And so it begins. Juice Fast Day 1? Piece of Cake.

Yep, Day 1 of my juice fast was no sweat. I can't even believe it! Of course, it doesn't hurt that I slept until 11:00 this morning! (11:11 to be exact...LOVE that!) And I didn't even overindulge last night for New Year's Eve, as I'm sure you might think when someone sleeps until 11:00. We had a nice quiet evening at home. We invited some family friends over for fondue and games and they left close to 11:30pm. I stayed up to enjoy my last glass of wine by the light of the Christmas tree, and was asleep by 12:30am.

But first, a brief background for you on why I am doing this. And why it's only Step 1.

Five years ago, I started feeling horrible. I had the overwhelming fatigue that only a pregnant woman knows. But I was pretty sure I wasn't pregnant, so why did I just want to nap all the time? I have never been a napper. I have 500 other things I'd rather do than nap. But in the Fall of 2008, I couldn't make myself get off the couch. My whole body felt like lead. I also started having pain in my joints. More than regular arthritis, one day it would be the right ankle and the next it would be the left. One knee one day and my shoulder another. It was all very overwhelming...I had never felt this way in my life. After a few months, I decided it was time to go to the doctor. Almost immediately, my doctor referred me to a Rheumatologist.

I was diagnosed with Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Endometriosis, Hypothyroidism and Spondyloarthropathy (say THAT one five times fast). And everything changed. Nothing like being handed multiple autoimmune diseases at 39 years old to make you realize that health is about so much more than a number on a scale. Especially when you have a 6-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son at home. (Note: There is a form of autoimmune Hypothyroidism, but I have your standard garden variety.)

I started learning about nutrition in a way that governmental agencies would never teach you. First and foremost, that wheat and dairy are inflammatory foods -- and I have an epic wildfire of inflammation going on inside my body. I had no idea what those foods were doing to me! I've never been a huge meat-eater, but I also learned that it needed to be completely eliminated from my diet as well. I've had some big and little successes in the past five years...but in the past year, I've done a complete backslide into the standard American diet.

Enter the Universe and all of its gentle whispers and nudges. One sibling is diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. A good friend of mine is diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. My uncle goes in for a triple or quadruple bypass. Another sibling who already has gout goes to the ER by ambulance 3 times and is ultimately diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. And my own mom, only 65 years old, has become almost completely disabled and immobile due to her own psoriatic arthritis, gout, and who knows what else.

It's time to take control and become the sassy veggie I am on the inside.

Step 1: a juice fast.

Bring it.