De-Tanglewood

Lately I've been watching +Loren Lockman's YouTube channel. He's an experienced water only fasting supervisor and raw foodist for over 25 years.  While I've read many others' take on the subject, Dr. Bragg and +Dr. Fuhrmann, just to name two, there's something that strikes me about Mr. Lockman, who doesn't have two or three letters after his name.

In his videos he approaches the subject of fasting gently, matter of factly and educationally.  Along with his palatable, ten minute clips of information, he interviews several clients, all of whom have suffered from dramatic diseases such as MS, Lyme's Disease, CFS, Colitis, Chron's, Hypertension, Obesity...just to name a few.  In each of the interviews, the client expresses many health shifts they've experienced as a result of the water fasting.  The interviews are conducted before, during and after the fasts (some with the moment of refeeding on some glorious watermelon). Also, if you read the comment threads in YouTube, Mr. Lockman carefully answers each person's questions and comments. You're never left guessing what he thinks or where he stands.

Introduction to Fasting Video

After watching at least twenty of his videos and checking out the Tanglewood Wellness Center website, I went sleuthing for more reviews.  I came upon this.. In short, one person died in the middle of a fast at Lockman's Maryland Center. With very little information and more slander against Mr. Lockman, I wanted to find out what really happened. From an interview, Lockman makes some clear statements on what really happened.  The faster had given himself insulin injections after being advised otherwise.

The reason I even bring this up is for the general discussion about fasting's safety.  Mr. Lockman has supervised over 4,000 clients and this one incident seems to cast a shadow on his services. It is certainly a tragedy that anyone wishes didn't happen, not least of which, I'm sure, Mr. Lockman. But for the sake of discussion, if we were to hold up the statistics of various medical physician's outcomes of care based on the very same diseases Tanglewood sees, I think we'd see numeric casualties in the hundreds and thousands.  You know it's true. Yet, because modern medicine has profitable backing of the AMA,  insurance, lawyers, the FDA, pharmaceutical companies and other organizations, medical doctors get away with fewer career blights.

Anyway, this topic can go in several directions. And you might be surprised to know that I don't blame medical doctors for their scope of practice . . .because it is exactly that. A scope. A scope that encompasses myopic methods that lack integrative and holistic approaches in their high priced college curriculums. Especially nutrition and fasting   (despite thousands of medical journal articles that report its benefits). I know many doctors that are trying to figure out how to change this, while others are narrowly staring down the barrel of their own guns. Of the latter, I'd hate to be one of their patients.

It is important to note that Lockman did not start supervising fasts until after ten years of his own experience and education with it--roughly the same amount of time it takes most medical students to become doctors. I only come to Lockman's defense because I'm more interested in the facts. I don't know him personally. Maybe he is a terrible person. But the fact is, he's helping people--as seen and heard with my own eyes and ears on the videos, backed by quality information in many books and by doctors, many of whom are board certified.  If a potential client does their research, consults with a fasting supervisor, and signs a contract, then they know what they are getting into just as much as the person who signs an agreement to chemotherapy.

I certainly prefer the idea of less invasive and more natural means of healthcare for most conditions. Don't you? And who'da thunk clean water could do it?

One day I hope to go on a water fasting vacation.  Any opportunity on this side of heaven to give my body a rest, detox and aright any health deficiencies is a bonus in my book.  But doing long water fasts (beyond 4 or 5 days) on your own is not a good idea. Lockman recommends 21 days or more for most (but not all) people, which doesn't include the time it takes to refeed and get a client's digestive system running properly on high quality, raw vegan fuel.

As always, I encourage people do their research, never stop asking questions, and, when you find a physician, healer, naturopath, WHOEVER that you trust, make sure they are educating you and telling you what's going on, helping where they may, but ultimately matching your goals.  And please, whatever you do, don't play the victim. These people might fail. There may be some trial and error in spite of their experience and professional training. And they may take you in a direction you don't want to go. But ultimately, they are not responsible for your health. You are. If you don't like it, get thee there out!  

Personal Thoughts on Fasting for Health

I don't want to spend a whole lot of time redacting the science behind fasting. I trust you all can google that up yourselves. But I do want to tell you a little bit about my experiences with fasting thus far.

It's been about 18 months since I stumbled on this health protocol. I've done everything from smoothie, juice, raw, intermittent and water fasts. I can honestly say I've experienced benefits with all of them. But there was one time after this past Easter where my body felt awful the days following a fast. The jury is still out on whether that may have been due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies or because I was simply experiencing a new layer of detoxification.  Since I was not being supervised, I decided not to find out which one it was, and thus ate whatever I felt like my body needed to feel better. Fish, meat, bread..stuff I don't eat with a lot of regularity, but whatever had highly absorbable Vitamin B12, Iron and Omega Fatty Acids in it. It worked.

