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With the recent uptick in interest in water fasts, i thought i would share an alternative method that detoxifies the body and flushes the system while keeping the body from going into starvation mode, which can really mess up one's metabolism, among other things. Often, if you are fasting for the first time, or eat a western diet between fasts, a plain water fast can be quite a shock to your body, the sudden change can make your body react negatively, often counteracting the beneficial effects of your body. If you are doing a fast to clean your body, not lose weight, you may wish to consider using this method as opposed to going from eating processed food and refined sugars and who knows what else to...nothing. i post my personal detoxifying fasting practice in hopes that a few may find inspiration for their own gentler, efficient body cleanse practice.

Preparation:

If this is your first fast, or your regular intake includes refined sugars, added sodium, preservatives, or loads of red meat, you may find a bit of preparation useful. Cut out any caffeine, alcohol, or drug consumption you may indulge in, first. These have a more immediate effect on your body, and are harder to quit. Do that first, then move on to eliminating the other unfriendly input listed above (refined sugars, etc.) This should be accomplished in the two weeks leading up to the start of your fast.

To ease the transition to a fasting state, you may wish during this time to stop eating proper meals. Instead, 'graze' throughout the day on very small portions of fruits, nuts, and veggies (raw is best, but a half cup of brown rice and steamed veggies makes a very satisfying 'meal'.)

Supplies:

Depending on the intended length of your fast, you will need varying amounts of supplies. i usually recommend a 3 day fast for those new to fasting, but most importantly you should listen to your body. Some can go a week or more as if it were nothing, it really does depend on the person. For a week long fast you will need:

• A good quality skin brush, or any soft natural bristle brush. (c'mon, yer not using them on your hair)
• A tongue scraper, or a packet of popsicle sticks.
• Dandelion root (1 oz.)
• Fresh cilantro (4 cups)
• ~ 1 bulb garlic
• Dried cranberries.
• Hemp seed oil (3.5 oz.)
• Green tea (4 oz.)
• 7 lemons
• Filtered water

From motherearthliving.com:

Dandelion: This well-known detox herb helps cleanse the liver by stimulating the production of bile and its flow to the gallbladder, one avenue through which the body naturally removes toxins. Dandelion leaves are also a diuretic. Steep the roots to make dandelion tea, or add the leaves to salads. Learn more about gathering wild dandelions in A Dandelion Celebration .

Green tea: A study reported in a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research found that the catechins found in green tea increased production of a group of important detoxification enzymes that have been shown to protect the body from toxins and cancer-causing chemicals.

Garlic contains sulfur compounds such as allicin that oxidize heavy metals, making them more water-soluble and easier to remove from the body. Garlic has numerous other benefits that can help strengthen your detox system, like strengthening the immune system and controlling free radicals. If eating garlic raw, be sure to cut, crush or bruise the clove to activate its healing properties.

Cilantro binds to heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and aluminum, making it easier to transport them out of the body.

Intake:

Morning:
Steep about .5 oz (1 tbs) of green tea in hot (208*) water for ten minutes. Eat one garlic clove, and drink your tea.

Midday:

Toss a small handful of dried cranberries with the hemp seed oil. (The oil binds toxins to it, making them easier to pass through the system) That's lunch. Nom. Read more about hemp seed oil here: http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=64

Evening:

Steep 1/4 cup cilantro and 1 tsp dandelion root. Add the juice of one lemon. The hot drink will trick your body into feeling a little more full, making falling asleep MUCH easier.

Throughout the day, be sure to drink plenty of filtered water. (SIP, don't chug!) This will help flush your system and keep hunger pangs at bay.

Cleansing:

A day or three into your fast, you'll notice this icky yellowish white goop on your tongue. It's gross, but it also means your fast is working. Scraping your tongue thrice daily will get the nasty out of your mouth and keep your breath from smelling too badly.

Exercise, but don't overdo it. The motion will bring the toxins to the surface, but remember that you're in a low-fuel state. Be gentle with yourself.

Dry skin brushing before bathing will help bring the toxins out through your skin, slough off dead tissue, and exfoliate. Use small circular motions or long sweeping strokes, moving away from your heart, toward the end of your limbs, starting at the top and moving downward. Brush firmly on areas such as the top of your chest and bottoms of your feet, and more softly in places like your face and thighs.

