Gut Bacteria Profile Change....Days 13 to 16

Day 13 to 16

We are back fasting again after a days break – back on the liquids – this week I am taking in my fermented juices (kiwi, strawberry, orange, lemon & ginger) as well as apple cider vinegar, beetroot juice and raspberry apple vinegar plus 1 - 2 tablespoons of homemade goat’s yogurt a day in the drinks. 

Well, this time the transition from eating to fasting was a little bit more difficult. But, not because I wanted to eat or anything – my mind is clearly made up on that matter and I have no desire for food at the moment. It was something else, less tangible at first.

It actually took me a couple of days to ‘readjust’ (slip back into detox mode) into fasting again after taking a little break. Which was strange – I could feel such a resistance coming from somewhere deep in my gut and it was all to familiar.

I have some interesting thoughts on all of this – and I feel we are making significant progress. 

One of the things I noticed right away was that the difficulty was coming from gut bacteria. Of course, I would probably put these bacteria in the camp of non-beneficial ones as they have been giving me grief all along (deep inflammation).

That’s the reason I need to do a bacteria change out in the first place – my gut was never set up properly from the beginning of my life. Too many antibiotics, too many infections, reactions to vaccines, drugs, solid food way too early, and toxic exposure to endocrine disruptors. 

Whew! Anything else to add to that list....sadly all to common these days.

And that’s just what I know about! All of these same bacteria (remember they are present from the first years of our lives) or their descendants are still lurking around the place. These are the exact same ones that brought me IBS symptoms, digestive issues, arthritic pain, poor skin, non-functional hormones and cancer.

Is it any wonder I want them gone? LOL

This week, what flared up for me was an old inflammation (read hospital infection MRSA) that I had many years ago. Right now I can see how these infections (there have been 4) over the years have been the source of a lot of deep rooted inflammation leading to aches, pains and general ill health. 

Hospitals are filthy places for anyone, sick or otherwise! 

Actually I am quite pleased this has come up – this has shown me how much the probiotics are doing and hopefully (finally) taking root deep within my gut. I know they have to battle the other ones first and I am giving them space to do just that, through the fasting. 

That’s what this fast is all about.

Quite a few other things have surfaced for me as well. Mostly about how much our gut flora (and skin organisms too - one and the same?) must affect our thinking, behaviour, habits, moods, cravings, energy levels, nutrient absorption, digestion, immune system and all else. 

When our guts are down – so is everything else. Including our moods, thoughts and thinking, that's the first thing we learn as Nutritionists.

There really is a link between what inhabits our guts and how we go about our days – feelings, thoughts, and perhaps all else. I have long ‘known’ this was a fact, but only now am I getting a chance to watch it and feel it shift and change as my gut does the same. 

And of course, I have been talking about ‘obesity bacteria’ for years – they are generated and sustained from all of these medications, chlorinated water, rubbish foods and chemicals we are subjected to….not the least of which are these deadly antibiotics.

Our bodies are extraordinary places, and our gut flora is a living matrix capable of amazing healing – it’s not to be tampered with, only supported! Out with the trash....LOL

April

Dandelion Coffee is fabulous for your gut health! And it tastes great too....available on my Market Stall or by mail order! 

Onwards & Upwards - Days 6 to 9 of my Fast

Day 6 – 9

Right now I am on day 9 of this spring detox and it has been quite interesting to say the least. For starters, we broke our fast on day 6 for a few hours and ate garlic, some fermented veggies and thick smoothies with fruit. 

I am still very focused on getting all those lovely probiotics into my system – with nothing at all to slow them down! Actually, I am finding this quite easy for the most part and every system in my body is thanking me for the effort.

The next day, after our little interlude of different types of fermented foods, we carried on with liquid only fasting and have been back taking in herbal teas, fermented drinks, apple cider vinegar and beet root fermented juices again. 

Of course fasting gets easier each time I do it, but only because I get smarter about it! These fermented drinks are like liquid gold – tasty, filling and doing the job as far as gut health is concerned. Far easier then the lemon and maple syrup mixture of years ago and with faster results (but, that was a different stage of healing as well).

