I don't think I ever mentioned it, but I got started with this self-portrait project because of a photographer whose work I greatly admire. After watching her post her self-portraits month after month, I finally decided to follow in her foot steps and embark on my own self-portrait project. Just like she inspired my original journey into the world of self-portraits, she is in a round about way the inspiration for October's self-portrait.
Last month she posted her portrait along with a detailed discussion of changes she has made to her diet recently. She discussed a book she had read that inspired her new way of eating. Everything she wrote really resonated with me, so I decided to check out the book she discussed.
(If you're interested, you can find her post here.)
While skimming the book, I came upon a section that talked about a series of symptoms describing a condition labeled "spent". The book included a list of about 9-10 things and suggested that if you were experiencing 3 of them, you weren't in a good place to start the dietary changes in the book. Instead, it suggested that you read another book, which discusses a strategy to get over being "spent" with things in addition to dietary changes. Since I am currently suffering from not one, not two, not three, but EVERY SINGLE SYMPTOM the book listed, I decided to purchases the referenced book and have been reading it over the past month.
I won't bore you with too many of the details, but the book is called Revive, and it is a 6 week program designed to help you get over what basically feels like complete physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion. The best way I can describe it is by saying that I kind of feel like I've been run over by a semi and I don't have the energy or the desire to even try to get back up.
It details pretty intensive changes to incorporate into your life - many dietary, but also other things such as sleep habits, exercise changes, reconnecting with some of the simpler things in life - friends, laughter, nature. I know that if I tried to embark on the 6 week program as it's written, I'd crash and burn after 2 days. Instead, I'm going to turn the 6 week program into more like a 6 month to 1 year program, as I try to make permenant changes to my diet and life style to bring about a heather and happier me.
My main focus for October involves changing what I've been drinking to eliminate the unhealthy, unnatural things. So, on the 1st of the month I gave up all pop, on the 15th I gave up all caffeinated beverages. And on the 30th, I'm giving up anything that isn't a natural drink - i.e. water, 100% natural fruit juices, or milk. (And I don't drink much milk or fruit juice, so mostly it's water.)
In order to mix it up a bit, I've been experimenting with different types of citrus fruits in my water the past few weeks, but so far lemon is still my fav. I've been keeping a pitcher of flavored water in the fridge at all times for quick access. I decided to take my self-portrait this month while making one of my pitchers of water since this change in my drink habits as been the main focus of my month.
So here I am, squeezing a few lemons...
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Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
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