Well the last two days have been interesting to say the very least! I got to experience the whole travel thing while doing a fast and that is much harder than one might think. It did work surprisingly well even with my husband in the vehicle eating McDonalds Sausage McMuffins, chips and candy.
But my resolve has abandoned me. I have lost my want to and I have pretty much accomplished what I had set out to do on this go around. I also have not been reading my Bible the last couple of days and that means I am not where I am supposed to be in my head.
Admittedly, this has been one of the hardest fasts that I have ever done. I have completed extended fasts previously but this one has just been tough all the way through.
One of the things that I have been praying about is whether the "Raw Foodist" lifestyle or "Vegan/Vegetarian" lifestyle is something that I should adopt for my own life. Through much prayer and deliberation, the answer to that question at this point in my life is and abrupt, "NO!"
I resolve to maintain a healthy eating pattern and I will not allow those reduced pounds to sneak back up on me. Diet and exercise will continue to be a strong focus.
I want to thank each and every one of you that has followed this process, who has prayed for me and been my cheerleader. I greatly appreciate all that you have done!!
With being out of town, I didn't get the principles of fasting and the breaking a fast basics posted. I will plan to work on those and get them posted for you tomorrow.
My expertise is in people, particularly in health both internal and external which includes diet, nutrition, skincare and cosmetics. My goals are to help you with information that is Simple, Safe & True! Just like our logo states! In this blog, I will answer questions about your holistic health (encapsulating mind, body & spirit) as well as skincare, cosmetics and KISST products. C'mon..Let's Talk and take a journey of health together!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Cleansing Fast Days 8 & 9
I am tired. I have been tired for two days. Emotions are extremely high. Our little dog died yesterday and that's probably the biggest reason for the unreal stress. Couple that with increased pain again. Stress does absolutely ridiculous and terrible things to our bodies.
Bromelain is said to help manage pain naturally. One of the best sources of bromelain is raw pineapple. I juiced half a pineapple an hour ago. I hope it will work but it hasn't yet. Generally when I get to this level of pain I am reaching for naproxen sodium which is generally the only thing that will touch it.
I'm still committed to finishing up the 14 days but I must confess there was a little cheat today. I ate a couple of Brazil nuts. No excuses, I needed to chew something.
God is still good! He is still on his throne! Praise you Jesus!
I have figured out two things
#1 It's easiest to do a cleansing fast when there is no one around. No food sitting on the table next to you like the plate of chicken next to me right now.
#2 Life should not happen when you are going through this process either. Dogs should not die, family should not visit (loved seeing you mom & Jess, wouldn't change it for anything), husbands should not cook.
Love and blessings upon you! Tomorrow I will talk about the properties of fasting...when to fast, why to fast, how long to fast, etc.
Bromelain is said to help manage pain naturally. One of the best sources of bromelain is raw pineapple. I juiced half a pineapple an hour ago. I hope it will work but it hasn't yet. Generally when I get to this level of pain I am reaching for naproxen sodium which is generally the only thing that will touch it.
I'm still committed to finishing up the 14 days but I must confess there was a little cheat today. I ate a couple of Brazil nuts. No excuses, I needed to chew something.
God is still good! He is still on his throne! Praise you Jesus!
I have figured out two things
#1 It's easiest to do a cleansing fast when there is no one around. No food sitting on the table next to you like the plate of chicken next to me right now.
#2 Life should not happen when you are going through this process either. Dogs should not die, family should not visit (loved seeing you mom & Jess, wouldn't change it for anything), husbands should not cook.
Love and blessings upon you! Tomorrow I will talk about the properties of fasting...when to fast, why to fast, how long to fast, etc.
Monday, January 9, 2012
I AM 15 lbs REDUCED!!!!
One of my blog watchers called me to tell me I hadn't listed my weight!
I think I did but here it goes again!
I started at 225
I am at 210
Yay, YAY Hooray!!!
I think I did but here it goes again!
I started at 225
I am at 210
Yay, YAY Hooray!!!
Cleansing Fast Day 7- Half Way!!!!
