My 5 Day Water Fast; The Water I Drank Made A Difference

Photo by author.

I am not paid or in any way compensated for endorsing the product in this post.

Yesterday was the last day of my 5 day water fast. I can honestly say that I didn’t have any adverse effects. I was a little hungry, but I wasn’t famished. Nor was I fatigued, dizzy, or have brain fog or headaches, which are all common side effects of detoxing. I believe it’s because of the super hydrating water I was drinking.

I’ve never fasted before, though I’ve done plenty of detoxes. Fasting can have health benefits, but it isn’t for everyone. I’ve always been concerned that I’d struggle with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) from not eating.

So, why did I fast?

Exactly one week ago I completed what was, in spiritual terms, the end of a cycle. That had lasted four years. To say that it was intense would be an understatement; I feel fortunate to be alive. It was brutal to experience, let alone survive. I couldn’t explain it to loved ones, and certainly not to people in my day to day. At times it was all I could do to keep it together. The best I could do was to gather my strength, put my best face forward, and push through.

I came out of the cycle feeling numb. I couldn’t even feel that the cycle had ended. The stress I’d endured over the course of four years had taken a toll on my health. I needed to detox, and finally, with some much needed downtime, I decided to try a water fast, for health and for spiritual reasons.

Digestion is the most taxing bodily process, lasting up to eight hours. When the body’s many resources aren’t assigned to digestion, they can be put to work detoxing the body, which eventually clears the mind and can open a connection to the higher power, as many people have experienced, fasting.

Science says that feeling hungry, which comes with fasting, can also be a sign of thirst; the same part of the brain that signals hunger also signals thirst. Many foods provide a rich source of water. Namely, raw fruits and vegetables, which contain 70–90% water. But even cooked pasta is plumped up with water and cooked meats can still retain 30% water. Thus, food provides both nutrients and water, hydration, which is more important during a fast.

The water I drank during my fast, Penta water, is super hydrating. I believe it made a difference during the fast and in the results. Better hydration can curb your hunger and help the body detox more thoroughly and efficiently, producing fewer side effects. Water is required in every bodily process. During a fast, the body is rid of old damaged cells, replaced by new ones, and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cancer.

My body felt fully hydrated drinking the first bottle of Penta water. The inflammation in my fingers was visibly reduced. My gut relaxed and was freed of distress. The pain around some bruised ribs from a fall decreased immediately.

Penta water goes through a multi-step purification process and then is oxygenated, which structures water molecules to be better absorbed by the body, for optimal hydration.

I’ve read where once you open a bottle of Penta that you have to drink the water within 30 minutes or it can start to lose the oxygenation. Much like how mineral water loses its fizz once you open a bottle. I didn’t noticed a difference. Perhaps sealing the lid as soon as I finished drinking made a difference.

Penta water can be expensive to drink every day, but because it’s super hydrating, I’ve found that I drink less.

Here are some key points about fasting and my own experience:

• As I wrote earlier, water fasting isn’t for everyone. If you have a medical condition or you’re pregnant or a child, you shouldn’t fast. Consult your physician or health practitioner for guidance.

• Typically, 3 days are advised, but I did 5 days because I read where stem cell production increases after 72 hours, as does human growth hormone on day 5, which helps with tissue repair (https://www.newsweek.com/water-fast-diet-fasting-benefits-1802881). If you’ve already invested 3 days, you might as well reap the additional benefits, if you can last. Some people have done much longer fasts, up to 20 days, for spirituality and/or under medical supervision.

• It’s advised to prepare for a fast. This can also make a difference. Shortly before starting mine, I began eating clean — organic, fish/seafood, a lot of vegetables, berries, citrus, nuts, and avocados — drinking alkaline water with electrolytes, and taking a multivitamin/multi mineral daily. I had started a mild intestinal cleanse, and I had been intermittent fasting, eating twice a day, at breakfast and dinner.

• During my fast, other than spending time in nature, I did absolutely nothing. It felt really good. I went to bed early, went online minimally, and meditated. I continued taking a multivitamin/multi mineral supplement daily and doing the intestinal cleanse.

