Re: Thank you so much for your description, Ozone bubble!

you are welcome fledgling! it was like having a baby, trying to remember it all well enough, but i got there in the end!

that is interesting, your response to my lifestyle/cleansing approach. i never thought of it as a particular approach!

i actually spent last night writing up my detox methods so far, i called it 'detox on a shoestring' lol! im hoping to put it in my blog sometime soon. it includes all the info, not just BM focussed stuff in case you are interested to know more!

so the info you are asking, here it is:

DIET
i hardly understand this myself, but i will try to answer.

mostly, in terms of diet (as well as it being the principle for my cleansing) i just follow my instinct and what my body feels like. i learned how to listen to my body by doing yoga, i have been doing it for about 6 or 7 years, and also by doing Salah (Islamic 5 times a day worship). it is complicated to explain why Salah helps you with natural health but im hoping to have my head straight enough to describe it at some point. it is quite amazing, and that is why i want to share it!

at this point in my cleanse (it is a lifelong one btw) i am transitioning to raw food. i have introduced juices this week and had my first raw 'meal' yesterday. next week i am starting on a mostly fruit diet as i think this is what my body is craving. i have had a major detox reaction this week (also a reason i may not have been eating much) which finally ended today. i got my appetite back and i had a huge craving for fish fingers and fries!!! so i had that and it was great! despite my eating habits being all over the place, i am still having 2 or more BMs a day, which is amazing!

so my usual diet... before deciding to go raw, i generally aimed for no processed food, as much organic and homemade as possible, lots of fresh fruit and veg, and i do believe in eating animal products as long as they are halal. so i have dairy (trying to switch to raw now though), eggs, and since i have no halal meat available near where i live i generally eat vegetarian, with fish maybe 1 a month or less. i used to eat a lot of homemade deserts mostly chocolate and dairy based! i made them more healthy by using quinoa flour, alternatives to sugar, organic etc. now i am going raw i am leaving it out mostly though. i only drink milk in the form of kefir, or store bought yoghurt otherwise i drink rice milk (stopped soy after finding out about phytoestrogens). i eat nuts, seeds, dates regularly. i drink a lot of water and herb tea, (and occasionally coffee in emergency falling asleep situations!). as i said before though, if my body wants something i will have it, no matter what it is (as long as it doesnt go against my religion!). i dont drink alcohol or do drugs of any kind (including prescription/painkillers).

in terms of eating patterns, this changes depending on what my body feels like! especially since starting cleansing! sometimes my body needs a big breakfast like eggs or oatmeal or yoghurt. sometimes just a few dates. sometimes just kefir. sometimes just water. sometimes nothing. sometimes i dont have proper meals, just fruit/nuts throughout the day. sometimes i will fast during the day and then eat a small meal in the evening of soup or vegetables for example. sometimes i have three substantial meals a day including carbs, dairy, fish, veg, anything really. it depends! in general over the years the trend has been undereating but always including substantial meals when necessary. you are right, i do prefer to go without eating for many hours at a time...though i have never really considered this before!

some more details: age 23, height 5'5, weight 8st, bmi 18.6, build...how do i say...'slim but woman-shaped'...? dont know. not a beanpole. dont know muscle/fat composition. health: i am in good physical health, no chronic conditions, can get anaemic sometimes, have palpitations sometimes (dont know cause maybe from under eating lol!), much of my minor complaints cleared up by cleansing (eg cold extremities, digestive problems, etc) my health problems are mainly in mental health.

anyway, i hope that gives you enough info to compare and contrast what results to expect with your own cleansing!