Bathe daily, if your skin won't revolt. The toxins leaving can make quite the odor, so frequent washing will not only keep you smelling nice, but will also help the impurities leech through your skin.

Aftermath:

Since your body has not become slightly accustomed to low intake, it's best to break your fast slowly. Choose raw or lightly steamed vegetables with low acidity, and eat a very small amount, to start. Slowly add a clean carbohydrate, like brown rice, once your body can handle food again. NEVER end a fast with a bacon egg and cheese sammich. You won't be dying, but you'll wish you had.

If you've done well with a partial fast like the one outlined above, and your energy levels haven't plummeted, you may consider tacking on a couple days of water only fasting. This will help complete the flushing of your system, and will eliminate any lingering remnants, leaving you all tabula rasa, and whatnot.

DON'T put those icky things like refined sugars, preservatives, etc. back into your body after you've spent this time clearing their remnants out. Keep a clean diet and your body will thank you.

Remember, this is the only body you get this time around, so be kind to it!!!!

i hope reading this has been an informative experience. Whatever fasting method you use, i wish you luck, health, and happiness in your efforts toward a cleaner body.

Hey guys! dread wraps im really into right now.trying to keep thin .. but i like to use hemp... any ideas

videos would be great!

thanks

luv gabby

How can the back of my head have dreads that have shrunk to 1/2 their original length and other parts if my hair that are doing nothing? It's Wierd that from the front my hair looks like regular straight hair. But the back is going nuts, which us awesome! I have loops and rock hard dreads back there. I know there isn't a rhyme or reason, it just seems like it would be a bit more uniform.

As the title suggests, I am attempting a 5 day water fast. I know that 5 days is not long enough to clear my body of all the toxins which will have accumulated, but it should clear some of them at least.I'm not sure how I will feel, but I'm hoping to make it through the full 5 days. If I feel ok by then, I will continue to day 10.. But this is not set in stone as it is my first attempt, with minimal mental or nutritionalpreparation.

I started at 12am on the 30th Dec. Also, I will try to update daily.

Anyway... With me luck.

DAY 1

@ 5 hours- OK, this is premature, but I thought I'd report that I'm already hungry. Some mild heart burn too, which I don't usually get. This is odd, since I often go without food for longer than this.

I'm very irritated because i have to separate everyday, because the tips of my sections and dreads are so curl and them start knotting on others distant sections curled tips...

1/3 of the time i separate my hair, i broke some hair, and undo some of the progress... There's no other way [i've seen the separating tutorial here], and this is just f*cking annoying... now i have more and more frizz and more loosened sections...

and i have to separate, because i don't want big congos on my head, nor a monodread

don't really know what to do... it usually happens on the back of my head, and i can't put beads on my dreads because of the weird shaped loops, and because the problem are on the curled tips...

I know it is slowing the proccess a bit, should i only embrace this, keep separating and wait for more tightness of the sections and dreads until they stop doing this?

Here are some pictures of the back of my head... My hair is LONGER there, there are sections who are 7 inches, but are too curled...

I am almost two months in and I am wondering why when I wear my wool hat my hair gets so dry and if it is safe to oil it daily if its dry like this ... Also the tangles feel tighter when dry then when they have been oiled

My Dreadlocks

My dreadlocks are my declaration of independence
A departure from everything that is commercial
A departure from everything deemed acceptable

My dreadlocks are not an indicator of laziness
But an indicator of freedom, self-expression
But an indicator of the tangles in my soul, my fire

My dreadlocks are not a hint at a drug addiction
But an addiction to the power of my own mind
But an addiction to a freedom most don't have

My dreadlocks are not an act of violence
But an act of life and accepting my mistakes
But an act of taking responsibility for myself

My dreadlocks are not things of filth
But things of beauty, of a meaning beyond
But things of rope, a ladder into my head

My dreadlocks are not just another political statement
But another way of looking at the people around me
But another way of becoming more accepting of difference

My dreadlocks are not a disguise for my face
But a disguise for all the things commercial America finds dangerous
But a disguise for all the dreams and ideals that they haven't yet crushed

My dreadlocks are never to be my hangman's noose
But to be my banner, a proud dancing lash of knots
But to be my reminder, of family and friends, all knotted together

My dreadlocks will never be the anorexic slick sheets
My face will never be plasticine perfect
My body will never be that dangerous model thinness

And because they can't control what I do to my head or what I put in it
They are mine, I am free

*I just found this wonderful poem in via internet, I did not make it. I posted this because I really love every bits and pieces that it states. Hope yall love this too :D*

I have had my children for just over a month... Ok a month and 3 days to be 100% exact.

