Last night was our third and final meeting with our cleansing group. I was glad to see the group once again and hear that everyone was so excited about their experiences this past couple weeks. This program has been absolutely amazing. I’ve read about many cleanses in books, but I would highly recommend going through this program with Dr. Ariel, who is about the most passionate and sincere doctor I have had the pleasure to know. I felt at every moment that she cares deeply about helping people learn to be healthy - and there is nothing like the feeling of having a doctor looking after your progress and having other to talk to about the experience. Cleansing is not always and walk in the park, but I cannot begin to explain what a positive experience this cleanse has been - not only for how I feel now, but also for what I have learned about how to stay healthy in the future.

What surprised me the most in this time was the relative ease of the three day fast. There is a part of me that wants to keep going, but with at least a week of slowly returning to normal eating, I’d best begin the change now. I have a fun night of Neighbormates next week (sure to include a drink or two) and a trip to the coast coming up!

Today begins the move into a more normal routine and there is much that is still up in the air. The basic question - what is the most healthy diet for my body and mind - is a difficult one to answer. It appears that everyone has their opinion and just about every food is on someone’s no list. For example, Dr. Gabriel Cousens would have one stay away from mushrooms completely, while the healthy and much recommended live kombucha tea is dirived from a mushroom. In the end, we each need to find a balance that not only feels good, but compliments our lifestyle. As Ray mentioned, we live among the living. Health, for me, is as much about what I put into my body as how I feel spiritually and emotionally, which means finding a balance between the ideal diet and the world I live in. And, that is the journey that lies ahead.

weight 137.2 - I lost about 7 pounds during the 2-week clense and 18 in the last month or so since moving to a largely raw diet.