Fasting

Toxins accumulate in the body over time as a result of pollution in the air we breathe, pollutants in the food and water we consume, and other factors. The body periodically attempts to eliminate these poisons by expelling them from the tissues. Toxins enter the bloodstream, causing the body to go through a "low" or "down" cycle. You might experience headaches, constipation, or sadness during such a period.

Fasting is not only an effective way to help the body detox, but it is also safe and can help minimize symptoms and shorten the duration of a low cycle. In fact, fasting is recommended for any illness because it gives the body time to rest and recover. Acute conditions like colon disorders, allergies, and respiratory diseases are most responsive to fasting while chronic degenerative diseases are least responsive.

Fasting allows the body to rid itself of poisons and heal, while relieving the digestion process. Fasting is beneficial not just in illness or during the body's low phases. By fasting on a daily basis, you rest all of your organs and help reverse the aging process by extending your life span and improving your health.

During a fast, the following happens:

1. When you reduce the amount of toxins coming in, and increase the rate of toxin excretion, your overall level of body toxicity decreases.
2. The immune system's workload is reduced, and allergic reactions to food do not affect the digestive tract.
3. Due to a lowering of serum fats that thins the blood increases tissue oxygenation, and white blood cells are moved more efficiently.
4. Fat-stored chemicals, such as pesticides and drugs, are released.
5. Physical awareness and sensitivity to diet and surroundings are increased.

A fast can aid in the healing of your body, as well as purification of your blood and weight loss. Other advantages of fasting include:

1. Regrow brain cells
2. Increase mitochon
3. Autophagy
4. Enhance stem cells
5. Decrease inflammation
6. Decrease tumour growth
7. Increase anti-oxidants
8. Cell resistance to stress

It is recommended that you fast at least three days each month and undertake a ten-day fast every year or two. Fasting is for healthy adults; those with chronic diseases should first consult their doctor. Children are not equipped to spend so much time without food and should not be subjected to a fast.

Three-day fasts help flush toxins from the body and clear the bloodstream. A five-day cleanse jumpstarts the immune system's healing process. Ten days can prevent many issues before they start, including degenerative diseases that have become common in our polluted environment.

There are certain things you should be aware of before beginning a fast. Most importantly, do not try to survive on water alone as an all-water fast will only serve to release toxins too quickly, which can result in headaches or worse. Instead, follow the live-juice diet outlined below; it both removes toxins and encourages healing by giving the body vital vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. This type of fasting may even lead you to want to maintain a raw vegetable diet once the fast is over due its fresh taste and health benefits

Second, only under the supervision of a qualified health care practitioner should you fast for more than three days. Even short fasting should be administered by a doctor if you have diabetes, hypoglycemia, or another chronic illness. Women who are pregnant or nursing should never restrict their food intake.

Remember, it took years to wear your body down, so don't expect to build it back up overnight. A typical diet might provide you with too much salt, but when you fast, your body gets minimal salt (sodium), which is a necessary nutrient. If at any point during the fast you feel lightheaded or dizzy, be sure to include some broth in your diet. And finally, whenever you start to feel unwell throughout this process, simply fasting will help improve how you're feeling.

Procedure

To prepare for the fast, eat only raw vegetables and fruits for two days. This will make the fast less of a shock to the system. While on the fast, consume at least ten 8-ounce glasses of steam-distilled water daily, pure juices and up to 2 cups of herbal tea daily. Dilute all juices with the water, adding about 1 part water to 3 parts juice.

Do not drink orange or tomato juice; avoid all juices made with sweeteners or other additives. The best juice to use during your fast is fresh lemon juice made by adding the juice of one lemon to a cup of warm water. Fresh apple, beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, and grape juices are also good, as are "green drinks," which are made from green leafy vegetables. These green drinks are excellent detoxifiers. Raw cabbage juice is particularly good for ulcers, cancer, and all colon problems. Just be sure to drink the cabbage juice as soon as it is prepared. As this juice sits, it loses its vitamin content.  As a general rule, you should not combine fruit and vegetable juices. Apples are the only fruit that should be added to vegetable juices.

Follow the juice-water-and-tea fast with a two-day diet of raw fruits and vegetables. Because the stomach size and the amount of secreted digestive juices may decrease during fasting, the first meals after a fast should be frequent and small. The desired effects of the fast can be ruined by eating cooked foods immediately afterward.

Herbs‍

Herbal teas may be consumed throughout the fast, once or twice daily, or more if you wish. Try the following:

• Use alfalfa, burdock, chamomile, dandelion, milk thistle, red clover, and rose hips tea to rejuvenate the liver and cleanse the bloodstream. Caution: Do not use chamomile if you are allergic to ragweed. Do not use it during pregnancy or nursing. It may interact with warfarin or cyclosporine, so patients using these drugs should avoid it.
• Drink 2 parts echinacea and pau d'arco tea mixed with 1 part unsweetened cranberry juice. Used four times a day, this will rebuild the immune system, aid in bladder function, and rid the colon of unwanted bacteria. Caution: Do not take echinacea for longer than three months. It should not be used by people who are allergic to ragweed.
• Use peppermint tea for its calming and strengthening effect on the nerves and for indigestion, nausea, and flatulence.
• Use slippery elm tea for inflammation of the colon. This tea also is beneficial when used as an enema solution.
• Take 2 capsules of garlic twice a day. If you prefer a liquid supplement, add 1 tablespoon of liquid aged garlic extract (Kyolic) to a cup of water. Garlic supplements may be taken on a daily basis before, during, and after a fast to promote overall health, aid in the healing process, and rid the colon of many types of parasites.

