Re-Feeding--Days 1 and 2

Saint Angela Merici of Lombardy, Italy

Yesterday (January 27) was the Feast Day of Saint Angela Merici according to the Catholic calendar. She was born in 1474 and died in 1540 at the age of 66. At the age of ten, she was orphaned and sent to live with her uncle who provided her with a loving and religiously devout home. In her teens, she became a tertiary of Saint Francis. Her uncle died when she was twenty and so she returned to her paternal home.

Saint Angela was appalled by the lack of religious education available to young girls and she felt called to address this need. She converted her home into a school of religious instruction and invited all of the young girls of her community to come and learn the basic teachings of Christ. In 1535, she started the order of Ursulines with twelve unmarried young women. Once the community received episcopal approbation, the movement was taken up with great enthusiasm and quickly spread throughout Italy, Germany, and France. It was the first teaching order of women established in the Church, and to the present date has adhered strictly to the work of its original mission.

Saint Angela's "Rule" for her community was recently rediscovered after being lost for almost 400 years.

Mary-Cabrini Durkin dialogues with Saint Angela in her new book Angela Merici's Journey of the Heart. Each section combines explanation of and reflection on the Rule. Durkin states, "Angela speaks often about the heart...the vessel of love. The love she talks of is her own experience, and ours, of Jesus as the One who reaches into the heart's core. He sees our truth. He touches it lovingly with the touch of God, and we become more alive."

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Day 1 (January 27): My weight was 89.6, my blood pressure was 103/76, my pulse was 80, and my temperature was 97.7. I woke up hungry this morning!!! Yippy...Yaaaaaa...Yahooo... I didn't wait for the doctor to come and check on me this morning before ording a celery juice from the kitchen and I was already drinking it by the time he got to me. My blood work came back this morning and simple confirmed what I already knew: my body had completed whatever it needed to do for this fast. My liver enzymes were both back in the normal range. It is so gratifying to be able to see the body's signals supported by the laboratory tests. Dr. Klapper is very pleased and had a big smile on his face. I drank a total of four 16 ounce celery juices over the course of the day. It took about an hour to drink each one, taken in small sips and held in my mouth for a while to mix it with saliva. I also ate quite a few steamed vegies, including zucchini, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, English peas. I found the peas to be so sweet that it was almost too much. The zucchini tastes really sweet to me also. I also had some raw lettuce and cherry tomatoes in the evening. I ate about every 2 hours, with juices in between. I was hungry pretty much all day. I ate no fruit because it did not call out to me and I did not want to put any sugar into my body right now. I had the kitchen bring me raw vegies and I steam them in my apartment when I want them. They let the patients self regulate their food intake here (with suggested guidelines), and they were a bit concerned with how much food I was eating. But I always waited to eat until I got hungry before I ate again. I remember reading in Dr. Jack Goldstein's book Triumph Over Disease that he was so hungry after his 6 week fast that Dr. Gross could not keep enough food in the house for him and was always sending someone out to get more. I felt good all day.

Day 2 (January 28): My weight was 92.4 (a gain of almost 3 lbs!), my blood pressure was 90/60, my pulse was 76, my temperature was 97.6. I had five 16 ounce celery juices over the course of the day. I ate quite a few steamed vegies, including green beans, zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower. I ate raw lettuce and cherry tomatoes 3 different times. Again, I ate about every two hours, with juice in between. I had my first bowel movement this morning and it was completely effortless; it seemed as if all the vegies I ate yesterday just fell right out of me. I had two more bowel movements later in the day. I was surprised that they did not smell especially bad. I felt good all day.

Now that I have some energy, I have started to go through the large selection of DVD's they offer in their lending library here. Today, I watched two outstanding documentaries by Mike Anderson. The first is called Eating and the second is called Healing Cancer from the Inside Out. Eating discusses the health and environmental problems created by eating a diet centered around animal products and then presents the overwhelming evidence about the health and environment benefits of eating a plant-based diet. Healing Cancer from the Inside Out discusses the politics of Big Money that supports the Cancer Industry and the Animal Production Industry and then presents the overwhelming evidence about the complete ineffectiveness of conventional cancer treatments and the incredible healing success that many cancer patients experience after adopting a plant-based diet. I plan to by multiple copies of both of these documentaries to loan out to all my friends. If you are interested in learning more, go to Mike Anderson's website: Rave Diet.

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Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives it's ease
And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair.

William Blake, English Poet (1757-1827)

Fasting--Days 23, 24, and 25

Saint Paula the Venerable of Rome

Today (January 26) is the Feast Day of Saint Paula on the Orthodox calendar. She lived from 347 to 404 and was one of the early Desert Mothers. She was born into one of the wealthiest senatorial families of the time, married well, and gave birth to five children. When she 32 years old her husband suddenly died, leaving her widowed. This caused her reexamine her life and she gradually became more and more devoted to Christ.

Saint Paula eventually made the decision to go into the desert to live a monastic life. She took with her a large group of unmarried woman and another large group of widows like herself. Paula found founded two separate convents in order to accommodate the needs of the different women. Although the two groups lived separately, they worshiped together and chanted the entire Book of Psalms every single day which all of the sisters had to know by heart. Additionally, each sister was required to chose a passage from the the Holy Scriptures to memorize and meditate upon throughout the day. (You may recall from an earlier post that this is what Eknath Easwaran teaches people to do in his book Passage Meditation.) Saint Paula herself was said to have become so familiar with the Holy Scriptures that she could respond to almost any situation with a perfectly appropriate passage.

Saint Jerome says that she was the living image of all the virtues, assiduous in prayer, eager at work, disciplined in fasting. She was lavish only in alms giving and in her love for the poor. Every earthly blessing that came her way she immediately distributed to those in need, as she could not bear to send anyone away hungry or in rags. When she was lying on her death bed after a long illness, her face suddenly lit up as she heard Christ speak to her, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone" (Song of Songs 2:10-11). And she relied to Him, "The time of harvest has come. I shall truly see the good things of the Lord in the Land of the Living." At that moment, she gave up her soul into the hands of her Creator.

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Day 23 (January 24): My weight was 91.4, my blood pressure was 96/68, my pulse was 96 (high), my temperature was 98.2. Dr. Linzner, who is the one that mostly checks me every morning, feels the high pulse is indicative of detoxification. He said he has seen the pulse go up to 110 and stay there for days on some some people. My urine test showed that "specific gravity" was good, which means that I am consuming enough water. My urine is still quite dark. Only slept 1.5 hour, bad night. Moderate lower GI gas, no bowel activity. Drank 3 quarts of water.

Day 24 (January 25): My weight was 90.6, my blood pressure was 94/66, my pulse was 76, and my temperature was 98.1. I enjoyed a wonderful 6 hours of sleep last night. What a blessed gift! My urine does not seem to be quite so dark today. All the doctors are impressed with how strong I am, and with how well I seem to be holding up. Dr. Linzner told me that he is worthless on a fast after about 3 days and just cannot believe how great I'm doing. High level of lower GI gas (extremely annoying!), no bowel activity. I am feeling quite good overall. My acupuncturist came to give me a treatment again today. He said my eyes and my complexion look so much better than they did when he saw me on Friday. Drank 3 quarts of water.

