Fresh

Since being diagnosed with MS almost six years ago (more about that HERE) I've become amazingly more aware of what choices I make health-wise. Not in an obsessive, fear-based way... but just an added level of consciousness about what I do.

So... in order to banish as many of those nasty little free radical demons as possible... I decided to take a week and eat nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables... as in absolutely fresh... never processed in any way... which means not cooked or heat processed. And of course, that also meant that I would only drink water (with no artificial additives) or fresh juice... the kind that comes with only one ingredient. At the beginning, I expected it to be a challenge... after all, the rest of my family would still be eating their regular diet and the meals that I prepared for them.

It turned out to be an experience with more depth than I would have ever anticipated. I live in a place where a variety of really fresh produce is available year round... today I can eat fruit that was still growing in Chile yesterday... literally... thank goodness for fresh food markets. The fullness of the flavors... the saturated colors blended together in a bowl of fruit... the burst of scent as a piece of fruit is broken open... the feel of fresh juice running down my arm as I peel a kiwi...

My skin is clearer, smoother... the color of my eyes brighter and clearer... and I feel great. More than that, it adjusted the way my soul feels... freed something up... taking the moments to simply enjoy the process changed me.

And seriously, many of my meals are still fresh fruit and veggies... even though my 'week' ended a month ago...