Getting Healthy But Feeling Bad

I love how many magazines depict the perfectly happy models jumping into the air after their five-mile runs and drinking their fruit smoothies.  No judgement…it’s just the way the media is.  Additionally, when the usual focus is on how “good” you are going to feel, how your skin will glow, how your digestive system will work like clockwork, and so on, you may not get the whole picture of the stages your body will go through to get to those joyful milestones.

Here’s the thing:  Before you go whistin’ Dixie and doing the Happy Dance, you need to know a few things.  For those of you who are seasoned health veterans, please bear with me or send this to someone who needs it.  Anyway, if you are new to “going healthy” or changing anything about your lifestyle, you should read on…

Healing Crisis

Believe it or not, there is a REAL thing that happens when you decide to go gung-ho with the juicing, work-outs, yoga, cleansing, etc..  And it’s not called a vacation; it’s called a healing crisis.  Yes, your body has a few things to say about your “new” and improved lifestyle.  It isn’t talkin’ sweetly either…

Many of you may have already experienced it but might not have known what it was called.  It’s the headache you get when you suddenly stop drinking those five Cokes and eight cups of coffee a day; it’s the muscle cramping and soreness that you get when you try out every machine at the gym; it’s the cricks you get in your neck after seeing the chiropractor for the first time.  You see, that old physics law that we forget about…yeah, the one that says “with every action there is a reaction.”  Guess what?  It applies to you and your body.

I guess I’m telling you this because I can hear the lot of you moaning and groaning from here.  I know because I’ve done it…many times.  The good news is you can lesson the trauma by going about your changes a little more slowly.

Here’s a few tips that I found helpful in the past:

♦  Try to wean off of caffeinated beverages, cigarettes, alcohol, etc. instead of going cold-turkey.  One thing that I’ve done in the past is make a pot of coffee with half decaf and half regular.  Honestly, I never knew the difference, and I didn’t get the headaches.

♦  Ease into fitness with light to moderate movements.  As you master those, you can add more difficulty and lengthier routines.  Consult with a fitness expert for a complete program that meets your needs.

♦  Dietary changes should be done gradually as well.  Add one glass of fresh juice to your diet a day until you get used to it.  Cutting back on salt, sugar, and processed foods can be done one thing at a time, too.

♦  If you are getting chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, colonhydrotherapy, or anything that has to do with body cleansing, make sure to drink lots of water.  The hydration will assist your body in eliminating toxins and waste more easily as well as lesson the “crisis” mode”.

♦  Avoid the temptation to self-diagnose.  With all of the info available on the Internet, I know it’s hard to resist looking up every symptom you have.  The problem is that most of the things you feel while healing are normal and do not require intervention; in fact, it’s better to just let them happen.  Yes, that means that it’s in your best interest to not take pain relief medication or rub on cremes and lotions that will interfere with the natural process.

♦  Take an Epsom Salt bath or relax with music and candles to bring on feelings of well-being.  Also, visualizing vitality entering your body when you inhale and the toxins leaving your body as you exhale will activate your mind-body connection that expedites the process.

There are so many things you can do to help soften the blow of lifestyle changes, but most of all, it’s important to just do what you can.  Don’t feel pressure to do everything at once just to please someone else.  This is your time to renew your body, mind, and spirit.  Be well-be beautiful.

***The content of this post is not intended to replace professional advice from your health care provider. Women’s Life Link, it’s authors, associates, commentators, or linked sites do not claim that any information will diagnose, treat, improve, or cure any disease or condition.

Photo by Xana-Sway