2015 Detox

Now that we have Thanksgiving and Christmas behind us, many of us are starting to think about the new year. We all say we are going to get organized, eat right, start exercising, lose weight, or improve our finances, go back to school, or get a better job. If you do a quick search of most popular New Year's Resolutions you will see these same themes come up over and over... and OVER! I know I've made some of them every year for the last twenty years. This year I am inviting YOU to join me as we conquer several of these resolutions together. I have a group on Facebook that is doing a Thirty Day Detox together. 

There are several facets of the detox. The primary focus is on eating clean. We are going to move towards eating more REAL food and less FAKE food. By real food we will be eating fruits and vegetables and drinking water. Our goal is to eliminate or DRASTICALLY reduce highly processed foods and beverages. You will be encouraged to do at least fifteen minutes of moderate exercise each day. Some in the group are going to be using some nutritional supplements including vitamins and some products specifically designed for a detox, but that is not required. You can still participate in the detox. Just be willing to drink a lot of water, get more active, and modify your diet. I am going to be issuing daily and weekly challenges that will earn you points to win prizes throughout the thirty days. I wouldn't consider it a contest, but just some friendly competition and encouragement to keep us on track. I can't promise it will be fun, but I do think it is important to take care of our bodies and doing it together will give us some accountability and encourage us to stick with it when it might be tough. 

As I type this, I am trying to ignore the empty bowl of ice-cream I just ate. Ice cream before bed will NOT be on the menu in January! I just felt I needed to be clear on this point. There will be NO ice cream before bed! Actually, I think we should limit dairy as much as possible during the detox as it is one of the more difficult food groups to digest. 

If you are interested in joining me in this, send me a Facebook friend request HERE and message me that you are interested in doing the detox. I will add you to the private group and if you decide not to participate you can easily remove yourself from it. 

I feel excited about doing this. As a Wellness Advocate I am in a position where I am regularly asked by people about various health issues and feel that it is important for me to practice what I preach. I don't want to be a hypocrite and tell people they need to limit their sugar intake when I am hiding chocolate all around my house so I can sneak it throughout the day. 

I heard an Andy Stanley message several months ago in which he stated "In order to be an effective disciple of Christ we cannot be mastered by anything." I may not agree with everything he teaches, but that point has stuck with me. It is one of the reasons I felt compelled to do the forty day fast. I knew that I was mastered by something. I had absolutely no will power to resist those cravings for sweets and I have several friends (you know you you are) who have confided they are in the same boat. 

I really want to encourage you to start 2015 on the right track. Let's take this time to making ourselves healthier which will, I believe, make us happier and allow us more opportunities to be used by God. When we feel bad physically and are always sick and tired because of the poor choices we make on a daily basis, He is limited in how He can use us. Our motivation has to be more than "I want to wear a smaller jean size" or "look good in a bathing suit". Those things are shallow and aren't enough to really motivate us. However, if I can really understand that I will be a better, happier mother and wife and servant of Christ when I stop putting toxic things in my body, THAT makes it worth the effort involved. 

Its like I tell my son. His job right now as a student is to learn as much as possible so that as he matures he will be prepared for whatever path God has planned for him. If he makes the most of this time he will be a very useful tool, but if he wastes this time and fails to take advantage of the educational opportunities available to him, there will be fewer ways He can use us. I believe that advice applies to all of us. If we do our part to keep our bodies strong and healthy He CAN and WILL use us to bring glory to Himself. Of course, there are other factors as well, and our hearts have to be in the right with Him. There are also other circumstances beyond our control such as injuries or disabilities, but for the most part, many of our health 'issues' are of our own doing and can be reversed. 

I hope you will prayerfully consider joining this group as we begin to take back lost ground and start feeding our bodies the nutrients they need. Just friend me on Facebook and tell me that you want to know more about the cleanse. We will start January 1. 

Kristy