Three Day Water-Only Fast

I'm 21 hours into a 72 hour fast. This is why...



You can also read the article HERE.
If you're more interested in the research study, instead of an article click HERE.

There are all types of fasts out there; juice fasts, fruit fasts, broth fasts, minimal calorie fasts, you name it, there's probably a fast out there. They're a divisive topic with fervent stances on both sides. Some say they're great for cleansing, fabulous for your health, and others say they damage your metabolism, that they mess up the delicate homeostasis of the body. As for me, I don't know what I think. It seems like there's both benefits and concerns. But this new research study that's been splashing around the internet showing that fasting for 2-4 days can completely regenerate the cells in your immune system, got my attention and drew me in.

To keep myself sane, I have been drinking pint after pint of water, and a smattering of herbal teas (which I chose because they're are usually caffeine free and calorie free). This afternoon I felt well enough to walk the lake with Emma, but I'll be surprised if I'm able to do it again tomorrow, let alone Friday. I'm just trying to take it easy and get through this. I have a friend who's done a seven day water-only fast, so I keep reminding myself that three days should be easy. I mean, jeez, I'm almost a third of the way to the finish line.

I'm definitely feeling hazy, but the growls in my stomach are oddly refreshing. It reminds me that I'm strong, and dedicated. Too bad my subconscious didn't get the memo; I took a late afternoon nap and dreamed of juicy, chilled green grapes.

On my walk today I glimpsed this chalk message. How fitting. Maybe the penman was on a fast too....know what I'm sayin'? Ha.

Lemo-eep

Sorry to continue on and on about lemons, but I'm on quite a kick. Although acidic, they are great at balancing out blood sugar levels, purifying your blood and maintaining a healthy ph balance (there's a belief in some circles that an alkaline diet reduces the occurrence of cancer). It's great for brain function (I guess there's a bunch of potassium in the juice), and it boosts your immune system. I'm mostly excited about the fact that it helps cure insomnia. Tonight, I think I'll count lemons instead of sheep.

There is so much information out there about the benefits of lemons and fresh lemon juice, it's pretty astounding, and really exciting. I always love finding new delicious ways to jumpstart or maintain my health. You can even use the juice to zap zits. No joke! And it evens out your skin tone. Just be careful because it also makes your skin more vulnerable to the sun.

It's lemon counting time for me, but before I go, I'll mention Dan's favorite green drink. I use a Vitamix by the way, and would use no other brand - it is THAT fantastic. I don't use protein powders, I haven't found one that didn't have at least one questionable ingredient. Also, I don't need any extra protein, I get lots and lots from my diet. Sorry I can't be of more help on that front.

My quantities are eyeballed, so feel free to tweak things. This is a batch that creates about 2.5 pints. I make this for both Dan and I on Sundays, his day off of the week.

3 c raw spinach
3-4 large leaves of raw kale (remove stem)
2 medium-large ripe bananas
2-3 cups of cold water

The mixture should be runny (if not, slowly add water). Fill two pint glasses, leaving just a little room. Add 1 tablespoon of orange flavored fish oil to each glass. Stir. Drink. Use the rest of the mixture for whoever is the hungriest. Dan said its the best green drink he's ever had, like a green orange julius. He doesn't even know there's fish oil in it :) insert evil laugh here: bwa-ha-ha!

Personally, I prefer the same drink, less one banana, but ill make it however I need to so that he enjoys it, and now that I added the extra banana, he actually wants to drink it. To me that's a huge success!

You can save your green drink, or lemon juice for later in the day if you'd like. I don't because I prefer it fresh, and am able to blend/juice on a whim because I'm always home. I wouldn't go more than a day, though, before drinking it. The sooner you drink it the fewer enzymes and nutrients disappear. Some breakdown and die within 15 minutes. And your green drink will separate, and that's less than appealing, but if you have time issues, or want to take it with you to work, just pop it into a cup with a lid and shake it before you drink it. Even if some of the nutrients and enzymes die, there will still be huge health benefits to drinking the drinks, so don't just give up. It's still, most likely, going to be the healthiest thing you could have while at the office.

PS Happy Saint Patty's Day! I made Dan and I our green drinks, and we did lemon shots to celebrate. Not the same shots I used to do, but just as fun!

Coffee Enema

Three guesses about what I'm about to do when I finish this post.....

Really quick, thank you for all of the amazing comments, and support for my treatment!! I appreciate you guys so much!

I have a funny, gross post today...I have been meaning to do a coffee enema for about, well, a couple of years - ever since I started researching important things to do for cancer patients. I really do want to do this enema, for the results, but I'm TERRIFIED of the process. Coffee enemas are very effective at stimulating the immune system. (Check out The Gerson Therapy.) Therefore, I figured it is now seriously time for me to buck up. I've made it this far, taken all kinds of supplements, conquered a few brain surgeries, and now I'm embarking on an immune system boosting treatment with the vaccine....I should be woman enough for a coffee enema. Right? GROSS!!! I can not believe I have to do this. I'm supposed to do it once a week. I hope this doesn't turn into a complete disaster. Wish me luck. Sorry, is that too much to ask? Sorry if you're totally offended.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here goes nothing. Or, more accurately, here goes my innocence and dignity...

Bad Beet Grit

Help. I can't seem to clean my beets properly. The juice was delicious, but the grit was disgusting. I still managed to drink the whole pitcher - I just pretended I was camping. The flavor was wonderful, truly.

Beet Juice

2 Large Beets (greens, stems, roots, everything)

7 Carrots

1 Granny Smith Apple

1 Inch of Fresh Ginger

Any suggestions on how to clean the beets? I noticed that even the leaves are littered with dirt. The beets really add a wonderful flavor to the juice, and beets are known to increase the body's production of glutathione levels which help fight cancer, especially tumors, so I can't just omit the red buggers. Somehow, the body uses glutathione as a master detoxifier, and the body uses it in the cleansing of each and every cell in the body. Research shows that cancer patients are massively deficient in glutathione. There are supplements to help boost your body's levels, but the problem is that glutathione is synthasized in the body by combining three specific amino acids. Therefore, supplements don't really work. You need to use food as your supplements to truly be effective. I think that's why all of the medicine, and supplements, in the world don't seem to make you healthy if you have a poor diet. It's fine to eat bad food every once in a while, but we need to nourish our bodies daily so that we have the building blocks to fight cancers, disease, fatigue, etc. 

So.....although the beet juice was a success (minus the grit), last night's dinner drink was pretty rough. I followed a recipe called, "Immune Builder." I've been nervous about Dan since he's been doing night work. He leaves for work at about 10:15 pm, arriving home in the morning at 8:00 am. They're doing taxing work, ripping out old escalators at the airport. He loves his job, but I worry about the irregular hours, and his exhaustion. As we speak (...or as I write...), Danny is curled up in bed with the curtains drawn. He'll remain there until late afternoon or hopefully into early evening. I have my little MP3 player on, quietly blogging, and running laundry in the basement. Anyway, I digress, my point is that I thought I'd find a good juice to boost our immune systems. Obviously, I'm always in need of some extra help, and although Dan seems to conquer any bug that swims into his airstream, I figured it couldn't hurt. 

Immune Builder (you'd better like garlic - Larry, this one's for you!) - serves 2

8 Carrots

4 Garlic Cloves

4 Stalks of Celery 

1 English Cucumber

1 Granny Smith Apple

The immune builder is definitely a breath buster, but least we were stinky together. In the future, I think I'll keep the garlic in our foods, not in the beverages. It's too confusing. I wanted to chew it. If anyone has any specific juicing suggestions, I'd love to try them out!