Wooohooo seeing and feeling results!
I am stronger and that is AWESOME!!!!!! Spiritually stronger is the most important. Fasting always allows me to draw closer to the Lord, to be aware of where I am and be in tune to where I should be. In prayer on Day 7, I realized that part of my physical struggle with my upper back comes from clenching my teeth. I carry a lot of stress in my neck and shoulders anyway and I have noticed recently that I am clenching. Through prayer the Lord also revealed that this problem is due to hanging on to unforgiveness and bitterness. I won't go into detail on that part but it is something I obviously need to work out within my emotional and spiritual self. Physically I am stronger in that I don't have the degree of pain that I was experiencing before. I do have a couple of vertebra out again ~ go figure. :o) Emotionally, some people can just set me off!!! No, I'm not going to tell you who they are!Lol!! My hope is that if you are one of them, you will never, never know! I despise talking about people unless I have something positive to share! Well, my emotions seem to be more in balance. I am not jumping on the band wagon every time someone gets my gall up!! With this I have been able to tell a couple of people to just stop their complaining and carrying on! I try to be gentle when I do this! I don't want to hurt their feelings but point out that perhaps they should consider dealing with some of their own problems.
Here is a dimensional comparison:
Day 1 Day 7
Size 16 Size 14
Weight 225 Weight 210.5
Bust 48 Bust 44
Waist 42 Waist 42
Hips 46 Hips 44
Thigh 29 Thigh 28
You may notice that my waist has not reduced in proportion to the rest of me. This ok, nothing alarming and certainly not a surprise to me, though I had hoped for better. Stomach fat is the most difficult to remove. Digestive issues also make the stomach area reduce more slowly.
Now! Onto the second half!
I am stronger and that is AWESOME!!!!!! Spiritually stronger is the most important. Fasting always allows me to draw closer to the Lord, to be aware of where I am and be in tune to where I should be. In prayer on Day 7, I realized that part of my physical struggle with my upper back comes from clenching my teeth. I carry a lot of stress in my neck and shoulders anyway and I have noticed recently that I am clenching. Through prayer the Lord also revealed that this problem is due to hanging on to unforgiveness and bitterness. I won't go into detail on that part but it is something I obviously need to work out within my emotional and spiritual self. Physically I am stronger in that I don't have the degree of pain that I was experiencing before. I do have a couple of vertebra out again ~ go figure. :o) Emotionally, some people can just set me off!!! No, I'm not going to tell you who they are!Lol!! My hope is that if you are one of them, you will never, never know! I despise talking about people unless I have something positive to share! Well, my emotions seem to be more in balance. I am not jumping on the band wagon every time someone gets my gall up!! With this I have been able to tell a couple of people to just stop their complaining and carrying on! I try to be gentle when I do this! I don't want to hurt their feelings but point out that perhaps they should consider dealing with some of their own problems.
Here is a dimensional comparison:
Day 1 Day 7
Size 16 Size 14
Weight 225 Weight 210.5
Bust 48 Bust 44
Waist 42 Waist 42
Hips 46 Hips 44
Thigh 29 Thigh 28
You may notice that my waist has not reduced in proportion to the rest of me. This ok, nothing alarming and certainly not a surprise to me, though I had hoped for better. Stomach fat is the most difficult to remove. Digestive issues also make the stomach area reduce more slowly.
Now! Onto the second half!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Cleansing Fast Days 5 & 6
Today and yesterday have been pretty uneventful. Just about the same as day 4. Hunger pains and cravings have pretty much dissipated but it's amazing how the senses are enhanced. The olfactory senses (the sense of smell) are very awake! I can smell food that is boxed and has never been opened. I find that interesting and I wonder if that is the memory of the food in my mind or if it is actually the food in the box that I smell.
I have had several people ask me why I am juicing rather than just eating the raw fruits and vegetables. I have had people ask why the foods need to be raw and some have asked why are you doing this for such an extended period of time. Still others have asked what I am doing to get enough protein. I will try to answer these questions that everyone reading may gain an understanding of why I am doing this the way I am doing it.
