Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Raw Milk Cure 2012: Day 5




I felt good all day.  I am still struggling with my coffee demon.  I made myself drink a pint of water before I could have coffee, and for the last few days I have been making myself stop drinking it before my cup is empty.  Apparently my struggles have caused old Folger's and Maxwell House jingles to come to the forefront of my memory.  Off and on all day, I would hear, "The best part of waking up is Folger's in your cup" and "Good to the last drop".  Once again I was struck by how American advertising is so antithetical to Catholic ideals.  The marketers want us to focus on consumption instead of denying ourselves.  We worship comfort and are willing to wear the ugliest clothes in the history of the world in order to meet its demands.  I think about all the saints who wore hair shirts  under their clothes, especially St. Thomas More, since he was a family man and lawyer, not a hermit.  I dislike that my memory is poisoned with all these ads.  I wish that this raw milk cure could dislodge them and flush them out like all the other toxins, as it occurs to me that Satan is tempting us just like he did Jesus in the desert, but he has gone high-tech and glossy.    Get thee behind me, Satan!

I ordered three packages of kefir grains from Cultures for Health.  I am going to make a quart of kefir every day: one for me, one for Emma, and one for my parents.  I have made kefir before but only with the powder.  Once I read how you can keep re-using the grains, I knew I had to switch.  It doesn't sound like the grains replicate like Kombucha starter, so that is why I bought three.  I want to make and consume a lot.  I would like to switch to a kefir/Kombucha fast after this milk fast is over  I was tempted to order Cultures for Health's gluten-free sourdough bread starter, but I decided to wait because on Saturday I mailed my order for a Kombucha starter kit from Laurel's Farm.  I figured that is enough culturing to take on for the moment.

I have not felt weak at all during this fast, but yesterday I noticed an increase of energy, and my vision seems clearer.    Normally I don't drink milk after 6 p.m. or so, but last night I did get hungry around 9:30, so I drank a pint of milk and went to bed.  That made a total of 2 1/2 quarts.  I slept well.

Emma read about the benefits of sunning your belly on The Healthy Home Economist, so yesterday we spent some time sprawled on the grass in the sun so she could do that.  Cotton took a break from bird hunting to rub my face and whisper sweet mews in my ear.  I didn't feel much like sunning; I really wanted to move, so I got up and made a brisk walk to the mailbox and then went inside to work on some spring cleaning.  This belly sunning is supposed to be good for babies in utero, so I know that Emma is going to want to do it when she gets pregnant.  I delighted myself for a couple of minutes this morning, imagining her future husband's quest.  How will he solve the dilemma of accommodating Emma's overwhelming desire for modesty with her overwhelming determination to sacrifice for baby's health?  I can see him driving her into the country to find a safe and secluded sunning spot for his little turtle, somewhere where she can be the only turtle on the log.  And of course there will be a picnic with Kombucha and cod liver oil and grassfed calf's liver.

Emma wants to start eating again, as she is finding it harder and harder to keep drinking the milk, so much so that she is going hungry.  I think she is down to a quart a day.  This is not good for her adrenal or thyroid function.  I suggested that she go ahead and eat, but as of last night she was still resisting.  She found a tip in a book she is reading about raw milk fasts that said if you have problems with queasiness, which we both have had, you should drink lemon juice.  I can't remember the particulars now.  I'll find out and post an update.

2 comments:

Fotofule said...

Do wish I could join you and Em on your fast.I've had some of the same effects you've had by just giving up sugar, bread, etc. I get foggy brain very easily, it seems. Need to try again to give all that stuff up. Good to hear your progress.

Wendy Haught said...

I wish you could join us too, but giving up those other things would be great start!