Day 25 (January 26): My weight was 90.2, my blood pressure was 94/66, my pulse was 68, and my temperature was 98.1. Slept 4 hours. My mouth is starting to feel cleaner, and the water is starting to taste better again. Had blood drawn today and will get results tomorrow morning. High levels of lower GI gas (really the most troublesome symptom I am having), no bowel activity. I felt very good overall again today. Drank 3 quarts of water.

Many of you have been asking me for information on how to prevent ourselves from becoming infected with parasites. Here is an article on Parasite Prevention by Dr. Glenn Wilcox. I must say that after reading it, I came to the conclusion that it might be easier to just do periodic parasite cleanses or other types of treatments than to follow all of the hygienic recommendations outlined in this article. But you can read it and decide for yourself.

I have added several new informational Pages to my blog:

WHY DO A WATER FAST?

FASTING TESTIMONIALS 

The links are in the column to right of my posts under "My Pages.".

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If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Fasting--Days 20, 21, and 22

 I just received Doreen Virtue's newest book Angel Words: Visual Evidence of How Words Can Be Angels in Your Life in the mail ,and I am loving it. Similar to the work that Masaru Emoto did with water, showing that positive words created different crystalline structures and colors in the water molecules than negative words, Virtue has discovered that positive words create very different energy graphs on her computer than negative words. While positive words create loose expansive patterns, negative words create tight contractive patterns.

Studies have shown that the use of negative words during major surgery increases the need for pain medication post-operatively. It has also been shown, through the use of magnetic resonance tomography, that pain related words activate the pain centers in the brain. This knowledge can be used to our advantage by deliberately choosing to focus on positive words.Virtue offers many wonderful anecdotes of people who have done just that and experienced incredible transformations in their lives. Here are a few:

Carolyn: She owned a metaphysical store in Nova Scotia for five years prior to learning about the power of Angel Words. When people asked her how her business was going, she would reply, "I'll never be rich, but it pays the bills." And that is exactly the way it stayed for her. But once she realized that her words might be contributing to the store's static financial situation, she changed the way she responded when people asked her how business was going. Her new answer was, "Fantastic! This place is a goldmine!" Within one year of beginning this new approach, her business sales had increased by 40 percent.

Jessica: She had spent most of her life struggling to make ends meet, going from one job to another and finding it impossible to complete her college education. At the age of 36, she was still living at home with her mother. Then she began to study meditation and found herself very attracted to the Angel Word benevolent and decided to use that word as her mantra, and she focus on seeing benevolence in everyone around her. This one simple practice completely changed her life. She now has good job that provides her the flexibility she needs to finally complete her college degree which will allow her to pursue a career that she is truly passionate about.

Esther: When she was growing up, her father continually used the statement, "Life is not a bowl of cherries." So, naturally, when Esther became an adult to found herself continually using this statement as well. And her life certainly was not a bowl of cherries. Then she was introduced to the practice of using positive affirmations and decided that turn about was fair play. She began using the statement, "Life is a bowl of cherries!" Within a very short period of time, her life completely turned around. She has a wonderful partner, a beautiful home, and she owns her own business.

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Day 20 (January 21): My weight was 92.6, my blood pressure was 100/70, my pulse was 80, and my temperature was 98.1. I am starting to really feel the fast. Need to spend more time flat out in bed. It is harder to sit up for any length of time. Only slept 3 hours last night. Moderate lower GI gas, no bowel activity. I took a long Epsom salt bath and when I got out of tub and sat down on a towel on the floor I involuntarily expelled a big blob of thick, gelatinous, yellow mucous (about 3 tablespoons worth) from my vagina/uterus. Acupunture treatment today. The color was dark enough to stain the towel. Drank 3 quarts of water. Urine is quite dark.

Day 21 (January 22):  My weight was 92.4, my blood pressure was 90/60, my pulse was 76, and my temperature was 98. Slept 4 hours. I woke up very nauseated and stayed that way until around noon. Starting to get some muscle tightness. Mouth has felt very, very acid today. Moderate lower GI gas, no bowel activity. Drank 3 quarts of water. Have moment of intense thirst, but also find it difficult to drink water. Urine is quite dark.

Day 22 (January 23):  My weight was 92, my blood pressure was 90/64, my pulse was 84, and my temperature was 98.1. Slept 4 hours. Very weak and tired today. Getting some light-headedness when I stand, so have to be more careful. Moderate lower GI gas, no bowel activity. Drank 3 quarts of water. Mouth again feels quite acid. Have moments of intense thirst, but also find it difficult to drink water. Urine quite dark with a strange reddish tinge (kind of like when you eat beets). Urine gets check in the morning, so we will see what they have to say about it. Had my third B-12 shot today. While food looks and smells good, I have absolutely no hunger.

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Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Fasting--Days 17, 18, and 19

Saint Raphael, the Archangel of Divine Healing

I have recently discovered the work of Doreen Virtue, a Ph.D psychologist who has turned to Angels for help in healing her clients. After many years of working with people who were struggling with addiction and other serious issues, Virtue has found that calling on the Angels for help has been far more effective than most of what she learned in her professional training. Virtue saw Angels as a child but lost this ability during her teenage years. Many years later, after a traumatic experience, her ability to see Angels once again returned to her. She now devotes her time to teaching others about Angels and how to connect and communicate with them, having written over 20 books on the subject. I am currently reading her book The Healing Miracles of Archangel Raphael which is so inspiring. It contains one story after another about individuals who were healed of various long or short term illnesses by praying to Archangel Raphael for help.

Archangel Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit (in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles). A man named Tobit is blind and in such despair over his situation that he wants to die. Another woman named Sarah has been married 7 times and each of her husbands have died on their wedding night. Sarah is so distraught over the situation that she, too, wants to die. Tobit has a son named Tobias who must take a journey to collect money that is owed to his father, and Archangel Raphael appears as a human guide. On the journey, they meet Sarah and Archangel Raphael performs a healing on Sarah to free her of the negative influences that are causing her husbands to die. Once this is accomplished, Tobias and Sarah fall in love and marry. After collecting the money, they all return to Tobit. Raphael then performs a healing process on Tobit which heals his blindness and everyone lives happily ever after...This is the story that gives Archangel Raphael his healing reputation.

Here are a few of the healing stories mentioned in Doreen Virtue's book:

Lena: She had an excruciatingly sore throat for five days and trying to swallow water was agonizing. She could not sleep. Finally, in complete desperation, she got down on her knees at 3:00 AM and begged Archangel Raphael to please heal her. She then lay down was able to go to sleep. When she awoke in the morning, her throat was completely healed.

Lisa: She had suffered from severe menstrual pain for 20 years. She had to take 4 pain pills every 2 hours, but even this did not take away the pain completely. One night while lying in bed, she prayed to Archangel Raphael to heal her. In the silence that followed, she heard a voice instruct her to soak in a warm bath and place her hands on her abdomen while calling upon Archangel Raphael. When she did this, her hands became intensely hot as if Archangel Raphael was sending his healing energy through her hands into her abdomen. Her pain vanished. She was again instructed to do this 2 days prior to her period every month, which she does, and has never again experienced any menstrual pain.