But fasting, when done properly and at the right time for your body and mind, has so many benefits that I can't even begin to describe. Besides detoxification (which is crazy amazing--and sometimes unpleasant--to watch your body purge junk through various orifices) and weight loss, there is an acute mental clarity and contentment that I've experienced, along with energy level increases.  In short, I often feel awesome and better able to handle life stressors during fasts.  Of course, when I began my first smoothie fast two summers ago, I was not in good spirits for the first three days. All of the detox symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, moodiness, cravings, and halitosis were new to me. But since then, my mind and body have adapted somewhat to the process, along with now eating a LOT better than I used to, so I don't suffer as intensely from those unpleasant detox symptoms. Though, I will say it seems I often break out into cold sores on my lips when fasting, so there must be years of dormant, assuaged viruses that were not killed off with antibiotics that I used to take. They (the viruses) are, essentially, now getting starved to death out of my body.  And that's good.

One of the things I am trying to learn how to do better is re-feeding. Meaning, how to break a fast slowly and in a way that doesn't cause me to binge in moments of weakness.  I give myself a pass if it's fruits or veggies, but not only does binging harm the whole process of self control and eating right, but it can make people sick since the stomach often shrinks during a fast and is especially sensitive to large amounts of food. So it's important to re-feed the body slowly. Yup, still working on that.

Intermittent fasting is a neat little "reset" button when I'm in need of a quick cleanse. Whether it's a 36 hour water fast (which is as long as I will go unsupervised) or a shortened eating window during the day (like from 11am-5pm), intermittent fasting has helped me after attending one too many potlucks.  It also helps boosts human growth hormone (HGH) which is the anti-aging hormone. Hence, why I look like a five year old. Paaaahh-ha-ha. But seriously, my skin is smoother and often times gets noticed.

Final thoughts: I'll be interested to see how my perspective evolves over time as I continue to learn how to fast. Hopefully this is helpful for anyone who is curious about what one person has experienced so far.  My conclusions? Trust your body. Be sure your mind and support systems are on board when you start a fast. Don't push yourself too far. Fasting is not about meeting a particular number of days without food, but letting your body show you what it can do to heal, what it needs nutritionally and when. For some that's a couple of hours, for others a couple of weeks. Learn the differences between emotional hunger and true physical hunger. I still am, and will probably continue to for a loooooong time.  Overall, fasting can be healing, perhaps alleviate unnecessary medical bills, and lead to better quality of life and longevity.

Okay. That's it for now. All the best.

Oh yeah...as always, this post is not meant to diagnose, treat illnesses or be considered medical advice. Always check with your physician before trying a fasting regime.

Full of Surprises

Hope y'all had a wonderful Fourth of July!

We had a great week, full of fun and surprises.

First up, my son enjoyed the fireworks. Like, a lot. 

You parents understand why this might be surprising.

18 months old and he barely flinched.

At first he wasn't so sure about the loud ones, but quickly took to the fanfare and started imitating the pyrotechnics, going, "Boom! Boom!"

Then, we decided to surprise my family and go to Rhode Island to visit. 

It was great and (always) well worth it.  

We came, we saw, we ate many things... salads, smoothies and SEAFOOD.

But before anyone goes on a glorious Vitamin B12 tangent . . .

...take a look at this. 

This is a fried Seafood Platter at Champlin's, a harbor side restaurant in Galilee, RI.  

All high raw, vegans and omnivores... I implore you to make pilgrimage at least once in your life to this Galileen coast to grub. You won't regret it. 

Well, you will afterward, especially if you eat the whole thing by yourself.

Shrimp, Clams, Scallops, Haddock and French Fries.

And let's not forget cole slaw, tartar and cocktail sauce.

Anyone drooling? Or wreching?

Anyway, I believe this is 2% Raw, as we asked for extra lemons. 

My hubby and I shared this because, um, look at it.

You surprised? 

Well, folks, life is too short. You gotta indulge once in a while. 

But believe me, life will be shorter if you give into these too often.

And I wonder how often I really can, since my joints and waistline suffered a bit for it. And digestion.

Sooo, I took one for the team?

Either way, it was delicious and I'm getting back on track, as you will see in minute.

Charissa and I posed for the camera. 

Anyone surprised that we're sisters? 

She's 5'3''. I'm 5'11''. She's dark. I'm blue. She looks exotic. I look like a polar bear.

But yup. Same parents.

What's ironic is her hair has always been curlier than mine. But after a freak accident with a curling iron, hers has gone straight for the last few weeks. No joke. (Even though it is kinda funny.)