Recommendations

• When fasting, you may not be getting enough salt. If you feel lightheaded or dizzy, take some broth with sodium and/ or add salt to your food.
• If you must have something to eat during the fast, eat a piece of seeded watermelon. Always eat watermelon by itself, with no other foods. You can also try applesauce--fresh, not canned--made in a blender or food processor. Leave the skin on the apples, and do not cook them.
• Take a fibre supplement daily before and after your fast, but not during the fast. To promote cleansing of the colon before and after your fast, make extra fibre a part of your daily diet.
• Do not chew gum while on the fast. The digestive process starts when chewing prompts the body to secrete enzymes into the gastrointestinal tract. If there is no food in the stomach for the enzymes to digest, trouble occurs.
• If desired, take spirulina during the fast. Spirulina is high in protein and contains many vitamins and minerals, plus chlorophyll for cleansing. If you are using tablets, take 5 tablets three times daily. If you are using powder, take 1 teaspoon three times daily, mixing the powder with a cup of unsweetened juice.
• If you have hypoglycemia, consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any fast.
• If you are over sixty-five, or if you need daily supplements for another reason, consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any fast.
• If desired, use moringa extract before, during, and after your fast to get your daily nutritional vitamins and amino acids.
• During a fast, as toxins are released from your body, you may experience fatigue; body odour; dry, scaly skin; skin eruptions; headaches; dizziness; irritability; anxiety; confusion; nausea; coughing; diarrhea; dark urine; dark, foul-smelling stools; body aches; insomnia; sinus and bronchial mucus discharge; and/or visual or hearing problems. These symptoms are not severe and should pass quickly. To alleviate these symptoms, use a daily lemon juice enema to cleanse the colon and a daily coffee enema to rid the liver of impurities. Also, you may be lacking in salt; use salted broth.
• During your fast, be sure to get adequate rest. If necessary, try napping during the day to recharge your batteries.
• If desired, before, during, and after your fast, juice crabapple, papaya, and aloe vera juice, which helps keep the colon clean, supports kidney and bladder function, aids digestion, and has a healing effect on ulcers. Juicing with beetroot helps cleanse your blood during your fast
• To make an excellent juice for healing many illnesses, juice together 3 carrots, 3 kale leaves, 2 stalks of celery, 2 beets, 1 turnip, ¼ pound spinach, ½ head of cabbage, ¼ bunch of parsley, ¼ of an onion, and ½ clove of garlic. If you don't have a juicer, place the vegetables in pure water and gently boil them, adding no seasonings. A cup of this juice may be substituted for any other juice while fasting. Save the vegetables from the broth to eat after your fast. Remember that no solid food is allowed during the fast.
• During a fast, as toxins are released from your body, you will probably experience a coated tongue and an unpleasant taste in your mouth. To relieve this problem, try rinsing your mouth with fresh lemon juice.
• If you are a denture wearer, keep your dentures in your mouth throughout the fast to prevent shrinkage of the gums.
• While fasting, continue your regular daily routine, including moderate exercise. Avoid any strenuous activity.
• Be aware that when you fast during a low phase, you help your body experience the "up" phase of the cycle--a period during which you feel great. This occurs because the body has been cleansed of impurities. However, when you start to pollute your body again, the toxins once again begin to build up, and, in time, you will again have a low phase. When this occurs, the fast should be repeated.
• Before, during, and after your fast, use dry-brush massages to help rid the skin of toxins and dead cells. Perform the massage with a natural bristle brush with a long handle so you can reach your back. Always brush toward the heart--from wrist to elbow, elbow to shoulder, ankles to knees, knees to hips, and so on. This message will flake away large amounts of dead skin, freeing the pores of impediments and, in turn, helping the skin to excrete poisons. It will also significantly improve circulation. Do not use this technique on areas of the body affected by acne, eczema, or psoriasis. Also, avoid brushing areas that are broken or recently scarred or protruding varicose veins.
• To avoid overwhelming the digestive system and prevent insulin spikes, we must keep calories at 50% of our regular intake. Continue this intake level for at least 2 days following a fast.

Fasting is one of the most effective methods for cleansing and detoxifying the body. It aids in the removal of pollutants and impurities from the body, as well as improving digestion and healing. When fasting, make sure you drink lots of water, get enough rest, and avoid any intense activity.

Source: Balch, Phyllis A. “Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition.” A Practical a-To-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Food Supplements, Penguin Books, 2010.