Sheila “Spiral Sister” Murrey Body, Mind, Spirit

Juicing, Paleo, No-Grain Diet, Mostly Vegetarian – Who needs labels?

Many diets. Who needs labels?

I am finally ready to reveal my new diet. I have been doing this for several months now and it’s working. It’s really working. I have lost weight effortlessly. Gained vitality. Renewed my body Temple. And increased the frequency with which, I feel connected to Source Creator God, and all of you. We Are All Connected.

We Are All One. Yes, yes, and yahoo… YES!

Many diets. Who needs labels?
Many diets. Who needs labels?

We are what we eat and absorb.

Here’s the deal about diet for life (lifestyle) change:

I drink raw vegetable juice — everyday. At least one 16 ounce raw veggie juice, often 32 ounces. Plus water. Monday through Friday–I only juice during the day. And if I don’t have time to juice for myself,

I buy juices from a raw vegan cafe; thank you Ionie’s Cafe! Ionie’s vacuum seal the juice in glass mason jars.

I pack my juice in a ThirtyOne bag (with ice) and enjoy at work. Then, for the evening meal… I eat a light meal or soup for dinner. That’s it.

If I feel the need to eat something, I will mix raw nuts and seeds, typically only a 1/2 cup or less and throw in my work bag. Mostly pumpkin and sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and brazil nuts. I eat a bit more on the weekends, but nothing outrageous.

The weekday light meal? Primarily, a can of Amy’s Organic soup, or a salad with grilled or broiled fish. Now and then, I will have some other vegetable like broccoli, sweet potato, or asparagus, but rarely white potatoes. On occasion, I will get a beef patty (no bun), or a steak, but I suspect I will only do that once every two or three months. I have basically lost my desire to eat meat. I like turkey once in awhile too, but we always look for the less processed, organic variety when we buy it.

I am not eating any processed sugar — unless you count wine. I had some sugar over the holidays because my daughter makes (and ships) chocolate truffles from New Hampshire and I love supporting her, so I had a few of those (one a day, every other day). Yes I am attempting to be transparent here. This also keeps me humble and on track. I do not desire to cheat because that’s only cheating my Temple.

UPDATE 1/1/2016: No more truffles and a lot less wine.

Let go of diet labels

I am learning that I am a cross between a raw vegan and a paleo or no-grain eater. I am not a 100% raw vegan because I do still consume eggs, honey, fish, seafood, and very little meat. But I put into daily practice much of what I learned from being a raw vegan back in 2009-2010. I love raw vegan nut cheese instead of dairy cheese. Whenever I eat dairy cheese I can always tell the difference. I’ve also learned that my body does not digest raw tomatoes very well.

As for spiritual growth

As for the spirituality aspects of clean eating… the other night a lady asked if I go to church. I answered a triumphant… No. But then I thought, why would I when I believe my body is the Temple. Yes, with a capital T. And I believe all of your bodies are Temples too. I believe in God-made, vs. Man-made. I will always. That is a core belief of mine. Hmmm. I just misspelled belief as belife. Isn’t that interesting? I corrected it but now I am thinking be-life is actually better!

Fasting

I am finding that by fasting during the daytime on weekdays, it has heightened my spiritual awareness, including also a physical awareness of how much people around me EAT. The over consumption in America is disheartening. It’s not wonder so many of us are overweight and miserable. I highly suspect our bodies were never meant to be in this shape, and yes, round is a shape.

Focus

I am focused on learning more about energy medicine. By changing my focus from food: what to eat, how to make it, when to buy it, etc. I definitely have more time available for reading, sharing, and learning about energy, frequency, brain waves, intuition, etc.

Feeling good

Case in point, this week I took my first Jin Shin Jyutsu class. I am amazed how how wonderful I feel! I feel good, really good.

I mean, I always feel pretty good. Can’t complain. But on occasion I’ve experienced vertigo (ever since working at the Space Center, which I felt may have had something to do with it). The vertigo would come and go. I felt that I had to be watchful when it came to doing any task that might set it off. Laying on a massage table for a massage, at times, could cause me to experience vertigo. Forget about head down yoga postures!

So, the other day after 30 minutes of Jin Shin Jyutsu – both of my ears “opened”! I was ecstatic! Now I can flip my head over to put a towel on my head after getting out of the shower! Yay! Yahoo!

