Food: A Word

In Mysore

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."  

- Virginia Woolf

I've had an interesting relationship with food over the years. I guess many of you out there could say the same. I had a father who was into organic foods and farmers markets loooong before it became fashionable to do so. Quite honestly, at the time of my youth it was a little embarrassing. You know how it is, to be at the age where it seems beneficial to be like everyone else. Thankfully, I outgrew this mentality. Yes, my father was a nutritional sleuth, reading labels like the real purity detective that he was. I remember many times looking up at him, patiently waiting, to get the nod of approval for something I felt I desperately needed. Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms are what every kid needs! So I thought. On most occasions my dad gave me a flat out, no. Sometimes, however, he would say, yes! If, and only if, it met the nutritional standards he was looking for. To this day I never quite figured out what they were. All I know is there were never flashy colors floating in my milk while eating my morning cereal. C'mon, feel sorry for me.

I always felt a bit strange when my father would take me to the out of the way, one store of it's kind, natural food store. It stood on the funky edge of town. Nothing like the flashy grocery stores that I was glamoured by, or like the Whole Foods ultra hippie-chic of today. No, here there were huge barrels of bulk foods, dusty shelves, teas, and dried herbs. I always remember the smell. It was strange. Yeah, it smelled natural, not antiseptic, which I thought was natural. Of course my father would always school me on the true ways of the world. How crazy our society had become. How detached we were from nature and our environment. How essential it was to have your own garden. The importance of composting! The relevance of recycling. Trees are our friends! Why isn't anything made in America anymore?!! At that time I thought he was a bit quirky, eccentric even. Now I know different. I can appreciate all that he was trying to teach me at the time, even though I didn't quite get it. However, on a deeper level what he instilled in me sunk in. A seed was planted. I just didn't know it at the time.

Fast forward. I went through a junk food rebellion, but it never really stuck. It never felt right. The bigger lesson is I went through a phase where food became a means to an end. Obviously, I learned the importance of eating healthy, but in reality it become just another concept or expectation I needed to fulfill. In that, I never really gave myself the freedom to connect consciously to my food. A problem. More or less, I was fitting myself into various diet labels. First, I became vegetarian to my mother's dismay. Then to low fat, the Zone, high protein/no carb, rawfood, living foods, raw food vegan, vegan, the list goes on and on. During those years I just couldn't help it, it was a phase of identification and experimentation. I thirsted on learning about nutrition and longevity.

Delving deeper into yoga practice I clearly felt the connection between the food I ate, and how it affected my practice on into day to day life. The gift of yoga; becoming in tune with bodily energies and cycles, call it body wisdom. Well, not so fast. Even though I was able to intuit my bodily rhythms at a higher level I was still using food as a means to an end. Meaning, asking myself questions such as, will it give me energy? Will it help make me look good? Is this yogic? AHIMSA!? Yes, it is true Ahimsa is important, but do we not also have Satya, as well? Truth. I still wasn't connecting to my food or to my truth. What was making me feel good? What was making me feel whole, sustained, nurtured, and nourished? Important questions. Questions that go much deeper than diet labels. Yes, I know the phrase, "you are what you eat." But, this isn't what I was driving at. It went even deeper. What was my relationship with the food I was consuming? The vital question. This is what I was missing all along. This is what my father always knew. Ironic. The essential element had always been right under my very nose, as clear as day, except I was as blind as a bat. It was my full circle moment.

At present, I feel uncomfortable with diet labels. I don't want what I eat to be my identity. Through the years I've seen it all. I've seen people preach veganism for the sake of nonviolence, who were quite frankly, not even all that nice. I've been around meat-eaters who have hearts of gold. I've seen the opposite. I mean, can we really eat our way to God? Does what we eat make us better human beings? Can we be arrogant and self-righteous about our diets and ideals? Obviously, I have many more questions than answers. Are there more health conscious ways of eating? Definitely YES. However, from what I've been exposed to there's much more to the story when it comes to diet and what is good for the planet, ultimately ourselves. The ways of mass agriculture have done massive harm to our natural environments, and we all know the horrors of factory farmed meats. Where's the balance? We've lost it.

I guess it goes back to the question. What is our relationship with our food? Is it destructive and violent? Is it humane and just? Is it in balance with ourselves and our surroundings? Again, important questions to look at. As I've become more connected to the foods that I eat, as a best practice, knowing where and how my food got to my table has become more important to me; choosing to eat at the level of cause, not the effect.

