IF I SURVIVED, YOU CAN TOO!
With so many “Challenges”
going on today in the social media realm, it’s hard to keep up. You have Tik Tok dance challenges, voice over challenges, and pranks. Some challenges ranging from mild and mediocre, to complicated and out right dangerous. We can all use a little entertainment and comedic relief every now and then, but one thing that’s not fun, is being unhealthy, and there’s nothing funny about deteriorating health. Over the years I have noticed the way I have been eating mixed with the lack of physical activity has taken a toll on my digestive system, and if you don’t know by now, everything in your body is connected. So if one thing goes out of whack and unchecked too long it causes other problems, and we’ll go deeper into that conversation in a future blog about why i’m taking my health journey so serious and why I prefer holistic ayurvedic herbs from nature over western medicine via big pharma.
“HEALTH IS WEALTH”
-A Wise Man
Optimal health is a journey, not a destination. It is a combination of prioritizing daily ‘Richuals’ that will improve your overall wellbeing, and trust me! It was NOT easy, and I tried my best to keep you guys updated on the progress and recipes in the beginning, if you’d like to read where I started click here. Some of the content where I went into details, mood swings, recipes and struggles, were exclusives to my subbies, I even spoke about it with my co hosts on Talk Dat Shit Podcast. Season 3 Episode 11. but nevertheless, here is the synopsis. I made it! I tested my wills because I’ve struggled with discipline. I am learning to be a disciple of self, to self, and I made it, but here’s what the people want to know… Did I really go forty days with no flesh?!
Before I answer, Here’s my belief,
I believe to some degree, a person who cannot control themselves cannot control other aspects of their life, and that’s a fact. If you can’t control your temper, you can’t control your money, can’t control what you eat and not eat, can’t control your penis or vagina, and the list goes on, it’s all connected.
Show me people who have mastered the art of discipline, and self control, and those people have reached a level of success. I strongly believe if you can discipline yourself with yourself, you can show restraint in other areas as well, But here’s what the people want to know… Did I really go forty days with no flesh?!
Well what’s goin’ on is ya girl went 39 days to be exact and ….. 39 days out of the 40 No flesh, and I still call it a win, but wait!
The only reason I slipped up was because on Father’s day
my aunt was up all night the night before scaling fish, and had the family over the following day and although I could’ve just had veggies, because she made cabbage and steamed veggies and corn, I was already over like twenty sumptin days, and I didn’t want her to feel like she cooked all that fish for nothing she was tired being on her feet all night and half that day, then my daughter had a piece and wasted it, so I felt like I had to eat her piece.
Ok I’ll stop making excuses, I just really wanted to eat that damn fish on Father’s Day hell! And it was escovitch! Lawd Gawd if yuh west indian unno know seh escovitch slap weh! For those who are unaware, escovitch Fish is traditional and a popular Jamaican seafood dish that consists of lightly seasoned and pan fried fish covered with a medley of bell peppers, onions and carrots in a vinaigrette dressing. Red snapper, porgies, mullet, king fish, and other firm-bodied fish can be used successfully in this spicy recipe.
But anyway, gimme some credit, because I did go the distance, and i’m being honest. Prior to this Challenge, I weighed in at 269, whew! Yeahhhhh and that was in May. Early July Pre Challenge weight: 241 Post Challenge weight: 233
36 pounds down if my math is correct, and I do feel the difference in my clothes.
So in a matter of two months I lost almost a pound a day with very minimal exercise just by not eating flesh. Imagine if i had incorporated workouts daily.
The Weigh In
What This Challenge Has Taught Me?
- Mentality is EVERYTHING, What you set your thoughts on, and how you program your head space will lead you in the direction you really want to go.
- If you can survive not eating FLESH for 40 DAYS! (well 39 if you wanna be technical) then you pretty much can rule the world!
- Sleep, and rest are vital, especially when you are putting your body through physical tests and restraints, there is crisis, highs and lows and such is life.
- Meditation and stretching became my best friends, high intensity workouts during this challenge would have been a no no particularly during the first week as I wasn’t fully prepared for a raw or vegan lifestyle and sourcing substitutes for energy and protein became a research assignment
- Will power and affirmations enforce each other. Some days are more trying than others esp. at work or when you’re out and about, but there’s something magickal in talking to yourself and affirming things you want, that keep you in check.
- Dehydration is real, and I drank more water during my challenge than i have in life but also that wasn’t enough which explains why some other things happen in my body like aches, pains, and migraines, because i don’t drink enough and as an empath and a healing healer i know the importance of water intake esp. alkaline or distilled water, preferably in glass, because all water is not created equal.
- And most of all, not to be too hard on myself, but be strict with myself, because this body is a vessel that is meant to transport us from one experience to the next and be a light to others in dark places and the only way we can do that and be that is if we are healthy and thriving .
The Takeaway
If there’s one thing I know, that I can offer you to take away is this, although we may toil away, and our bodies may seem like machines, they are NOT. And the moment we take them for granted and treat them as such they will do as machines do that are over worked. Let’s all challenge ourselves to be PRO active versus RE active and maintain the vessels we have.
As soon as my 40 day mark hit, I celebrated. You know how I celebrated? My daughter and I went back to the gym. Things weren’t so different, I was extra cautious with gym equipment sanitation before covid, but it felt so good to be back on those machines.
MY LAST TEN CENTS
I Watched a panel today on YouTube and they basically said they fed lab rats GMOs for weeks and watched it change their body chemistry makeup, and then fed them organic non gmo plant based diet and in two weeks their mannerisms and GMO chemically induced symptoms were totally reversed. So if eating clean for two weeks reversed symptoms in lab rats then I can only imagine what would take place in our bodies once we educate ourselves in food science.
I am excited about my wellness journey and ready to take on new challenges! What will my next challenge be? Curious….
What will your next challenge be?
A few people joined me on this 40 Day No Flesh Challenge. I’m excited to hear the results,
The Healing Healer
I’m also excited about trying out some new herbs during my wellness journey, because I truly believe the closer we get back to mama Gaia the closer we get to heaven on earth. I pray you find your way to health and wealth in this lifetime, and if you already have it, spread it a little! Ase’
“AS ABOVE
SO BELOW”
-HERMES
Issa Stush Lyfe 