Sandy: She had a cerebral hemorrhage which caused her to have a continual migraine headache for over two years. None of the pain clinics or medications were able to provide her with any relief. She heard about the healing powers of Archangel Raphael and decided to pray to him for help. After doing so, she went outside for some fresh air and after walking for about 15 minutes she noticed something was different but could quite place it, and then she realized that she no longer had a headache. The headache has never returned.

There are many, many more stories like these. I highly recommend the book for those who are interested in the spiritual aspects of healing. Interestingly, Doreen Virtue has gradual moved to raw food diet over the past several years.

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Day 17 (January 18): My weight was 95, my blood pressure was 98/72, my pulse was 68, and my temperature was 98.2. I only slept 3 hours last night. My pulse was calmer this morning after having my acupuncturist give me a treatment last night. I am at the point in my fast where I have to lay down pretty much all the time, but other that that I am feeling pretty good. Still have moderate lower GI gas, but not bowel activity. Drank 3 quarts of water.

Day 18 (January 19): My weight was 93.8, my blood pressure was 111/70, my pulse was 89, and my temperature was 97.8. Slept 5 hours. The quality of my pulse was described as rapid, bounding, and full. Dr. Klaper gets concerned when it it rapid, bounding, and thin. So I am still doing okay. I notice that right after I wake up in the morning, or after a nap in the afternoon, my pulse seems to be more rapid and it takes about an hour for it to calm down. I am not sure why that is. Overall, I felt really good again today. Moderate GI gas, no bowel activity. Drank 3 quarts of water.

Day 19 (January 20): My weight was 93, my blood pressure was 96/68, my pulse was 80, and my temperature was 97.8. The doctors are impressed with how strong I am and tell me that I am absolutely amazing. Still felt very good today. Moderate GI gas, no bowel activity. Drank 3 quarts of water.

Parasite Update: The radionics pratitioner I am using had a family emergency and was unable to start treating me until last night. In his diagnostic overview, he found all of the parasites that Dr. Hammed Ibraheem found, but he also found two additional ones that Dr. Ibraheem did not find. He also found a high level of inflammation in my gastrointestinal system and said that the parasites were really well embedded in me. I am sort of glad he was not able to start on me right away because that gave some time to see if 18 days of fasting would make much difference in the parasite infect and resultant inflammation, and apparently it did not which is very good information for others who may be wishing to fast in order to get rid of parasites. It is probably best to eradicate the parasites some other way first and then do a fast to heal the gastrointestinal tract.

Blood Work: I got the results of my second blood test back today and my liver enzymes are much more elevated. The doctors said that my body is doing some heavy duty work. AST(SGOT) is 73 on a scale of 0-40 and  the ALT(SGPT) is 58 on a scale of 0-50. My MCH is still high which indicates that I am still deficient in B-12. So far I have had 2 B-12 shots (10,000 mcg each).

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Love makes everything that is heavy light.

Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471)

Fasting--Days 15 and 16

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I have decided to post some of my favorite quotes by him. He is a lighthouse of spiritual wisdom, and is one of the best examples of someone who has carried out the words we read in the Epistle of James (2:17), "What does it profit...if someone says he has faith but does not have works?...faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of great faith and great works.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.

Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.

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Day 15 (January 16): My weight was 96, my blood pressure was 94/62, my pulse was 68, and my temp was 97.8. Slept five hours, drank 3 quarts of water, took a B-12 shot. Still felt pretty good over all. I did have an outbreak of a dermatitis herpetiformis lesion on my elbow. This is a skin manifestation of celiac or gluten intolerance. I had these lesions for 8 years from 1988 to 1996 before I discovered that gluten was the cause. I have not had any gluten since 1996. The fact that this is re-manifesting would seem to indicate that my body is going after deeper level toxins and pulling them out into circulation for elimination.

Day 16 (January 17): My weight was 95, my blood pressure was 88/65, my pulse was 68, and my temperature was 98. I slept for 6 hours, drank 3 quarts of water, felt very weak for much of the day. very hypotensive and finding it difficult to sit up for any length of time without becoming nauseated. Dr. Klaper is taking note of the "quality" of my pulse which apparently is stronger or more forceful than it was. This is something that they use as a sign that it may be time to terminate the fast. He thinks I can still go a few more days. I sincerely hope that I am able to go longer than that, as I feel that I am just now starting to get to the deeper stuff and I do not feel that there has been sufficient time to allow for a deep level healing. But maybe I will be one of those people who will have to do a number of 3 week fasts in order to accomplish what one longer one would have done. We will see. My acupuncturist came to treat me later in the evening and he said my water element was way low and that I really need the treatment, so it will be interesting to see if the quality of my pulse feels different to the doctor tomorrow.

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I believe in person to person. Every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Fasting--Day 13 and 14

I spent the day reading an inspiring book by Cheryl Russell titled THANKYOUOLOGY: How the Art of Saying Thank You Transforms your Life! Cheryl was raised in the Unity Church and has practiced a life of positively affirming what is Good and True. But in recent years, she has paid special attention to being thankful for everything in her life. She describes how the deliberate act of taking time to say thank you to your body, your friends and family, your co-workers and bosses, the people who inspire you, and of course God can facilitate a more rewarding life experience. She shares a wonderful personal story about a time when she was given only 60 days to move out of the home she had occupied for 9 years, as the landlords had decided to move into the home themselves. She was devastated and panic stricken, and she was in the middle of a huge fundraising campaign for the non-profit that she worked for at the time. After the initial shock, she managed to gather her wits about her and put her "thank you" practice into action. So, with only 3 weeks left to find a new living situation, she sat down and wrote a thank you letter to God:

Dear God,


Thank you for my new place to live. I love it so much!
1. Thank you for the gorgeous ocean view.
2. Thank you for the peaceful sounds of silence.
3. Thank you for the fresh clean feeling of my home.
4. Thank you that my furniture fits perfectly.
5. Thank you for the birds and gentleness around me.
6. Thank you for the great outdoors for my daily walks.
7. Thank you for the friendly neighborhood.
8. Thank you for the home that feels SO magical!
9. Thank you for the affordable rent.
10. Thank you for a May 7, 2005 move-in date.


With Love and Hugs,
Cheryl

Within 12 days, she had found a new home that met every single request she had made in her letter! In the Gospel of Mark (11:24), Jesus tells us, "whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." By writing a letter to God, and thanking Him in advance for what we want, we are doing a Jesus instructed. And, I suspect there is something especially powerful about writing down our prayer requests.

For people who are struggling health issues, Cheryl recommends making a daily practice of thanking your body, especially the part that is giving you trouble. She uses alliteration to make is fun. Here are some examples:

Thank you stupendous stomach!
Thank you lively liver!
Thank you exquisite eyes!
Thank you glorious gallbladder!
Thank you brilliant brain!
Thank you precious pancreas!
Thank you terrific teeth!
Thank you splendid spleen!
Thank you intelligent intestines!
Thank you clever colon!
Thank you eloquent ears!
Thank you scrumptious skin!

Well, this probably gives you the idea. You can make up your own for any part of your body and repeat it from time to time throughout the day. You may be pleasantly surprised at what a positive effect this practice can have on your total well-being. In Masuro Emoto's work on water, he found that positive words directed at water created completely different crystalline structures and colors than those in water that had negative words directed at them. Since our bodies are made up almost entirely of water, it would make sense that positive words directed toward them would have a profoundly positive effect.