Ultimately, I have and will go through my eating ups and downs, but truthfully, nourishing myself from the inside out has proved it's importance over the years versus trying to fulfill some exterior label or image. When it comes to diet I will never live in absolutes because this is still using the outside as a marker. The only Absolute is on the inside. If I connect here first then my choices on the outside become easy one's to make. 

Plant Power!!!

Health is wealth and the power of plant based nutrition is PRICELESS! 

The Only Difference

Great overall message here. I don't usually like to sing the praises of a certain dietary lifestyle, however I felt this video was well done. 

80/10/10

Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberries, Dates, Oat Milk . . . Blended. Yum!

When the days grow longer and warmer I'm even more attracted to eating copious amounts of fresh, raw, organic foods. I agree with the ideal of eating more local fare, but sometimes I need a mango, haha, and well, I do eat a fair share of bananas. What can you do? Get creative, I guess. The best thing ever is when David and I decided to sign up for organic produce delivery. When we did, we were literally like, why didin't we do this sooner? Unfortunately, there really isn't a huge farmer's market scene in Stockholm. Or at least, that I know of. I mean, there are a few, but they pale in comparison to what I've been used to in the past, living in America. With that being said, per capita, I would say Swedes are a healthier bunch. Now why is that? You don't want me to go there.

Because of my fascination with diet and health I tend to experiment with food, within the confines of reason, and hopefully, common sense. I've just gotten wind of a concept of 80/10/10 way of eating. Wanting to keep an open mind, I like to hear differing points of view, and what I've come to realize is that anybody can make a compelling argument for anything. And well, I don't want compelling arguments, I want facts, and that comes with experience. So, I take a point in trying things out, do the research, experiment, and let me tell you, it can be confusing. There is definitely value in listening to my body, and opening up to my intuitive faculties. What feels natural? I can't always define things by what people think/feel I need and how I should be eating.

As for this 80/10/10 thing I want to learn more, maybe experiment with it. I don't know of anyone personally that has eaten this way. One problem is, it doesn't seem all that realistic living in Sweden, but whatever, I find it interesting. It's been a while since I've eaten mostly raw.

Anyone out there have experience with it?

A Yogic Diet

Ahimsa/Non Harming

Ahimsa would suggest that the foods that you ingest should cause no harm to you are anyone else. Questions that surface when contemplating Ahimsa and diet:

• Is the food I am eating causing damage to my body?
• Was anyone or anything harmed unnecessarily in the creation or processing of this food?

Aparigraha/Non Hoarding 

Aparigraha deals with taking only what is necessary and letting go of attachments. Questions that surface when contemplating Aparigraha and diet:

• Is there more food on my plate that what my body needs to be healthy?
• Am I wasteful with food?
• Are my eating habits taking food away from others?
• Am I attached to certain foods in a way that is harmful to me, the environment or to others?

Sauca/Purity

Sauca deals with purity and cleanliness.  Questions that surface when contemplating Sauca and diet:

• Is my food clean and free of all impurities?
• Does this food contain toxins?
• Is this food toxic to me, other living beings or the environment?
• Does this food disrupt the purity of my mind and emotions?(Maybe think about alcohol,sugar, caffeine and its effects on mood and behavior) 

 Santosha/Contentment

Santosha deals with being satisfied and content.  Questions to contemplate:

• Do I feel satiated when I am done eating or am I too full or underfed? 
• Does this food turn off my hunger signals or make me crave more? (sugar, high fructose corn syrup)
• Are my cravings disruptive to my feeling of satisfaction?
• Am I making a decision to be  happy about the food that I have to eat?

Tapas/Disciplined Use of Energy

Tapas deals with the heated energy it takes to stay disciplined. Questions for diet and Tapas:

• Am I eating more calories then I can burn off?
• Am I disciplined about my food intake?
• Am I disciplined about my yoga practices and exercise that helps my body stay balanced?
• Are my thoughts on food steady and balanced?

Svadhyaya/Self Study

Svadhyaya deals with self inquiry and studying things that will promote self improvement. Questions for diet and Svadhyaya:

• How do I feel when I eat this food?
• How do I feel when I eat at this time?
• Have I done research on the proper diet for my body?
• Do I understand the long term effects of this diet?