However, I was a bit concerned that it would be difficult to stop and start fasting again; just like that – taking a few hours out to get more solid sources of fermented foods in to me …but I found, it was just the opposite. The fermented veggies and garlic blended in nicely with our goals to flood our systems with probiotics – so it was an easy transition back to liquids.

So, you remember how I mentioned over this past few months we have been fasting in so many different ways? Well, perhaps we are now forging ahead with yet another type of fast – a few days on liquids, then a few hours on solids, the liquids again – all of it including probiotic and fermented foods, BUT, also the substrates needed to grow the beneficial bacteria once they are in our systems.

Now, as for the detox process itself….

Even with the few hours in-between we are still having all the usual detox symptoms and feeling very productive and energetic as a bonus. Usually my detox symptoms range from a headache, coated tongue, tiredness which comes and goes, bursts of energy, old memories surfacing and a need to clean (everything!) LOL.

Did I mention the clear skin, bright eyes and being able to smell, taste and sense the forces of nature....hmmm sounds like a new puppy! 

Right now I am not sure how long I will keep going, it’s just nice to feel cleaned out – we are still taking this one day at a time.

April

Wild Harvest Cordial - even my cordials are medicinal.... This one is Elderberry & Elderflower - an immune boost from nature! On my stand this week in Clonakilty & Skibbereen Farmers Markets

Healing Powers of Garlic - On A Garlic Fast

Right now I am taking raw garlic crushed in food just to generally clean up my system after a long winter. In the past I have used it many times for naturally fighting illness, infection and inflammation. And it works far better then anything else I have come across.

Garlic is an amazing herb and works on many levels within the healing processes of the body. For instance it helps with DNA repair, carcinogen metabolism, inflammatory response, hormone regulation, apoptosis, cell cycle shifts and of course detox. Each one of these are vital functions in our bodies. 

If you are ready to boost your immune response to be able to handle anything that comes your way perhaps you might consider taking a medicinal dose of raw garlic from time to time and especially whenever you have a flu or illness to deal with.

Over these past 2 days I have only taken in several cloves of raw crushed garlic in guacamole (avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley & garlic) on thinly sliced sourdough bread. I have sipped my Apple Cider Vinegar and drank my fermented juices as well while I am doing my little garlic fast.

Last week I did 3 days in a row of the same thing….5 – 6 cloves of raw garlic each day in guacamole on 3 slices of bread and then the fermented drinks. That’s all I took in for each day with plenty of water. 

I also kept up nicely with my running, weights and yoga and generally treated these days like any other fast days. I just had to get my head around ways of getting the garlic into me without a hassle, while it does have to be in food.... so the bread worked perfectly. 

I felt great afterwards and am now doing it again this week....and perhaps next week as well to keep going with this much needed spring clean!

If you wanted to give this a try yourself, I have included some of my notes from my clinic......

Healing Powers of Garlic

Garlic is medicinal when crushed, allowed to stand for 10 minutes and then eaten raw in food. 5 to 15 cloves per day over 72 hours is best when fighting acute infection or illness. 

I would recommend taking it in the same way as any other antibiotic – every 4 or 6 hours around the clock for 24 hours, then every 8 hours, then every 12 hours over the first 3 days to ensure a constant blood level of this potent herb. 

It works best to take the garlic raw for the first 72 hours in oily food, then stop for 72 hours break. Start another 72 hour cycle following the same pattern to complete the healing process. 

This allows the body time, energy and space to shift into an immune response, and use the garlic as part of its’ defences.

Have A Healthy Day!

April

Garlic ready for guacamole 

3 Point Turn…..Life Changes

I can’t always say in what order my life has changed. Over the years so many things – incidents, situations, even a spoken word, has had occasion to rock my world. 

Often to the core.

But, there are those very few times in life, when I made a decision or found myself in a particular predicament, where I had no choice but to discover for myself exactly what I am made of.

And I have done that, time and again.

Looking back as I often do at this time of year, I can remember times when I have not felt as strong in myself as I do right now. Or times when I really doubted I could see something through to the very end.

These were the situations that held onto me and kept me back. 