#1 According to Holistic health practices disease begins in the colon. Though this is not a typical colon cleanse, because of the amount of fiber I am consuming it does help to cleanse the colon. Other than the raw fruit and vege smoothies, I also take psyllium fiber for that same purpose.
#2 Raw fruits and veges still have the life in them. That is why if you leave them they deteriorate rapidly. When removed from the original plant, tree, bush or whatever they immediately start the decaying process. Fresh is best when putting it in your body. That is also part of the reason when you pull produce straight from the garden that it tastes so much better than what you get in the grocery store.
#3 Juicing is easier on the digestive tract than eating the whole food. This is due to the fact that the food particles are already partially broken down. This allows for ease in the digestive process which amounts to less stress. Less stress equates to the digestive system having time to heal itself and re-esablish the natural functioning properties. Juicing also allows you to get more in your system.
#4 Juicing also allows a person to get more nutrition (if they are doing it right). The focus should be on getting a large variety of dark leafy green plants. I also mix a super food green blend into my smoothie at least once each day to make certain that I am getting ample nutrition.
#5 Protein is a funny thing. Most people put to much emphasis on how much protein they eat and with that they consume much more than their bodies actually require. Dark leafy green veges are packed with protein. In the digestive system they break down far easier than meat therefore the protein is more readily available for the body to absorb. However, these are incomplete proteins so it is vitally important to get a variety including seeds, nuts, legumes and grains (especially on a long term basis).
For me specifically, my body has a hard time breaking down complete proteins. By giving my digestive system a break and allowing for short term healing, the entire digestive process should become stronger, more functional and more capable of breaking down the complete proteins.
#6 Two weeks may seem like a long period of time to do a fast. This was a personal decision based on spiritual guidance, my own level of health, and where I want to be physically. Two weeks is a long time especially if it is not guided by the Holy Spirit. In fact, I venture to say that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit it is virtually impossible. I will give more information on fasting in the coming days.
Have a great night!
I have had several people ask me why I am juicing rather than just eating the raw fruits and vegetables. I have had people ask why the foods need to be raw and some have asked why are you doing this for such an extended period of time. Still others have asked what I am doing to get enough protein. I will try to answer these questions that everyone reading may gain an understanding of why I am doing this the way I am doing it.
#1 According to Holistic health practices disease begins in the colon. Though this is not a typical colon cleanse, because of the amount of fiber I am consuming it does help to cleanse the colon. Other than the raw fruit and vege smoothies, I also take psyllium fiber for that same purpose.
#2 Raw fruits and veges still have the life in them. That is why if you leave them they deteriorate rapidly. When removed from the original plant, tree, bush or whatever they immediately start the decaying process. Fresh is best when putting it in your body. That is also part of the reason when you pull produce straight from the garden that it tastes so much better than what you get in the grocery store.
#3 Juicing is easier on the digestive tract than eating the whole food. This is due to the fact that the food particles are already partially broken down. This allows for ease in the digestive process which amounts to less stress. Less stress equates to the digestive system having time to heal itself and re-esablish the natural functioning properties. Juicing also allows you to get more in your system.
#4 Juicing also allows a person to get more nutrition (if they are doing it right). The focus should be on getting a large variety of dark leafy green plants. I also mix a super food green blend into my smoothie at least once each day to make certain that I am getting ample nutrition.
#5 Protein is a funny thing. Most people put to much emphasis on how much protein they eat and with that they consume much more than their bodies actually require. Dark leafy green veges are packed with protein. In the digestive system they break down far easier than meat therefore the protein is more readily available for the body to absorb. However, these are incomplete proteins so it is vitally important to get a variety including seeds, nuts, legumes and grains (especially on a long term basis).
For me specifically, my body has a hard time breaking down complete proteins. By giving my digestive system a break and allowing for short term healing, the entire digestive process should become stronger, more functional and more capable of breaking down the complete proteins.
