Fasting State

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Permalink Reply by G Conrad on March 29, 2010 at 4:10pm

I haven't done it--blood sugar issues. But I've read lots of anecdotes of people who do this often.

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Permalink Reply by Marcia Hill on March 29, 2010 at 7:17pm

I'm curious, too. My greater concern would be this: for a longer fast of 7-10 days, wouldn't this send a starvation message to the brain, causing metabolism to slow which is the last thing most of us need:-).

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Permalink Reply by James Simmons on March 30, 2010 at 12:07pm

Long-term water fasting is not an option for those who cannot rest and slow down during the fast. For such persons it is best to begin immediately with the food recommendations, as they will easily maintain required energy levels for regular daily activities. After day three or four it is fairly easy to maintain a long-term fast, so long as you stay well hydrated. I am able to work fairly well in a fasting state, but if you have never done it before and do not know what to expect, I don't recommend it unless you can take a complete break from regular daily activities. Jim

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Permalink Reply by Julie Greenman on March 30, 2010 at 2:29pm

I have done a number of water fasts in the last four years. I do about two a year. The first time was difficult, but doable. I felt weak and had pains that come from your body eking out the toxins. I just figured that I would act as if it was a week of illness and would sit and lay more often than not. I got a lot of reading done with the down time. Beforehand I had organized the children to make the meals and clean up. It was hard for us all, but worth it. Since then it has become gradually easier for me physically and for our family. I usually do it for 7-8 days.

Some people ask me if I drink herbal teas or green drinks during a water fast and this is what I tell them: I am not an expert, but somewhere in the recesses of my mind I remember reading or hearing that if you are doing a juice fast you can drink herbal teas and green drinks, but if you are doing a water fast it should only be water. Each of the particular fasts put you in a different mode. Thus if you are doing a juice fast, you have enough calories to go into reduced digestion mode and your body will process the herbs and green drink. On the other hand if you are only drinking water (which turns off the digestion and turns on the cleaning of each cell) and then you drink the minerals and nutrients in the teas and green drink you will turn on the digestive tract, but you won't be getting enough calories for it to run successfully--even though you will lose weight, it won't be the correct way to do it because it will be confusing the body. The digestive system is the hardest system for your body to run. It takes more energy than any other and when it is turned on, the energy will go there to make it run. If you completely turn it off (through a water fast) you will be turning on your lymph system that will flush toxins out of each cell and turn them into a sort of energy. You will feel more tired and will want to lay down more, but you will be effectively cleaning out the cells of all the toxic buildup.

Here are my suggestions for how do go on with life while you are on a water fast:

1. Stick to water only (as any kind of food will turn on your digestion process and could actually be harmful to your body--only in extreme cases)
2. Get some really good books to read.
3. Organize your children to take over some of your responsibilities such as preparing meals.

I love how I feel now during a water fast, the difficulty is coming off of one by eating gradually (fruit for a few days and then onto salads) I tend to want to eat too much and have to exercise will power to gradually feed my body rather than stuff it.

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Julie Greenman on March 30, 2010 at 2:34pm

You only will get to starvation mode after the body has used up all the toxic materials (including fat). Once all the toxins are gone, the body will derive its energy from muscle, but that usually won't happen for weeks of being on a water fast. My favorite book on the subject is called, The Fasting Path, by David Harrod http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001O4SCYC/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?p...


Marcia Hill said:

I'm curious, too. My greater concern would be this: for a longer fast of 7-10 days, wouldn't this send a starvation message to the brain, causing metabolism to slow which is the last thing most of us need:-).

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Permalink Reply by Marcia Hill on April 12, 2010 at 11:42am

I am currently on the third day of a water fast, and I will probably break it at the end of the third day due to obligations that I have the rest of the week. My experience thus far has been thus: The first day was just like any other 24 hour fast--no big deal. The second day was ROUGH. Headaches (which I don't normally get, but I suspect this is caffeine withdrawal from my Pepsi habit); nausea due to cooking smells (my husband and daughter are fending for themselves, but the smell of that corned beef hash nearly did me in!). This morning I woke up feeling great until my husband made toast:-). It's not as bad as yesterday though. One thing I am doing that I think is helpful is a short yoga routine for cleansing--I think it is helping clear out the intestines, and I understand that can be an issue.

Next time I would do this, I think I will do a longer term fast when my husband is out of town which he does for 2-3 weeks twice a year. I'm grateful I don't have to cook, but the smells seem to stimulate your stomach for a meal which MUST be coming soon, and then doesn't. I would start from a better place before the fast by doing just fruits and veggies for a couple of days before. AND hopefully, I won't have to go through the Pepsi withdrawal again!

I'm 54, and haven't done this kind of a fast for 25 years or so, so I'm probably pretty toxic with the amount of fast food, etc. I've put away for the last decade, so my experience might be rougher than some--however, I do usually go on a largely vegan diet over the last few summers.

Just a note: On you-tube, there is a lady who has done three back-to-back 40 day water fasts. (YIKES!) She has seven or eight children, the youngest of whom is a baby. So you KNOW she has to keep up with her household while she does this--I have no idea how. Anyway, she chronicles her fasts day by day so it could give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. In her case, though, I think the vitamins that she is taking are probably making her sicker--plus when she goes off the fast for a week or two in-between, she does things like drinking a bunch of milk, etc. which could be a recipe for disaster, I would think. Interesting none-the less. She went from 200 lbs to 120 lbs, and she looks like walking death at the end, but to each; their own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgNh9mGb2K4&feature=related

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