I had a tendency to be surrounded by people who left me feeling fearful and doubtful and for years I would blame myself for a lack of will power, an inability to stay the course or self-sabotage. 

Yet, when I distanced myself from these groups of people and the mind-set that went along with them, well I found my own mind and the rest quickly became history. Because, I finally had the energy, the courage and the fortitude to make the necessary changes to my life. 

In my reflections at this time, I see strong patterns of change throughout this past decade in particular where I have made significant shifts in my thinking or mindset around certain expectations (placed on my by society, others, myself?)- which resulted in profound change in the path I am on.

Perhaps it’s as simple as making the choice, seeing it through – sticking with that new energy and then forging ahead on this new-found road. 

One of the most significant decisions I (we) made as a family was to move away from modern chemical methods of treating and dealing with sickness and health. In its’ place I committed to completely adhering to all natural means of creating and maintaining health and healing.

Since the premise of any life altering, world changing shift is the fact that you don’t go back – you keep moving forward no matter what happens…..this decision pushed all of my buttons and of course I had to deal with everything that came my way, naturally.

Working my way through the fear and ill health of cancer with only my intuition to guide my healing process gave me hope, courage and a profound new respect for the powerhouse of healing stored deep within my body cells.

Another monumental shift occurred when in keeping with my no drug or chemical intervention framework a few years later, I knew I would be having my baby at home in a free birth. You can read the story for yourself here– but even 7 years on from that time, I have to say it changed me forever.

I gave birth to some part of me that day, an elemental force that had not existed on this planet in nearly forever. Perhaps not since my first incarnation before the shock of life’s hardships in this physical dimension took a toll and seared their way onto my soul.

Taking the birth of my child into my own hands – thus avoiding another surgery and MRSA infection, potential harm to myself and my baby, not to mention the indignity of it all – taught me one more thing about myself; life has a force all of it’s own and when we allow it, the living of it takes over.

Lastly, we took the decision to go it on our own without seeking, searching for or believing we needed money or jobs from sources other then what we created ourselves. Cutting ties that bound us to this just over broke endlessness, which left us feeling useless and in despair most of the time. 

It was hard to feel motivated on emptiness…..so a truer sense of sustainable living was what we were after - we had to sustain ourselves with no outside help.

After all, we have education, training, many skills and brains that work (LOL), so why not find it in ourselves to make our own way in this world and stop the forced slavery of following someone else’s dream or worse, losing your dreams to nothingness. 

Should be easy, right? Not! Besides, at the end of the day, we didn’t feel we had a choice….backed into a corner by the recession sorts out the reality on the ground in short order. 

Come out fighting or die trying!

Not one part of any of these changes, was an easy decision or a comfortable situation to find oneself in with a family in tow – at least not in the beginning. However, like all the other intuitive, life altering leanings in my life, it is working out, we are moving forward and I am happier then before.

Perhaps, I am happier then I have ever been because I have taken back some measure of control – finally steering my own ship. Here’s hoping for smooth sailing and warm seas….

April

Sailing Camp - Glandore 

Getting On With Living….

Today I am fasting again….however, it was nice to eat loads (read way too much!) over the Christmas holidays and equally nice to be experimenting, cooking and tasting the rich seasonal foods on offer. Life really does revolve around food and eating in this house!

But, that's all behind us now, so, getting back to today. I felt is was time to get this month started for me on yet another footing (self care is paramount) and I am doing a bit of a fast. At the moment, I am not sure how long I will fast this time around. Perhaps a week or two – or maybe longer, I like to take these things one day at a time whenever I can.

Already today I had my first little detox challenge…..I started feeling achy and sinusy as if I was coming down with a cold (like the one the kids had 2 weeks ago!). And my first thought was to just go back to bed….but alas, that isn’t really an option.

I just followed my instincts (or a very strong intuition in my case) and mixed up some of my Apple Cider Vinegar into my fermented Rebel Juice and sipped on that for the rest of the morning. By the time I realized I was feeling back to myself, the juice was gone and I had been busy with all my chores around the place.

It works so quickly!

