Day 8 - Feelings of Wellness

 I start the day with an early blood test performed every 7 days, I am told it takes 2 days for results. I will be interested in the results. As the doctor monitors my electrolytes one thing to watch out for is potassium. In talking with a fellow faster I learn that if that occurs,  instead of just giving you a potassium pill they take a more informed approach. The thinking here is that a reduction is an indication of your system not taking well to the fast and that just giving you a pill to solve the potassium issue would miss other things going on that are not detected. So, the response here is to put a person on a juice fast for the remainder of the fast. I am impressed with their understanding of fasting is such a deep level, obvious from over 30 years providing this service. 

During my daily doctor’s visit I have a discussion about the importance of taking my pulse. She indicates that one of the things she is listening for is a skip. If that were to occur, it would also indicate the need for an adjustment such as beginning a juice fast. This reminds me of the importance of medical monitoring during fasting as opposed to going solo. 

Microbiome Lecture

Learned alot today about our microbiome or gut biome and its importance to health. Our microbiome contains 10 times the number of cells than our body does and plays an important role with every aspect of our body. This symbiotic relationship with bacteria has either a positive or negative impact on our health depending on the food we eat and numerous health problems can be attributed to an imbalance. As I continue to work on my health goals, being aware of the microbiome and how what I eat supports my body’s essential functions or not has to be top on my list.