Torn Rotator Cuff-The Green Juice Revolution

As I write this, I am fasting on green juice made of freshly squeezed organic celery, cabbage, broccoli, kale, dandelion, sprouts and romaine lettuce accented with powdered wild grasses. I drink 2 liters of this juice every day, and on days when I eat no solid food, I drink 3 or more liters.

I’m 48 years old and have been on the path of raw food and holistic heath for 9 years. I was 100% raw for 5 years, and am now about 75% raw, I began juice fasting a year after going raw, and have slowly mastered the practice. My goal for 2007 was to play a juice fasting “game” in which I would fast — or “feast” — on only green juice for 5 to 10 days a month, with at least one fast of five or more consecutive days each month. As I write this, I have juice fasted a total of 87 days so far, or an average of eight or nine days per month. There have been ups and downs: one month I only fasted for three days, another month 13, but at this rate, by the end of the year, I will have juice fasted more than 100 days. This game is extraordinarily rewarding: I feel AMAZING!

There are at least five primary benefits that I experience from drinking large amounts of freshly juiced greens:

• MINERALS. Dark leafy greens are a rich source of minerals. Lack of mineralization is a primary cause of disease.

• ALKALINITY. Greens are highly alkaline. Acidity is a primary cause of disease.

• LIVE ENZYMES. As I drink the juice, I can literally feel the life force flooding my body. It’s a natural high!

• PROTEIN. Dark leafy greens contain all nine linked amino acids required for building protein.

• HYDRATION. The water in the plants has been purified by the best system in the world — nature. When accompanied by minerals, the body assimilates and holds water more effectively than when it ingests straight water. Much of the water we regularly drink passes through us, washing out nutrients as it goes.

There are several positive effects that I experience when I fast on green juice and abstain from all solid food. My skin gets clearer and softer. I breathe more fully and easily. As toxins are drained from muscles and joints, there is little if any stiffness in my limbs — my yoga practice feels exquisite. I feel light, calm and peaceful. I think clearly, and brilliant creative ideas seem to fall into my head. I am one with God, the planet and the universe. Exterior circumstances may not change, yet I feel whole and complete. All is well in my personal sphere, and therefore my attention shifts outward and I am of greater service to others.

I must acknowledge that the process of juice feasting has not always been so glorious. The first few years — during which I fasted well over 100 days, including fasts of 10, 21, 30 and 33 days — were very challenging. A lifetime of steroid toxins, anger and trauma came to the surface to be processed and released. There were periods of exhaustion, resignation and isolation. It was a roller coaster of bright peaks and dark valleys, but ultimately, it has been the greatest adventure of my life — a profound journey of self-discovery.

In January of my “Year of Fasting,” for no apparent reason, my right shoulder began to hurt. By February, I had to stop doing all upper body work at the gym. I began seeing doctors in March, but it was not until May that I was diagnosed with a “frozen shoulder” and a torn rotator cuff, which showed up on an MRI. The tear in my rotator cuff was a mystery, as there had been no single incident or moment when I experienced sudden pain. During this time, I moved from New York to West Palm Beach and switched doctors.

The literature my doctor gave me said, “the causes of frozen shoulder are not fully understood” and that “this condition affects about 2% of the population.” By this time, my arm was almost completely useless — I could barely open a car door or pick up a grocery bag with it. The pain was constant and interfered with my sleep. Even riding a bike was a challenge.

An orthopedic surgeon said the torn rotator cuff absolutely must be operated on, that “this will not heal itself,” but that first the frozen shoulder had to be reversed. The literature, from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, explained that the “frozen” stage would last 4 to 9 months, and the “thawing” stage can take anywhere from 5 to 26 months. Only then could I have the rotator cuff operation, and recovery from that was projected at one year. The whole ordeal could last two to three years.

By then it was July and my seventh month of juice fasting. I began physical therapy three times a week, and visited an acupuncturist weekly. On my first visit, the acupuncturist scanned my body and took a reading of all my organs, then told me that in his 15 years of practice, I was the healthiest 47 year old person he had ever worked on. I shared my regimen with him, and on my second visit, he told me he had resumed juicing greens and was feeling great. I shared my regimen with my physical therapist (PT), also 15 years into her practice. She had just begun to adopt a raw food diet, and during our sessions, we exchanged raw recipes.

The cause of my injury was still a mystery, and I wanted an answer. For many years, I have worked with mediums, and I now consult with one of the best. I was told that this was a “soul imprint” — a pattern carried through many years. I was told that my shoulder had been wounded in battle a long time ago, and that I had injured it originally even further back in history, throwing a discus. These injuries had become part of my identity. I used them to seek pity and attention: “poor me, look at my pain.” I asked what I needed to do to transcend this state, and was told I must release it with the affirmation: “I no longer need this as mart of my identity.”

My progress and recovery were stunning. After three weeks of physical therapy and acupuncture, I went back to the surgeon who conceded, “perhaps you won’t need surgery” — a reversal of his initial diagnosis. Two weeks later, my shoulder mobility had increased 50% and the pain had decreased significantly. After just two months, I had regained 90% mobility in my shoulder, felt almost no pain, and was lifting weights again. Both the PT and the acupuncturist told me this was the fastest recovery of a frozen shoulder they had ever seen. Both acknowledged my juicing regimen as the source of my recovery. The green juice fasting allowed the inflammation and fluid to consistently drain from the shoulder, sent a massive supply of minerals to rebuild tissue, and created the alkaline state optimal for healing.

Two weeks before my fourth and final visit to the surgeon, I watched as the NBC nightly news named Dara Torres “Person of the Week.” A nine-time medalist at four Olympic games, the now 40-year old swimmer is making a comeback after retiring six years ago. She had just won the US nationals, and is considered a shoo-in for the ’08 games, where she will be the oldest swimmer in Olympic history. I got chills when I saw her honored on TV, and immediately made her my exercise icon. As I cycled and lifted weights on my way back to peak condition, I told myself, “If Dara can do it, I can.”

When I walked into my surgeon’s office for that final visit, Dara Torres was standing there in front of me. We sat in the waiting room and talked about proper fuel and proper cleansing for the human body. I told her all about my injury and my green juice and raw food program. She told me her coaches are on a similar program and are trying to get her to fuel herself this way. When the surgeon finally saw me, he said “Get out of here and don’t come back!”

I’ve been back at the gym almost three months now. I juice fast an average of nine days a month, eat a mostly raw vegan diet, and I’m packing on muscle as fast as I ever did gorging on a meat and grain diet. There was a time in my life when the idea of eating raw food or fasting for even one day was impossible. What an amazing transformation!

I’ve been blessed to learn these practices. I feel wonderful, and I want everyone to feel as good as I do. It’s now enough for me to feel good — the real reward is is in giving away the gift. I envision a world where freshly juiced organic greens are served in our public schools, hospitals, shopping malls, nightclubs, airports — everywhere. My mission is to live it, speak it, and create projects to make it happen. If you are not already drinking green juice every day, I heartily encourage you to join the Green Juice Revolution!

Vol 28 Issue 1 page 12