• It’s also advised to break a fast slowly and gently. For example, by consuming juices and broths, to avoid an electrolyte imbalance. I think this was less important for me having stayed very hydrated. I broke my fast with an avocado sandwich and a little pasta and didn’t have any side effects.

• My results included: overall loss of body fat, particularly belly fat; a noticeable reduction in inflammation; restored gastrointestinal functioning; improved sleep; better hormone functioning; having a clearer mind; a brighter appearance; and creating a stronger connection with my inner world and the higher power.

Information on detoxing and other health topics can be found in my book, The Simple Seven. I also do consultations.

Detoxing is an important aspect of health that is often overlooked. Our bodies require periodic cleansing as maintenance in order to function optimally. But a thorough understanding of how the body detoxes on its own is required. As there are pros and cons to the various methods out there, it’s wise to chose those which complement the body’s natural detoxing power for the best results.

***

The Simple Seven © Marlene Veltre 2024 All rights reserved

No portion of this post may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Marlene Veltre.

The information in this post is to be used for educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice or to prevent, cure, or heal any illness or disease. You should always see your doctor or health practitioner.

Want To Get To The Heart Of Mental Health? An Explainer Video And A Tool To Get You Started

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you have thought about improving your mental health but have been constrained by time, energy, and money, here are a few resources to get you started.

First, here’s a short explainer video that gets to the heart of mental health.

Personally, I have healed the pain of trauma and abuse without being aware of having suffered; this is true for most people. Stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health afflictions can be rooted in deep, emotional pain of many sorts.

I offer a tool called The Method on guided audio that you can use on your own. Master The Method With Guided Audio is available on Google Play and can be downloaded on any smartphone, tablet, or computer using the Google Play app. You can click here to learn more.

It’s important that you choose a tool that works for you. Options include therapy, journaling, and other self help and spiritual tools. I developed The Method for my own use and went on to facilitate sessions with clients with great success. Choose what’s right for you.

Below are a few additional resources.

• Read this post if you’d like to see how The Method works, enacted in a movie.

• Read this post for examples of clients who have overcome anxiety using The Method.

It’s never too late to begin addressing your mental health. Everyone can benefit, and it can help you live your best life.

Wishing you the best.

— Marlene Veltre

***

The Simple Seven © Marlene Veltre 2024 All rights reserved

No portion of this post may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Marlene Veltre.

The information in this post is to be used for educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or to prevent, cure, or heal any illness or disease. You should always see a professional.

3 Simple Tips For Hydrating

The following blog post contains excerpts from the Drink and Clear chapters in The Simple Seven book.

Our bodies constantly need water — for everything.

Water is mandatory in all the complex steps of digestion. Water is essential in the daily growing of hair and nails, in the weeks of healing a wound or the months of fusing a bone fracture. Water regulates circulation and body temperature around the clock. Water in blood delivers nutrients to our trillions of cells and carries their waste away every moment of our lives. When we’re even slightly dehydrated, metabolism slows down, decelerating weight loss and accelerating aging.

Imagine being dehydrated once in a while — or all the time, throughout your lifetime.

There’s no question that we need to stay hydrated.

The recommendation is to drink eight glasses of water a day. What a chore, chugging eight glasses of water every day. And it’s hard remembering to drink a glass of water every hour on the hour. It adds another task to our already busy day. When we forget, we try to catch up so we double up, water swishing around in our stomachs. We grow to hate the taste of water; we resent the routine. Eventually, we stop doing it, and we’re back to being dehydrated.

In The Simple Seven book I discuss ways of hydrating. My 3 simplest tips are easy to remember and add to your day, and they replenish your body when it needs it the most.

1. Drink a glass of water or two when you wake up in the morning.

The body uses up a lot of water during its nightly maintenance, as evidenced by the typically heavy first urination in the morning. Maintenance such as fortifying the immune system and fighting off illness. Producing human growth hormone (HGH), which promotes youthfulness. Clearing waste from the body. Repairing and regenerating.

2. Drink a glass of water or two before a meal.

Water activates digestive enzymes and hydrates the lining of the stomach, temporarily thickening it and buffering the underlying tissue from the corrosive stomach acid that can cause ulcers. Water triggers the muscles of the 35-foot intestinal tract to contract and move food through it.