Source

Food

This is a lengthy conversation regarding the nature of our food sources in the United States. An important topic for the entire population of the world. To what lengths will we go to pull in a profit? What are the costs? What will be the long term effects? I'm almost too afraid to ask. We can start first by being educated on where our food comes from and take the necessary steps to more conscious food choices. If it's about the all mighty dollar at the end of the day, then we need to start speaking with it. Support your local organic farmer is one. This is an important issue. No doubt. 

Unadulterated

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

(Yoda)

What a relaxing Easter weekend!

Last Friday was the evening of our liver/gallbladder cleanse, which blends into the next morning. Third time is a charm! I managed to get through with absolutely no nausea. I think my 2nd time was when I peaked. I was the most nauseous then, and a numerous amount of stones passed. This time I didn't have nearly as many release.

Since then, my digestion has revved up immensely, which had been my concern over the past year. Connecting to my food on a profound level, while clearing and managing parts of my system, has had an enormous affect on my well-being. I'm happy to have addressed these issues proactively before they became more of a problem, only having the choice to react. The good thing is, along the way I've learned invaluable information. 

The most interesting part about this journey is, with the clearing, when I see the changes that have taken place, it feels as if I'm truly seeing myself, for the first time, in a long time. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense. I guess what I'm driving at is I'm finally seeing the authenticity of who I am, healthy, vibrant, whole. Now, when I talk about changes, I'm not referring to fitting into some type of ideal fed by the external media or even into what a "yogini" is supposed to look like (whatever that is). I'm talking about looking, seeing me, unadulterated, and I like it. Pretty simple. It all goes hand in hand. When connecting on the inside, we become lit from with in.

Below I'd like to share the following video clips by Certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, David Garrigues. I've just recently been introduced to his blog, which has a wealth of information in regards to the practice of Ashtanga yoga. Well written, and insightful, it's not to be missed.

In the following clips he talks in regards to the practice of yoga and the importance of diet.

Food is Matter from David Garrigues on Vimeo.


Diet and the Three Gunas from David Garrigues on Vimeo.


Digestion from David Garrigues on Vimeo.


Diet and Progress from David Garrigues on Vimeo.

Spring Cleansing

"The best piety is to enjoy. You are doing the most then to save the earth's character as an agreeable planet. And enjoyment radiates. It is of no use to try and take care of all the world. That is being taken care of when you feel delight."

(George Eliot, Middlemarch)

The best time to do a cleanse is usually during the change of season. Since we've just entered into Spring my boyfriend and I will be doing another liver and gallbladder cleanse. Since this will be my third time it won't seem like such an undertaking. After all the reading and preparation it becomes a simple process.

With my constitution, fasting cleanses, where food is restricted, don't work well for me.  I tend to lean toward this cleanse and/or panchakarma cleanses. Juicing might be another consideration at some point, however since moving, I'm not as well equipped, at the moment. At any rate, I find the liver and gallbladder cleanse supportive towards improved digestion, and assimilation. We gotta take care of that liver of ours! It's a hard worker.

I've already written so much about the liver and gallbladder cleanse, so I won't go into much detail this go around for the sake of boring everybody. I realize there's a bit of controversy out there in regards to the validity of the cleanse, however for those whom I've known personally who have done so have felt the difference, especially with liver issues. I've felt a shift since embarking on them, and that's what I go by. So much of our culture is about putting a band-aid on something. Runny after symptoms and effects. Never getting down to the root. The why. The how. The cause. It's important.

I've always been drawn to Ayurveda. With basic principles such as bringing body balance and learning how to maintain that balance is a key part of the science. Which resonates with me. 

I came across the chart below from one of my favorite blogs, HeyMonica B, on Ayurveda. Has a good way of showing the difference between western and eastern medicine. Both have their place.

We are coming into an era where prevention is just as important as treating symptoms. Something, in Ayurveda tradition, 5, 000 years in the making, has understood.

Simple, informative, and straight to the point, below is the best book I've found on the liver and gallbladder cleanse.

Hemp Seed

As a vegetarian for many years, and currently transitioning to entirely vegan, I often get asked, where do you get your protein? The question. Though not as important as one might think, but still important, on some scale, if one is active, or practicing up to two hours of yoga a day. On a whole, Americans get far too much protein in their diet. And, in my opinion, not really the best sources, or the most bioavailable. Assimilation is key. Especially for those eating to live, versus living to eat.

