By Kris Carr on February 11, 2009
Peaches!
February is turning out to be fasting month! Hey, wasn’t that a great post by Natalia yesterday? I can’t wait for part 2! Today is day 10 of my fast. No more hunger pains, no more tears, no more fights with my mind. I’m learning tons about myself, and my body. Check this cool ditty out. Our God pod comes with drains. When we eat the SAD diet, breathe in the earth dump or mainline stress and God dammit!, they get clogged. If we keep on truckin’ we back up. Like a stuffy septic tank, the toxins spill out onto our physical and psychological lawns. They have no other place to go. Pee-u!
Speaking of Pee-u, our biggest pathway of elimination is our colon. By removing old waste through colonics, enemas, even the temporary use of certain natural laxatives, we allow our lovely livers to dump (gosh does that phenomenal organ need a break). Here come the dominos! Once our livers dump, our lymph system has a go at it. After the lymph system says AMEN, then our cells receive the invitation. It’s all so magically organized. Virgos love that!
Our body, being the wizard chamber that it is, does everything possible to protect itself from the onslaught of acids and poisons. It continually tosses the toxins away from vital organs and into the tissue and streams. What happens next? Sick, fat, pimply, tired and glass half-empty mentality settles in. Then? Dis-ease. Remember, we are what we eat, drink, think and don’t poop. Genetics plays a role in this for sure. But current research suggests that the role is much smaller than we previously thought – about 5-10%. Now that’s food for thought!
Imagine eating meal after stuffing/puffing meal (and snackies), and never properly eliminating. Clearly, we back up and shut down. We bloat and float. The mind gets mad, the moods flip-flop, our sex drive withers, our jeans look lumpy. Enter the self-esteem prison wardens. They SUCK! Never a nice word passes from their chapped lips. No matter what you do, you are never enough.
Have you been taught that abuse is love?
Whether we do it to ourselves or give others permission to flog, this learned behavior is a byproduct of our twisted domestication. If we are pure sunshine and God breeze then why on earth would we allow anyone (including ourselves) to trample the glow?
Perhaps the road back to the house of health is long. Big whoop! You can do it. But as I have learned, and you have witnessed in my rants, it takes a willingness to be exposed. Shedding hurts. Shedding makes you shiver. Shedding sloughs the barnacles and reveals the cherry red vintage mustang.
Are we really protecting ourselves by staying same ole same ole?
Drink your green juice ladies and gents! If you’re feasting today remember to stay on schedule. Check the previous “Goddess” posts for more details. 4-5 quarts of greens with a little lemon, apple or pear (if you need it for taste). Keep it light and bright but nourish yourself. Drink lots!
Peace and nudity,
Kris
Ps. If the delicate butterfly always worried about protection it would never travel thousands of miles home.
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By Natalia Rose on February 10, 2009
Water fasting, the Master Cleanse, juice fasting, liver cleanses, blended food fasts…the list of different types of fasting go on and on. There’s never been more interest in fasts and “cleanses.” Unfortunately, there have also never been more misnomers about fasting circulating.
From a purely physiological standpoint, the whole point of fasting is to rest the system from digestion so that all the body’s energy can be used to improve the functioning of the body (there are of course other non-physical, spiritual reasons to fast but I won’t be addressing those in this blog).
Eating, assimilation, digestion and elimination take a lot of energy away from necessary functions within the body (such as keeping the body clear of the residue from meals past, turning over new cells more quickly, metabolizing substances efficiently, etc.). When the consumption of substances (food, drink, pharmaceuticals, cigarettes, etc) are taken in the quantities they are taken in our culture (meaning 3 times a day or more), it’s impossible for the body to keep a system operating smoothly. If it helps, imagine an assembly line that has run amok. That’s your body on 3 meals a day (plus snacks — eek)! Inevitably there is tremendous back up of these substances because they are not easily digested or eliminated, which creates our physical (and many emotional and mental) imbalances. When we fast, we give our body the opportunity to catch up on the back-log of work that has piled up.
The cessation of consuming food is a powerful tool when executed correctly, but done incorrectly, it can be a major health misstep. Following are some tips to ensure you get the most out of your fast/cleanse:
1. Determine what level of fasting is right for you.
If you are relatively new to cleansing there is not likely a need to do an all out juice fast. Fasting too early your transition to eating a cleaner diet is not usually necessary. When people start to eat according to the principles in my books (The Raw Food Detox Diet and Raw Food Life Force Energy), the applications of properly combining Quick Exit foods and juicing until lunch create such an opening in the body and a dramatic shift in what the body is used to taking in on a daily basis that the body immediately starts to go into cleansing/healing mode. Fasting is not needed and in fact, not even recommended at this point since it would only encourage more old waste to be dredged up than the body could cope with. Just as you would not go from a sedentary lifestyle to running the New York marathon in a day, the same logic applies to undertaking a major cleanse before you have even started to dramatically elevate the quality of foods you are eating. Simply incorporating the basic beginner principles from The Raw Food Detox Diet at this stage is equivalent to a fast for the beginner.