#6 Two weeks may seem like a long period of time to do a fast. This was a personal decision based on spiritual guidance, my own level of health, and where I want to be physically. Two weeks is a long time especially if it is not guided by the Holy Spirit. In fact, I venture to say that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit it is virtually impossible. I will give more information on fasting in the coming days.
Have a great night!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Cleansing Fast Day 3 & 4
Hi everyone! I neglected to get here yesterday to report in but all is well! I will cover two days worth of events in this post to save us all time and get cuaght up!
Yesterday, day 3 was a tough one. I had major cravings all day long from sweets, to salt to spicy. Just about anything would have tasted absolutely wonderful. My pain level was greatly reduced after I went to see my Reflexologist (Morris Hartman). We found out I had a lot of toxins built up in my lymph glands. I also had several vertebra that were acting like adolescent children. Once we got those things back in order, I felt pretty good!Lol!!
Today, Day 4 has been relatively uneventful! Whew! Over the hump! It should be easier from here on. The first 3 days are usually the most difficult. Today, I didn't have the cravings, in fact I can't even say I was really hungry. I only drank about half the amount of smoothies that I have been drinking. The reduction in hunger is a good indicator of the stomach shrinking. Praise the Lord!
I haven't spoken about the spiritual side of a cleansing fast and I feel like it is such an important part that quite honestly I have neglected pretty much since the beginning of this process. Don't get me wrong, I am in prayer regularly but I also need to be in God's word. I have a friend who tells me often, "Get in the word!, Get in the Word! Get in the Word!" She is so right! How can we grow closer to the Lord if we are not in His word? The word of God, the Bible is the only way to get to know the heart of our Creator, Lord and Savior.
I have many reasons (excuses) but none of them are truly worthy of listing here and honestly we all know that reasons or excuses are just our way of rationalizing or justifying what we know we should have done in the first place. Heaven forbid! That's one of my Grandma's saying's (she's no longer with us). For Heaven's sake is another one of her sayings that I think I will use to get me back on track!
For Heaven's sake! I need to Get in the Word!!Lol!! Hope you are in the Word too!
Here is a song that has stuck with me since Sunday when we sang it in church and one that is the cry of my heart as I look for cleansing within my entire body!
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Take me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
And take not Thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
Yesterday, day 3 was a tough one. I had major cravings all day long from sweets, to salt to spicy. Just about anything would have tasted absolutely wonderful. My pain level was greatly reduced after I went to see my Reflexologist (Morris Hartman). We found out I had a lot of toxins built up in my lymph glands. I also had several vertebra that were acting like adolescent children. Once we got those things back in order, I felt pretty good!Lol!!
Today, Day 4 has been relatively uneventful! Whew! Over the hump! It should be easier from here on. The first 3 days are usually the most difficult. Today, I didn't have the cravings, in fact I can't even say I was really hungry. I only drank about half the amount of smoothies that I have been drinking. The reduction in hunger is a good indicator of the stomach shrinking. Praise the Lord!
I haven't spoken about the spiritual side of a cleansing fast and I feel like it is such an important part that quite honestly I have neglected pretty much since the beginning of this process. Don't get me wrong, I am in prayer regularly but I also need to be in God's word. I have a friend who tells me often, "Get in the word!, Get in the Word! Get in the Word!" She is so right! How can we grow closer to the Lord if we are not in His word? The word of God, the Bible is the only way to get to know the heart of our Creator, Lord and Savior.
I have many reasons (excuses) but none of them are truly worthy of listing here and honestly we all know that reasons or excuses are just our way of rationalizing or justifying what we know we should have done in the first place. Heaven forbid! That's one of my Grandma's saying's (she's no longer with us). For Heaven's sake is another one of her sayings that I think I will use to get me back on track!
For Heaven's sake! I need to Get in the Word!!Lol!! Hope you are in the Word too!
Here is a song that has stuck with me since Sunday when we sang it in church and one that is the cry of my heart as I look for cleansing within my entire body!