And now here I am with quite a few things done including 2 mini workouts and still marveling that I am feeling much better – and glad I never went back to bed. The moral of the story here seems to be – to never underestimate the healing power of your body when given the right ingredients.

In this case it was my own apple cider vinegar and fermented beetroot juice – it packs a powerful anti-oxidant punch as well as provides nourishing probiotics for the gut. Because our immune system is gut mediated (if your tummy isn’t working, your immune system is compromised) all we need to do is boost ourselves from the inside with beneficial organisms….

Then they do the work for us. 

When I think back to how I used to treat myself when I felt low, poorly or even completely under the weather – well, needless to say, it was a world apart from where I am today. I would often just ignore symptoms or worse, just push them down with a pain reliever and carry on.

If I have learned anything about health, healing and detox over these many years living this close to nature and in tune with my body, it’s this; when you are gentle with your body and provide natural, equally gentle means of healing, you only have to walk down this road once. 

Pushing something down or aside, simply means it will pop back up to be dealt with on another day and perhaps be far worse then what you started with.  Best to face up to whateveritis that’s around us on the day and provide our body with what it needs (nutrients, herbs, probiotics, exercise, quiet time, laughter, detox) to move forward – then we can get on with living our lives. 

And that’s what we are doing here, right?

April

Day 16 of my Fast - It's All in the Mind!

Day 16

We are now on day 16 and deep into a detox cycle – which means a full day or two of feeling all over the place, toxic and generally tired or yukky. But, in reality, I have plenty of those days when not detoxing – so, go figure!

So far, we are feeling and doing fairly well. This fast is moving along pretty quickly – it always helps to be very busy of course. However, even if we were just sitting around staring off into space – it’s not so very difficult to fast when your mind is made up.

Which leads me to the centre of things here – our minds are such a useful tool when it comes to doing, well, nearly everything. In the past few years I can look back and see a clear pattern of the times when my mind was not fully engaged in what I needed to accomplish – and therefore it (my plans, hopes, wishes) never turned out the way I wanted it to.

Fasting has changed all of that for me. My mind is on-board with all things physical and spiritual – making it entirely possible to move forward in a fully integrated manner. There is no sense in part of us moving forward - we require ALL of us to be on the same page here. 

So, how would we know when our mind is not connecting in to our dreams or where this plays a part of a larger energy block? – well, for me it was when I spent most of my time feeling frustrated and not seeing the movement I would have liked to have.

In many ways our minds are the most extensive part of us because a mind is made up of and inter-connected to every dimension and layer of our beings. The physical component alone involves every cell in our bodies. 

One of the most important changes I have noticed so far with this particular cleanse is how my thinking is influenced by the presence of toxins. Once another layer lifts off, my entire world shifts into higher gear and it seems possible to get moving again.

Speaking of moving – I am off to get in some exercise – this is especially important in our lives when walking the spiritual path, not the least of which is to remove toxins, but also for proper alignment and energy flow in our body.

No matter what is happening with you – or how far you feel you have to go – each step takes you closer to that goal. You can’t get there if you don’t get going….and there’s no time like right now. 

April

Fasting & Detox - Mirror Image of the Soul

Day 8

Here I am on day 8 of the second phase of this fast on probiotic juice (Rebel Juice) and I am flying through it. For me the key really is to be busy and that is not a problem in my life. If anything I never have enough time to get all that I want to do, done!

How am I doing so far and is there anything that is different this time around….well, last time I only did 2 weeks on the juice and I felt as if I made huge inroads as far as ‘personal’ stuff was concerned, even though it was easier it was still a detox.

These past few days, I jumped back into the fasting so quickly I have all the usual detox symptoms but am still not tired or as cold as I would have been other times. I put that down to the probiotic juice I am drinking too. 

What I mean by the personal stuff, is this fast has all been about how I view myself, my own self -image, thoughts and feelings about myself. Of course, that also means all those thoughts, ideas, opinions from others who have been a part of my life with specific ideas about who I am or should be – well, all of this has to move sometime too, doesn’t it?

LOL.

