Fasting--The Power of Fasting

Fasting has a certain stigma attached to it. It’s either looked at with awe, reserved for highly disciplined spiritual masters, considered dangerous to one’s health, or is just one of those things “I could never do.” When one has to have surgery or go for a blood test, the idea of fasting for a certain period of time brings terror.

Let’s look at fasting in another light. I find fasting to be a powerful healing method, a way to reset the body back into its optimum processes, and a method of self-mastery and discipline that gives you a sense of “I can!” Proper fasting, with the right mindset going in and throughout, has saved my health and my sanity. It has opened me to possibilities and allowed me to understand my body.

NOTE: Anyone reading this that is bulimic or anorexic should not read further on your own. Print out a copy and bring it to your therapist. If you aren’t in some form of therapy, get help immediately. This is a method of healing, not a tool of self-destruction. The author takes no responsibility for misuse of this information or any personal injury arriving thereof. The following is informational only, not meant to cure or prevent any disease, and should not be taken as medical advice. Any practice of these methods is at your own risk.

I decided to do my first fast after I had gained a significant amount of weight, was having trouble managing my blood sugar, and had constant intestinal cramping. Let’s just say—and forgive my bluntness—the pain had me on the bowl for long periods of time, sweating and begging for an end to the insanity.

I had heard about “lemonade fasting” after an internet search years before. At that time, I didn’t think I needed it. But with my health steadily declining, I was continually getting subconscious messages that I should try that lemonade—quickly! However, I could no longer find the information I had found years before.

My friend lent me a book that she had read regarding fasting. It did contain the lemonade fast recipe and instructions, but it also contained a whole lot more. It was called “The Detox Diet” by Elson M. Haas, MD.

After reading through the book and learning about toxic accumulation in the body, giving the digestive system a rest to heal, and food allergies, I put together my fasting plan. That began my long history with fasting.

My first fast was both a blessing and a disaster. The instructions said to use fresh juice from fruits and vegetables using a juicer. I bought jars of juice. The lemonade fast had an added ingredient of cayenne pepper that’s supposed to help with the detox process. Let me just say that pepper and lemons just do not belong together, not in a cold drink anyway.

My first day went well. I was hungry, but otherwise not too bad. I pushed myself because I needed to heal. As I went to bed, I figured I could continue on as long as the possible ten days the book mentioned.

My second day was hell. I understood the concept of withdrawal at that point. Fatigue, headaches, stomach and intestinal discomfort, and constant, constant hunger. By day three I felt absolutely miserable, but I pushed on. Partway through day four, I broke and went to the nearest Chinese food store for chicken noodle soup. Eating stopped the trembling, but the stomach pain returned.

So here’s what I learned. First and foremost, fresh juices and only fresh juices! The vitamin content in jarred juices just isn’t up to the same level due to pasteurization, and if you’re not eating, you need the nutrients. Second, no cayenne pepper in anything but a cooked dinner or capsule! Third, it’s very easy to get disgusted with what you’re ingesting during this time, and you could even spend months afterward avoiding the object of said distaste. Finally, most certainly don’t turn to fast food to break your fast!

As it turned out, I have an intolerance to wheat. What do you think was in the noodles in that soup? Not to mention plenty of other things that are a mystery to me. Still, I was happy I was able to push it to the 3 and a half days.

A few weeks later, I fasted again, because the intestinal pain wouldn’t go away. I could barely push two days that time, but I introduced foods one at a time to see if I would react. That’s when I truly found my intolerance to wheat. The answer was obvious shortly after eating a little bread. My weight would rise three to five pounds within hours or a day after eating even a small amount.

As it turns out, after I read “The False Fat Diet”, again by Elson M. Haas, MD, I learned about how the body reacts to food intolerances. It’s almost like a very minor allergic reaction. A full blown allergic reaction involves swelling to the point where it cuts off the ability to breathe. This is due to the body trying to flush out the allergen. With an intolerance, the reaction is much smaller. The body will swell with water weight in order to flush out the allergen, but it happens at a much lower level. If I continued to eat wheat for a long period of time, I would start finding myself out of breath with small exertions.

How did this happen? I’m thinking it had to do with my Overeating Disorder. During unhappy or stressful periods in my life, I would medicate with food, preferably pizza or pasta. I would overeat to the point of pain, where I could no longer put anything else into my stomach without risking vomiting or agony. I didn’t realize what I was doing to myself until years later.

So I went on to fast periodically throughout the years. It usually occurred when I would lose myself and gorge on the things I missed: pizza, cookies, cakes, whatever. Of course, every fast would be difficult and traumatic like the first because of it. I did eventually get a juicer, which helped matters a great deal. Even so, I still found myself trying to find ways to make it easier. I added chicken soup broth for protein, even attempted nut milks (grind up almonds in water), but in my state I found them repulsive.

One thing I did notice was that the idea of wheat was definitely better than the actual taste. When I would lose myself and chomp on some cake, it never tasted as good as I thought it would. Now I’ve got the allergens in my system, and it takes a long period of time to clear from your system without fasting (and you have to make sure you don’t have any more at all or else it won’t clear.)

I also had issues with family members and others totally not understanding the concept. Even years later, some people in my family serve dinner items covered in breadcrumbs and still cook items “for me” that have crackers or cake in them. I’ve had a fun time explaining this to coworkers and others, trying to explain that what they have I can’t eat. Then they would tell me that there’s no wheat in it, only enriched flour, or pure durum semolina, all of which are wheat derived. I try to tell them unless it says “gluten free”, I can’t eat it. However, I have realized that no matter what I say, there will still be those who just refuse to understand for whatever reason.

