Sciatica is more than just a literal pain in the butt (and back and legs). When it strikes, it can cause misery and debilitating pain, instantly putting a damper on your life.

The sciatic nerve runs right through the piriformis, a tiny but powerful muscle deep in your glutes that helps laterally rotate your hips. If it gets too tight, it can impinge the sciatic nerve that runs through or under it, causing tremendous pain, tingling and numbness in your lower extremities.

If you find yourself the victim of sciatica (especially if it’s caused by a sedentary lifestyle), try these for stretches to help relieve the pain:

1. Piriformis Stretch

Laying on your back, place both feet flat on the floor with knees bent. Rest your right ankle over the left knee and pull the left thigh toward your chest.

Hold stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Remember to keep the top foot flexed to protect your knee.

2. Seated Hip Stretch

While in a seated position, cross your right leg over your straightened left leg. Hug your right knee with your left arm, making sure to keep your back straight.

Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds, and then repeat on the opposite side.

3. Pigeon Pose

Start in Downward-Facing Dog pose with your feet together. Draw your right knee forward and turn it out to the right so your right leg is bent and your left leg is extended straight behind you. Slowly lower both legs.

Hold the position for five to ten breaths, then switch to the other side.

4. Self-Trigger Point Therapy

Performing self trigger-point therapy using a lacrosse or tennis ball can be very effective at delivering sciatica pain relief. All you have to do is find a painful spot in the glutes, place the ball at that location and then relax your body into the ball.

Hold this position for 30-60 seconds or until you notice a significant reduction in pain. Move to the next painful spot. The total time spent on this exercise should be between 5-10 minutes.

Please read previous blogs for tips on how to prepare.

Apple cider vinegar (raw and unfiltered) can be used as a salad dressing when you are in a hurry.

If you are a coffee drinker or you just need a pick me up, add fresh ginger to a shake!

Standard process has recently put together a booklet with recipes for 21 days with each day focusing on a different food. I DO NOT recommend starting this during this first week of the cleanse due to the amount of preparation it involves on a daily basis. However I do feel that it would be a great idea to start on day 8 of the cleanse. You can skip the veggies you are less thrilled about or you can keep going and make it a 28 day cleanse! This booklet has a ton of great nutrition information- in my opinion, probably the best put together source of info on nutrition today. (The recipes start on pg 30). Purification Cookbook

There are a bunch of  salad dressing receipes listed in the back of the purication booklet that you recieved with the kits.  There are also some suggestions in the link above.

Smoothies/shakes

-if you are premaking a day or two ahead of time, wait until you are about to drink to blend in the protein powder. -Bananas and blueberries tend to not “sit” very well. Drink these right away.

-disguise veggies that you don’t normally like in a smoothie with pineapple, pomegranate, oranges,and grapefruit as they tend to overpower.

These reciepes are approximations. Add more or less to increase viscosity.

Add 2 tbsp of the protein powder to any of these or just enjoy without. Remember you can have 2-3 with protein per day.

Basic Green Smoothie

1 banana

1 apple (or pear, orange, peach, mango)

1 knob ginger

1 tbsp flax seeds

2 cups kale (or spinach, romaine, celery, parsley)

20 oz water

My favorite Original SP Complete Shake

2 Tbsp of SP Complete protein

8 oz water

1 TBsp Flax seed

1-2 cup strawberries and bananas

For juicing the rainbow:

RED

½ small beet

4 red cabbage leaves

5 strawberries

1 lg grapefruit

7 raspberries

Pink

Watermelon

½ lime

Handful of mint

½ cucumber

Purple

Beets

pomegranite

cauliflower

Yellow

½ yellow bell pepper

3 flourettes cauliflower

Pineapple

Banana

Green

Green onions

2 kiwis

2 apples

4 celery

basil

Blue

-let me know if you find a good one!

Sinus clearing juice

1 lg orange

1/2 lemon

1 apple

1 inch ginger

pinch of cayenne pepper

Good Luck!!

Orange

3 cutie oranges

½ orange bell pepper

2 Pineapple chunks