In my country white people especially girls with dreads is not very common, especially in my area.

What is beautiful is that since I've had my babies, most (MOST) people have been so wonderful and complimentary about my babies. They say it looks better, exotic, beautiful and different... I must say I ampleasantly surprised and elated.

I LOVE them so so much and I'm so glad for my journey to start.

I feel more at peace and for the first time ever I am happy with my appearance. This site showed me the way as I did lots of research and I am SO grateful.

LOVE the Children and spread their beauty

In high school I had two sets of dreadlocks. My first set was backcombed I had them for One and a half years and my second set was all natural for two years. I havent had dreadlocks since February 26, 2006 and I have been thinking of doing my third set of dreadlocks since June 12, 2012 after my third miscarriage because of PCOS in which I didnt know I had until I found out that I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on October 15-16, 2012. One of the systems with PCOS is hair loss this is where I was shocked and the only thing I thought of was doing another set of dreadlocks. I was not sure how my husband would think of me doing them in the first place, but it is my hair. This is why it took me so long to decide to do my last set of dreads. I know that my husband loves me for the person I am and if he really truly loves the person I am he will love me with dreadlocks as well. Now, before I was diagnosed with PCOS my mood-swings had gone downhill meaning a lot of out of no-where crying, arguments, happiness, sadness etc. you name it I went through it. I have been on an all-natural herb called Vitex known as Chaste berry since October 29, 2012 because I did not want to be on any medications and my doctor recommended the herb because its a natural hormone balancer and the PCOS is unbalancing my hormones. Anyways, since Im losing more hair each day than normal because of the PCOS its a perfect was of dreading my hair one last time and the more hair I lose the quicker it will most likely to lock than it normally will. Since I have started my third dread journey my husband has noticed a big change in my moods and my happiness along with the Vitex Ive been taking. I have been more myself so much more loving and caring than I felt in a long time. My spirit has lifted me up in a whole different way with this dread journey. When my family and I enter into the year 2013 I know its going to have a bigger and better future for my husband and son including my dreadlocks upon my head. Im also looking forward in my sophomore year in college going for my BA majoring Criminal Justice with my dreadlocks and how most of my friends will react to the new me and my dreadlocks when I return back to school in January 2013. If you made it this far Thank you for reading on why I started my Third journey of Dreadlocks.

this is a spiritual practice used to ease the mind and soul

to start out, i urge u to try it and in practice with meditation i will mention in another blog

to start imagine with eyes closed sitting or lying down,

a long cord a few feet long, like a rope

then imagine u are holding it

bring fourth into ur mind/thoughts of the obstacle or negative energy, or person bringing u down

once thought of ur chosen topic, imagine it connected to u with that cord and the issues at hand caused by this or in directly effecting u negatively by it

then acknowledge ur need to dis connect and release this topic or energy or person from u

in a positive way

u will imagine letting go of the cord ,,,,ur cord,hovering in front of u u will cut the cord

symbolizing ur release, no strings attached dis connect feeling from it

leaving u feeling less stress, tension, allows for relaxation to set in and personal/spiritual accomplishment, gives u an way/method in which to cope/deal with things very real in ur life in a personally productive calming way.

for example persons battling everyday life or as extreme as addiction, isolation, anger issues, traits u posses or bad habits u want to overcome. can be used in many ways an forms feel free to modify to ur liking and personal needs as u go, keep it simple, short, meaningful. and u will do great have faith in urself and tht if u believe this will work than it simply will,

wishing everyone all the best please let me kno ur thoughts of this and if tryied it how and if this worked for u ur stories