Over the course of several weeks I'll be posting on various nutritional sources I've found to be beneficial to my overall diet, health and well-being. Now more than ever, I look to my food as an important element to maintaining balance. Yes, it's important to enjoy the process of eating. However, I'm completely over eating to enjoy, to then, feel I have to pay for it later with a food hangover. It's all about energy exchange. Check in with yourself. Does this food take away or add to my overall health and well-being? Important questions to ask.

I won't start preaching why vegetarianism and veganism is essential to health. Simply put, I've approached these practices as I've become more sensitive, while in tune with my own body. Thanks to yoga. Each choice we make not only affects ourselves, but the world around us. With the information my body has provided, along with external information in regards to environmental, and social issues, making the choice was an easy one. What I implore to those, is to tune inward, and go from there. It's something one must feel from the inside out. Not necessarily from external pressures.

By opening a dialogue in regards to health and nutrition I'm talking about living to the maximum, not just getting by. For this type of living one needs maximum sources of fuel. No more numbing. It's time to feel fully alive!

Hemp Seed

Hemp seeds are one of the most nutritionally complete food sources in the world. No kidding.
Both rich in protein and essential fatty acids this power packed seed goes back thousands of years. Both hemp seed and hemp seed oil are filled with benefits. Here's the 1, 2, 3.

1. EFAs. Essential fatty acids. There are the essential fatty acids in the oil — omega-6, omega-3, omega-9 — and also minor fatty acids like gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid, which is biosynthesized from the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

GLA and ALA cannot be made by the human body and must be obtained through the diet, so they are called essential fatty acids (EFA). GLA and ALA are the most important fatty acids in human nutrition and health. They are involved in producing life energy from food and the movement of that energy throughout the body. EFAs govern growth, vitality and state of mind. Still, much is unknown about their functioning in the body. This oil comprises 35% of the total seed weight and has the lowest amount of saturated fatty acids at 8%, and the highest amount of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids at 80%. Flax seed oil comes in second at 72% combined total essential fatty acids.

2. 35% consists mostly of fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber possesses passive water-attracting properties that help to increase bulk, soften stool and shorten transit time through the intestinal tract. Soluble fiber undergoes metabolic processing via fermentation, yielding end-products with broad, significant health effects.

3. 25% consists of a complete and highly-digestible protein, 65% high-quality edestin protein, the most potent protein of any plant source, 35% albumin protein and glutamic acid. The globulin edestin in hemp seed closely resembles the globulin in blood plasma, and is compatible with the human digestive system. It is vital to the maintenance of a healthy immune system and is also used to manufacture antibodies. Albumin is a protein manufactured by the liver that is supportive of liver and kidney health. Its high quality amino acid composition is closer to “complete” sources of proteins (meat, milk, eggs) than all other oil seeds except quinoa and soy.

Hemp seeds are also high in essential nutrients including chlorophyll, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, phytosterols, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, histidine, iron, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and thiamin.

The good thing is, hemp seeds are easy to add to one's diet and taste great. Yummy. I love to sprinkle them on my favorite sprout and avocado salad. They go well sprinkled in oatmeal, smoothies, or even raw all by themselves. Remember to keep them refrigerated and sealed. This is important. As for hemp seed oil, use just like you would flax seed oil. I've been told it's good to rotate between flax seed and hemp seed oil. Both oils are not used for cooking and must be kept refrigerated. Adding the oil to salads, smoothies, soups, oatmeal or whatever else, is key after the food as been cooked.

(Sources)

The Skinny on Fat

I've been meaning to write a blog post in regards to healthy fats for the past several months. As I tried to pull from several sources, including my own experience, I came across the following article that, naturally, put all down better than I could, lol. However, I will say, consuming a fair amount of ghee, olive oil, flax seed oil, coconut oil, chia seed, and walnuts doesn't bother me when it comes to weight. If anything, When consuming the above, at fairly healthy quantities, I find my metabolism revs up even more, like how a well oiled machine runs better and more efficiently. I've been guilty of adding walnuts, flax seed oil, chia seed, hemp seed and ghee in one serving of oatmeal in the morning with no issues. The important thing to remember is that all fats are not created equal!