Here is the song Thank You by 33 Miles:



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Day 13 (January 14):  Still feeling good. Slight nausea from time to time, but nothing major. My weight was 97.0, blood pressure was 96/70, pulse was 81, and temperature was 97.9. Experienced some stuffiness in my right sinus for several hours after waking. My roommate says I have color in my face for the first time since she saw me. Still experiencing some gas, but no bowel activity. Drank 3.5 quarts of water. My vitamin D levels are low at 30. Optimum is 50, so I will need to supplement once I come off the fast.

Day 14 (January 15): Still feeling good. Slight nausea from time to time, but nothing major. My weight was 96.4, blood pressure was 90/54, pulse was 80, and temperature was 97.7. The uterine bleeding has finally stopped. Still experiencing some gas, but no bowel activity. Drank 4 quarts of water.

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A good friend sent me this article today and I wanted to share it with everyone:

A Study on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Giardia by Leo Galland

In 1991, my colleagues and I published a study of two hundred patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and demonstrated active Giardia infection in 46 per cent. Most of the patients with giardiasis had only minor gastrointestinal symptoms but were really ill with muscle pain, muscle weakness, flu-like feelings, sweats and enlarged lymph nodes. In fact, 61 per cent of fatigued patients with giardiasis had been diagnosed elsewhere as suffering from chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), compared to only 19 per cent of fatigued patients without giardiasis. Cure of giardiasis resulted in clearing of fatigue and related ‘viral’ symptoms (muscle pain, sweats, flu-like feelings) in 70 per cent of cases, some reduction of fatigue in 18 per cent, and was of no benefit in only 12 per cent.

In 1990 I presented a paper before the American College of Gastroenterology which demonstrated Giardia infection in about half of a group of two hundred patients with chronic diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and bloating. Most of these patients had been told they had irritable bowel syndrome, which is commonly referred to as "nervous stomach". I reached two conclusions from this study: (1) Parasitic infection can be a common event among patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. (2) Many people are given a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome without a thorough evaluation.

My presentation was reported by numerous magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times. My office was flooded with hundreds of phone calls from people who were suffering with chronic gastrointestinal complaints. Most of them had been given a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) by their physicians. The standard treatment for this syndrome had not helped them. All they had received was a label. Many had been told there was no cure. In evaluating these patients, I found that the majority had intestinal parasites, food intolerance or a lack of healthy intestinal bacteria.

These conditions were not mutually exclusive. Many patients had more than one reason for chronic gastrointestinal problems. Treating these abnormalities as they occurred in various patients produced remarkably good therapeutic results. A year later, researchers in the Department of Family Medicine at Baylor University in Houston reported findings similar to mine. Despite the research and the news reports about parasites, I still find that intestinal parasites are a common and often unsuspected cause of mystery illness.


Galland L, “Intestinal Protozoan Infestation and Systemic Illness”, in Textbook of Natural Medicine, 3rd Edition, Volume 2, J. Pizzorno and M. Murray, editors, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, St. Louis, 2005, pp. 655-660.

Galland L. “The Effect of Systemic Microbes on Intestinal Immunity” Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) R. Jenkins and J. Mowbray, editors. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. London. 1991. pp 405-430.

Galland, L., Lee M., Bueno H. and Heimowitz C. (1990) “Giardia lamblia infection as a cause of chronic fatigue.” Journal of Nutritional Medicine, 2, 27-32.

Galland, L. (1989) “Intestinal protozoan infection is a common unsuspected cause of chronic illness.” Journal of Advancement in Medicine, 2, 529-552.

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If the only prayer you said in your whole life was "Thank You" that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart (1260-1327), German Theologian, Philosopher, and Mystic

Fasting--Days 11 and 12

May Rowland, a Leading Light of the Unity Movement

I was unable to find a saint for today that captured my heart, so I've decided to introduce you to a very remarkable woman named May Rowland. May was the director of Silent Unity from 1916 to 1971, serving this ministry for 55 years! Silent Unity, the Heart of the Unity Movement is the original and oldest  ministry dedicated to answering prayer requests from anyone and everyone around the globe. Today, they receive more that 1.5 million prayer requests each year through email, snail mail, and 24/7 telephone hotline. You can call them at 1-800-NOW-PRAY. All Unity prayers are positive in nature and seek to affirm Goodness and Truth. The words that will be prayed for you by the representative who answers the phone will be comprised of many Affirmations tailored to your specific need. The prayers of Silent Unity have a way of leaving one feeling more peaceful inside. You don't need to be a member of the Unity Movement to request prayer from them. They give freely to all. All prayer requests are taken to the Tower of Light for 30 days where someone holds silent prayer for all the prayer requests currently there 24/7. This ministry has remained unbroken for over 100 years.  Here is a picture of Silent Unity's Tower of Light:

May Rowland was largely responsible for the organization and success of this unique ministry. May wrote a wonderful little book titled Dare to Believe, and I would like to share an excerpt from it that is representative of the "Practical Christianity" that is taught by Unity.

Sometimes we feel we could live more harmoniously, with less confusion and disorder in our lives, if could change our environment. However, changing one's environment is not the solution to the problem, though it may be a temporary help.

In the study of Truth, we recognize that our environment is an outpicturing of our states of mind. Naturally we carry our states of mind with us wherever we go, and in entirely different surroundings we would still have the same type of problem to meet that we have now.

In order to change conditions in our environment, we must change our own consciousness. We start to change conditions by overcoming the state of mind that binds or limits us. Then we cultivate the harmony and peace and love we desire.

States of mind are not altered by changes in circumstances and surroundings, but circumstances and conditions are altered by changes in our states of mind.

The solution to man's every problem is in man's own consciousness. When we learn to tune in to universal harmony through daily prayer, we find new joy in living. Our body responds with health, our mind is at peace, and our affairs are in order.

Knowing the importance of keeping our lives in tune, let us be joyous, let us be happy and enthusiastic about the good things in life. Let us put into action the joyous life and energy within us by talking and thinking about the good things. Let us give thanks to God for the blessings that we daily receive. Let us bless with our love and good will the persons with whom we are associated; let us find joy in loving service.

Let us enter into the joyous, harmonious state of mind that will make us healthy, keep us healthy, and fill our lives with peace and happiness.

If you want more information on the history and teachings of Unity, please read the article What is Unity?

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Day 11 (January 12): I had a break though today. My nausea has been reduced by about 80% and so has the gas. I feel so much better, both cleaner and clearer. My weight was 99.0, my blood pressure was 87/68, my pulse was 81, and my temperature was 98.3. Slept from 3 AM to 7 AM (four hours total). Took my first B-12 injection. I ordered a special high dose, preservative free form from Wellness Pharmacy in Alabama. It provides 10,000 mcg per cc. I will do injection about once a week. It will be interesting to how long it takes to register on my blood work. My acupuncturist came to give me a treatment in the evening. Drank 2.5 quarts of water. No bowel activity.

