July 20th, 2011 - Day 11 of 60

For whatever reason, I feel like continuing on my rant of yesterday.  Toward the end I encouraged people to see the juice as something liberating, not confining. For some, having to "just" consume juice for sustenance is torture.  We are of the generation that gave us an entire aisle in the grocery store dedicated just to breakfast cereal.  When that sort of image is placed in front of a child (let alone any human) they are not only overwhelmed, they are indoctrinated to the concept of endless choice.  What that not-so-subtle visual imagery tells us is "this is very important".  You and I know that it is only important in the sense that corporations can take a few pennies worth of grain, adulterate it into uselessness, add lots of sugar, some color and the occasional gift inside a box festooned with an engaging character and reap what I can only call immoral profits.  Not only do these vendors prey on the most susceptible in our society, they sell them products that are downright dangerous.  I am not mentioning this to decry the evils of breakfast cereals, toaster pastries or any other item intended for consumption while watching a TV show that is likely advertising it as a spoonful reaches your mouth.  No, not at all.  Why shouldn't highly-refined, genetically modified, over-sweetened, lifeless "food" that requires "fortification" be bad?  As modern members of society, it is our right to have choice.  We can choose the sugary-wheat cereal with a cartoon character or the sugary-rice cereal with a cartoon character or even the sugary-corn cereal with a cartoon character.  Or, if we are "sensible" adults, we can choose the cereal that give us our complete day's vitamins.  It must be a wonderful cereal to be able to do that, right?  So healthy.  Or, maybe it is because they put vitamins into the cereal to reverse the effects of over-processing? Regardless, it must be awesome as the government wouldn't allow anyone to sell something that is harmful... like cigarettes, etc.

Frank takes a second to dab his brow and breathe

Where was I?  Choice.  You have it, I have it.  It is good.  Yes, even to the point of choosing to eat breakfast cereal.  Your life, your choice.  From childhood you've been given such choices.  So now that you are drinking only juice, your choice is gone!  Oh, woe!  ONLY juice!  Only the liquid form of a combination of dozens and dozens available fresh fruits and veggies.  Such constraint!  Normally I'd have meat and starch and a limp thing that looks like a vegetable.  Then the next day I'd have another meat, another starch and another vegetable.  Then after that I'd really mix it up and have a different meat, starch and vegetable.  Now THAT is choice. 

In some religions there are rites known as liturgy.  That is a prescribed pattern or form of worship. I'm not a very religious person, but I try to keep up on things.  Those whose faith eschews liturgy (and liturgy is found in all major religions) find it to be a stifling and dead means of worship that removes spontaneity and freedom.  If you know what is going to be said or done next, how are you really hearing God?  Those who embrace liturgy feel that it frees them from an endless search for novelty and newness for the sake of newness. They feel that God has spoken and now we just have to acknowledge that fact.  I am not taking sides on the issue as I am not involved with such things. I will, say, however, that both sides have good points.  In the end, it is what really, really works for you in actual practice that is most important.  As you may have inferred by this point, I am comparing the juice to liturgy.  I know I am straining at my analogies and bordering on blasphemy, but it is the best I have.  That familiar ceremony or rite brings comfort.  You anticipate the next words, the next movement, the next candle, the next bow, etc.  So too, you anticipate the feel of the apple in your hand, the sound the knife segmenting it into juicer-friendly sizes, the smell of the warm liquids as they mingle into a container, the touch of the frothy top of the glass when it first makes contact with your lips and the sweetness of the nectar as it slowly walks over your tongue, tumbles past your throat, slides down the esophagus and arrives in your stomach where it launches toward its final destination: your cells.  Sure, it would be nice to be able to throw a bagel into the toaster and eat that.  You know what?  You can.  This is freedom.  You can do whatever you want.  No one is stopping you.  This has nothing to do with punishing yourself.  That is what you've already been doing all these years, have you not?  We have all been punishing our bodies and minds and souls with the crap that endless corporations and institutions tell us are for our own good.  How is that working out for you? 

You are not constrained, you are unfettered.  You are not reducing your choice, you are acting on your choice.  You are not in bondage, you are liberated. You are not suffering, you are healing.  Yes, there are very real and very difficult times in the Reboot.  I am not trying to minimize them.  But please understand that you are not starving.  Starvation is a clinical term that has specific meaning.  Unless you are a super-model with 5% body fat, you are not starving. You are uncomfortable.  You are grumpy.  You are weaning yourself off addictive substances.  You are not receiving support.  You are not sure if you are doing the right thing.  You are in psychic distress. Those are all true.  The pain is real, yes.  But it is real in the same way the noise on your window at night was a monster when you were a child.  Keep in mind that all this is done to reach a worthy goal.  Nothing great is easy otherwise everyone would do it.  I am not saying to ignore things that could be medical in nature.  I am saying to stop worrying about the "freedom" of choice offered in the modern church of food and cling to the liturgy of the juice.   It is your familiar friend that offers comfort in a time of stress.  It is a path that leads to certain benefit.  It doesn't even ask for the rest of your life or your soul.  All it wants is for you to stay close for as long as you think you need it.  After that, the world is yours again.  Hopefully that world will be a better place for you and your body.

Now, will someone PLEASE stop me before I pass the collection plate!  Open your juicer manuals to page four as we recite the Breville catechism. :)


Progress:

I am 15% through the 60 days.

Weight: 159.7lbs

Food: Fruit/Veg Smoothie With Hemp Seed