Here is a useful questionnaire from
Raw Food Cleanse book. It might be a good idea to evaluate your current level of wellness/toxicity before embarking on a One Month Total Cleanse journey. It can give you an idea of how various factors, such as poor diet, emotional/spiritual imbalance, life stresses, lack of exercise, dehydration, over acidity, poor elimination and environmental factors, can affect your health and overall well-being.
Below are my current answers before the cleanse. I will reassess myself in 3 months again. In addition to raw food diet, I have recently started running, practicing yoga and meditation regularly, and enrolled in a belly dance class. I have been preparing for an active and responsible life-style like this for a long time and right now I feel that I'm ready for it. This is a result of a realization that our body is a crucial component of our life, and we can't ignore it only because we think that developing in a spiritual or mental sense is more important. Lack of attention to our bodily needs will eventually create imbalance and reduce the level of energy that is needed for proper functioning of our emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. So I'm going to take responsibility and take care of my physical body!
LIFE CLEANSE QUESTIONNAIRE:
DIETARY PROFILE –
Do you regularly consume (now or as a child) …
DAILY - OCCASIONALLY - RARELY - NEVER
DAIRY PRODUCTS: OCCASIONALLY
(milk, cheese, butter,eggs, ice cream, etc.)
MEATS: RARELY
(commercially raised;beef, pork, chicken,fish, turkey, etc.)
PROCESSED GRAINS: DAILY
(cereal, bagels, pastries,crackers, waffles,pancakes, etc.)
PROCESSED, REFINED SUGAR: RARELY
(white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.)
SOY PRODUCTS: RARELY
(processed tofu, soy milk, soy meats, etc.)
FAKE FOODS: RARELY
(anything containing food coloring, artificial sweeteners, chemicals. Products like; twinkies, spam, velvetta,
powdered drink mixes, candy, and other highly processed items)
COFFEE, BLACK TEA, SOFT DRINKS: DAILY (black tea)
SPORTS DRINKS &/or BOTTLED JUICES: OCCASIONALLY (bottled juices)
The longer and more often you have consumed the above, the higher your toxic load and the higher your chances of being overweight and in compromised health.
PHYSICAL HEALTH–
Do you consider yourself a yo-yo dieter or has your weight fluctuated over 10% in either direction repeatedly in your adult life?
YES NO
Are you over 40 years of age? YES
NO
Do you consider yourself "regular"? YES
NO
(1 or more bowel movements daily)
Do you currently have any of the following health conditions?
Over weight - 25 pounds or more: YES
NO
Over weight - 75 pounds or more: YES
NO
High Cholesterol: YES
NO (I haven't check my cholesterol level recently. I will schedule an appointment for a complete physical check-up tomorrow.)
High Blood Pressure: YES
NO
Diabetes: YES
NO
Asthma or other respiratory mucosal condition: YES
NO
IBS or other bowel disorder: YES
NO
Heartburn or other digestive condition: YES
NO
Insomnia: YES
NO
Migraines: YES
NO
Osteoporosis: YES
NO
Arthritis: YES
NO
Depression: YES
NO
Chronic Pain: YES
NO
Ulcers: YES
NO
Liver Disease/Cirrhosis: YES
NO
Stroke: YES
NO
Kidney disease: YES
NO
Thyroid Disease: YES
NO
Heart disease: YES
NO
Cancer: YES
NO
Fluctuating weight, irregularity, being moderately overweight to severely obese and living with a body that is taxed by any of the above health conditions are all symptoms of a body that is struggling with its toxic load. As the body ages, gains weight and retains toxicity, the more its systems begin to breakdown.
MOVEMENT –
Do you get 20 – 30+ minutes of aerobic exercise 5x’s/week? YES
NO
(walking, running, swimming, biking, rebounding, etc.)
Do you participate in 20+ minutes of strength/resistance training at least 3x/week? YES
NO
(weight lifting, resistance bands, circuit equipment, etc.)
Do you participate in 30+ minutes of flexibility movement 3x/week?
YES NO (yoga about 2x/week)
(yoga, pilates, stretching, etc.)
Lack of body movement adds to the sluggishness of one’s internal systems and creates a deficit in essential oxygen entering into the blood stream.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION –
Have you or do you currently work in an enviroment in which YES
NO
you are regularly exposed to chemicals or solvents?
Do you use or carry a mobile phone on your body YES
NO
for one or more hours daily?
Do you work on a computer or sit close to a computer
YES NO (This is a huge factor for me.)
for more than 2 hours daily?
Do you have regular (1 – 2x/yr.) X-rays, mammograms,
YES NO (Dentist)
MRI’s, or other such contact with radiation/X-rays?
Do you live in or near a large city?
YES NO
Many experts agree that the threats of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) are compromising to our health. Even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns "There is reason for concern" and advises "prudent avoidance".
SPIRITUAL –
Do you regularly attend a church, synagogue, temple,
mosque or other place of worship? YES
NO
Do you engage in regular prayer, meditation or
other such spiritual practice? YES
NO (More regular meditation practice than before.)
Do you take time to rest and reflect on your
personal blessings or use positive affirmations?
YES NO
Do you feel a connection or have awareness
of God, the Creator or a higher power on a daily basis? YES
NO
Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones - Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest, cites one of the secrets to longevity and health as living a life which incorporates spiritual purpose, religion and a community of faith into ones daily lives.
EMOTIONAL –
Within the last 12 months have you had any of the following occur:
Serious illness: YES
NO
Close family member with a serious illness: YES
NO
Recently lost a close loved one to death: YES
NO
Separation/Divorce:
YES NO
Serious legal trouble: YES
NO
Career change: YES
NO
Moved primary residence:
YES NO
New baby or other person(s) join your household: YES
NO
Serious family/relational problems:
YES NO
Serious financial stress: YES
NO
Primary caregiver of someone ill/disabled YES NO
Are you happy in your primary relationship?
YES ~ SOMEWHAT ~ NO
(Marriage/cohabitation)
Do you have a satisfying level of intimacy in your life? YES ~
SOMEWHAT ~ NO
If you work, are you satisfied in your career? YES ~
SOMEWHAT ~ NO
Do you have close, meaningful, harmonious friendships?
YES ~ SOMEWHAT ~ NO
Do you have pets? YES
NO
Are you involved within a community in which you serve, YES
NO
build relationships or gain support?
(PTA, charity, social or recreational group, etc.)
Life stress and troubled or inadequate relational issues can deeply affect our state of wellbeing and health. It’s good to take an honest evaluation of what you can do to adjust and heal areas that may be out of balance.
LIFESTYLE –
Do you now or have you ever had a dependency on drugs or alcohol? YES
NO
Have you taken birth control, antibiotics,
YES NO
pain medications, anti-depressants or other
prescriptions drugs for 3+ months in your past?
Do you currently take any prescription drugs daily: YES
NO
Do you currently smoke? YES
NO
Are you around others who smoke daily?
YES NO
Do you currently use recreational drugs? YES
NO
Do you have more than 5 alcoholic beverages weekly? YES
NO
Do you sleep under 8 hours most nights?
YES NO
Do you get less than 15 minutes of sunlight daily?
YES NO
Do you drink less than half your body weight in
YES NO
ounces of water (herbal tea or fresh juice) daily?
Research has shown that behaviors that include tobacco, alcohol or substance abuse, as well as eating disorders are linked to long range poor overall health. Lack of adequate sleep and sunlight, along with chronic dehydration also produce an atmosphere in which the body cannot regain a state of equilibrium to begin the healing process.