Day 12 (January 13): Felt very good again all day. My weight was 97.8, my blood pressure was 90/68, my pulse was 80, and my temperature was 98.0. Slept from 11:30 PM to 1:30 AM and again from 4 AM to 7 AM (five hours total). Not being able to sleep normally is one of the most difficult aspects of fasting for me. I got my first blood work back today and my liver enzymes (AST/SGOT) were elevated at 46 on a scale of 0-40. This is completely normal while fasting. Dr. Nick Tancheff of Hawaiian Fasting Retreats told me that what you look for when fasting is the re-normalization of the blood work as an indication that you have accomplished what you needed to and that is the time to end the fast. If you choose to end the fast before this happens, he feels that you haven't really completed the process. I am still eliminating a small amount of blood from my uterus each day. I did have a bowel movement this morning, which is is the first one I have has since day two. This is completely normal. Everyone is different. Dr. Jack Goldstein, author of Triumph Over Disease (see book carousel above) had many bowel movements every day of his fast because he had ulcerative colitis. But many people only have one or two during their entire fast. The one I had today was a very uncomfortable experience for me and took about 20 minutes to come out. I was very sore afterwards. Several of you asked me about this, so there you have it. Drank 2.5 quarts of water. Everything else is going really well.

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Who has not found Heaven below -
will fail of it above -
God's residence is next to mine -
His furniture is Love.

Emily Dickinson, Mystic Poet (1830-1886)

Fasting--Days 8, 9, and 10

Saint Theodosius the Great (423 AD-529 AD)

Today (January 11) is the Feast Day of Saint Theodosius the Great. From a very early age, St. Theodosius's heart was aflame for God. As a young man he set off for the desert of Palestine and found a cave to live in. He spent the next 30 years there alone in fasting a prayer. His diet consisted of dates, carob beans, raw vegetable-herbs, hearts of palm, and legumes soaked in water (sprouts!), all foraged from the surrounding land. Eventually, the renown of his devotion and the Divine Light that shone in him became known and many disciples began flocking to him for spiritual counsel.

Up until this time, all monastic communities were quite small and consisted of only a handful of brothers or sisters. But St. Theodosius changed all this. There were so many people who wanted to be under his direction that he start what has come to be known as a cenobitic monastery (cenobitic simply means populous), where more than 500 monks came to live under his care.

St. Theodosius was an extremely compassionate man. Within the confines of his monastic community, he established a hostel for the poor and homeless, a hospital for the sick, a hospice for the elderly and dying, and an asylum for the mentally ill. He would cleanse the most repulsive wounds of the lepers himself and tenderly embrace them. Once during a local famine, the hungry would come to the monastery for food and the tables of the dining hall had to be continually replenished all day long. No one knows where the food came from, but the kitchen pantry was always filled with enough to feed everyone.

Many people experienced healing miracles through his prayers during his life time. And once, when the crops in the fields were being destroyed by locusts, his prayers sent the pests away and saved the grain from being destroyed. His prayers were also said to bring rain when needed. Travelers who were lost in the wide desert claimed that he guided them to the monastery and saved them from perishing.

Once when two of his disciples were quarreling bitterly, he threw himself at their feet and refused to get up until they had become reconciled with one another. He was a man of great love, faith, and humility. He lived to the age of 105, and many miracles have been reported by people who have prayed to him for help since his death.

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Day 8 (January 9): I threw up again last night, mostly mucus with a little stomach acid. Not much total, but it provided enough relief to allow me to sleep. Slept from 12 AM to 4 AM and again from 5 AM to 7 AM for a total of 6 hours. My weight was101.4, blood pressure was 96/66, my pulse was 76, and my temperature was 98.1. Still nauseated pretty much all day off anf on. They gave me some plain carbonated "sparkling" water to drink as needed for this and it does seem to help. I only use it if I absolutely have to. I had mild upper and lower GI gas, but no bowel activity. Drank 2.5 quarts of water.

Day 9 (January 10): Slept from 1 AM to 5 AM, for a total of 4 hours. My weight was 100.4, my blood pressure was 106/72, my pulse was 104, and my temperature was 98.0. Again, I was nauseated pretty much all day. It ocillates between a level 3 and a level 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. I did not need to throw up again. I had moderate to high upper and lower GI gas today which made it very difficult for me to go to sleep. No bowel activity. Drank 2.5 quarts of water.

Day 10 (January 11): Slept from 3 AM to 7 AM and again from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM, for a total of 6 hours. Took a nap during the day from 1:30 PM to 3 PM. Stayed in bed all day until around 5 PM at which point I finally started to feel somewhat better (good enough to post a new entry on my blog!). Still mildly nauseated this evening. Dr. Klaper say it will eventually pass. I hope so, because 40 days of this will be like running an ultra-marathon (without training!). My weight was 100.0, my blood pressure was 90/60, my pulse was 88, and my temperature was 98.3. Still have quite a bit of upper and lower GI gas, which is considered to be completely normal and due to bacteria breaking down toxins in the body. No bowel activity. Drank 2.5 quarts of water.

On another subject, which my be of particular interest to woman, I wanted to discuss my menstrual cycle. I started my period on the same day I started my fast (January 2). I have now been bleeding for 10 days. It has not been heavy, but it has been continuous (very light for the past 5 days). The blood is a dark brown-black color and smells like rancid fish. It is really quite disgusting. Since I have been following a very low-fat vegan diet, my period has only been lasting 3 days and the blood is a bright red color. So, what is happening now is very much out of the ordinary for me. Clearly, I am eliminating a lot of junk from my uterus. Kind of scary if you want to know the truth (to think that all this has been stored inside me somewhere!). They tell me this is all completely normal on a water fast as well.

You may have read that when you go on a fast, your tongue develops a thick white coating which is a sign of the intense elimination taking place in your body. I thought I would share my tongue with you, so you can see exactly what this looks like. I brush it every day, but every day it comes back. It makes the water taste kind of bad. (I don't mean to gross everyone out; i'm just trying to accurately document my experience.) One of the signs that your fast has completed its task is that this coating clears up by itself (but this usually requires a fair long fast).

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You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving.

--Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), author of Introduction to the Devout Life

Fasting--Day 7

Saint Agathon of Egypt, one of the early Desert Fathers

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Agathon on the Greek Orthodox calendar. He lived in the 4th Century after Christ. In 364, he went into the desert of Egypt to live his life as a hermit monk. But he quickly became renown for his spiritual wisdom and a large numbers of truth seekers came to him for counsel. He lived an abstemious life and fasted often. Yet he felt it was much more important for us to follow the commandment to love our neighbors than to distiguish ourselves through great ascetic feats. He wove baskets in his monastic cell and then took them to sell at the market in a nearby city in order to earn money to feed the many guests who came to the monastery. He did not ask a set price for his baskets, but accepted whatever price the purchaser was able to pay. He was so generous to his guests that he gave all he had earned to them. One day while in the city selling his baskets, he came upon a poor, sick man lying in the street. Without a second thought, he rented a room for him in one of the local inns and went to find himself a job so he could support him until he was well again. Four months passed before the sick man was healed and Saint Agathon was able to return to his monastery. Clearly, the story of the Good Samaritan was not just a story to him.

