I’m finishing out the final days of 2009 with a juice and mineral broth fast. It includes miso broth, organic chicken broth, probiotic juice drinks such as Good Belly, coconut water, and Recharge, for electrolytes. It’s a natural high that has me waking up smiling and facing the world with a clear, unclouded vision.
In this altered state, which also includes lots of rest, I’m able to process the seeming chaos of the world with a mystical mindset. The image which rises in my mind is that of a catapeller getting ready to enter the cocoon stage … the green goo stage … in which everything dissolves into "nothingness".
In this stage, there is the sense that all is lost. However, just the opposite is true. There are a few cells in that green goo that are holding the vision of a butterfly. They will become its DNA.
I describe this in my book, Rapid Evolution, this way:
"We are at the time of our metamorphosis. It is a time when our minds sink into the cocoon of our hearts and our physical bodies fall away. Heart-centered, nourished by our own breath, we feel ourselves accepting more light into our body, light that energized by the life force of the Universe. It is a process like rewiring a house from 120 to 220 volts. Because our rapid evolution is a conscious choice, our brain will create the mental pathways for physical change to occur."
Today, turning my attention to my physical body, and preparing to enjoy healthy foods again, I begin with Bieler’s Broth which my housemate Charley Cropley ND assures me is the best possible path to choose. Here is the recipe:
Bieler’s Broth
STEAM then blend: Take equal parts (a handful) of the following fresh, raw ingredients: zuchinni, spinach, green beans, and celery.
Place the steamed vegetables in a blender with raw Parsley. Add one cup of organic chicken or miso broth, and BLEND. Drink one cup of broth every two hours until finished.
Do you have your own fasting stories to share? If so, please post them as a comment here.
Blessings to You in the New Year!
-Alexia Parks
The broth recipe sounds amazingly delicious. Happy early new year to you, Alexia!
Hi Alexia
sounds so good … do bring over some tasty ..
we will be skiing soon … yeah!
Happy New Year
Ed & Deb
Hi Yumi,
Yes, it is so delicious, especially with a cup of chicken broth. And it does so many good things to boost one's immune system. Thanks for the nudge to write about ending the year on a high note. This is definitely the RIGHT note.
Love,
Alexia
Hi Ed & Deb,
You set the table and I'll bring over the Bieler's Broth. Takes only a few minutes to make. Steaming the veggies is the longest part of the process, and that isn't long at all. Then blend and serve. A handful of each ingredient makes three full cups, one for you, Deb and me.
P.S. BoulderReporter.com thought this was a lovely blog and asked to resyndicate it. I said "Yes."
Hi Alexia,
My post for today on The Body Divine, Deepak's post for today on Listening To Your Body, and your post for today on fasting are all in line with my water fast that I have been on for 5 days now and will end off my year with too.
As a former Holistic Nutritional Consultant, I have done juice fasts many times before and they are highly energizing and provide that natural high as you said. For me this time however, I needed to go deep within, and a water fast will do just that. Plenty of rest is required for this. A deep peace of mind, body and spirit is the outcome, along with stillness, and a staggering inner knowing of the beauty of the soul.
Many Blessings for you,
Heather
Thanks for the reminder about Bieler's broth. I used to eat it often – every long meditation course where we fasted, we came off of the fast with Bieler's broth…very soothing. Now I practically live on kombucha (home brewed) with superfoods added to it….I recommend starting the day with a small amount of kombucha with two teaspoons of Chlorella added to it (which flushes heavy metals and toxins from the body). Especially if you are fasting, you want to take the opportunity to flush heavy metals out…which fasting alone won't do. Then an hour or so later I have more kombucha (it makes a great base or carrier for the superfoods) and add Spirulina (great source of protein while you are fasting) and Vitamineral Greens (both by Health Force Nutritionals). Wishing you a new year of health, happiness and abundance, filled with love, laughter, and fun!!
Dear Heather,
Thanks for your welcome reply. Years ago, when I wrote for the national desk of The Washington Post, I did a piece on water fasting. I visited a clinic in upstate New York. What I learned that is with a water fast, and lacking "food" the body will cannibalize harmful deposits that build up over time. This results in the deep cleansing that you describe. Those with arthritic joints were able to freely move hands and legs after only seven days on a water fast.
Several years ago, I visited SpaSamui.com in Thailand and did a 10-day fast. It also came with a daily liver cleanse tonic, mineral broth, five juice, bentonite clay and psyllium seed drinks, and 2X daily self-administered colonics. The price was $40/day plus $18 for comfortable lodgings on the beach. With $5/hr massages, I thought I was in heaven.
Fasting is a wonderful way to enter the New Year. Happy 2010…!
Hi Barbara,
I trust your advice, and think that kombucha and superfoods are the body's fuel for the future. However, I do need a lesson on getting the home brewed kombucha right. When I last made it, I thought it had molded and threw the batch out. I'm ready to try again.
I'm interested in fasting at the start of the new year but I have never tried a fast before. Can you send directions on how you conducted your fast?
What comes out of one's mouth is far more important than what goes in and I would think that most doctors would not advise fasting at all, or, if undertaken, only after advice is taken from a qualified medical practitioner.