Eliminate past thoughts and behaviors tied to an old version of yourself.
April is time for detox!
I did it in March this year before my birthday. Not that I was eating a bunch of sugar or drinking alcohol, I just didn't want food limits at that time. I also wanted to be done with detox before traveling down to Oregon to visit my son in college and watch him play ball. Food choices in Forest Grove, Oregon was not going to be plentiful or probably any good, so I wanted the freedom to eat whatever was available.
Turns out, there is a pretty decent Hawaiian restaurant there.
Who knew?
So many people ask me, "Why do you detox every year?'
The practical answer is pretty straight forward but I am starting to realize that detox is more than just the cleanse and supplements. Detox time is awesome because of the shift in mindset that coincides with it.
Let me explain.
One of the best things I ever did was to align the nutritional practice of detox with the mental and spiritual side of detox. For me detox or "cleanse" represents the time when we realize that every year (maybe even more often than that) we have evolved; we have put in the work to be a better version of ourselves.
In essence, we have LEVELED UP.
There are many ways to come to this LEVELING UP: physically, socially, financially.. you get the idea.
The tragedy is that as we are evolving into this higher version of ourselves, we are dragging along and continuing to carry around our old versions like weights in a backpack.
It's stupid.
I am not a high school kid.
I will never be that kid again.
So why would a continue to carry around the thought processes and behaviors of that kid?
I wouldn't.
But I do.
Now it may not be high school but even if you carry around LAST years version of yourself, you are doing yourself a dis-service.
I mean, I don't learn new science and then continue to treat people with all the old knowledge!
My point is, cleansing the body with the purification program aligns with cleansing our minds of old thought and behavior patterns.
As I lean into more vitalistic foods, I improve my exercise routine, and I also clear my mind of expectations, judgments, self defeating thoughts.
Be like Goggins
I recently got introduced to David Goggins.
He is a motivational speaker for the most part now but his claim to fame was that he became a Navy Seal and has accomplished numerous physical challenges, including ultramarathons and is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most pull-ups; 4030 pull-ups in 17 hours. whoa.
Anyway, who cares?
Why do I say "be like Goggins?"
I really appreciate this guy for two reasons:
He grew up in a bad neighborhood like I did as a kid. (He was abused, so that is not my life, but I understand the difficulties of growing up in a rough neighborhood). As a by-product, there is a lot of profanity involved. (Yes, I know you all think I am very proper but it's all an act. Mouth like a sewer). Some people are put off by his profanity but for some reason that just enjoy his talks more. ;-p
I resonate with his hatred of running. He runs about 10 miles a day even though he he hates it. I have been working at it for about a year now.
I, like David Goggins, don't like running. I never have. It's is just a form of self inflicted suffering I don't understand.
However, I have been trying to run regularly for at least 30 minutes for a year now. Or I should say, it has taken me about a year to get to 30 minutes.
Today, I can do it!
But almost every minutes of it, my mind is negative self talking.
My mind is trying to get me to quit, don't start, or convince me to give up.
I am starting to grok Goggins.
Now, I love it when my mind talks to me like that. I tell it to shut up and just keep pushing.
At mile 2 when my mind yells at me, "that's good enough!" I positive self talk in order to make it that last mile.
I am cleansing my mind of all the weak excuses of my old "I hate running" self.
I am embracing the new mindset of I am doing what I committed to, regardless of whether I like it or not.
I am embracing the suck.
I am getting mentally more resilient.
Building grit.
The purification program
I do this program every year.
So do many of the patients and their families.
This one has 2 dairy free versions of the SP Complete protein powder.
If it's your first time, then I would recommend you get this kit with the extra tub of SP Complete because you will probably use it after detox as a meal support.
If you are like me and do detox every year, you only need one.
Unfortunately, that means you have to order each individual part separately.
The kits come prepackaged with 2 tubs.
The detox individual parts are:
SP Complete Dairy Free
You can order them using the links above if you are interested.
What I left behind
My cleanse was not challenging.
Nutritionally and physically it's not a big deal anymore because I have been doing it for almost 25 years.
However, my mental cleanse is always challenging.
Why do we find it so easy to pick up negative thoughts and lazy habits but so difficult to get rid of them?
This year has been hectic.
I have too many doctors I am mentoring, too much stuff we are working on, too much money I have to pay for college.
The desire to run away from it all, is increasing.
The default sense of needing to "solve a problem' is growing. (Even though there is no actual problem).
But you know what keeps happening?
It keeps working out.
I keep getting stuff done.
So I am trying to leave behind what I try to leave behind every year with varying degrees of success.
What is it?
doubt. (purposely in small text to give it less power. lol)
I am leaning on faith and trust and trying to remove the nemesis of doubt.
I am also trying to let go of control but that is another topic for another day. ;-)
Go detox and go for a run.
It'll be good for you. ;-P
$%&^*^%*