3. Drink a glass of water or two after urinating.

A good time to remember to replenish the water you’ve just lost. Urine is mostly water, about 95 percent. Urine is meant be high in water, to dilute corrosive acid waste and prevent it from damaging the delicate tissues of the bladder and urinary organs.

You should notice a difference just by following these 3 tips consistently every day.

Keep in mind that water is hydrating, whereas the three most common beverages — coffee, soda, and alcohol — are not. You can still drink those beverages, but you’ll also want to drink water.

How water is moved around the body to where it is needed when we’re dehydrated is brilliant and nothing short of miraculous. In The Simple Seven I explain the science behind how it works , along with other body systems and functions.

***

The Simple Seven © Marlene Veltre 2024 All rights reserved

No portion of this post may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Marlene Veltre.

The information in this post is to be used for educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice or to prevent, cure, or heal any illness or disease. You should always see your doctor or health practitioner.

The Right Dental Care Products Can Make The Chore Of Brushing Your Teeth A Reason To Smile!

In this post I share my favorite dental care products for which I am not paid an endorsement or promotion.

The health of your pearly whites is indeed a health matter. In the Look Good chapter of The Simple Seven book I wrote that:

“During times of high stress, it’s common for dental problems, like gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), to arise, when a weakened immune system isn’t strong enough to fight off unfriendly bacteria in the mouth. Health problems might snowball; bacteria may invade the bloodstream, damaging arteries, the body attempting to repair arteries with plaque that builds up and contributes to hardening of the arteries1.”

1 Kathleen Doheny, “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart?” WebMD

Managing stress can help keep your teeth healthy, as can making good dietary choices. For example, a diet high in sugary foods and beverages is known to contribute to tooth decay. I present other examples in the book.

Overall, practicing good dental hygiene is imperative. But if you don’t particularly enjoy brushing your teeth (who does?), I have good news for you: The dental care products you use can make a difference. That’s what I’ve discovered, and I’d like to share my favorite products with you.

1. Fuch’s Toothbrush. Unlike most toothbrushes, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the Fuch’s toothbrush is simple in design and features natural bristles which provide effective, gentle brushing. I massage my whole mouth—teeth, gums, and tongue. It feels so good. I end up brushing longer and getting a cleaner, fresher mouth, especially when paired with a good toothpaste.

2. Jason Toothpaste. I prefer toothpastes that are made with natural ingredients that aren’t harsh. Jason toothpaste is my favorite because it noticeably brushes away plaque, leaving your teeth feeling smooth and clean. I like peppermint for a burst of flavor or vanilla for a more subtle taste. Jason’s formulas also include natural ingredients for whitening teeth, which helps if you drink coffee or tea that can stain teeth.

3. Dr. Tung’s Dental Floss. Hands down, this is the best dental floss you’ll ever use. You won’t believe how good it is until you try it. It’s sturdy so you don’t need to use a lot; it doesn’t shred or fray. Somehow Dr. Tung has done the impossible of creating the perfect surface for a dental floss, one that easily slides between teeth and effortlessly and cleanly removes debris, often in a single pass. You’ll want to floss more!

4. Jason Mouthwash. Jason has also perfected plaque removal with their mouthwashes, dissolving plaque even in between teeth when you give your mouth a swish. I like Sea Fresh, for strengthening teeth and gums. But it’s strong, so I use a little or dilute it. Because the other dental care products do their jobs so well, I don’t always rely on mouth wash for plaque removal, but a quick rinse uplifts and freshens my breath.

Another benefit of these products is that, although they cost a little more than other dental care products, they’re economical in the long run. The Fuch’s toothbrush lasts a long time, and you don’t need to use a lot of the other products—a little goes a long way.

Don’t forget to brush, floss, and rinse at least twice a day, after breakfast and before you go to bed.

Now that you know about these products, I hope you enjoy caring for your smile as much as I do!

***

The Simple Seven © Marlene Veltre 2022 All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Marlene Veltre. The information in this post is to be used for educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice or to prevent, cure, or heal any illness or disease. You should always see your doctor or health practitioner.

