Newbie introduction

Hello!

I am new around here and would like to introduce myself briefly. I'm a 40-year-old female, who has had enough of all these minor aches and pains, high cholesterol, BP, and who knows what all. Sunday night, while waking up from yet another dizzy spell (sounds funny, but it's true), I decided to go on a Water Fast in the morning. Which I did. This is day 3, but I added some herbal tea and a little bit of veggie broth, adside from a multi-vitamin (which makes me very nauseated taking it without food).

Some time ago, I purchased "The Detox Book" by Bruce Fife, and started browsing in it. My mind has been geared towards detox for several months, but circumstances prevented me from actually following through.

I have to say it's really hard, though, when you have to feed other family members, and can't even lick off a spoon.

About two decades ago, I fasted twice, roughly 17 days each, without much guidance, other than a book or two. I had to fend off all kinds of "well-meanining" comments, and people looked at me funny when I told them that I feel fine, I have plenty of energy, and no, I'm not getting sick.

Meanwhile, I'm 20 years older, a mother of a child with mild autism and ADHD (can you spell stress???), and significantly heavier. I feel like the aches and pains of midlife are beginning to catch up with me, aside from the fact that my family medical history as a disaster in the cardiovascular area. While I'm sure I have done plenty of damage in the past four decades, I am determined not to add more insult to injury.

So, here I am, trying to be strong each day to not "cheat", not sure for how long. I have not done any enemas, as in the Detox Book, they hinted at not worrying about it, which is exactly what I learned in Pharmacy school, too. Nonetheless, I have ordered some herbs to do a bowel cleansing after the fast, followed by a kidney- and a liver flush.

My goal for the fast is to start the detoxification process, and to prove to myself and some family members that I am not the weak and uncontrolled overweight person they see me as. I've already left an impression, I think. I loved the increase in mental acuity when I fasted 20 years ago, and I see it setting in again. However, I also feel like I'm going through slow motion, today moreso than during the past two days. I could not sleep much last night and have been awake since 2:45am.

My overall goal is to to lose weight, streamline my nutrition (difficult as my husband refuses to eat healthy, but he is slim, with all the right numbers, and no significant family medical history), and get to a point where I can hold off on those meds for as long as possible. I refuse to give in to midlife so soon.

I welcome any conversation, ideas, suggestions, critique, or humor.

Oh, and my handle....caffeine is another thing I quit a few months ago, I had two or three triple espressos per day, and after a few visits to the ER, I decided it's a bad idea to continue this habit. I quit cold turkey, and other than a mild headache and some fatigue, I had no problems at all.

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