Fasting Friday

I didn't wake up this morning with a plan to do a detox, it just sort of happened.  
It started early this morning, when I woke with a rumbling gut.  I was in the bathroom for awhile and then again a couple of hours later.  It just seems like this has been happening to me a lot.


I know that now I am over 40, my hormonal changes have some to do with my skin changes, but I woke up with tons of pimples this morning.   I used a sugar scrub and didn't think much else about it.

I overindulge in junk.  I admit it.  I will go through weeks of eating really good things for my body, skipping soda and sweets only to ruin it all on a batch of mashed potatoes and dinner rolls.  I have a weakness for bread, potatoes, pasta.... and tend to over-eat when these things are being served.  


I have a good friend who always tells me that sometimes a 1 day detox can do wonders, even a half-day or 2/3rds of the day - just not putting in anything but water into your body for 12 or more hours.

Friday is allowance day at my house, so on the way to school, I stopped at 7-Eleven to use the ATM and the big liter bottles of water were on sale, so I grabbed one.  Maybe I haven't been hydrating enough?  Maybe I need to flush my system?  Maybe I could drink 2 of these today?  (Big maybe - I have always had a hard time drinking water.)  

Today, I didn't have a plan, so I am just sticking with water and if I get really hungry, I will have a cup of my favorite Good Earth tea - Sweet & Spicy.  

You can boil a large pot of water if you want to make enough to last all day - or you can make yourself a cuppa to start with in the morning.  If you want to drink it all day, you can put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  After it comes to boil, squeeze in the juice of a whole lemon (lime, orange, half grapefruit, whatever you like).  You can slice it after and put those in to steep in the water (make sure the peel is washed).  I put in a couple Teaspoons of grated ginger, a Tablespoon of AVC per cup of water and teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Citrus fruit flushes toxins from the body and also has antioxidants.  The ginger is also great at flushing toxins as well as stimulating the digestive tract, speeding up digestion.  AVC (apple cider vinegar) is naturally detoxifying and contains malic acid, which gives it anti-viral, anti-bactirial and anti-fungal properties.  Cayenne pepper is a great digestive aide.  It stimulates the digestive tract and can even relieve intestinal gas.
The first meal that I eat after doing this (which, I will admit has sometimes been lunch at 1 pm) I like to have some leafy greens, garlic and some protein.  One of my favorite things is to sautee some swiss chard or kale with garlic in some olive oil and have some eggs whites with that.
Whole food eating is a good way to follow up after a detox.  More fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.  Less meat, dairy and eggs.  Cut the bleached flour, refined sugar and oil.