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Take me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
And take not Thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Cleansing Fast Day 2
I have been nagging my mom to come see me. She hasnt' been here for awhile and I have been giving her just a little bit of grief for it. Well, she and my oldest daughter traveled from Western CO to come see us! They arrived Monday, the first day of my cleansing fast. What does that tell you? Well, no. I kept up my end of the bargain but my mom might not want to come see me again!LOL!!! I am making them suffer with me! They are not doing the complete fast but they have tried some of my smoothies! Love my family and the support they give me!! Lol!!!
Day 2 was more difficult than Day 1. I was hungry for a good part of the day and my pain level seemed more intense than normal but Hey! I survived! I did take some extra ginger and tumeric to help lower the pain level.
For lunch I prepared a beautiful salad laden with colorful veges and I didn't take even one bite. I was certainly tempted and everything smelled wonderfully good!
In the afternoon mom, Jess & I did ionic foot detox cleanses. That was fun to see the difference in the water for each one of us. Mine smelled high of chlorine but was pretty much clear without much debris.
In the evening we decided to go to town for supper. There were six of us and we didn't want to rearrange the kitchen or be stumbling over the three dogs confined to that area of the house.
Oya Grill is one of my favorite food stops in Sidney, NE. With great success, I took my green smoothie with me and tried hard not to drool over everybody's appetising morsels.
Today is Wednesday, Day 3. My mom will be leaving today and I am sad to see her go. We have had fun and enjoyed our short visit. Jess will stay for another day or two. :o) I am happy!
Day 2 was more difficult than Day 1. I was hungry for a good part of the day and my pain level seemed more intense than normal but Hey! I survived! I did take some extra ginger and tumeric to help lower the pain level.
For lunch I prepared a beautiful salad laden with colorful veges and I didn't take even one bite. I was certainly tempted and everything smelled wonderfully good!
In the afternoon mom, Jess & I did ionic foot detox cleanses. That was fun to see the difference in the water for each one of us. Mine smelled high of chlorine but was pretty much clear without much debris.
In the evening we decided to go to town for supper. There were six of us and we didn't want to rearrange the kitchen or be stumbling over the three dogs confined to that area of the house.
Oya Grill is one of my favorite food stops in Sidney, NE. With great success, I took my green smoothie with me and tried hard not to drool over everybody's appetising morsels.
Today is Wednesday, Day 3. My mom will be leaving today and I am sad to see her go. We have had fun and enjoyed our short visit. Jess will stay for another day or two. :o) I am happy!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Cleansing Fast Day 1
Ready, Set, Day 1 here it goes! I am anxious for this for several reasons
* I am hoping and praying that the Lord will use me to inspire and encourage you to achieve better health as well.
* I have done this before and I have an idea of the results I will see (I was a size 20 at one point).
* I am looking very much forward to less pain, more energy, a greater sense of the Lord's presence and a far better attitude!
* Currently, I have a lot of joint pain, primarily hips, back and shoulders. I have a cough. The cough comes from congestion. It's a dry, annoying, unproductive cough that comes on when I eat things I shouldn't be eating. Overeating and eating things I shouldn't also causes my face to break out. This is where I am .
* I am looking forward to being comfortable in my smaller sized clothing and silly sloppy in my size 16's.
Here is where I am right now dimensionally. :o) I will try to post a picture.
Size 16
Weight 225
Bust 48
Waist 42
Hips 46
Thigh 29
Starting and completing this cleansing fast is a method for cleansing my mind, body and spirit. I know you may be wondering how that can work. Cleansing the body is one thing but cleansing mind and spirit? Well, let me explain....As humans we are interconnected. Our minds, body and spirit function together as a whole unit. This is where Holistic health comes into effect, addressing the whole of a person, or mind, body and spirit as mentioned above.
Nutrition plays one of the most important roles not only for cleansing, but also for detoxifying the body to help it achieve maximum performance. Now it sounds like we are tuning up a car! Lol!! Nutrition does play basically the same roll as a tuneup plays for an automobile. If you put the wrong fuel in your car, things get plugged up or it simply won't run.