By Dr. Ariel Policano

Omega-3's: Making healthy hormones, preventing heart disease and promoting weight loss!

When we think of fat in our diet, there often seems to be confusion surrounding the types of fat and the amount of fat that is beneficial. Some say fats are important, some say it should be no more that 10% of your diet. Fats are really crucial for optimal human health, so cutting back on them excessively does not make good sense. Some of the areas that fats play a role in are memory and brain health, preventing cardiovascular disease, creating healthy hormones and maintaining health at a cellular level.

Research shows that longevity and the reduction of illnesses like cancer and heart disease come as a result of consuming plant-based sources of fats (as in nuts and seeds). Saturated fats are typically those that come from meat and dairy and can promote inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation in the body is now associated with heart disease and cancer. A notable exception to saturated fats causing inflammation is coconut oil, which actually has anti-inflammatory properties.

Some form of saturated fat is needed in the human diet, and I will cover that in more depth in future articles. Until then, let me give you some quick advice: Consume coconut oil! Especially vegans. This is a healthy form of saturated fat, which is needed by the cell membrane and helps to give you a complete spectrum of necessary fats for good health.

Unsaturated fats are beneficial for our health because they act as healthy building blocks for hormones as well as our cells. An important part of each cell in our body is the cell membrane. This allows nutrition into the cell and effectively allows waste to be pumped out of the cell. The health of this cell membrane is determined to some degree by the fats that we consume, and our overall health is of course related to the health of our cells. The brain is also made up in large part of fats, and many of these unsaturated fats are instrumental in creating good health.

There are polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Flax seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds are all a form of a polyunsaturated fat. The nature of a polyunsaturated fat makes it highly reactive. Don't ever heat polyunsaturated fatty acids because they oxidize very rapidly. This means that by heating or cooking with them, they produce free radicals. Flax seed oil should be consumed as close to the date it was pressed as possible. Similarly, grind your flax seeds right before consuming them, if possible.

Monounsaturated fats are somewhat more stable than polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil is an example of a monounsaturated fat.

People often wonder about the root of the names for the unsaturated fats - omegas 3, 6 and 9. The names take their cue from their chemical structure. This is a bit technical, so hold onto your hat. The location of a double bond, which connects two carbon atoms, determines the name of these essential fatty acids (EFAs). "Omega" tells us that when we start to count the double bond, we start from the end (the right hand side). The "3" indicates where the first double bond occurs along the chain. The point is that it is the location of double bonds that causes omega-3s to behave differently in the body compared to other fatty acids.

Let's take a look at some of the omega-3 essential fatty acids. One of that we hear about a lot is called ALA, or alpha linolenic acid. ALA is found in flax seeds and hemp seeds. Then there is EPA (eicosopentanoic acid), which is typically found in fish and DHA (docosohexanoic acid) which is also found in fish like salmon and others. However, marine phytoplankton contains both EPA and DHA! This is truly amazing because these two omega-3 fatty acids are very anti-inflammatory and have been used as key therapeutics in reducing the risk of heart disease. Fish oil has been the knee-jerk recommendation to many people who have or are at risk of developing heart disease. It is wonderful to have an alternative to fish and fish oil to derive the same benefits.

It makes sense that the phytoplankton would be more bio-available because it is the source of EPA and DHA for the fish. The fish eat the plankton and then we eat the fish, so we have quite a task then of extracting the oil from the fish. If we consume the fish oil, there are then other questions. Is the oil truly fresh? With the processing, transport time and the time it sits in a gelatin cap on the shelf of your health food store, does it have a chance to become rancid? Is the fish safe in terms of being free from heavy metal contamination? Marine phytoplankton does not carry any of those concerns. The plankton are very small and are easily broken down and assimilated.

Here is a summary of recommended foods and oils that contain omega-3 fatty acids: flax (seeds and oil), hemp (seeds and oil), chia seeds, walnuts and marine phytoplankton.

The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids support the health of the immune system and may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

One of the most important benefits of omega-3 fatty acids is that they reduce inflammation. The omega-3 fatty acids are the ingredients actually change chemical reactions to produce fewer substances called leukotrienes and prostaglandins. These substances will tend to increase aches and pains in the body. When we compare these to saturated fats, the saturated fats actually promote inflammation. Chronic inflammation, as measured in the blood with markers like C-reactive protein, is now known to be associated with cancer and heart disease.