But now I'm the curly haired sister?

I dunno, just doesn't seem right.

Also, in a strange turn of events, we purchased a new used car (erm, vehicular beast) two weeks ago.

We are proud owners of a '98 Suburban!

Our trip to and from Rhode Island was glorious. I felt like I was riding Air Force One there's so much space!

I joined Knox in the back seat for a little break. He's loving the room, too. 

I dunno, I feel a little more American now that we hog the road and get nods from fellow eight-cylinder owners. Sorta brings joyous tears to my eyes.

To all my green (as in economical) friends, don't be surprised. 

I love my Toyotas, believe you me.

Or, I love how Toyotas are at the gas station and on my pocketbook. 

Point is, I don't care if they invent hybrid GMC's or ones that run on water and/or compost.  I don't think I'll ever want anything smaller for our family.

Well, upon our return home, we were pleasantly surprised to see our garden had yielded some veggies.

Beets, zucchini, chard, kale and carrots.

Unfortunately our broccoli bolted and there's nothing to harvest this year.

But we're pulling that up and replanting to see if we can get some cantaloup. 

One of the last surprises is that I just completed a 36 hour water-only fast this morning. 

This helped detox from a glorious week of gluttony and to reboot my health.

My joints and digestive tract are very thankful.

Water fasting is more aggressive, as you can imagine, than a smoothie or juice fast.  

As I've been reading, it's best to be supervised by a doctor (like inpatient care) if you are going for 4 days or more.  It is a goal of mine to do something like that in the future. 

What surprised me is the growing number of physicians who are promoting this for many health conditions.

 I stumbled upon the True North Clinic website and few Youtube videos, and Dr. Fuhrman's book, Fasting and Eating for Health.  I'm pretty excited that these treatments are gaining momentum in the mainstream.  It gives me hope that I'll be able to visit my medical doctor with books and articles in hand without being viewed as if I have a third eye.  

And then I bought this book: The Miracle of Fasting by the Braggs (The same folks who make Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, Liquid Aminos, etc.) 

I haven't started it yet, but it looks like it will have a lot of good insights, along with some garbled theology.  But I look forward to reading it and perhaps, erm, eating my words?  

As always, we recommend you read up and talk with your doctor before embarking on any dramatic dietary changes. Not that eating better should be considered dramatic, but it can have various reactions that your physician should be privy to, especially if you are any medications.  I dunno, that's what I'm supposed to say, right? :)

First Fast

What catapulted me farther down the "rabbit food"(raw) rabbit trail?  My first fast.  My hubby was savvy about this practice long before he met me, and had even done it a couple times (without me) when we were first married.  I'd never thought about fasting as a health measure, since it seemed like erratic anorexic/bulimic behavior. Why would I deprive myself, lose some weight, only to (probably over)eat a few days later and gain it all back?

What I've learned now is that fasting has little to do with weight loss, even though that tends to happen (much to my appreciation). And, it has nothing to do with implementing poor eating habits, unless we mean to say it helps steer us away from them.  This is a tremendously helpful website that expounds on fasting's many beneficial aspects.

My first fast occurred last summer for a span of eight days.  All I consumed were fruit and vegetable smoothies. I was receiving all the essential nutrients that my body needed while eliminating the complex carbs, fats or animal proteins that I was accustomed to.

The first three days were hard.  Among the main symptoms were intense cravings, acne, irritability, and headaches.  After day three, those symptoms subsided.  I didn't feel desperately hungry and was better able to refocus my time and energy--oh, that's the other thing--energy! I had more of it. Also, I slept more soundly, and less. Toward the middle and end of the fast there were moments of euphoria, and a mental attunement I'd never before experienced.  Ever see the movie Limitless?  Yeah, that's an exaggeration of what this was like, but similar concept. And, good movie.

So, what did I get out of the first fast? I ...

... dropped 10lbs in 8 days.  (And have kept it-and more- off.)
... felt like I accomplished a great physical and mental challenge
... experienced eating well and liked it.

The fast reoriented my palate. I don't crave the sweet, salty and fatty foods like I used to. And, when I do give in to those temptations, my body very immediately tells me I shouldn't have with discomfort, bloating and sometimes general achey-ness. I'm actually glad for these reflexes, because before I would have kept eating, gained weight and felt horrible, arthritic pain after it all.

Also, the fast challenged me in a new way beyond what I was used to (like when I trained for half marathons or other fitness goals).  All in all, I really appreciate fasting for both its challenges and benefits.  I plan to keep up this practice at least twice a year, if not on a weekly basis. (Setting aside a day to cleanse.) In fact, my second fast had even more wild effects, and was longer, so I might update y'all on that.