One of the things that distracts people from sticking to their level of transition are the reports they hear about how quickly you can lose weight on a fast. For example, they will hear that a friend lost 20 lbs on the Master Cleanse and immediately think they should do that too. Please don’t fall into that trap. Know your level and be intelligent about how to approach a cleanse. Most people have no idea what they are doing physiologically when they undertake a fast but are just going on whims and fads. Rest assured, if you steadily apply the transition principles you will enjoy maximum weight loss without fasting. It won’t be weight loss in a vacuum, which is what most people experience when doing a fast before transitioning and that imbalance sends them careening to the opposite extreme time and time again. When you cleanse in accord with nature, weight loss, inner calm, clarity, beautiful skin tone, natural energy and overall rejuvenation come together. This is the prize. So take your time and don’t get distracted by what other people are doing.
Mini-fasts, such as “juicing ‘til lunch”, that become part of one’s regular day-to-day lifestyle are the most beneficial types of fast for most people because they offer long term protection against over accumulation on a daily basis (akin to making sure the garbage doesn’t overflow in your kitchen everyday). This is extremely beneficial and can help keep you in excellent balance and at a perfect weight for life! Notice that when you juice until lunch you are in fact undertaking a mini-fast – you are fasting between dinner and lunch the next day! You could try doing this a few times a week.
2. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can be redeemed from your excessive consumption over years of unfit eating by a few days of juice fasting. The accumulation in the modern body is so extensive that what you might “cleanse” in 2-4 days of juice fasting is a drop in the land fill of people’s internal waste matter. This is not to discourage you, but to point out that a short fast is no more of a cleanse than cleaning out a ziplock’s worth of rubbish from an overflowing community waste bin! You will feel a sense of well being relative to your state of toxicity, but don’t be fooled into thinking this means you have tapped the depth of waste that is buried within the tissues. From this perspective, you can see why such regular mini-fasts are more effective in deep cleansing than placing the occasional longer fasts among a typical diet/lifestyle. If you return to old habits (as in the case of most people who undertake the Master Cleanse for example) you have a false sense of having cleansed. Your health is a reflection of your daily consumption; the effects of occasional fasts will be lost like words written on the beach.
Tune in on Thursday for Part 2 of All about FASTING!
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By Kris Carr on February 9, 2009
Hiya Emerald Queen,
Today is day 8 and FINALLY I feel great! :) Hubba Hubby and I had the most chillaxin’ weekend. We hiked with our friend Julia. Lady Julia has diamonds on the inside. She’s a supplement expert, yogi and genuine rainbow warrior. You’re gonna love her! Julia will be sharing her vast knowledge with ya in a few weeks. You seekers have lots of questions about supplements. Good lord – do I hear ya. It’s hard to know what’s best. Not for long!
Speaking of supplements, in a few hours I’ll be getting the test to determine the hydrochloric acid levels in my stomach. For some time now food just doesn’t sit well. Burps and other air packets bug me. My energy is low and stuff isn’t digesting.
Dot connecting time! The procedure is called The Heidelberg Test. My naturopath will drop a pH tester capsule down my gullet, check my levels and then yank it out. I’m so excited! For, real, no sarcasm. My glorious inners are down right cool. Getting to know them better is a joy. How else can you change what doesn’t work?
When it’s over, I head back to the clinic (not Tree of Life) for my vitamin C IV and a colonic. Besides the endless needles, the tick-tock-snail-passing time is tough. 4-6 hours per day gets a bit trying. But hey, I’m on a mission so SUCK IT UP… or sneak in your laptop.
Not sure if I mentioned some of this stuff already (you can always hear it twice), but I have a few more tips for fasting. Beside the 1/2 tsp of sea salt 2-3 times per day in water to keep your electrolytes in balance, ENZYMES are crutial. Without them you’ll feel like garbage. The juice makes a gas super disco. I take 2 with every juice. I also take probiotics twice a day – morning and night.
The Enzymes I like are made by Theramedix. You can also explore Digest Gold from Enzymedica, or the HHI HiZymes (from the Hippocrates Health Institute)
Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 Plus – is a great probiotic! So is the Udo’s brand and Garden of Life. In that order.
While on the fast I’m also taking chlorella, spirulina, and Marine Phyoplankton.
To move the bowels look into Natural Calm, Colon Max or even a Cal/Mag citrate supplement. You may not need any help but if you do, it’s out there, for a limited time. Aloe too! AND colonics! For those of you suffering from constipation on a regular basis my advice is pretty simple. Cut dairy, wheat, gluten and start practicing proper food combining!
Just like life, variety is the spice that makes us sing. So switch your recipes up to avoid mind-bending boredom! I’ve been adding tomato and basil at night with my sea salt. Yum. I imagine sipping gaspacho in the mediterranean while wearing a tube top.
That’s it for now. If you’re up to it, join me this Wednesday for the Goddess Group.
Hope you have the best day ever!
Peace and pH,
Kris
PS. Tomorrow you’ll hear some wisdom from one of our Blog Posse gals Natalia Rose… Can’t wait!
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By Kris Carr on February 6, 2009
Bonjour Butterfly Wing!
First and foremost, I’d like to thank my wonderful Blog Posse member Kathy Freston, and our super special guest Donna Perrone, for their terrific posts!