One of the most interesting things about omega-3 fatty acids is that they do not make you "fat" in the way that saturated fats (as from meat and dairy) do. The omega-3 fatty acids help your body and your metabolism to function much more effectively. And when your body and brain function better, you feel better. Your cardiovascular system functions better because of the effects on the bloodstream.

And finally, here is an amazing key to maintaining healthy weight! By consuming foods that contain omega-3's like flax and hemp, the body secretes a substance called leptin. The leptin will help you to feel more satisfied with less food. It also improves the body's ability to respond to insulin. If you process insulin more effectively, you will also regulate blood sugar and manage your weight much more easily. High levels of circulating insulin tell the body "store fat!" and literally block the biochemical pathway that breaks fats down. The secretion of these leptins in response to omega-3 fatty acid consumption will reduce these circulating insulin levels. Pass the hemp seeds, please!

Enjoy the fats listed below in moderation and you will likely experience fewer aches and pains, better mood and memory, better hormonal health and maybe even some weight loss! After all, now you have the skinny on fats.

Healthy Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

Flax seeds and flax oil
Hemp seeds and hemp oil
Chia seeds
Walnuts
Marine phytoplankton

(Source)

Coffee Enema. Who Knew?

"Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free."

(Jim Morrison)

Ok. So I guess I'm going there. The coffee enema. Geez ...

The first I heard of such a thing was many years ago. Yes, I heard Janet Jackson did them. Yes, I thought it a bit strange and overzealous. Well now, I've treaded down various paths and certain things just don't seem all that strange to me. It's all about having an open mind.

After doing a far amount of research on my own, I found that coffee enemas have been around for hundreds of years. There are many different kinds of enemas one can partake in, and the coffee enema in particular has the ability to aid the liver and detoxify the body.

Coffee enema's have also been successfully used for cancer patients as an adjunct treatment. Dr. Max Gerson, M.D. popularized this form of therapy using the coffee enema along with special diet, juices, and supplements with excellent results in the early 1900s.

Further benefits include enhanced elimination of toxins through the liver, increased bile output, and improved digestion to name a few.

I won't go any more further, but nonetheless, it's interesting. Not sure if anyone out there has experience with doing them, but if so, I would love to hear form you!!!

The Coffee Enema

Cleanse Recovery

"This is love: To fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall every moment, to let go."

(Rumi)

All done with my first liver/gallbladder cleanse! Hooray! All in all, it wasn't bad, and fairly painless. Actually there was no pain, except for the nausea I experienced last evening, which my two other friends did not experience.

Continuing from yesterday, after taking my second dose of Epsom salts, in the morning, things really started to flow ... and Violà! ... stones were released! It's amazing, lol. Most were very, very small, and the biggest ones I could see were pea sized. See the above picture. I placed a quarter next to two stones I recovered so one can see the relative size of the things. I expelled anywhere from 50 to 100 of these little guys, to my best estimate. Absolutely, painless.

The color of the stones expelled tell a story of there own. Dark green ones, are the oldest, and tan stones are usually the newest. One friend of mine had bright orange ones!!!

All in all, I'm extremely glad I did the cleanse, and feel an overall sense of well-being from doing so. The best way I can describe it is, it feels like a strong release. Obviously. Much was released. I feel as if my skin is glowing!

Again, I can't say it enough, the book we followed for the cleanse gave us a wealth of information. We followed what the author suggested to the letter. He clearly laid everything out for one to easily understand, and follow.

The book: The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse, by Andreas Moritz

He does recommend repeating the cleanse anywhere from 3 week to 1 month intervals until no further stones come out. When a cycle of stones are expelled, the ones in the back move to the front. And, the number of times one needs to repeat, all depends on one's diet history/health and such. I'm not sure when I will repeat, however I do see the benefit in adding this into one's health maintenance regimen.

After getting over the hump of doing it my first time, it really wasn't as bad as I imagined. Through my own yoga practice over the years, I've come into a strong sense of my body's intelligence, an intuitive sense, if you will, and though it may seem strange to those on the outside, I feel as if I'm on the right track ... and, I couldn't feel better about it.

What a liberating feeling. I feel wonderful!! Yipeeee!

Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse Day 6

"In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors."

(William Blake)

Cleansing day. My side effects were a bit different than my counterparts. Not sure why that is, but you know, different strokes for different folks, lol.

Had the last liter of apple juice with a twist of apple cider vinegar, in which are supposed to help further soften the stones.

Ate a light breakfast, of plain porridge with soy milk.. On the last day, no sweeteners or oils are to be used for the two meals allotted. For my second meal, brown basmati rice with mixed vegetables of tomatoe, zucchini, and shitake mushrooms. Yum!

Right before the cleansing procedures another enema is recommended so when the stones release, there is nothing in the colon to obstruct the flow. This time, I did a plain water enema using steam distilled water.

In the evening is when the first round of Epsom salts are ingested. Four tablespoons of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) added to a total of 24 ounces (three 8 oz. glasses) of filtered water in a jar. This makes four 6-oz servings. This is where I took my first, 6-oz serving. Yeah, it doesn't taste good, and I even used a straw to help ease my taste buds, haha. However, it wasn't too bad, and the serving sizes were doable. The main actions of Epsom salt are to dilate the bile ducts, making it easy for the stones to pass. In addition, the salts clear waste that obstruct the release of the gallstones.

Two hours later, I consumed my second serving of Epsom salts. Compared to my counterparts, I had the strongest laxative effect taking the solution. I was constantly running to the bathroom!!! It was unbelievable. Let me just say I was in the flow, lol.

Another two hours later, time for the grapefruit/olive oil concoction! Obviously, there's prep time, so it's good to have it ready to take two hours from the 2nd serving of Epsom salts. To my surprise, ingesting the grapefruit juice/olive oil mixture, with a twist of lime, for taste, wasn't all that bad to take down. I was expecting this to be the worst part. The important step when taking the solution is to drink it within 5 minutes, next to your already prepared bed, and LIE DOWN IMMEDIATELY, when finished. This is the essential part to the release of gallstones. It's highly recommended to lie on your back or right side only, and fall asleep.

The worst part for me was the nausea I experienced throughout the night. This was due to the sudden outpouring of gallstones and toxins from the liver, and gallbladder. Personally, I had waves of nausea, and weakness, at the same time, that didn't feel all that great. It wasn't the most comfortable feeling, but knowing I was doing myself some good, kept me going. Eventually, the nausea passed ...

All considering, I slept lightly ...

Next morning, I took the 3rd serving of Epsom salts. Once assimilated into the system, this is where one can expect the expelling of gallstones.

More on what I found later ...Yikes!

:-)

Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse Day 5

"Re-examine all that you have been told… dismiss that which insults your soul."

(Walt Whitman)

Continuing to eat my vegan meals, drink my apple juice, and fa la la ... it's been easy going. Although, I did receive some unusual sensations in my liver/gallbladder area. It wasn't painful, but it didn't really feel great either. Kinda like a throbbing sensation that lasted for maybe 15 minutes or so, and passed.

Tomorrow, will be the big day of consuming the Epsom salt mixture, along with the grapefruit juice, olive oil concoction. I'm not really looking forward to all that, but it must be done!

Hopefully all goes well ...

Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse Day 4

"Hell is not punishment, it’s training."

(Shunryu Suzuki)

Another day, and cravings have subsided. Another coffee enema. I will be writing more on that soon. Once I get around to it. However, I will say, that my second time around didn't go so well as the first. Holding for 15 minutes proves to be challenging. Maybe, my first time was beginners luck. Dumb luck, lol.

I'm feeling pretty good, despite the fact that it's been nothing but rain, clouds, and chilly temps for I don't know how long. Kinda dampens the mood a bit, but nonetheless, I'm staying positive.

It's been fun treading this journey with my two other cleansing mates. We swap notes, and experiences, and it feel more encouraging than to go at it alone, especially for the first time.

Day 3 Liver/Gallbadder Cleanse

"That’s the difference between me and the rest of the world… happiness isn’t good enough for me. I demand euphoria."

(Calvin and Hobbes)

Day 3, preparing for the cleanse, and it's all good ... so far. Still eating a vegan diet, and I find myself craving cheese, of course. Mostly because it isn't recommended during the preparation phase, and in natural fashion, I'm wanting what I can't have, lol. However, I'm broaching the idea of giving it up all together. I've already noticed how much brighter my skin looks, and the doctor who over saw my panchakarma cleanse seemed to think it wasn't all that good for me, personally.

