Watermelon!!!!

Hey! So today is day four of my raw juice fast. I'm thinking about extending it one more day so that I will fast for 7 days total. But we'll see.

So last time I commented on how I found it surprising that I did not feel hungry as much as I thought I would. When researching detox symptoms, I found the following info by Ron Langerquist. I love this:

"Most are surprised by the disappearance of hunger once the border is crossed into fasting’s land of silence. After a day or two, hunger’s voice will be rare indeed. Craving can continue on for some days longer, and then at last stillness, leaving the deep groans of the soul. Once the body quiets, the richer connection with our spiritual hunger can be felt. There is nothing like it! Wonderful freedom comes when flesh is forced into silence, sharpening perception of the greatest sound of all; God’s still small voice."

I also mentioned last time that I would write about the healing benefits of watermelon. I below are some directs excerpts from a couple websites. I did not do the research on this topic, the folks who wrote these things did, and I'm just going to go ahead and believe them for now. :) The first three paragraphs below were written by on person, and the last two were by another person.

"Watermelon contains a chemical called cucurbocitrin. Cucurbocitrin increases permeability of the capillaries (the small blood vessels in the kidneys). This allows more water to get into the urine. So people who retain water find that eating watermelon has a tendency to heal them of body edema from excess fluid.

"What else is watermelon good for? It is a natural diuretic. It can wash a lot of poisons and toxic debris out of the bladder. It has been suggested that watermelon be eaten between meals and not with meals when using it to heal in this manner.

"The Agricultural Research Service tested 13 varieties of watermelon. They found that watermelon contains more lycopene than tomatoes. The red seedless watermelons were highest in lycopene." by Bobby Tall Horse

"Specifically, pink watermelon is a rich source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene, which, according to the USDA research, protects against cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer (most notably prostate with some studies showing protective properties against breast, endometrium and lung cancers as well). Studies have shown that a cup and a half of watermelon contains about 9 to 13 milligrams of lycopene.

"High intakes of vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occurs in asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A cup of watermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and, through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A.
Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A. It is also rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production such as B6 B1, magnesium, thiamin and potassium." Posted by Jessica Silver, MAOM, L.Ac.

So I have a few main reasons for starting my day off with watermelon juice while on this fast. One is how it is said to wash toxins out of the bladder. While on a cleansing fast, toxins are being released by the body, and I'm assuming this may build up while I'm sleeping (but I'm not positive), so it makes sense to drink a flushing drink in the morning. I also like the idea if watermelon being "rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production.." Since all I'm having is juice, I feel like I can use all the energy I can get. Oh, and there's one more reason: it's just so yummy in the morning!

One thing I noticed is that today is actually the first day I've shown any signs of detox. Some people experience headaches, backaches, skin irritation, bad breath, weakness, muscle tightness, nausea, and a whole list of different things. Today I was very, very sleepy. I was also having a weird muscle spasm, as well as some low back ache. And I've been very irritable. Another thing I've noticed is that since starting the fast, I am cold much more often than usual. People often eat a lot more than usual during the winter I think to help warm themselves. This might be why I'm cold a lot on this fast. I've been loving our wood stove the past few days! I sat so close to it last night and for so long that my face was rosy red. :)

After all that talk about watermelon, I did not have any today. :( But I bought some more, so I'll have it tomorrow. Here is the list of juices I had today:

Grapefruit/Orange

Spinach, romaine lettuce, carrot

Green lemonade: romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, celery, apple, lemon, ginger

I ended up making bigger batches of juice, so I only had three different juices today. The plan was to have the water from a fresh coconut, but the day is coming to an end, and I just don't feel I need that. I will have it tomorrow.

The spinach, romaine, and carrot juice was one I had to try because a well known raw food expert said it tastes just like chocolate milk. I was thinking, there is no way this will taste like chocolate milk. And I wish I could tell you it did, but it did not. I'm sure this woman has long forgotten what chocolate milk actually tastes like, but hey, if she's getting that taste from these veggies, more power mama! I do know that the more raw foods you eat, the more you start to appreciate and crave them. Eventually raw foodists get to the point where they honestly feel that nothing tastes better than fresh, raw, organic fruits and vegetable. At my stage in the game, I can't see myself ever getting there, but as much raw food experience I have, I can definitely understand how people can get to this point.

And on and on I go again. Are these posts getting longer? Anyway, if you made it this far, I thank you. The fire is calling me......

xoxo~Stephanie