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 Sara's Spring Ritual for the Health Conscious I like to start the process of spring with a three day fast. Why? Here are some reasons as stated in Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James and Phyllis Balch.
The purpose of a fast is to cleanse yourself, not to starve yourself. Here are some suggestions that will help you fast, if you decide to do so. If fasting is not for you, pick and choose what does work to improve your well-being. Eating lighter seems to go along with warm weather and Mother Earth provides us, for free, with some excellent greens for salad that are chock full of minerals and vitamins. It's no accident that fresh, young herbal greens arrive just when we need them the most-dandelions, chickweed, nettles, sorrel, and violet leaves. Mix these "weeds" in with your store bought salads for a powerhouse of nutrition. These salad mixes are what I eat the first two days before and the two days coming off the fast. If you decide to fast, eat only raw foods for two days before and two days coming off the fast (no dressings or dips). If you need to eat something while you are fasting, you can eat watermelon or applesauce from fresh apples with skins that you make in a blender. Don't chew gum. This puts in motion the digestive process. Do not fast on water alone. You can take spirulina, a near perfect food from the sea, during a fast-five tablets three times a day. Anyone who is hypoglycemic should not fast without taking spirulina. Psyllium seed (found in health food stores) or other high quality fiber products may be used to clean out the intestines. Psyllium seed husk swells 8 to 14 times its weight. It is soothing and laxative, helps increase bowel function as well as cleaning out old debris that may be lodged in the intestines. Stir a heaping teaspoon into a little juice mixed with water, and drink it down right away because it will gel up. Drink eight to twelve 8 oz. glasses of water a day. Juices to drink while fasting should be made in a juicer. Fresh lemon juice with warm water is excellent to start the day as it activates the liver. Other juices: cabbage, beet, carrot, celery, grape, and apple juice. Any green drinks you make from juicing leafy green vegetables are also fine. These are excellent detoxifiers. Do not drink tomato or orange juice. Do not store cabbage juice. It loses its vitamin C content. Fasting over three days should be supervised by a qualified health physician. Diabetics should never fast unless under a doctor's supervision. Some people, especially the elderly, need certain vitamins and minerals daily. If you are one of those people, you should continue to take vitamins while on the fast. You might want to reduce the dosage of supplements when you are drinking juices. Here are ingredients for an excellent broth or juice to drink when you are fasting. If you choose the broth, cook all the vegetables together and strain the broth. Your pets might enjoy the pulp. Use a juicer if you prefer the raw juice. 3
carrots And here are excellent teas to drink anytime, but especially when fasting. The first is already made up by Unitea out of Boulder, CO. and is called Puritea. Puritea Ingredients:
This tea is good for you and is delicious. Sara's
Liver Tea To roast the chicory, spread it on a cookie sheet and bake it at 325°F for 30 minutes. Combine the herbs and water in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for at least 15 minutes, overnight if possible. Strain. Drink 3 to 4 cups every day. Further Reading: For a very detailed description of a three day fast which also goes into emotional and spiritual aspects of a fast, I recommend The 3-Day Energy Fast by Pamela Serure. She also has good recipes for fruit and vegetable juices and broths you can take during the fast.
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