About faith, timing, and living life more abundantly

The Bible is full of stories about how God created us in His image and wants us to live life and have it more abundantly. To me, those understandings mean that He provides for us, in all ways, for our health, and for our needs. I think we’re the ones that think that means He will always answer our prayers and give us what we desire, but I do not think so. I believe our needs are always, in ALL WAYS, provided.

Sometimes God withholds some things, and some answers, for a later time for us, when we are prepared to handle those things. This is why I believe God’s timing is always perfect. And blessed assurance tells me that is why, when the student is ready, the teacher arrives.

Have faith. You know, faith – which is the opposite of worry. Faith IS the substance of things not yet seen. That said, worry is actually a sin because God tells us to have faith. Exercise your faith by taking care of yourself. The Bible also instructs us how to eat and move our bodies, but how many of us follow those instructions? I think it pleases God when we learn about those and practice those habits. Pork is not the other white meat. Pigs are dirty animals that have no sweat glands. Quit dishing on PETA people and take an honest look at what they have to say. Or talk to a pig farmer. Watch a documentary. Just don’t eat pork. Make it easy. Those parasites in pork, yeah they live through the cooking process. And really, the more crap you eat, the harder it will be for you to feel good. I’d bet it also shortens your life. And if you believe suicide is a sin then dying a slow death by eating stupid silly non-beneficial foods is a sin too.

Now, I am not preaching all this stuff to make you feel guilty. Just quit complaining about what other people do and think about what you do. Study to show thyself approved and make one small change at a time until you feel good. I am not above anyone. I am human and I fail. But God has been showing me some things. So, I am sharing what I learn in an effort to help you feel good. Nothing more. Be healthy. Live well.

What’s not needed

Quit running to doctors and putting your faith into what amounts to be medical witchcraft (Yes look up the history, especially all of you who are so fast to point a finger at anyone who believes in another religion). Those big pharmaceutical companies you love so much are a cog in the wheel of the beast. They do NOTHING to cure anyone. They may prolong life but in what state? They do not cure. They ease suffering perhaps. They mask symptoms so you never DO anything to heal your Temple. In my estimation, they are the liars. They are the ones who are selling you false hope. I am tired of hearing people’s excuses why they need this or that drug from a chronic illness. Your lifestyle, mostly the food you’re eating, that’s what’s chronic. 

Go to the doctor if you break a bone, but for asthma, digestive issues, migraines, back aches, arthritis, inflammation, and more… seek alternative advice. I am not a doctor, nor do I prescribe any treatments or solutions. I am shaking you awake! Take It Upon Yourself to live your best, most vital life!

As for exercise, meditation, and Jin Shin Jyutsu

Jin Shin Jyutsu is an energy medicine art that I have decided to focus on this year. I am learning (thanks to reader comments and friends), that it’s best to meditate, then perform Jin Shin Jyutsu, then do my daily stair climbing. That makes sense to me. But I am always trying to maximize what little spare time I have. I work full-time. So, I do the stair climbing when I need a break at work. Thankfully I am able to take a 10-15 minute break twice a day, and my stair climbing has improved so much that I can climb 8 flights safely, and return, within that time. Much less actually.

Exercise works the body, and meditation dedicates the mind. I will learn transcendental meditation (TM) at some point.

The pulsing, or vibration that I feel when I practice Jin Shin Jyutsu is simply amazing! I feel God bumps when I talk about it! I need nothing outside of myself to validate anything for me.

I am connected to my breath, I am enjoying all the self-care I have learned about this past year. I am excited and hopeful about the future. All really is well.

A bit about me:

An Amazon bestselling author of two co-authored books: “Transform Your Life Book 2 Inspirational Stories and Expert Advice” and “Energy of Receiving”, available on Amazon.

Plus, my holistic health book that details how I naturally reversed asthma, Take It Upon Yourself to Live a Wholly Vibrant Life, is available now. Buy it here.

Be the best version of who you want to be.

Information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe.

Follow me on Twitter at: TakeOnYourself

Sheila “Spiral Sister” Murrey Body, Mind

Health Benefits of Raw Juice Fasting or Feasting

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Health benefits I noted during and immediately following my 40 day juice fast:

  • My body began to feel “lighter” by day 3
  • I noticed the skin on my arms got significantly softer by day 3
  • I felt my mind getting clearer by day 5
  • The skin on my face became so clear by day 7 – my coworkers began to comment
  • Overall my skin became so soft by day 14 it was amazing – even elbows and feet!
  • Some rough skin that had been on each side of my nose disappeared also!
  • Moles shrank by at least 50% or more all over my body (not that I had very many but just sayin’)
  • The whites of my eyes got noticeably whiter
  • I lost 12-15 lbs but most noticeably I dropped two pant sizes

About the fast:

I will also write an article on my Orlando Health and Beauty Examiner blog but I wanted to speak a bit less formal here.

