The journey, some new goody options, traveling companions

One thing that's cool about being on the cleanse this time around is that we have you guys -- G. and J. -- to share the journey with. One downside, however, is that the first time around we got additional cleansing services from D.'s doctor -- Nancy Gardner, at her clinic called Optimum Health. Part of the attraction of doing the cleanse under Nancy's oversight was that we got two infrared saunas (scroll down), a lymph light treatment and a lymph massage, and there was everyone's favorite -- colonic hydrotherapy (YEAY!!). Now, as much as I initially was skeptical about sitting in a 150 degree room for an hour, getting my lymph massaged, and having the years-old poopaloop slurped out of my butt, I have to say that there was something special about getting up extra early on Saturday mornings to drive an hour and a half to sweat, grunt, and expel in positions unnatural and uncomforable. . .BUT, it did work. I felt lighter and ultimately healthier. So consider looking into similar health procedures in your area, like this Healthy Directions Center.

I must say that Gabe's reactions to and thoughts about the place of alcohol in his life, make me think back to this past Saturday (pre-cleanse!) and my first taste of absinthe. That stuff tasted like Jagermeister or a Russian medicine called "drops of the Danish king" (literal translation). So the taste has an odd "pleasant-unpleasant" sensation for me, especially since I don't regularly like the taste of anise. What's interesting is that alcohol ALWAYS tastes like poison to me; I only ever drink to get drunk, or buzzed, or loopy. Shall we recall my experience at Spark's around this last New Year's. . .

And as the cleanse is helping G. take a new look at his relationship with and to alcohol, my own first experience with the cleanse helped me to take a look at my relationship to meat, which I felt like I needed at EVERY meal. Oh yes, that family legacy of fried kolety and bitki is a powerful one.
During the first cleanse, there was NO MEAT. So I started easting every damn vegetable there was. Celery was now fine, mushrooms were now fine, quinoa, red rice, even that dense-as-shit teff with dates, coconut milk and other stuff D. put in there to make it palatable. I ate all that stuff which before to me was an unfortunate addition to the meat.

Now people at the office still wonder when I'm back on my "I'll have a side of meat with my meat" diet, but I think it's fruit juices for me from now on.

So hang in there with the booze, my brother, and see how damn good you feel on day 22.

Love always, M.