An exact program still
needs to be worked out. But the ingredients are well known:
- Liquid Diet -- Provide your body with everything it needs to sustain
itself, stay energized, and heal, while minimizing strain on the intestinal
tract, so it can heal.
- Intestinal Cleansing -- Clean out old waste and promote healing.
The practice can be done for a day or two at a time, at first. Then for
a few days. Eventually, it can be done for a week or two. (I've gone two
weeks without any food at all. See Magical
Moments. So two weeks with all
the nutrition the body needs is basically a walk in the park.)
Liquid Diet
Sometimes called a "Juice Fast", or "Juice and Tea Fast",
it's like fasting, but the goal is to make sure the body has everything it
needs to be running in top form, both physically and mentally. That way,
it has the energy and raw materials it needs to heal the digestive tract.
(The fasting part, meanwhile, means there is no solid matter for the intestines
to handle. It's like a traffic-control crew that keeps traffic at a bay,
allowing the construction crew to get out into the road to make repairs.)
Note:
Fasting is also a powerful modality in its own right. Fasting on water alone,
in particular, gives the body a chance to do a lot of internal housecleaning.
(For more, see the bible on the subject, written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman: Fasting
and Eating for Health.)
- BCAAs + Glutamine
This is a powerful combination for energizing and healing.
It
should be taken first thing in the
morning, after cleansing practices.
It's probably wise to take
it two or three times a day.
- Branched Chain Amino Acids give your body
protein it can readily use for building, repair.
They are also used for energy, and circulating BCAAs in the bloodstream
tell your body,
"Hey, muscle is breaking down. Release the enzymes that burn fat, so
we can preserve as
much muscle as possible".
- Glutamine is an amino acid that improves mental clarity.
It also said to promote intestinal healing--most likely because it
is an energy source for intestinal cells, in the same way that it is
an energy source for brain cells.
- Protein Powder and Honey
A balanced protein, to make sure the body has everything it needs. Honey
sweetens the taste and provides natural sugars, for energy.
(Rice powder protein is my favorite for taste. Egg protein is also
recommended. Whey protein is highly regarded by many, as well.)
- Banana?-- Mixing in a banana makes a nice smoothy. The banana
provides both sugar and fat for fuel. There is a small amount of fiber,
but not very much. So banana is probably a fine addition. But it's
a bit of an experiment.
- Berries? -- Berries add antioxidants and more fruit
sugar. They
also add insoluble fiber, which goes through the intestinal tract. So there
is a decision to be made here, weighing the advantages of taste and
healthy ingredients against the additional "traffic" in the intestinal
tract. (Traffic that is harder to pass, rather than easier, because
the volume is so small.) So on balance, I'm inclined against it. But,
as with bananas, the jury is still out.
- Warm Tea
Use warm-to-hot water, not boiling or very-hot water. The idea is to
preserve the enzymes and nutrients, not cook things:
- Garlic Juice -- Kills bugs, cleans house.
- Apple Cider Vinegar -- Cleansing and nourishing. It doesn't
take much to get the job done. That's why it works best when diluted,
as in a tea. Otherwise, it's acidic enough to be hard on the digestive
tract. (Painful, in fact.) So 1/2 tsp is plenty in a cup of tea.
- Honey -- Natural sugar for energy. Melts in warm to hot
water.
- Cinnamon -- An energizing and warming spice.
- Cardomom -- The main spice in Chia. Also energizing.
- Juice
All juices should be fresh, organic and unpasteurized, to preserve their
enzymes and healthy ingredients.
They can be overly strong when
taken by themselves, due to their acidity.
Diluting with water works well. I especially like mineral water, for a bubbly
natural "soda".
- Cherry / Black Cherry / Blueberry Juice -- Rich in antioxidants
that promote health and healing
- Grape Juice -- Sugar for energy, plus antioxidants
- Apple? -- Acidic and cleansing. As with Apple Cider Vinegar,
it's probably best diluted.
- Hot Tea:
Tea provides caffeine that stimulates the body, raising energy levels and
promoting healing.
It also stimulates the thyroid to produce adrenaline, but at the same time
it includes relaxants that minimize the damage (unlike coffee). Green tea
is well known for the theanine it contains. But even black tea contains
relaxants.
- Green Tea -- Just barely toasted. Largest amount of theanine,
minimum amount of caffeine.
- Green Oolong -- Lightly toasted, but not smoked, like Oolong.
A nice balance between green and oolong.
- Oolong -- Lightly toasted and smoked. Less theanine, more
caffeine. Some of the beneficial ingredients of black tea.
- Black Tea -- No theanine, but two other relaxing ingredients
form as the tea is blackened, plus other beneficial ingredients. The
most caffeine, among the teas.
- Herbal Teas
Licorice tea is naturally sweet, with no sugar. I love it, although many don't.
(It reminds me of root beer.)
Any herbal tea you like will be of benefit, so go crazy.
- Yerba Mate
Highly regarded in South America for its energizing and
healing properties. Gaining favor here.
- Water -- Always a good choice when fasting. Keeps you hydrated
(necessary for energy, because water is needed to burn fat, along with
oxygen).
Intestinal Cleansing
Enemas clean the lower tract. They're especially useful in the early stages,
to get rid of accumulated fecal matter. (With the lower tract cleaned out,
it's easier to clean the upper tract. Eliminating blockages reduces the
tendency for things to "back up" and cause bloating.
Enemas
- Urine Enema -- Cleansing, healing. (See Skin
Healing)
- Coffee/Tea Enema -- Energizing and cleansing.
Full-Tract Cleaning & Healing
- Warm salt-water -- If you get the amount of salt right, the salty
water goes into the intestines, where it kills bacteria and cleans the
intestinal tract from top to bottom.
- Urine -- The practice takes some getting used to, but it eliminates
the guesswork. The amount of salt is just right. In addition, it contains
diluted ammonia for extra cleaning power, and glutamine--the aminio acid
that promotes healing. (See Skin Healing)
Notes on Urine Therapy:
- When using the urine for healing, throw away the first bit (cleans the
pipes) and the last bit (said to contain sediment). Use everything in
between.
- Early morning urine is said to be the best. It contains relaxation
hormones released during sleep, and it comes after the longest fast of
the day.
- The longer you fast, the better the quality of the urine.
- The timing of Urine Therapy depends on the availability of Urine, making
it difficult to set up an exact timetable. I'm guessing that the general
rule should be to allow at least 10 minutes after drinking, so it's well
on its way before you take anything else that would mix with it or dilute
it. (20 or 30 minutes is probably better).
- Internal cleansing tends to be incredibly energizing, due to the high
levels of glutamine in the urine. Do it late at night, and you can kiss
sleep goodbye. (However, you may find yourself engaging a burst of creative
output--as for instance this entire article, which took 3-1/2 hours I
might otherwise have spent in sleep!)
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