A Movie That Gets To The Heart Of Mental Health

In recent years, awareness of mental health has been growing. It’s been badly needed. Finally, people are getting help. This couldn’t be more crucial than with pandemic trauma — especially for the youth of the world.

The impact of pandemic trauma cannot be overstated. Once, I helped a woman overcome anxiety during a job search. We traced it to trauma she’d had as a 5-year-old growing up in 1980s New York City when the AIDS epidemic broke out. She developed a pattern of fear, anxiety, and helplessness that repeated throughout her life whenever she was faced with matters of “survival” — such as searching for a job.

No matter what your source of stress and trauma, everyone can benefit from relieving even mild symptoms of depression or anxiety. That’s because it’s common for emotional pain to be buried and hidden in the unconscious. (Psychology Today) Until it’s uncovered, symptoms will persist, wearing on your emotional well-being — and your health — and inhibiting you from living your best life without you knowing it.

Watch this explainer video

With Los Angeles as the movie capital of the world, an award-winning movie can illustrate how this happens. Spoiler alert!

The movie is Ordinary People. Released in 1980 and directed by Robert Redford, the story is based on Judith Guest’s novel of the same name. Teenager Conrad (Timothy Hutton) returns home from a stay at a psychiatric hospital. He’s attempted suicide after surviving a boating accident in which his older brother did not survive.

Conrad is suffering from depression and anxiety. He has insomnia and has lost his appetite. He’s quit the school’s swim team. Prompted by a caring father (Donald Sutherland), he begins therapy with Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch). Conrad is hurt knowing that his detached mother (Mary Tyler Moore) loved his brother more. Conrad also loved his brother and is suffering a terrible loss.

But it’s not until another tragic event happens — a friend from the mental hospital taking her life — that Conrad uncovers the hidden source of his anguish: Unlike his brother, who didn’t stay with the boat during the storm, and his friend, who took her life — both dying — Conrad stayed with the boat, and lived.

“You can live with that, can’t you?” Dr. Berger asks Conrad. Facing his guilt and pain, Conrad realizes that he can.

Watch the scene in which this unfolds. It’s powerfully emotional. Conrad has just found out that his friend has committed suicide. Reflexively, he prepares to take his own life, but instead rushes to Dr. Berger’s office to deal with his pain.

It’s not until Conrad is triggered by his friend’s death that his painful feelings about his brother’s death surface from his unconscious, making Conrad aware of them and providing him with an opportunity to heal them.

It’s an older movie but a current and constant battle.

I’ve developed a targeted tool for uncovering buried feelings in the unconscious when you’re triggered, called The Method. In sessions, it’s common for clients to begin believing that they already know what’s bothering them. Often, they do — consciously. However, they don’t know what’s hidden in their unconscious mind. My clients’ reactions range from surprise to shock and awe when they uncover what was buried — which often is more painful than they’d thought — and the realization that they’ve buried anything at all.

Burying painful feelings is more common than you think. We employ it as a coping mechanism for self-preservation, helping us avert too-hard-to-bear feelings.

This burying serves a useful purpose, provided that we unbury the feelings, eventually. Because until we do, they’ll trigger us again and again, causing us to relive the same initial pain, without our knowing it. This induces stress, impacting our health, and whether temporary or lingering, the emotional setback can inhibit us from moving forward consistently and living our best life.

Instead of avoiding painful feelings, we need to reframe a trigger as a point of power. It gives us an opportunity to heal buried painful feelings — by feeling them — when we couldn’t initially.

Psychotherapy is the most common way of examining what’s in one’s unconscious mind, conducted under the guidance of a trained professional. Journaling is a popular technique, where thoughts and feelings are explored in writing. There are a number of other self-help and spiritual tools available. I offer The Method in guided audio, which can be used on one’s own or when working with a professional.

Now more than ever, if you are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, obsessive or paranoid tendencies, or addictive impulses, you could be masking painful feelings that are buried in your unconscious and waiting to be known. The time is now to unbury them so you can stop them from hurting you.

***

The Simple Seven © Marlene Veltre 2022 All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Marlene Veltre. The information in this post is to be used for educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice or to prevent, cure, or heal any illness or disease. You should always see your doctor or health practitioner.