Although, I've learned it isn't always a good idea to focus on what I can't have, and take the focus on adding as many wholesome, healthy, organic foods into my diet, along other preventative regimens, and things that no longer suit me have a way of naturally falling away on their own. Better to add in good things so they crowd out the bad, and no struggle is to be had.

Day 2 Liver/Gallbaldder Cleanse

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go."

(Dr. Seuss)

One thing I haven't made completely clear regarding the cleanse is that all 6 days are really the preparation for the actual cleanse which takes place on the last day. Day 6. So, the prep includes, like I've said before, drinking 1 liter of apple juice everyday, eating a vegan diet, and properly cleansing the colon. The book offers several choices when it comes to colon cleansing, and I opted for the coffee enema. To my disbelief, I was amazed at the list of benefits and healing properties coffee enemas entailed. There is an abundance of information and testimonials on the therapy it's self.

But, what about actually doing it? Well ...

With it being my first time, it wasn't all that bad, and fairly simple. The challenging part came when retaining the 2 quart coffee mixture. Mixture meaning, you brew the coffee, like normal, using only pure water, steam distilled being best, and of course only preparing organic coffee. The optimal retention time is at least 15 minutes, and I was struggling a bit those last few, because of the slight cramping. Thank goodness for yoga practice, because consciously breathing helped.

Afterward? Once everything was evacuated I felt great. There really is something to it, and I'll be curious to see how I feel tomorrow.

I'll be posting more info I found regarding the process of coffee enemas.

Cheers!

Day 1 Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse

"Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere."

(Albert Einstein)

Drank my liter of organic apple juice, and well, it really did it's work. Andreas Moritz, author of The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse, states that the apple juice has a strong cleansing effect. In some cases, which happened to me, stagnant bile is released by the liver and gallbladder. The fermenting effect of the juice widen the bile ducts, and Violà! There you go ...

My first thought was ... "What's a bit of apple juice gonna do?" Well, it didn't take long for it to do what it was supposed to do, lol.

Tomorrow ... drum roll, please ... the coffee enema. More on that later. I can't believe I'm about to blog about this, lol. Good times.

Embarking on a Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse

"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit."

(ee. cummings)

(Click on book for information)

Yup. Tomorrow will the start of my Liver and Gallbladder cleanse. Thankfully, I won't be doing this on my own, but with the support of two other fellow participants. Doing stuff like this with others simply helps, especially if it's for the first time.

Why? Well, there are many reasons why to do it. For one, it has been over six months since I embarked on my very first panchakarma experience. Which, by the way, I highly, highly recommend, I can't say it enough. I felt even months afterward, like my body was recalibrating to a state of continual balance. A wonderful feeling.

Two, I'm a big believer in taking preventive measures when it comes to health, and health maintenance. Anyone who knows me, and knows me well, knows that I look to the cause and not to the effect. Simply treating symptoms has proven itself to be a failure, time and time, again in the West. Being, a former pharmaceutical rep (ugh. I hate to admit, lol), and talking to hundreds of doctors, and sitting in their offices full of patients, clearly were never places of ultimate healing and rejuvenation. Of course, these are only my opinions, and observations during the years and I'm in no way knocking the profession of medicine. However, I feel like we only get one tiny aspect of what it means to live a healthy existence. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's important for me to run on all cylinders versus just hanging by a thread.

Three, well, it all comes down to the liver and the startling formation of gallstones that form there due to the nature of our diet. After some research, and learning about how important the functions of the liver are, it seems quite crazy NOT to do the cleanse. Simply put, I don't want gallstones in my body.

Benefits? Well one can expect a whole host of benefits through cleansing the liver, such as improved digestive and metabolic functions. Increased mental clarity, vitality, and energy. Clearer skin. Reversal of premature aging. Freedom from pain. Hormonal balance ...

The list goes on, and on ...

The protocol begins with drinking one liter of organic apple juice for 6 days. This helps to soften the stones via the malic acid contained in the apple juice. Not too shabby. However, the fun part comes in during the 6 day when a concoction of Epsom salts and filtered water, along with a grapefruit juice, olive oil mixture are ingested. I'll be posting more of the details during the actual day.

This should be interesting.