Fasting. Ugh. I hate it. I have tried it a few times and simply cannot accommodate it in any way, shape, or form — bodily, sensorily (is that a word?), or philosophically. Cleanses, yes. Fasts, no. Perhaps it is just me, or my constitutional make-up.
Whatever, and be that as it may, there is a large body of evidence, harking back to ancient times, that fasting is good for the body and soul, and therefore I guess, what ails you. To quote:
“Fasting allows the organs that cleanse the blood, primarily the liver and kidneys, to take a rest, to detoxify. That which they are burdened with [toxins] are henceforth washed away, leaving the blood clean and the organs rejuvenated . . .”
….. okay, I have to admit, that’s my own quote, making fun of the old, arcane language used by early herbalists and doctors …………..
So yay. Wouldn’t we all like to do this, regularly, leaving ourselves “washed clean” and therefore ready for the next onslaught of burgers and fries?
I would. But I just can’t. Period.
So, back to the topic at hand. Bella. My Mustang mare. What in the world might the idea of fasting have to do with her?
Well, Bella, as you may already know if you have been following this blog, is from a wild herd of horses in Wyoming that has the draft horse, Percheron, mixed into its bloodlines , and she seems to have imbibed every nuance of that draft horse gene possible. She is not your typical Mustang, to say the least.
No. Instead she is ultra-tall for a wild horse, around 16 hands (you horse people will know what I’m talking about), and weighs in at around 1400-1500 lbs. — an exceptional weight even at that height. She’s just BIG. In fact we have to curb ourselves from constantly calling her “Miss Piggy,” while chortling and turning away so she won’t think we’re making fun of her.
Okay. So she’s big. That’s fine and always has been. But normally her ‘bigness’ is somewhat attenuated by ‘working out’ a la my riding her several times a week. Not so these past many months since I injured my back last September.
So . . . back to the fasting thing. What can one do if one wants to “cleanse the blood, detoxify the organs,” etc. without a full-blown fast? Well, try eating minimally and upping exercise, but then do a partial FAST for a few days from all supplements and superfluous substances so your organs get extra rest. And drink tons of water during that time to flush out the resultant toxins.
That’s what I’m doing with Bella: less feed, less hay, and NO supplements for a while — giving her body and organs a time to rest and detoxify.
And I’m trying to remind her daily: “Fast? NO! (I would never do that to you Miss Piggy . . . I mean Bella). Cleanse, YES!” So far she’s not really on the team, but I do think she’s going to feel better sooner rather than later. And my back is oodles better now, so “Bella, watch out!”
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FOR MORE ON BELLA, OR JUST THE FAT, DRAFT TYPE HORSE, SEE:
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