A Different Way Of Meditating: Relax Your Mind

I don’t meditate. I wish I could, and I certainly recommend it. In the past, I’ve tried transcendental meditation and just quieting my mind, but neither have worked for me.

Like most people, I have a hard time quieting my mind. However, the cards are really stacked against me, astrologically-speaking, with strong Aries (ruled by my head), Capricorn (analytical) and Virgo (critical thinking) in my chart(!) Whether it’s relevant or not, suffice it to say that I can drive myself crazy overthinking.

But it hasn’t stopped me from tapping into that special inner place that’s available to everyone, where we gain access to our inner guidance and the universal intelligence — which is the point of meditation, in my opinion. Instead of meditating, I relax my mind.

I discovered this by accident when I moved from New York City to Los Angeles. After work, I would walk on the beach. I was also recovering from cancer — the reason why I moved to sunny, southern California. Spending time in nature on the beach was an intentional part of my healing plan.

As with most people, my job was stressful. By the end of the day, my mind would spin endlessly — agonizingly — around the day’s events and worries. To make matters worse, even though I was grateful for my job, I didn’t enjoy it.

What started out as a daily, hourly walk began to turn into two and three hour walks. I would just walk and walk. Eventually, I realized that I wouldn’t stop walking until all of my worrisome thoughts of the day were emptied from my mind and replaced by lightness — solutions, ideas, inspiration, creativity, and positivity. A shift in my state of mind. The difference between the beginning of my walk and the end was profound and distinct. But it wasn’t because I’d worked through the problems of the day. It was because being in nature was relaxing, relaxed my mind — helping me to release my incessant thoughts — which, in turn, allowed me to tap into that special, inner place.

Recently, I was in a part of town where life is pretty typical. It’s a commercial area where there are stores, restaurants, people, traffic, congestion. A plane would fly over head, a firetruck sound its siren and speed down the street. Inside stores, cafes, and restaurants, too loud, distracting music plays. Staff scurry about, calling out orders, seating people quickly, and ringing up items at the cash register with breakneck speed. Customers getting in and out of their cars in the parking lot move briskly, with precision speed, pulling out into the traffic whizzing by, no doubt later checking in on the news and social media and immersing themselves in any number of other busy activities.

I had just finished hiking, my mind was relaxed. Noticing the contrast between where I’d just been and where I was now, I realized that this is how most of us live. How can anyone tap into their inner place? Whether intentional or not, the world inhibits it from happening. The world creates so much physical and mental noise that it blocks us from looking inward and deciding for ourselves whether it’s something that we want — what is our truth.

By the way, I differentiate between noise and sound. One of my favorite ways of connecting to my inner place is to listen to sound in the form of music.

When I started writing my first book, it took about eight months to discover what was my creative process. Which is to begin my day by getting up early and going straight to a cafe. Literally. Waking up, getting dressed, gathering my things, and stepping out the door. At the cafe, other than placing my order, I don’t talk to anyone. Nor do I go online or dig into work right away, allowing anything to begin to fill my mind. I sip on my beverage or take a bite of something, let my mind wander. Poke around, look out the window, notice what’s going on around me. Maybe answer a text or email. Eventually, an idea or inspiration will pop into my mind. It could be something familiar or out of the blue. And before I know it, the next task or activity to do presents itself to me. With my mind relaxed, I can ease into the day. This is my inner guidance at work (my boss), supported by universal intelligence (the research department). I usually complete my work within four hours, and I’m done for the day. I feel productive and my work is rewarding. My creative process grounds me and sets me up for the rest of my day — to have a pleasant day. When i don’t have the opportunity to begin my day in this way, my day doesn’t flow, I don’t feel grounded. So, I make doing it a priority.

When I left my home this morning, the idea for this post came to me. I had something else I thought I should work on, but I wrote this instead, following my inner guidance. I’m not sure why, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Have a beautiful day!

***

The Simple Seven © Marlene Veltre 2021 All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Marlene Veltre. The information in this post is to be used for educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice or to prevent, cure, or heal any illness or disease. You should always see your doctor or health practitioner.