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Today was another very difficult day. I went to bed nauseated last night. I did not fall asleep until around midnight, and then I woke up at 4 AM still nauseated. I finally got courageous and made myself throw up (one my least favorite things to do). About a cup of watery acidic liquid came up. I felt better for the next 6 hours. I was able to fall back to sleep around 6 AM and woke up again at 8 AM, just in time to have my vitals taken. My weight was 102.4, blood pressure was 90/58, pulse was 76, and temperature was 98.0. Still experienced some mild upper and lower GI gas. Only sneezed once all day. Drank 2.5 quarts of water.

The nausea returned and I remained nauseated for the rest of the day. My acupuncturist came to give me a treatment and I did feel better for several hours afterwards, but every time I try to sit up or stand up I quickly become very nauseated. Dr. Klaper called to check in on me and was please with how my voice sounded.

The one ray of light for me today was that they allowed my dog to come and visit with me in my room. Sasha was so relieved to see where I was that he jumped up on the bed, took a deep breath, let out a long sigh, and promptly fell asleep for the next three hours. Apparently, he has not been sleeping well since I left. I was very gratified that they let him come. I really did not expect them to say yes when I asked them, but they must be aware of the important role animals can play in helping sick people recover. Here we are enjoying some quality time together:

Sasha and me snuggled up cozily in bed together.

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"Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; It is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love."

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Fasting--Days 5 and 6

Eknath Easwaran, of the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation

Eknath Easwaran is one of the great spiritual thinkers of all time. He is another recent discovery for me, and I feel that I have uncovered a treasure chest of precious gems. He was born in India in 1910, personally studied with Mahatma Gandhi, took his degree in English Liturature, and became a professor at the University of Nagpur. In 1959, he was brought to the United Staes on a Fullbright Scholarship to teach the first ever for-credit course on meditation at the University of Berkley.

By 1961, he had founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in Tomales, California just one hour north of San Franscisco along the coast. I found his book Love Never Faileth, on St. Francis, Mother Teresa, St. Paul, and St. Augustine, in the lending library of my local Unity church. This book is part of a trilogy on the classics of Christian inspiration. The other volumes are entitled Original Goodness, on the Beatitudes, and Seeing with the Eyes of Love, on Thomas à Kempis and The Immitation of Christ. If you order them together as a set (scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will find them), Blue Mountain will give you a 25% discount. Every single page is rich.

The primary message which he attempts to convey in all of his works (over 2 dozen volumes!) is that if we wish to be happy in this life we must learn to love others. As we read in the Epistles, "He who does not love, does not know God, for God is Love." (1 John 4:8) To this end, Easwaran developed his Eight Point Program which is centered around what he calls Passage Meditation and the repetition of a Mantram throughout the day. He has found that these two practices, if followed diligently, will change us from the inside out and help us to increase our capacity to love. After much searching, he decided the the Prayer of St. Francis was one of the best Passages for Westerners to meditate on "because, as you can see, it is a very rare thing: an attempt to reverse almost all the ordinary tendencies we find in human nature. It gives us a blueprint for making our life a blessing for everyone."

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

Easwaran goes on to say, "In this profoundest of prayers, St. Francis confides in us how the son of Pietro di Bernardone was transformed into the son of God. We, too, can aspire to such a transformation by making his prayer an integral part of our consciousness. This cannot be done through reading or discussion, which take place only on the surface level of consciousness. It can only be done by regular systematic meditaion. If we meditate on St. Francis's words diligently and with enthusiasm every morning, the marvelous transformation that St. Francis worked in himself will gradually be effected in us too."

If you wish to increase your capacity to love, develop a joyful heart, and find peace of mind, I cannot recommend his books highly enough.

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Day 5 (January 6) was a very easy day. I felt quite good all day. My weight was 104 (3 lbs less than the day before!), blood pressure 103/63, pulse 76, and temperature 98.3. I had mild upper and low GI gas, but no bowel activity. I drank 1.5 quarts of water (probably not enough). Slept 8 hours last night.

Day 6 (January 7) has been very difficult. I am extremely weak again and find it hard to even sit up. When they check my vitals this morning, my weight was 103, my blood pressure was 106/70, my pulse was 88 (higher than normal for me), and my temperature was 98.3. I had mild upper and lower GI gas, but no bowel activity. Sneezed about 6 times throughout the day. Had stomach acid come up into my throat a few times when I laid down. I have been mildly nauseated all day. Drank 2 quarts of water. Slept 6 hours last night. Dr. Klaper is in San Francisco for a few days, but he called to check on me and see how I was doing. He said, "I just wanted to hear your voice." He is a very sweet and caring man.

My parasite test came back yesterday and, as it turns out, I am very severely infected again. On a scale of 1 to 10, I have Ascaris Lumbricoides (Giant Round Worm) at level 4, Enterobius Vermicularis (Pin Worm) at level 4, and Giardia Lablia at level 4, and I also have Candida at level 3 and an Enterococcus ssp at level 3! The Giant Round Worm is 10-35 cm long at maturity, so it is not particularly exciting to think of having these critters in ones body. Its prevence in the United States in humans is only 0.8%. This is one of the parasites I had 6 years ago when I was tested. For whatever reason, I seem to be a magnet for them. Pin Worm is extremely common in the United States being found in 11% of people of all ages but may be as high as 50% among children in daycare situations. This was another parasite I also tested positive for 6 years ago. Giardia is even more interesting in my case.

According to Wikipedia, 1) studies have shown that Giardia can cause B-12 deficiency; 2) people who lack IgA (almost universal among those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) can develop chronic disease from Giardia infections; 3) Giardia cause villous atrophy (as does gluten in people with celiac disease) and reduces the absorptive capacity of the small intestine; 4) Giardia relies on glocose for it's major energy source and breaks the glucose down into ethanol, acetate, and carbon dioxide; and 5) studies on mice have shown that a very low carbohydrate diet will reduce the number of Giardia organisms present. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 15 years ago by Dr. Paul Cheney (one of the pre-eminent CFS doctors in the world), so I probably lack IgA. It may well be that a diet high in fruit sugar, like The 80/10/10 Diet, will allow Giardia to flourish. I did not have Giardia 6 years ago, so this is new. When I spoke to Dr. Klaper briefly after forwarding the test to him, I said, "Isn't this incredible?" He said, "It is...(pause) beyond incredible." So, I guess he was pretty blown away by it. I am going to have myself treated the same way as I did 6 years ago, through a process known as Radionics.

Alicia, a woman who has been following The 80/10/10 diet for about two years now, has also been dealing with parasites. Her experience is interesting and she also found a form of vibrational therapy to be most effective in dealing with them. Here is her video:



Although Dr. Klaper knows little or nothing about Radionics, he has agreed to let me try this first since it worked for me last time, as it is much more affordable than the herbs made by the Nigerian Physician (Dr. Hammed Ibraheem) who diagnosed me. Though the herbs apparently work beautifully, and are grown and prepared on the grounds of the University where he teaches, the treament can cost several thousand dollars. If you are having trouble with your health, and you cannot figure out what is wrong, I highly recommend getting tested for parasites. Dr. Ibraheem is a train parasitologist and he works in conjunction with Dr. Glenn Wilcox in New Mexico. All specimens are flown overnight to Nigeria for testing. The test is $300, plus $50 shipping. It is well worth it.

