2023 Is Already Lit

In light of this busy week we are having, I think we are all due for a good detox. The Spring Equinox (Astrological New Year), New moon in Aries (fire sign), Pluto shifting into Aquarius (my lovely air sign) and Ramadan (sacred Muslim tradition) commencing. Just imagine a completely debilitating death followed by a resurrection during this timeframe.

It’s the moment to get with the program man ( or ma’am )

The beginning of the year when the flowers are ready to surface

A burst of motivation that’s giving everyone a newly found purpose

Many changes, many exchanges

Not to mention a time to show gratitude and determination

A blaze of fire is now ignited

With a burning passion that’s radiating from the hotheaded Aries energy

A moment to detox your mind and body to rid yourself of the past so you can focus on your true intentions for the new year

What are your goals for 2023 ? Are you aligning with them ? Do you know where to start ?

My first and favorite new year’s resolution is detoxing. The easiest way ( coming from a southern food loving woman turned plant based herbalist ) to refresh your mind, body and soul is through this one simple process.

Detoxing strips toxins from the body, thus removing negative and stagnant energy from other areas of your body and life as well. After the first week of the detox, I felt lighter and so happy! I told everyone about it because it was such an invigorating experience, and hopefully it encouraged others to do the same. There were some challenging aspects of course, ( since I love some good savory seasoned food ) but listening to your body, focusing on the outcome, amongst following your heart’s desire, is truly rewarding after getting through the process. Take it from me, it was something you have to get used to, and after you find your flow, you’ll be excited for the next cleanse!

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking “I love that for YOU, but get somebody else to do it”... let me show you how easy it can be without torturing yourself or cheating yourself out of this experience.

The 1st step : Purchase a lovely detoxing tea blend

This will allow the heavy metals, pesticides and any other dis-ease to be removed from the body. Not only does it strip away the icks, but it sets the tone for the cleanse itself. As we prep the tea and wait for the water to boil, your mind anticipates the removal of waste in your temple, thus enhancing the benefits the tea will have for you. If you don’t have one that you’re familiar with, feel free to use my go to blend.

The 2nd step : Prepare a meal plan that you can stick to

If you have trouble staying away from salty and savory dishes, trust ME, you are not alone. I would wake up with the taste of soup on the brain. Not any regular chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side ( like my girl Young B ), but something with chipotle or Cajun flair to it. You can take the girl as far as the North pole, but you can’t take the southern flavors out of the girl’s palate, do you hear me?! It was so bad my aunt said “you sure are eating a heavy meal early this morning” LOL! So like I said, if I can detox for 3 weeks, anyone can. All you have to do is fall in love with fruits and salad again, and if you have any trouble with this check out my personal meal prep that helped me cleanse.

The 3rd step : Hydrate the body

Still hungry after having some fruit ? Keep calm and keep water or juice nearby. Repeat after me: truly, we are not as hungry as we are bored or stressed. The stomach is the quickest way for us to feel a sense of satisfaction, so find another way to fill it up. If it’s not spring water, then coconut water is a great option, and if you really want to get flavorful, get to juicing some of your favorite fruits! These are my favorite juices that I literally make every week because I’m obsessed and have traded the love of savory flavor for something refreshing.

The 4th step : Get some good rest

As your body is cleansing, imagine how much work your organs are putting in. The liver, spleen, kidneys … are all working together to push out the impurities. Since your body is in overdrive, it’s a good idea to get as much rest as you need. There’s no set amount of hours, just like any other time, listen to your body. If you notice that you’re yawning more and paying less attention, just do yourself a favor and take a little nap or go to bed early. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

The 5th step : Find other things to focus on besides food

Whether it’s a hobby, something work related , reading or spending time with loved ones, deflecting your appetite is always helpful. At least during the first few days. By the time you’ve settled into the cleanse, you literally won’t even be hungry like you were before because your stomach is shrinking and getting used to smaller portions.

Step 6 : Find something to be grateful about

The boost your energy and your mood gets from fasting is unreal. To be honest, I was dealing with some uncomfortable energy from those closest to me before my cleanse, and naturally I grew more irritable with certain people and basically shut down. I was no longer interested in speaking to anyone nor did I want to extend any help to the people causing me to feel this way. As I went on with my cleanse, I engaged in conversation with one, and through our little chat, I enlightened her on the error of her ways in such a manner that didn’t shame her, but I did speak on how people can be easily influenced, thus manifesting an ugly reality. I’m not sure if she got the actual message, though she at least got the bottom line. In all reality, being grateful for every part of life, good or bad, will allow your nervous system to function properly, and withstand the ugly reality that is composed of ‘things out of your control’ which in turn, puts you completely in control of your own happiness and peace of mind.

Step 7 : Get your body moving

Whether you are at the gym or taking a walk or simply stretching, get active! You’ll be doing a lot of sweating naturally FYI, so incorporating some fitness into your life won’t hurt because you know you need it. The toxins will be running out your body, so you might as well speed the process up a little by doing some actual running love. Thank me later. Mind you, the sweats are typically a short while after drinking the tea, so consume at least 30 mins before you shower to avoid ruining your outfit of the day.

Step 8 : Congratulate yourself !

Even if it’s day 1 of detoxing, speak wellness into the process. There’s nothing like hearing how great you are doing and that you’re so happy for achieving a goal you set for yourself. This alone will change your subconscious thoughts, thus allowing your actions to align with your mind, ultimately completing the task you set for yourself. Heavy on the positive affirmations and speaking things into existence. Once you get past the first 3 days, I promise you the 3 weeks will fly by!

Once you’ve completed the cleanse, you might not want to fully go back to your old eating habits. In fact, I’m now fruit fasting every 3 days just to clear my palate and focus my intentions elsewhere, because I promise you I spend way too much time in the kitchen. Making plant based meals and fresh fruit juices can be very time consuming, so I’ve mastered my meal prepping. For those struggling with eating clean, check out my article meal prepping pros for the best insights on living a healthy life.

If the thought of detoxing for 3 weeks is still intimidating to you by now, please align yourself with me as I do my intermittent fasting to get in the swing of things and other need to knows. Also tuning in for the weekly Sunday Service will encourage you to put your best self forward and remove your self limiting beliefs. Best of luck to those just beginning, and to those that are regulars, Mashallah.