cold, I want to get my hot water bottle out as soon as I get home for lunch. I did have 2 BM's today, one was dirty, the other clean, just mucus. But both brought with it the wrath of taking laxatives. Time to go easy on this stuff. I may drop to drinking it only in the evening, or finish off with OxyPowder instead.

3:13pm- God lunch hour was Harsh! My whole body went into temperature freakout mode and I skyrocketed fever hot, and then dramatically went freezing cold again. I made a peppermint tea, hot waterbottle and wrapped myself up tight in blankets while watching the Antique Show. I miss SKY tv so much! This after noon I read a little bit about a new book by Suzanne Sommers that I must grab called Breakthrough. Mom and Dad told me it was awesome, and from her website, I agree. I can't wait to check it out!

4:24 -I have realised just how much I compare my life to others, judging where I am at in comparison. That kind of thinking has led to a defeated state of mind. It is like an endless hole that can never ever be filled. I have lost what I base my happiness on. Without this it is impossible to acheive happiness. Cleansing the body increases your awareness of self, and your thoughts. And there is plenty ahead in this realm that I intend to work at. I don't know what my purpose is, that is my deepest unhappiness. At 31, I feel very lost.

5:24- some research I found that is helping me understand why I got so ill.

What is a healing crisis?

The concept of the "healing crisis" is found in a Homeopathic Law called Hering’s Law of Cure, which states that all cure comes from within out, from the head down and in the reverse order of the appearance of the symptoms.

Let us take the example of a person who goes to a drugstore upon “catching” a cold. The product purchased is one advertised to relieve the symptoms of a cold. This product will likely relieve the symptoms of the cold, but it probably won’t do much more that is beneficial. It will, in all likelihood, dry up and crystallize the mucus and toxins being released through the action of the cold, driving them deeply into the bronchial tissues. This changes the condition from acute to subacute, a less noticeable state, making the person feel better. Some time later (often at the change of a season) the body will make its attempt to throw these toxins off. This may result in a cold, cough or even the flu, which frequently drives the person back to the time-tested formula used earlier to relieve the “problem”. This, of course, reverses the cleansing at once, driving the mucus and toxins ever more deeply into the tissues. Starting with a cold, a usual history is to develop tendencies to coughs, flues, bronchitis or hay fever, then asthma and finally, perhaps a degenerate and chronically diseased lung.

At some stage, however, the person may decide to begin living in a more healthy manner and eventually begins to feel better. This healthy period progresses happily until the person is usually heard to remark, “haven’t felt this good in years”. At this point the body has built up enough strength again so that it attempts once more to eliminate some of the toxins. In our example, the person might appear to “catch” asthma, which s/he hasn’t had for years. During this crisis, the body is simply trying to rid itself of the toxins and the disharmonies.

Throughout a cleansing/building program there will be periods of better health punctuated by short crises. The person in our example will then, over perhaps months or years, re-experience asthma, hay fever, bronchitis, flues, coughs and colds, in that order. Each of these conditions will appear as a Healing Crisis, with symptoms similar to that of the original disease crisis. The major difference is that the crisis is of much shorter duration and is often more dramatic. The person also feels much better both before and after the crisis (if left to run its natural course). The individual should ensure the intake of plenty of vitamins, minerals, herbs specific to the problem and brothy soups to promote a speedy recovery.

10pm- I just got home from the gym, and I am feeling good. I spent about 2 hours there, spent 45 minutes on cardio, and did light weights. I am feeling so much better, more energy and strength.

Verdict for Day 8

Body- Bright, skin is looking good too. Complextion is healthier.

Mind- contemplative, still, relaxed, and at present.

Spirit- lifted

Energy- medium.

Day 7- Sunday

9:30am- I woke up this morning from a very deep and restful sleep. I still have lurgy in my throat and I feel a little weak and sore in my joints. I'm about to get ready to head to IKEA, which is going to be a drama epic i'm sure. I have a love/hate relationship with IKEA. They have mastered the art of marketing and know how to get you when you walk in, keep you there, and take lots of your money when you only wanted to buy two things. I'm bringing plenty of juice with me to get me through this day. I don't want to have the beast emerge again. Sometimes I have doubts and think I'm insane to do this to myself, and then when I see "what" I'm detoxing it actually gives me a little reassurance. Who thought poop could be so encouraging? Haha! Yeah...I think i've definitely lost it.

5:40pm- Just got home from our trip from Southampton. IKEA was packed, and the entrance started on Floor 4, weaving it's way down to Ground was where we needed to gather the chairs we picked out, and when we got to the warehouse they were SOLD OUT! Gutted, we looked at the other two items we were carrying...two bunches of hangers...and decided not to bear the crowded cue of people to pay. We left without a thing.

My energy was much brighter today, I just came back from a walk at the beach. It's the first actual long walk I've taken since I've been on this cleanse, and I am hoping the crankiness is long behind me now. The lurgy is 90% gone now, I'm finally flushing that stubborn gunk out of my system.

This afternoon I had 2 big BMs, both dirty and foul, and then some smaller ones. We all know that BMs don't smell pleasant, but when you are detoxing the dark deep, it is on a whole other level. Again, too much information, but it is important to me to document my experience. And again I felt lighter after. But I have also noticed towards the end of today that my releases are fading in color and are no longer full of "crud" or as pungent. I think this means my GI tract is almost properly flushed. As far as my tongue, it still gets a bit of a pale white coating but not as much anymore. I still brush it 3 times a day. I'm curious to see what the next 3 days are like. I can understand why people stop at 7 days, I am actually really looking forward to be finished. I'll stick through it, because I've come so far, but I'm seriously going to appreciate food like I never have before. And from someone who loves food, next weekend is going to be the best weekend ever! I am going to dream about it all week.