Well, I guess that is about all the exciting news I have to report for today.

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"The soul is made of love and must ever stive to return to love. Therefore, it can never find rest nor happiness in other things. It must lose itself in love. By its very nature it must seek God, who is love."

Mechthild of Madgeburg (1207-1282), Christian Mystic and Poet

Fasting--Days 2, 3, and 4

Saint Syncletica of Alexandria, The First Desert Mother

The Feast Day of Saint Syncletica of Alexandria is celebrated today (January 5). She was a remarkable woman who died at the age of 84 in 350 A.D. She was born to wealthy parents, but decided at an early age that she wanted to dedicate her life to God. She refused to marry, despite many eager suitors, and when her parents died she distributed their entire estate (her inheritance) to the poor. She then left the world to live a life of prayer, fasting, and asceticism as a nun in the desert. Her accomplishments in the spiritual life eventually became widely known and many women began to seek her out for help. She is believed to have founded the very first ever monastery for women. Here are some of the best sayings attributed to her:

"Those who do not fast often fall into real sicknesses."

"Just as one cannot build a ship unless one has some nails, so it is impossible to be saved without humility."

"Choose the meekness of Moses and you will find your heart which is a rock changed into a spring of water."

"It is possible to be a solitary in one's mind while living in a crowd, and it is possible for one who is a solitary to live in the crowd of his own thoughts."

"In the beginning there is struggle and a lot of work for those who come near to God. But after that there is indescribable joy. It is just like building a fire: at first it is smoky and your eyes water, but later you get the desired result. Thus we ought to light the divine fire in ourselves with tears and effort."

"We should laud remiss and indolent souls who are easily exhausted in the struggle for good, as well as those souls who are easily discouraged and fall to despair. Indeed if such souls display even the smallest good deed, we must praise it and marvel at it, giving them encouragement in their struggle for the good."

"If you have begun to act well, do not turn back through constraint of the enemy, for through your endurance, the enemy is destroyed. Those who put out to sea at first sail with a favorable wind; then the sails spread, but later the winds become adverse. Then the ship is tossed by the waves and is no longer controlled by the rudder. But when in a little while there is a calm, and the tempest dies down, then the ship sails on again. So it is with us, when we are driven by the spirits who are against us; we hold to the cross as our sail and so we can set a safe course."

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Days 2 & 3 of my fast were still fairly uneventful except for some mid-level nausea during the first 2 hours in the morning after awaking. I had quite a lot to do in preparation for my 2 month absence from home and I was able to accomplish everything, though I am sure the exertion wasn't the best for me. I did have a normal bowel movement on the morning of Day 2, but no bowel activity on Day 3. I drank about 2 quarts of water each day.

I arrived at the TrueNorth Health Center around 5:00 PM last night (Day 3) and was greeted by a very attentive staff. I was shown to my room and by 7:00 PM an intern (a female medical doctor who has a practice in Washington state) came by to check on me and take my vital signs. Last night my blood pressure was 104/59, my pulse was 70, my tempurature was 98.4, and my weight was 110. I fell asleep about 11:45 PM and woke up at 3:45 AM to urinate and was unable to go back to sleep for a long, long time. i may have slept another 2 hours somewhat fitfully. I also had a mid-range headache (4 on a scale of 1-10) in the right front quadrant of my head (perhaps sinus area) all night.

Dr. Klaper and his assistant came to check on me at 9:00 AM and get my vital signs this morning (Day 4). He checks all of his patients between 7:30-9:30 AM and he is all about business--in and out. My blood pressure was 96/58, my pulse was 68, my tempurature was 98.1, and my weight was 107 (3 lbs difference from last night!). They also checked my urine with a dipstick, though I am not sure what they were measuring. I have been slightly nauseated all day, and feel incredibly weak. I am very hypotensive when I stand up. It is even difficult for me to sit up in bed. I had some upper and lower GI gas today, but not much. No bowel activity. My body odor is also very strong. I drank about 2.5 quarts of water today.

I had another 40 minute appointment with Dr. Klaper this evening. Again, he asked a lot of questions and really listened to my responses. I have had most of my test results come back. The level of Lactulose in my urine was slightly above normal which indicates some gastrointestinal permiability. Not surprising, but Dr. Klaper expected it to be worse given my symptoms. Most of my blood work came out normal. My cholesterol was 120 (HDL 29/LDL 77/VLDL 14). HDL is considered to be low (>46 is recommended), but Dr. Klaper says it is just fine because total cholesterol is so low. Cholesterol/HDL ratio was 4.1 (below average risk) and the LDL/HDL ratio was 2.6 (average risk). Triglycerides were 68. My BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) was one point below normal at 6 on a scale of 7-25. Dr. Klaper says this is great and normal for someone on a low protein diet. My B-12 is on the very low end of normal at 248 on a scale of 200-1100. MVC was high 101 on scale of 80-100 and MHC was high at 33.6 on a scale of 27.0-33.0. Both of these are an indication of low B-12. Dr. Klaper wants me to start taking B-12 right away. Vitamin D is not back yet. C-Reactive Protein is not back yet. Parasite test is not back yet. Everything else is normal, including Sedimentation Rate and a Thyroid Panel.

Dr. Klaper was very please with the test results and said my organ systems are functioning extremely well. He gave his permission for me to do a fast of 40 or so days, with the caveat that we must always listen to the patient's body. We talked a lot about my food problems as might be expected and so I finally asked him what he ate. He said he eats mostly raw fruit and greens, but he is not dogmatic and eats some light cooked foods like soup and steamed vegetables. He does not think grains are particularly healthy and has stopped eating them, and he doesn't eat many of the other cooked starches either because they leave him feeling too heavy. He seems to have a very open mind.

They have there own distiller here, and the water is quite good. I don't think I have ever had real distilled water, only the stuff from the supermarket sold in plastic which tastes absolutely terrible. The only complaint I have about this facility so far is that is is located on the corner of two very busy streets, but I knew that coming in. Some units are off the road and much quieter. Since I came in on such short notice, I don't really have much choice. But if you can plan your stay here ahead of time, you can reserve a unit on the two quieter sides. As it is, they are going to have to move me twice while I am here. But that is no big deal since the staff here will do all the work.

My acupuncturist, David Walker of Sebastopol, came and gave me a treatment in the evening and will be coming to do so once a week for the duration of my fast.

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Yesterday (January 4) was the birthday of Lowell Fillmore, another spiritual giant in my opinion. He was the son of the founders of the Unity Church which is part of the New Thought Movement that began in the late 1800s (and grew out the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and other Transendentalist thinkers). A good friend introduced me to Unity an number of years ago, but I wasn't quite ready. Now, I am absolutely in love with their teachings (which, interestingly enough, are very very similar to what Abraham teaches, only with a Christ-centered focus). Lowell Fillmore's book The Prayer Way to Health, Wealth, and Happiness may well be the best book on Unity spirituality. I was so inspired by this little volume that I bought it as a Christmas gift for everyone I know this year. And if Unity was in the habit of canonizing saints, Lowell surely would have received this honor. By all accounts, he lived a very abstemious life (eating a vegetarian diet) and apparently never said a bad word about anyone. Here is are some excerpts from his book on healing the body:

"Christian healing means more than patching up a broken body. It means restoring a body to its God-planned perfection--the harmonious manifestation of God's perfect-man idea in a physical body. God's perfect man is Spirit, because God created him in His own image and likeness...This perfect spiritual man is the Christ whose Spirit dwells in potential expression in the physical body of every man...God's perfect-man idea is the pattern that all men must eventually work out  in their physical bodies...It is up to each person to cooperate with God's plan, by letting the perfect-man idea, the Christ Spirit within himself, have its perfect way...As we increase our faith in the Christ perfection in us, we cooperate with God to bring more and more of His perfect-man idea into manifestation in our body."