So, this time around, the fast is taking me more deeply into this self-image, self perception space – actually, I feel like I am going into my very soul. This is the deepest ocean water I have ever encountered and right now I feel as if part of it might even be totally uncharted because I never know what I will find here.

Yet, I know there is this funny feeling of vague familiarity – I have been here before, but so long ago it has been nearly wiped from my memory. Perhaps for many of us, our souls are a bit like that – hugely vast expanses of space, just waiting to be explored.

I have a sense of knowing that this is the place where I will find all that I am looking for….myself - my mirror image of my soul. 

What you are seeking, is already here.

April

Barley Cove Beach, West Cork

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! 

A Wink From the Universe.....

It’s been a different sort of start to the week….almost as if it hasn’t yet begun but, it’s as if things have just speeded up in some way, because the energy has changed. I can feel the Universe today and it seems she is listening, hearing and watching us!

For the first time in a long time I can sense a clearing in the atmosphere around this planet we are living in perhaps the earth has detoxed enough herself right now, and things are changing once again.

The most significant change is that levels of communication between the planets and perhaps the other Universes (Universi?) has improved and is now much clearer. This will be a benefit to us all…..

In ways we can only imagine at the moment! However, I do think improvements in outer and other worldly communications are very relevant as they reflect inner changes for those of us living here on this planet.

One of our greatest downfalls as human beings within our relationships (family, partners, business, friends etc.) is often related to a failure to communicate our needs, wishes, feelings and expectations. We often just keep things bottled up with nowhere to go…..

Then, like any other form of trapped energy, they form an internal energy block within our systems leaving us with something to say and being unable to express it clearly, accurately and sometimes to even recognize these feeling or thoughts as our own.

So, this week seems hugely significant to me….things that haven’t been said or talked about are about to come up to the surface – hopefully in a gentle way for the most part. But, also, internally, switches have been flipped and impulses sent out along our nervous systems.

Now we wait for the return of that energy, with a long anticipated ‘hello’ from afar….. it is nice to be back in the loop!

April

Rebel Foods market stall in Bantry Farmers Market 

Harvest Moon....

Today I am getting ready for my full moon ceremony….this one is a harvest moon and of course is something quite special. I remember last year we had a blue moon in the month of August – we don’t have that this year….but….

We have something far better.

This year we are witnesses for the earth, watching as she awakens, stretches and returns to life as it once was. She is re-gaining her energy, coming back to herself day by day and as she does this – the old ways will become relevant to us once again.

By this I mean the simple things such as honouring the full moon. Paying attention to the changing seasons, foraging for natures’ precious offerings and most importantly, using herbs as our medicine.

I have found one significant difference over these past few months since I completed my nearly 2 ½ years of back to back fasting (clearing, cleansing, parasite cleanse), the way my body now responds to food, water and herbs has changed.

What stands out to me most is the herbs of course, because it is so marvelous to have a dramatic, immediate and positive effect from a single cup of herbal tea or a glass of my Wild Harvest Herbal Remedy syrups (you have got to try them! LOL).

It’s as if I have broken through the barrier that kept these natural and healthy benefits of the planet in check – and this barrier also slowed down their action. I had long thought they should work faster and now I see that they do….it was the toxins (viruses, parasites, chemicals etc.) in my body that prevented these herbs from doing their work efficiently.

Which leads me to what I have been doing these days….over this past few weeks I have been busy looking at ways to make my life more efficient. To streamline my ‘working’ (homeschool, farm animals, market activities etc.) day while I keep things (the rest of my life!) in balance.

So, this harvest moon has come to mean something quite special for me this year, it’s finally the culmination of a year where I have truly watched things come together….efficiently.

April

Irish field in West Cork

Fasting - An Adventure in Spirituality

Today is day 3 of my little fast....I have only been fasting off and on for the past few weeks and felt I needed to dig a little deeper this week. So...here I am, on day 3 already and feeling pretty good so far. Of course the 'worst' is now behind me in terms of the adjustment phase!

And as usual, I am busy wandering around tidying up, sorting out, cleaning and clearing - the usual things to be doing during any cleanse. And it feels great to be back in the swing of things as well...each time I do this I re-gain space...

