A Spring Cleanse!! Day 2

Today I am fasting….it’s actually now day 2 of a spring detox I want (need) to do. I haven’t been writing very much over these past few months….well, actually I have but it’s of a different sort – mostly for the market and stuff.

But, that doesn’t mean I don’t have this need to write things down. It’s more of a record actually….I have written down so much of what has been taking place in and around me as well as my dreams over the years that I could fill many books. 

And of course, I have done exactly that!

So, getting back to my fasting. The last time we did a big fast was before Christmas and it felt so good! In the meantime, since Christmas, I have done several small and different types of fasts – things I would never have thought of before.

For instance, one week I was feeling quite off – so I did a garlic fast. Basically we just ate guacamole with large amounts of garlic (8 to 12 cloves) on very thin crackers/toast for 3 days and drank lots of water. 

It felt so good that I did it for the next 3 weeks as well. And now continue to do this for a day here and there whenever I feel I need a boost. There is something special about garlic, it uplifts and heals like nothing else. I always feel as if my thinking and my head is clearer when I take enough of it in…

Then we have had a few fasts on just my Butterfly Juice (in case you have not yet experienced Rebel Foods Market Stall Butterfly Juice – you have to make a special trip to west Cork! LOL). This is nettle, dandelions, Irish apples & ginger and it is pure heaven…..

We refer to it as ‘spring in a jar’. Including this in our fasts has been very effective for boosting energy levels, clearing skin and getting sluggish digestive systems moving properly again. And, it tastes greats too! Somedays it's all I take in and I feel it really helps with general well-being, especially suited for this time of the year. 

So….for this fast – I might incorporate nearly everything or just some of these things. I plan to take it day by day and see how we get on. At this stage we are still working on our goal – or the purpose of doing the fast in the first place. 

Also, I am learning so much more about gut bacteria this time around as well. And perhaps that is one of my aims here. I have a few questions I need answered and my body is taking me on this fabulous trip to find those answers….

I’ll keep you posted…..

April

Rebel Foods Market Stall - Butterfly Juice and Rebel Juice (fermented health tonics) 

What Fasting Can Help You to Achieve

Fasting is as old as time itself – perhaps during our many thousands of years adapting to life here on this planet – we spent many days and weeks without much of anything to eat.

In between times of finding sources of food, there were lots of times when food was equally scarce. Then throughout the ages, our pattern of eating evolved to encompass fasting for spiritual reasons.

Of course these days we have come so far away from fasting for any reason and that is part of the contributing problem and why we are over our heads where our health, healing and connection with the earth is concerned.

What most of us have forgotten is we are intimately tied to the energy of this planet – she supports us, nourishes us, and is a part of who we have always been. Our spiritual existence, along with our water, food and healing herbs is aligned with the earth’s energy field.

So, this brings up two questions – what is fasting and why should we bother to do it?

Well, contrary to so many reports, articles and books on the subject – fasting is quite simply going without any food whatsoever for a period of time. During this time you do take in water and in my own recommendations, herbal teas for balance and healing of tissues and organs.

Fasting does not entail taking in any solid food of any kind – this is called eating. You can have a day however, where you take in a small or less then usual amount of food – this is referred to as restricting calories - but this is not fasting.

We can choose to fast for many reasons – most of which would (these days anyway) be related to health, weight loss and healing. The spin off from this is an improvement in health – often as a direct result of a reduction in inflammation in the body.

Our diets, lack of exercise, stress levels, use of medication and general disconnect from the energy of the world around us is what has contributed to the current state we find ourselves in.

Now more then ever there is a need (and a desire) to get back to ourselves (regain the health we have lost), who we are, really – the only way to do this is to reconnect on a spiritual level with our inner worlds.

And that is what fasting can help you achieve.

April

Baltimore Harbour

Changing Seasons...

Ever since the month of August started last week, I have been more aware of a slight change in season, the air feels different and all around us the energy of the land has shifted into a new mode. There also should be a lot taking place within our bodies reflecting these outer movements.

One of the best aspects of the fall and darker seasons that I like is the fact that once your tissues and physical reserves have been built up from the summer abundance of food and sunshine, real healing can take place. Of course each one of us will experience spiritual, emotional and energetic recovery at different times in response to any kind of healthy stimulation such as right diet and exercise. 

However, there are places of inflammation buried deep within each one of us that most often never see the light of day, because we do not take the time to cleanse and detox. Or, because for the most part we feel 'fine' as opposed to unwell - we assume that there is no significant amount of inflammation present.

If you have issues with weight gain or loss, if you have had antibiotics in your life, surgery or dental work, if you have taken any form of medication for any length of time or if your iron, hormones, blood pressure, cholesterol or any other bodily function is even slightly off - you have inflammation in your body tissues.

Inflammation is like a bog fire, it burns low and deep, it may stay like this for a very long time, but you never know when or where it will flare up and it is deadly. From my experience these types of low level inflammation are fueled by poor diet, high levels of chronic stress and the presence of yeast and fungus causing the tissues to become acidic. Which ones came first is another matter altogether and there is some argument that we are born with this.

Today, if you want to make some significant changes to your life, start with your body, work on some likely places of inflammation and try to understand why this has persisted. Then take a step towards flushing this out and healing your life.

A Master Cleanse or a detox is always a good place to begin.

April 

***The Pagan Diet - Food, Fast & Feast is your absolute best guide to healing body, mind and soul