"Affirmations of Truth are statements that describe God's perfect creation. By believing that God's creation is perfect and is the only reality, we can manifest it in our life. By using affirmations of Truth, we increase our faith in God's goodness becoming manifest here and now in our life and affairs. We can affirm the Truth of our relationship to God until we feel it is a reality. We must first accept the truth in our mind, and then we shall be able to cooperate with the divine wisdom and life that are already at work in us to bring  peace, health, and happiness into our body and affairs. By faithful use of affirmations of Truth, we can lift our body into a consciousness of greater harmony with its spiritual Source. Try using this affirmation:  By the healing power of my indwelling Christ, I am made whole and perfect in body and mind. Have faith that these words are true, because you are speaking the truth about God's perfect man."


"We must train ourselves to have faith in our indwelling Christ, who is whole and perfect. We must have faith in God's perfect, spiritual, everywhere-present creation, even though we cannot see it with our own physical eyes. We must learn to look for good everywhere and thus open the way for God's spiritual perfection to come into our world as it is in His heaven...Affirmative prayer is our first step in seeking God and His kingdom...As we grow spiritually by increasing our love and faith in God [with affirmations of Truth], we shall be able to find his blessings everywhere. We shall find that health, happiness, and prosperity are always with us. God is our health; and when we believe this, His healing power will work freely through us."

Fasting--Day 1

Saint Seraphim of Sarov feeding a bear near his hermitage.

I am scheduled to check in to the TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa on January 4th, but I've decided to start my fast at home a few days ahead of schedule. I want to do this because today (January 2) is the Feast Day of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, a modern Russian Saint of the Orthodox Christian Church. St. Seraphim holds a very special place in my heart because it was through him that I found my way back to God after being spiritually lost for almost 20 years.

St. Seraphim was born in 1759 and died in 1833 at the age of 74. When he was 10 years old, he became deathly ill and received a vision of the All-Holy Virgin Mary (known as the Theotokos in Orthodoxy) in which she spoke to him and promised that she would heal him soon. Several days later, when a famous Icon of the Theotokos traveled by his home, his mother carried him outside to venerate it and, in that instant, he was healed. He became very devoted to the Theotokos from that time forward and entered a monastery at the age of 18. He spent 25 years of his monastic life as a hermit in the forest alone seeking communion with God.

At one point while at his isolated hermitage, St. Seraphim was viciously attacked by thieves who brutally beat him and left him for dead. After he regained consciousness, he spent 1000 consecutive days kneeling on a rock in devoted prayer to the Theotokos and, at some point shortly after this, he received direct instructions from Her to begin counseling lay Christians seeking help in their spiritual life. People traveled from all over Russia to meet and speak with him during the final 18 years of his life.

This is the "Tenderness" Icon of Theotokos that St. Seraphim prayed to:


St. Seraphim had a very close relationship with the wild animals of the forest and was seen to feed bears and other so-called dangerous creatures directly out of his hands. One observer reported that while feeding a bear his face had a miraculous appearance and glowed as bright as that of an angel. His universal greeting to everyone who came to him for spiritual counsel was, "My Joy! Christ is Risen." Normally, the greeting "Christ is Risen" is used only during the celebration of Christ's Resurrection (Easter/Pascha) by Orthodox Christians. But for St. Seraphim, everyday was a celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Here are some of my favorite quotes by him:

"Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved."


"The purpose of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit."


"God is the fire that warms and kindles the heart...with perfect love."

St. Seraphim fasted every Wednesday and Friday (an Orthodox tradition) throughout his entire adult life, and he ate a very abstemious diet in general (completely vegan). So many saints, it seems, became saints by going into the "desert" to fast and pray for extended periods of time. This practice has a long biblical tradition. In the Gospel of Matthew (4:2), we are told that Jesus went alone into the wilderness to fast for 40 days and 40 nights before beginning his ministry of healing to the Jews. In Exodus (34:28), we are told that Moses climbed atop Mt. Sinai and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and when he came down his face shone so brightly that all were afraid to come near him. He also brought with him the Ten Commandments which had been dictated to him by God while on the mountain. In 1 Kings (19:8), we are told that the prophet Elijah fasted for 40 days and 40 nights while climbing Mount Horeb where, upon reaching the top, God spoke to him.

Now, obviously, I am not expecting anything quite so profound or dramatic as this from my own fast and time in the "desert." Although I will have a substantial amount of alone time, which I plan to use for meditation and spiritual reading, I will still have quite a bit of contact with others. Nevertheless, as I withdrawal my attention from the outer world and focus much more on the inner world, it will be a wonderful time of healing for both body and soul. This is a journey I have been looking forward to for a long, long time.

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My first day of fasting was uneventful. I actually felt quite good. I experienced a few tummy growls, but no real hunger to speak of, and my energy level was higher than normal. I even took my dog for a walk in the afternoon. I drank about 2 quarts of water over the course of the day.

I have not yet received the results of any of the pre-fasting tests that Dr. Klaper ordered for me. And I do not own a scale so I cannot tell you precisely what my starting weight is, but when Dr. Klaper weighed me in his office several weeks ago I was 113 lbs.

In spite of fasting, I decided to attend the "Bowl Burning" ceremony at my local Unity Church. This is a powerful New Year's tradition within Unity in which all the participants write down everything they wish to release from their lives on a piece of paper and then burn this paper in the flame of a candle. After we all burned our papers, the minister then asked us to write a letter to God thanking Him in advance for all the good things we expect to receive in the coming year. The minister will mail all of our letters to God back to us at the end of the year so we can see how much of what we ask for has manifested in our lives. I wrote down every negative attitude and emotion I could possibly think of that I might still be holding onto from past and present experiences and watched as they disintegrated into ashes. In my letter to God, I thanked Him for my perfect health, financial stability, and joyful heart. This is a very profound symbolic ritual for cleansing one's heart of old accumulated poisons and inviting positive new experiences into our life. Being able to do this with a community that supports you, in all that your are, is a real blessing.

If you would like more information about why am embarking on this fast, please read my blog posts Preparing for a Water Fast and MY STORY.

"There is no relationship of greater importance to achieve than the relationship between you, in your physical body, right here and now, and the God/Source from which you have come. If you tend to that relationship, first and foremost, you will then, and only then, have the stable footing to proceed into other relationships. Your relationship with your own body; your relationship with money; your relationship with your parents, children, grandchildren, the people you work with...will all fall swiftly and easily into alignment once you tend to this fundamental, primary relationship first."


--Abraham


Excerpted from from Abraham's newest book, "The Vortex, Where the Law of Attraction Assembles All Cooperative Relationships "