Day 2 of Fast - Confirmation!

"Perhaps it is a good thing that medicine and nature never got together - nature could have very easily suffered the many dangerous side effects."

That quote is on the second page of a very special booklet I found today. How true it is.

I'm SO EXCITED!! On my trip to Huntsville today to see my chiropractor, my sister and I decided to stop at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro. I walked over to the book area and started perusing through the books in the Health/Diet section. I noticed two books that had a small space between them and wondered what was in between. What I drew out was a small yellow booklet, dated 1976, titled "The Master Cleanser" and it was by Stanley Burroughs! I about fell off my feet. Now WHAT are the odds of me finding this booklet buried between two large books amongst the thousands of books in less than 3 minutes!! I was obviously meant to have it and it was confirmation that I am doing the right thing being on this fast or cleanse. My prize find cost me a buck. Wooohooo!!

This find has really fired up my motivation to see this fast through to the end. I've never done a 10-day fast before. Many years ago, I did a 2-day grapefruit fast but that was the only other fast I’ve ever done. I so miss the way I felt when I was raw and look forward to getting back to that ALIVE feeling. Cleansing first is like reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling all your software, getting rid of all the corrupt files and viruses. Afterward, your computer runs great! Well, similarly, by cleansing my body first and then eating a live food diet, I will feel great again.

During the time I reverted back to eating cooked food, I always felt guilty when I ate, partly because I knew what it was doing to my body and partly because I knew what it would do to my health if I continued. I was afraid of becoming addicted to fake food again. I tried to convince myself that by having green smoothies everyday, and eating lots of salads, it was okay to consume macaroni and cheese with chicken dogs, potato chips and French onion dip, spaghetti and meat sauce (made with ground turkey) or my all time favorite – Buffalo wings and French fries. When I started to experience trouble swallowing my food, I knew I was already in the danger zone as the cooked foods were already taking their toll on my body. I’m not one to frequent the doctor and when my husband kept saying, “You need to make an appointment to see a doctor” I decided to start with a fast. If after the fast and resuming a raw food diet, I still have problems swallowing, then I’ll consider going to the doctor, but only as a last resort.

So far, I've consumed 40 ounces of lemonade. I feel good and have not felt hungry yet! I still had my headache this morning, but after my chiropractic adjustment, it's gone! Yeeeeha!! I have another 20 ounces of lemonade to go for today. I think I’ll go make up my last batch and go read my new little booklet.

One Day before Kick Off

Tomorrow, February 1st, I will start my "Lemonade" fast, otherwise known as the Master Cleanse. I enjoyed my last cup of delicious organic Cafe Mocha for a while. For the next ten days, I will consume between 6-12 glasses per day of the following lemonade recipe:

2 tbsp fresh organic lemon or lime juice (1/2 lemon)
2 tbsp of pure organic grade B maple syrup
1/10 tsp cayenne pepper (red) or to taste
12 oz of purified water (very warm)

The only other liquid that can be consumed in addition to the lemonade is pure water or mint tea with nothing added, but I won't have to worry about that, because it will be all I can do to consume the minimum 6 glasses. I'm just not much of a drinker, which is kind of ironic since the majority of my raw food diet consisted of juice, water and smoothies.

Does 10 days of nothing but lemon flavored water sound overwhelming to you? I have a friend who has fasted for 75 days!! She is writing a book about fasting and when it's complete, I will post a link to it on this blog. To some, this may sound a bit extreme, but to cleanse the body leaves you feeling so ALIVE, so FRESH, so FULL OF LIFE! That's the purpose of this fast ... to cleanse the liver and bloodstream and eliminate toxins from vital organs and deep tissue while stimulating healthy tissue growth.

Lemons are an antiseptic, as well as a rich source of vitamins and minerals. They also help to loosen and break down mucus from the body. The maple syrup contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as: potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine and silicon. Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, nicotinic acid and pantothenic acid are also present; thereby providing the necessary energy. The cayenne pepper raises the body temperature thereby cleansing the circulatory system and building the blood; it also breaks up mucus thereby cleansing the respiratory system, and acts as a cleanser for the digestive system.

Research shows that the following benefits have been achieved through the master cleanser program:
~ dissolves CELLULITE!!!
~ helps restore youth and vitality regardless of age
~ helps restore healthy skin as the internal systems are cleansed, thereby alleviating if not eliminating abscesses, boils, carbuncles, and pimples.
~ purifies the glands and cells throughout the entire body
~ completely cleanses the kidneys and the digestive system
~ dissolves/eliminates toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body
~ eliminates unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles
~ helps build a healthy blood stream
~ helps relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels
~ as mucus is dissolved and eliminated from the body, respiratory diseases such as colds, flu, asthma, hay fever, sinus and bronchial troubles are greatly reduced if not eliminated, leaving the body free from allergies

It really helps that the lemonade tastes GREAT! I started this fast in December but succumbed to the smorgasbord of tempting holiday treats. Although I ended the fast, I continued to drink the lemonade because it was so tasty.

Another positive aspect is the benefit of weight loss. It dissolves and eliminates all types of fatty tissue. Fat melts away at the rate of about two pounds a day for most persons - and without any harmful side effects! Yeah baby!

My experience from consuming a cooked food diet has been living with asthma, allergies, susceptibility to colds and flu’s, etc. Conversely, consuming a diet of raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds resulted in AMAZING health. I thought I ate healthy prior to eating raw. I ate a lot of veggie pasta salads, fish, chicken, turkey, rice. I love fruits and veggies, which I incorporated into my cooked food diet ... and I really thought I was healthy! HA! I had no idea how much better I could feel ... it's so hard to describe the feeling of ultimate health. I felt so light and "springy", like I could do cartwheels (which I've never been brave enough to do). When I jumped off my deck, I felt like I bounced. Now, if I were to jump off that same deck, I would probably break my legs because I feel like a lead weight. When I walk I feel like I'm dragging a barge, but when I was raw, I had a bounce in my step. I had tons of energy and wanted to RUN everywhere. I would actually dream of running. I couldn't sit still - I just had to be moving all the time. Words cannot express the feeling of being high raw. The best way I can describe it is you feel so ALIVE!

Tomorrow, I start on my journey back to LIFE! Stay tuned...