It’s day FIVE of my 21 day juice feast and I’ve made it through the dark side. But before I get into the nitty gritty, I must share a valuable tip I learned for long-term fasting. SALT! When fasting for more than a few days it’s important to add a ½ tsp of sea salt (Celtic or Himalayan) to a large glass of water 2-3 times per day. Otherwise you may find yourself with an extreme electrolyte imbalance. I learned this the hard way when my blood pressure started to tank. Lots of folks think it’s important to add fat during a fast. Not sure I agree, at least in the beginning. Yes, our bodies need fats, especially our brains, but oils clog the liver and fasting is the time to flushy flushy. Marine Phytoplankton and E-3 Live are great substitutes with loads of other benefits. Check them out!
Ok, onto the journal portion on this post. Tuesday was an embarrassing tear-fest. I could barely keep it together – major detoxing. Wednesday wasn’t much better. Yesterday I received my third colonic of the week and wowza did the stuffies keep on truckin’. I thought I was empty! Nope, as my colon hydrotherapist said, “here come the mummies”. By abstaining from solid food and living on 5 quarts of green drink per day, I’m allowing the old debris to finally release. Too many colonics in a row may not be right for the average person (your therapist would be the best judge) but at my intensely rapid level of detox it is essential. Probiotics are the key!
Here’s some other big news…
I got my annual scans back (GULP) and I’m happy to report that the tumors in my lungs continue to SHRINK. YES! My liver, the little rock star, is looking pretty darn good too. Its function is perfect and all is stable. DEEP SIGH! If you could see me right now you would notice my inner rainbow. ? These results motivate me to stay committed to my alkaline-loving, oxygen-thriving, juice-drinking, magical, raw diet. They also help me deal with the needles that are driving me crazy.
As I mentioned in my last blog, I’m in Arizona doing a medically supervised juice feast and receiving IV ozone, hydrogen peroxide, vitamin C, chelation and other nutritional therapies. Though the fasting kicks up a lot of physical and emotional stuff, overall I’m feeling really fantastic. My body loves the rebuilding and I thrive on the investigation! Three weeks seems like a long time but in reality I wonder if it’s really enough. I have a ways to go before I can totally say that I am in optimum health. But dang am I committed to the journey/adventure!
Next week we’ll be testing my hormone levels. After watching lady Oprah’s show on hormones I got really curious about my own levels. I’m only in my mid 30’s but I totally relate to the symptoms the women on the show were describing. Did any of you catch those episodes? Interesting stuff! The little “c” does prohibit me from experimenting with bioidenticals. And yet I wonder if better supplementation (and DIET!) holds another key. More on that soon…
I’ll also be testing my hydrochloric acid levels and (yuck) a stool sample. When hydrochloric acid is low in the stomach folks have a difficult time digesting and utilizing food. This can contribute to multiple problems, including candida. The test for it is wicked WILD. They connect a pH testing capsule to a string, drop it down your throat, and yank it back out. This gives the doctor an accurate read on your levels. If low, then a hydrochloric acid supplement is needed. I pray I don’t puke on the poor technician. Stool samples can also tell you a lot about your terrain. What I’m primarily interested in is the balance between good vs. bad bacteria. Gotta get the good guys growing and the nasties in check.
The other big decision I have to make is whether or not to get a port. Since it looks like I will be continuing these non-toxic healing therapies for about 3 (ish) months, there’s no way my veins can handle the daily sticks. One of them blew out yesterday when my favorite nurse poked clear through it by accident. I SWORE LIKE A TRUCKER AND CURSED MOTHER MARY. Sorry Mary.
Gotta be honest, the port freaks me out! So many of my readers have been there, done that. In fact, if you dear ones have any advise for this newbie I’m all ears. Haven’t totally decided yet but time is ticking.
Balancing all of these treatments in my life is another challenge. I guess where there’s a will there’s a way. Will my port go off in the metal detector? Hmmm…. So many questions…
Blessings to you today gorgeous bright one!
Peace and re-generation,
Kris
PS. I hope you all checked out the welcome video Brian and I created for you. Don’t forget to cruise around the site. There’s much information salad for your hungry mind.
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By Kris Carr on January 14, 2009
Hi Juice Vixens,
This is a just a quickie cause I have to go to the gyno this morning. YUCK! Cold stir-ups in the AM. HOW RUDE.
Anyway, ever since I left HHI I’ve been fasting once a week. FEASTING I should say and it has been wonderful, a total physical and emotional break from food. I consume tons of green drinks during the day and a blended veggie soup for dinner.
But I’m wondering, what’s the LONGEST time you’ve ever fasted? I ask because I’m planning a LONG fast (God help me) and I’m hoping there are some coaches in my cyber following!
Thankfully my liquid experience will be supervised at a treatment center. Yup, I ship out Feb 1st and will be gone for a month-ish. More on THAT soon. But back to my question. Any Fast-a-thons out there?
Ps. Wednesdays are my weekly fast days. If you care to join me then I’ll start blogging about it, I just figured it might be a snore.
Peace and liquid,
Kris
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