Day 3 of my Juice Fast and I was Blindsided!

So, after thinking about it, reading up on it, and being consumed with knowing you need to, you’ve finally, FINALLY made the commitment to begin your Detox. You’ve already prepared for the next couple of days or so for the type of detox you’re ready for – whether you’re eating fruit, drinking juice, or eating salads and raw food. You know the first 3-5 days are going to be the toughest – mentally and physically, but you’re ready.

Day 1 and Day 2 go as planned. You wanted to cheat but you didn’t. Awesome determination.

But then on Day 3 it happens – one of the most stressful days in a long time gets dropped in your lap. What do you do?

THAT WAS ME ON DAY 3 OF MY JUICE FAST LAST WEEK!

I had to make a difficult decision and neither option felt right. The juice fasting already had me feeling some pressure in my head (loosening the congestion), but the stress of the decision was making it that much worse.

So how did I deal with the additional stress when my body was starting the all-important work of detoxification – an already uncomfortable process?

Here’s what I did:

1) FRESH AIR AND NATURE. I went outside and walked around the trees. The outside air and sunshine seemed to immediately bring the stress down at least one notch for me. I was amazed by the beauty in nature that never fades, no matter what we have going on in our lives.

2) BREATHING. I leaned against one of the trees and just started breathing in long, deep breaths. This eased the tension in my head as well as slowed my heartbeat. I’ve learned and taught several breathing techniques as a yoga student and teacher, but the tried and true practice of just breathing in on 4 breaths and breathing out on another 4 breaths will do wonders for stress.

3) DRANK. It could be juice or water for you, but I needed the comfort of warm herbal tea. I made a cup of dandelion tea, but peppermint, chamomile, or lavender will work as well. You want to keep flushing out the toxins, but also those herbal teas in particular are good for relaxation and digestion. And there’s just something about warm tea that makes you feel caressed and cared for as you slowly sip it.

4) PRIORTIZED. I realized the most important thing to me is my health. So I stayed the course. It’s so easy to give up on our plans to detox, or exercise, or just eat better when life gets in the way. But life is going to be stressful at times no matter what you intended or planned. And although the process of detoxification can amplify that stress, I had to weigh what I was feeling and experiencing at the time with the reward of better health in my future. I know that a cleaner body and mind will help me better deal with stress in general.

So if you experience stress during your detox, don’t give up. You can still move through those first few difficult days of detoxification. Try getting close to nature, breathing exercises, warm herbal teas, and most importantly, keep your health goal in mind.

P.S. And if you’re wondering how I handled the big decision? Well, I decided not to make any big moves. It meant saying NO to something I thought I always wanted, but actually saying YES to what I want most of all. My priorities had indeed changed and keeping my health front and center was my north star to the best decision for me.

P.S.S. If you’re wondering what juices I’ve been drinking during my detox – Watermelon and lemon. Delicious!

Happy Detoxing!

Tamera

detoxyourway.com