Our bodies are much the same however the Lord designed our organs to compensate for each other. In example if we put a burden on our liver to the point where it has difficulty keeping up, the kidneys will try to filter the same toxins that the liver filters. Unfortunately, if we are not aware of how our bodies opperate, and we continue to put stress on any one or more organs, we achieve an acute state of organ colapse as organ after organ works to compensate and cannot keep up with the task. It's the domino effect creating stress on our entire body system.
Now during this process over the next 2 weeks or so, I am doing a whole juice cleanse. What that means is I am using whole foods processed through a blender to get whole nutrition. Dark, leafy, green vegetables provide the best nutrition for our bodies but they don't always taste that great!lol! I will use whole fruit to cover up the taste of the greens and make my experience a little bit more appealing. There are recipes posted her on the blog if you would like to try some! I will also continue my normal daily routine of vitamins and herbs.
I would like to ask for your prayers as I go through this process. Pray that I will be willig to accept the Lords impressions, continue in His word and follow in his guidance. Please also pray for my renewed health. Thank you for your prayers!!
If you have questions or comments as you follow along, I would love to hear from you! You can comment hear or send me a personal message at kisstorganics@gmail.com. You are also welcome to connect with KISST Organics on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kisst-Organics-Skincare-Cosmetics-Gifts-More/304519114953
or with me personally at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000704382899
* I am hoping and praying that the Lord will use me to inspire and encourage you to achieve better health as well.
* I have done this before and I have an idea of the results I will see (I was a size 20 at one point).
* I am looking very much forward to less pain, more energy, a greater sense of the Lord's presence and a far better attitude!
* Currently, I have a lot of joint pain, primarily hips, back and shoulders. I have a cough. The cough comes from congestion. It's a dry, annoying, unproductive cough that comes on when I eat things I shouldn't be eating. Overeating and eating things I shouldn't also causes my face to break out. This is where I am .
* I am looking forward to being comfortable in my smaller sized clothing and silly sloppy in my size 16's.
Here is where I am right now dimensionally. :o) I will try to post a picture.
Size 16
Weight 225
Bust 48
Waist 42
Hips 46
Thigh 29
Starting and completing this cleansing fast is a method for cleansing my mind, body and spirit. I know you may be wondering how that can work. Cleansing the body is one thing but cleansing mind and spirit? Well, let me explain....As humans we are interconnected. Our minds, body and spirit function together as a whole unit. This is where Holistic health comes into effect, addressing the whole of a person, or mind, body and spirit as mentioned above.
Nutrition plays one of the most important roles not only for cleansing, but also for detoxifying the body to help it achieve maximum performance. Now it sounds like we are tuning up a car! Lol!! Nutrition does play basically the same roll as a tuneup plays for an automobile. If you put the wrong fuel in your car, things get plugged up or it simply won't run.
Our bodies are much the same however the Lord designed our organs to compensate for each other. In example if we put a burden on our liver to the point where it has difficulty keeping up, the kidneys will try to filter the same toxins that the liver filters. Unfortunately, if we are not aware of how our bodies opperate, and we continue to put stress on any one or more organs, we achieve an acute state of organ colapse as organ after organ works to compensate and cannot keep up with the task. It's the domino effect creating stress on our entire body system.
Now during this process over the next 2 weeks or so, I am doing a whole juice cleanse. What that means is I am using whole foods processed through a blender to get whole nutrition. Dark, leafy, green vegetables provide the best nutrition for our bodies but they don't always taste that great!lol! I will use whole fruit to cover up the taste of the greens and make my experience a little bit more appealing. There are recipes posted her on the blog if you would like to try some! I will also continue my normal daily routine of vitamins and herbs.
I would like to ask for your prayers as I go through this process. Pray that I will be willig to accept the Lords impressions, continue in His word and follow in his guidance. Please also pray for my renewed health. Thank you for your prayers!!
If you have questions or comments as you follow along, I would love to hear from you! You can comment hear or send me a personal message at kisstorganics@gmail.com. You are also welcome to connect with KISST Organics on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kisst-Organics-Skincare-Cosmetics-Gifts-More/304519114953
or with me personally at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000704382899
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