Since learning that raw food is the cleanest and best food to eat, vibrationally speaking,  I chose to limit my juice fasting to raw food (adding only a bit of cultured dairy if I become too weak since I am working 40 hours and driving 10 hours weekly during the fast).

I noticed some days I became a bit more irritable and had less patience with people. However, I used those times to look at myself and really ponder why that was happening. Though my health has been relatively good for seven to eight years now, I believe the fast boosted my immune system. There had been a cold going around and I thought I might pick it up by within 3 days (mid – fast, otherwise I would have attributed it to detoxing) any small cold symptom I thought I might be experiencing – was gone.

This fast cleaned my body of toxins, junk in the gut, and overall brought my body to a healthier level. I inspired three other people, so far that I know of, to embark upon a week long fast.

In addition to the juice fasting, I did the daily dry skin brushing that all juice fasting blogs and articles discuss, as well as colon cleansing 2-3 times a week.

A few days I experienced some dizziness. Those days I also added one 16 ounce Suero Viv (which is an organic whey beverage) to my daily intake. I also believe if you have need for any probiotic that a bite of the raw chedder bites cheese from Beyond Organic would also be good to take, though if you can go without it that is fine too.

Everyone is different and some folks may prefer to add a probiotic capsule to their intake a week or two after beginning the fast.

Disclaimer: Before beginning this type of fast, please consult with a health and wellness practitioner of your choice.

Focus of attention is needed to attain any desire. 

As of 4/6/13 I successfully completed my 40 day juice fast, or as some call it… a juice feast! I was sooo happy to have completed this quest and feel absolutely light and wonderful! People tell me more insights may come to me in the weeks that follow so as those insights come, I will tweet them on Twitter. You can follow me there if you would like. You can search for me on Twitter at: takeonyourself. Thanks to all my readers for your support!

Sheila “Spiral Sister” Murrey Body, Mind, Spirit

Spiritual Insights During 40 Day Juice Fast

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The following are a collection of spiritual insights I noted during my 40 day juice fast:

  • The more I explore life, the simpler it becomes
  • Let he who hath ears, let him hear
  • We grow as blades of grass, up through the earth
  • Be as the blade of grass, grow through the dirt
  • Dirt, or earth, is analogous to all resistance we encounter
  • The more I accept lovingly what is, the more I can receive
  • Life is short, do what you love
  • You truly can bloom where you are planted
  • Be grateful – for everything
  • Every thought can be a prayer
  • You cannot say “thank you” enough times each day
  • Saying or thinking “thank you” in every moment is enlightenment
  • I am of Native American descent, this is why I have such deeply rooted feelings about “ownership” of anything
  • No one owns their so-called “land.” Think about it. We really don’t.
  • Tear down the fences and love one another
  • Don’t yell at me – what is all the yelling for? You do not control me.
  • Reality is ONLY what we perceive
  • Unplug to walk my dog, plug into God
  • God is everywhere
  • Space is everywhere
  • Space is not void
  • God exists in the space
  • In everything there is space (think molecules)
  • There is no path to “Everywhere”
  • No path is required, nor building either
  • No dogma is required, only faith
  • Faith is the substance of all things hoped for, things yet unseen
  • Faith IS a substance
  • When you pray, your faith becomes it (your faith has made you WHOLE)
  • God exists in all
  • Breathe, let God in
  • Breathe, let God
  • Breathe, let go
  • We do not create space
  • Space just is
  • We do not create God
  • God just is
  • Think good, think God, thank God – the difference one letter makes
  • I am a circle, a diamond, a mandala
  • As a diamond has facets, so do you, at least a few are glistening, shining
  • I can be grateful even for the muddy / milky facets of others, as it causes me to ask / hope for improvement
  • We are as a tapestry, all the stories of our lives weave a pattern
  • God sees all of our facets, all of our challenges and complexities
  • God knows all of our possibilities, our potential
  • Like electricity to a switch, it is up to each of us to allow pure positive energy to flow, or switch it off
  • Switching off pure positive source energy causes dis-ease in the body
  • God sees us all as a whole, in a perfect state of well-being
  • Jesus healed by not seeing (accepting) the dis-ease – faith makes one whole
  • Jesus saw our perfection, wholeness so dis-ease just “fell away” in his presence
  • We are mirrors of each other
  • No two people can ever experience anything the same way
  • You hold the probability to be nice, or the probability not to be
  • I appreciate all the probabilities you hold within you
  • God really is an aWEsOMe life-force, energy, Creator, Immanence, All-pervading, Ever-Living, Omniscience.
  • No one is perfect, not even our teachers, so let’s just drop that word and stop striving for that
  • We are ALL on a journey and one day we shall see everyone’s intentions

