This past Saturday, I was up at 5:15am… the same as virtually every other day. And while I suppose there are those who would prefer to sleep in… or, for that matter, go to bed early… I just can’t do it.
Call it passion… call it a mission, but there are simply too many things to do… and FAR TOO MANY people to help… and nothing gets done lounging in bed, or sitting by the pool sipping iced tea.
Now, don’t get me wrong.
I didn’t say that I don’t enjoy the pool… in fact, a daily swim is one of the reasons I’m up every morning before dawn. And it’s no longer iced tea… it’s now ULTRA-NUTRITIOUS GREEN SMOOTHIES… but more on that in a few minutes.
Yes, EXERCISE and HEALTHY NUTRITION are essential to sober living… a necessary and intentional part of every day… and Saturday was definitely a special day.
You see, it was a celebration for me… an anniversary. Actually, the truth is that it was a public recognition of the forty-one years of sobriety that I achieved on September 10th… right in the middle of my move to beautiful Delray Beach, Florida.
Yes, forty-one years of clean living… having literally come back from death’s door.
And all this I say, NOT TO BE dramatic, but to let you know that a great life is available to you, or your loved ones, once again. After all, I was given just six months to live… in 1968.
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We spent the last eight weeks here, speaking of the link between the treatment of addiction, and the inevitable gaps in our current health care system. On all fronts, we have gotten very good at RECOGNIZING and TREATING SYMPTOMS… while the CAUSES remain elusive.
This course of action sentences our loved ones to try to LIVE WITH and MANAGE disease, and CAUSES a chain of events in which one health challenge leads to another, and then another… ultimately claiming their life many years, or even decades, early.
Naturally, this is devastating to anyone dealing with serious health challenges, and it is an especially common, unnecessary, and painful prescription for those individuals and families who are suffering from COMPLETELY TREATABLE addictions to alcohol, pharmaceutical and illicit drugs, food, sex, pornography, gambling, and more.
It is interesting that seventy-five years after Bill Wilson gained his sobriety, and seventy-one years after he formally organized and published the suggested Twelve Steps for recovery, the people who should be “in the know”, are very often still “in the dark”!
And yes, this does tie back to my opening story about rising early, and getting plenty of exercise and proper nutrition. After all, when we don’t feel good about ourselves… we are more at risk to fall backwards.
You see, regardless of the type of addiction, we know that certain activities must be maintained… and others avoided… if we are to preserve our sobriety.
For example, we stay out of environments that promote the substance or behavior to which we are addicted. We change the routines and conduct that are associated with our addiction, and replace them with life-giving actions and relationships that support our recovery.
We seek professional help when necessary, and form strong bonds and friendships with others who have gone before… those who can share their experience, strength, and hope at the time we need it most.
And we observe and are aware of triggers that might CAUSE a relapse… be they substances like alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and food… behaviors like gambling and pornography… or the dangerous circumstances of being HUNGRY, ANGRY, LONELY, or TIRED.
Yes, once sober… we must stand vigilant for life… one day at a time.
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To help alleviate the physical and emotional stress that can come during recovery, I want to introduce you to a nutritional concept that I believe will help you in the event you or someone you love is involved in any form of addiction or negative health circumstances.
And no, this IS NOT an additional step!
Packed with vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, GREEN SMOOTHIES are a delicious and highly effective way to super-charge your immune system, and provide a natural shot of extreme nutrition that can help stabilize your appetite, mood, self esteem, and energy.
In short, they can assist in keeping you from getting hungry, angry, lonely, and tired… the circumstances that are present just prior to so many relapses.
For further information, I encourage you to visit the website of Victoria Boutenko, and consider the information that is listed there… including, and this is my favorite… a book packed with simple and simply delicious recipes called Green Smoothie Revolution.
Yet another great resource is The Green Foods Bible by David Sandoval, which can be ordered from Purium Health Products, or your favorite online bookstore.
Finally, as you find additional materials, please share them with me also… I look forward to hearing from you.
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