By this I mean - our old diets and lifestyle of processed foods, medication, stressed out working days and all the ways we abused ourselves...pushed us out of important places (aren't they all important!) within our bodies.

Fasting...detox....cleansing -- is all about retaking that spiritual space (mitochondrial DNA). And what an adventure it is!

So, today is day 3 of taking back some of the deepest space I have ever found myself exploring inside of my own body. I am always amazed and thrilled each time I do this...there is so much to discover about myself and what we as human beings are capable of.

Right now - I feel as if I have walked through a new door, this one is not like anything I have ever encountered in this lifetime. But I know it's a place I have always dreamed of....

If you haven't started a fast (cleanse, detox, Master Cleanse) yet....you have no idea what you are missing - it's all there inside, it has always been there and it's all yours.

April

Re-Membering Our Spiritual Genes

It’s been a busy couple of days since we broke our fast – quite interesting and a bit of an eye opener actually. When I am fasting, detoxing, cleansing and otherwise focused on each moment – I really do live or experience things differently.

It's as if there is an intensity to my senses which lends itself to my activities throughout the day. When I am fasting I am aware of the layers and threads of my life, my thoughts and energy field.

However, that all shifts once I am back onto the food days – into being far more aware of overall life -long patterns – such as what is breaking apart and what is coming back together in the days following my detox.

It can seem as different as night and day in some respects, but over the long term 'it' (this work) is just about getting to know my body through water and food. Or in terms of the affects of the earth energies contained in each of these nutrients, on me and the body’s physical tissues.

In the beginning days after a detox, I really miss that one aspect of cleansing – clarity of mind or at least thought I did (LOL). Now I just realize I still have clarity of mind and perhaps far more of it when I am eating and my tummy is full of digesting food – it is just in a totally different dimension.

To be honest, the most important thing I have learned over the years walking and talking and living the spiritual path, is the more you pay attention, listen to your body and work with it in a kind, gentle, disciplined way – the more present you are.

That in itself is not profound. What is profound about all of this is how fasting, eating the right kinds of foods and following the path of the seasons around the sun awakens an ancient time line deep inside of our DNA.

A life-line or lineage of human spiritual genes that must be re-membered to be experienced. 

April

Sunrise

Releasing Energy Goes Both Ways - Let Go & Be Let Go Of

The energy today is mixed – perhaps a bit like the weather in some ways, but also very much connected to how we feel about ourselves right now – uncertain, insecure and a little wobbly on our feet.

What is more – I don’t think these emotions, senses or feelings are even ours. This sounds very much like those who are in positions of power. Think about it – the front they present is one of certainty about what they are planning on doing (or not doing).

However….I am pretty sure behind the smile is a worry that this time they have gone too far. Because what happens when an entire group reaches their breaking point  – well, that’s anybody’s guess. Or perhaps we are already seeing those seedlings of discontent grow in the spring sunshine.

Inside of our bodies it is no different – it’s an exact mirror. Something else is sitting in the seat of power and it’s not us. We are capable of so much more then we think or are told we can do.

In fact, our power, ability and divinity is what has been harnessed and held onto by these energy vampires who are busy feeding off our life essence. Think about all they get from those of us who ‘feel’ we are powerless…

Lots to think about for me today – energy patterns coming up and hopefully ready to be broken and then surge forward in so many ways. This fast is moving me right along my path….

Today I am on day 5 of my fast and still feeling pretty good – some detox symptoms, but as I mentioned when I did my 30 days parasite cleanse, they are very mild when doing a water cleanse. I have been drinking lots of tea (my own blends) with nettle and a few other herbs for my energy field and I can see how deeply it is working.

Being spring I am also out collecting the first nettle, dandelions and other roots and shoots coming up through the warming earth. This is one of my favourite times of the year for that very reason.

I get to work with these lovely plants – cooking with them, drying some for my teas and making some preserves to be enjoyed in the coming months.  I don’t for a minute discount how powerful they are – use them in your cleanse/detox/fast and they will move you to higher ground.

April

Dandelion flowers and leaves ready for something wonderful!