About the fast:

My belief is that I must be tuned EXACTLY to the right frequency or I will not clearly RECEIVE the signal and the best way (for me) to clear out the clutter of my mind, is to find something strong to focus on, in this case, my will not to eat. This fast has allowed me better reception.

I chose a 40 day fast because 40 days is a significant number in the Bible and because I have been reading about several others juice fasting experiences, and 40 seems to be the number of days most have been successful completing.

Bible references to 40 days:

      • Genesis 7:4 – It rained 40 days and 40 nights during the Great Flood
      • Genesis 8: 3-8 – Noah sent out the raven 40 days after the waters receded and the Ark settled on Mount Ararat
      • Genesis 25: 20 – Isaac married Rebecca when he was 40 years old
      • Genesis 26: 34 – Esau was 40 years old when he married his two wives
      • Genesis 16: 35-6 – The Israelites ate manna for 40 years while wandering in the desert
      • Exodus 24: 18 – Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai before returning with the original commandments
      • Exodus 24: 28 –  Moses returns and fasts for 40 days and 40 nights
      • Numbers 13: 25 – The scouts from the 12 tribes spied out the Promised Land 40 days before they returned a bad report
      • Numbers 14: 33; Deuteronomy 29: 4 – Therefore, the Israelites were required to spend 40 years “wandering” in the wilderness
      • Numbers 13: 5; Joshua 14: 7 – Joshua was 40 years old when he spied with the scouts
      • 1 Samuel 17: 16 – Goliath “taunted” Israel 40 days before his defeat by David
      • 2 Samuel 5: 4- King David reigned for 40 years
      • 1 Kings 11: 42 – King Solomon reigned for 40 years
      • Jonah 3: 4 – Jonah preacahed to Nineveh for 40 days before they repented
      • 1 Kings 19: 8 – Elijah fasted 40 days in the wilderness
      • Leviticus 12: 1-4 & Luke 2: 22-4 – Purification of Mary is 40 days after birth of Jesus
      • Matthew 4: 1-2 – Jesus spent 40 days Fasting in the Desert after His baptism
      • Acts 1: 3 – Jesus also spent 40 days on earth following His Resurrection
      • Jesus, by tradition, spent 40 hours in the tomb.

The above Bible list reference was noted in, and with thanks to: Richard “Rick” Torretto author of Divine Mercy and the Biblical Significance of 40 Days.

Since learning that raw food is the cleanest and best food to eat, vibrationally speaking,  I chose to limit my juice fasting to raw food (adding only a bit of cultured dairy if I become too weak since I am working 40 hours and driving 10 hours weekly during the fast).

Health wise, this fast will serve to clean my body of toxins, junk in the gut, and overall bring my body to a healthier level. I’ve also inspired at least one coworker to embark upon a 10 day fast.

Focus of attention is needed to attain any desire. 

As of 4/6/13 I successfully completed my 40 day juice fast, or as some call it… a juice feast! I was sooo happy to have completed this quest and feel absolutely light and wonderful!

As of 12/7/14 I have completed  seven weeks of juice fasting and souping. I am only counting because at some point in the future I want to be able to look back and acknowledge all of this but I plan to live this way. The way I describe my current program is: Raw juice fast all day, every day. Then for the early evening “meal” have one bowl of soup (primarily made up of organic vegetables, lentils, or chili).

I am making this conscious choice in order to:

  • Reset my body’s hunger clock
  • Reset my priorities
  • Allow myself more time for prayer, meditation, writing, while not needing to consider so much what I eat
  • Observe my habits and decide any I want to change
  • Determine what foods cause inflammation in my body (that I will never eat again)
    • Flour and yeast products cause me issues so no more bread, biscuits, cake, etc.
  • Determine what foods allow my body to reach my ideal weight / shape and feel its best

People tell me more insights may come to me in the weeks that follow so as those insights come, I will tweet them on Twitter. You can follow me there if you would like.

You can search for me on Twitter at: takeonyourself. Thanks to all my readers for your support!