Fasting - Healing & Sealing the Gut

Day 13

Today is another day fasting –  we are living without food and taking in only liquid drinks, but we are not without sustenance. We were just chatting about how we feel after nearly 2 weeks without solid food and the consensus is – pretty good!

This morning, when comparing how we feel right now to how we might (usually) feel during a Master Cleanse or a water fast – we all agree that we are not tired, we are generally not cold, nor are we hungry or low in energy. 

I’m not even sure we are detoxing at all because this is too easy!! LOL But, all the other signs of a detox/cleanse are there including loads of dreams, deep sleeping, huge energy patterns rising up to the surface, coated tongue, bright eyes, clear skin, a need to clear the house and so forth.

Our plan is to stop shortly for a family birthday/thanksgiving feast – some years we skip this and put it off for after Christmas, but this year we really want to celebrate. After all, I feel we have so much to be thankful for – we are healthy, moving forward and alive.

Which brings me back to why we are doing this fast using only the probiotic drinks (Rebel Juice) I make for ourselves and the market in West Cork. I wanted to see what would happen to our guts. Would they change out in terms of old bacteria leaving and dying off, more colonies of candida being brought under control, internal and outer balance with regards to gut flora overall?

After all, as a Medical Intuitive and Clinical Nutritionist, my main interest is in how these processes work and why it is so vital that we make fundamental changes when we can. Our guts are basically in charge of a lot of physical, emotional and cognitive function - so this is the single most important area in our bodies. 

And a very good reason to choose to detox. Whenever we have been exposed to antibiotics, medication and general toxins, including stress and toxic situation, our guts tend to need healing and sealing afterwards. 

Right now I am watching for signs of these changes of deep healing and internal sealing within our bodies – perhaps later this week when we go back to eating solid foods we will see the full benefits of this fast with our digestions up and running. 

But, there are little things changing already - creativity is opened up and the desire to be organized is very present - both very mental processes.

I knew this was a mind cleanse or as my son calls it, an oil change! LOL

April

Geese in the garden enjoying the sun

I. AM.FASTING. Day 7….. #amfasting

Did you know that there are studies out there stating how people who fast regularly have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugars and generally weigh less – of course all with better health?

Today is day 7 of my 'before Christmas detox' – we do this every year, so for those of you who know me and have followed along over these past few years, yes we are still detoxing, fasting and moving steadily forward towards greater and better health.

This fast, this time around is a little different however, because even though we are only taking in liquids – that liquid has changed. Usually in previous years – and throughout the year with the many fasts/detoxes/cleanses we have done, we would do a variation of the lemonade detox.

However, this past week we have been drinking only Rebel Juice (my own probiotic juice drink) and some Butterfly juice (nettle, dandelion, apple, ginger = rocket fuel) left over from the market that I do each week. And so far, things are proceeding much along the same lines with a couple of major differences, we have been noting.

First of all, Rebel Juice is a form of kvass or a fermented probiotic drink made from fruit, vegetables, whey and water or from rye bread, sourdough starter, honey and raisins. Now you know me….I took those basics and added, tweaked and changed them to make my own formulation into something, well magic! At the moment we have 4 different kinds to choose from Fruit, Honey Lemon, Lime & Apple Mint and Beetroot blend. 

So, we are enjoying our Rebel Juice each day along with herbal teas, water as well as doing salt water flushes and skin and hair detoxes with my own Rebel Foods products – sea salt hair detox and so forth.

One of the big differences we have noticed with taking in these fabulous living drinks, is in the fact that we are not cold. Any other time we have done a fast, even for one or two days, we find that we are chilly. Digesting food produces body heat, obviously!

Well, this time around, with a constant supply of probiotic drinks, full of goat’s yogurt whey lactobacillus, wild yeast, beneficial bacterial cultures and so forth – our digestion is quiet, but the heat is still on in our bodies. Which is a bonus for this time of the year!

Then, remember how I used to always have a headache/aches/pains adjustment period for the first 2 or 3 days of any fast even though I haven’t drank coffee or tea in over a decade? Well, that didn’t happen either with the Rebel Juice.

And, lastly, we are far more creative. I feel as if I just want to make things, paint, write, draw, ideas, thoughts and so forth are streaming out. So, I am doing just that. I am making lots of products for my market stall, baking Christmas puddings and cakes and anything else I can find to do. 

It’s all good so far. 

April

Jugs of Rebel Juice (Kvass) for our detox - yumm! 

I'm Glad I Didn't Listen…..

Now, don’t get me wrong – there are indeed times I listen to others and carefully evaluate their opinions – people have various experience that I do not yet have and it is really appreciated when some advice is carefully given.

However, there are times (my family would say, all the time!) when I march to my own beat, listen to my own inner voice and don’t give a hoot about what anyone else has to say about it.

In so many instances I am so glad I didn’t listen to others and my life, my current state of happiness is living proof, that listening to myself and my own inner guidance system is what matters most. 

There. I said it. Did you hear that? 

It’s kind of like the computer prompt when writing in Word – it wants to change the word you are trying to write to something else….how the hell does it know what you need to say? And why on earth would you let it, or anyone for that matter, override your self-expression?

So, what has brought on all of this? 

Well, this week is my anniversary (this year is 25 years together) and my constant reminder of the single most important reason in my life where I am glad I didn’t listen to absolutely anyone…..because if I had, well, we wouldn’t be together.

And, I wouldn’t be walking this spiritual path with my family. My life would have been very different and in all likelihood, I would not have made it through illnesses at all. I, we, have come through so very much and it is because we are together. 

It’s a great start to the week….and I’m. Not. Listening. (smile)

April

Our new Mallards meeting everyone in the duck pen