There came a part of my life that was very difficult. My mother was sick with cancer, my husband had troubles at his job and was then injured, and I had been laid off from work. While I was starting my own business and trying to get that off the ground, my mother died. I was bombarded by stress after stress, and I didn’t care much for my health at that time. I stuffed my face with cakes and breads and anything else that I could pretend would help me feel better. After it was all over, I still continued to try to deaden my pain with foods I knew were hurting me. All I wanted was the pleasure. At that time, I truly understood what addicts must feel.

Another dear friend did a tarot card reading for me, and the end result was “stop killing yourself with food.” I decided that I needed to make some real changes in my life.

I looked back on the patterns I had with fasting. I would fast, lose weight and regulate my blood sugar, then a few months later I was stuffing my face, usually with wheat-filled products. Before I began my next fast, I wanted the pattern to change.

It was about that time I learned about Overeating Disorders which explained why I had these patterns. I decided to work on that problem and planned my next fast. That particular time, I was only able to do a day and a half before I wound up eating. However, it was all fresh juices, so I was getting nutrition during it. Plus, it was summer, so I was able to exercise and keep warm during my detox. From that point up until this writing, I never purposely touched wheat again (there have been times I’ve ordered something and realized after the fact they may have thickened the sauce with wheat, but because I had avoided it for so long, its affect was much smaller and cleared out quickly.)

I lost 40 lbs and kept the weight off, even though I didn’t exercise much. I did attempt another fast in late winter, mostly because I had gotten too much into the sweets and starches the past few months. However, it was very difficult. It was cold, and I avoided summer fruits and vegetables in order to be seasonal. It was miserable, and shortly after doing it I was back to my old habits. It’s amazing how state of mind can determine how well your fast works out for you. Incidentally, I was in a very depressive state as I began to really work on my personal issues with a therapist. Many things were brought to the surface and it was difficult to really master myself and control what and how much I ate.

Fast forward to the summer after. I had been reading a lot of Tom Brown books on living with and being connected to Nature. The thing that struck me is that he often mentioned fasting on water for four days before going on a hunt (partially to really understand hunger and one’s need to take another life and also to clear the body so that one’s scent wouldn’t linger and warn the animals.) I wondered how in the hell anyone could fast on water for four days. After all, Elson Haas’ books said that a maximum of a three-day water fast should be done under the constant monitoring of a doctor. Now here’s Tom Brown saying he not only did it often, but didn’t seem worse for wear. He even mentioned how the Native hunters practiced this regularly for the same purposes and for spiritual purposes.

I could barely push a day and a half on juices, and he’s going four days on water??? It was during this summer fast I decided to see how far I could push myself. I water fasted for a day and a half, then switched to juices and ate dinner on the third night. I was amazed how well I did with the water. The withdrawal period occurred on the first day, and by the next day, I felt pretty good. I felt healed and pure. I listened to my body during all of this, and when it said that we needed to move onto juices, I went ahead. After all, once you get past the withdrawal period, your body begins to be honest with you.

As of this writing, I’m on my second day of a water fast yet again. I find something pure and magical about the water fast that I don’t experience with juices. There’s a self-mastery involved, and I’m not obsessing about what I’ll drink next or when I’m going to eat. Being on one pure thing cuts out the obsession. I know that my next meal is going to be water. I can focus on other things or on my own healing and rest instead of figuring out the juicer and cleaning it and that whole mess. I also think that my stomach, which usually needs the healing, gets a better rest.

However, I wouldn’t recommend a water fast for those just starting out on fasting. It not only takes discipline, but you have to understand your body well unless you are indeed under a doctor’s care during it (and I mean having the doctor close, not someone you have to drive a long distance to see.) You also need to not be under stress during this type of fast. Therefore, no working (unless you’re an artist or writer or the sort that functions better in a higher state of being), no major cleaning or dealing with problematic people.

For those thinking of using fasting as a healing method, here is what I recommend. First and foremost, if you have any medical problems such as cancer, diabetes, cardiac disease, etc., consult a doctor and explain what you want to do and why. Make sure your doctor doesn’t dismiss fasting as pointless or dangerous in general. If your doctor says it’s dangerous for you personally, that’s another story. Make sure your doctor understands the process, and if you’re not getting through, see another doctor.

Also, be sure you understand your own reasons for wanting to do this. It’s true that weight loss will occur during the fasting process, but do not use fasting as a weight loss method. I have made this mistake in the past and just become more obsessed about food and weight than I do heal. Fasting is a purification and healing, a restart of your system if you will. Weight loss is a fringe benefit of becoming healthier. If you are anorexic or bulimic, I fully recommend against fasting. If you have an Overeating Disorder, I recommend some sort of therapy to help you understand your own processes before you try to fast. Otherwise, you may become frustrated as I have when I was stuck in the pattern.

Second, read all you can about the subject before you start. I recommend Elson M. Haas’ “The Detox Diet” and “The False Fat Diet.” You will still have to find out what’s going to work for you personally, but these books give you the back story to help you understand how fasting and detoxifying works.

Third, get a juicer! If you can’t afford one, then find a local restaurant or health food store where you can buy fresh juices. You can even borrow a juicer, or split the cost with others interested in the process. Do not attempt to fast using jarred juices. They’re higher in sugar and lower in nutrients, which will make the detox and healing more difficult, especially if you’re trying to manage hypoglycemia like I do. All fruits and veggies should be organic if possible.

Fourth, take time off to do this fast. Take 2-3 sick or vacation days from work. See if you can get someone to help out with the kids. Explain to your family what you’re doing, why (they’ll assume you’re starving yourself and you’ll die in a week), and what they can expect from you during this period. Take this time to really heal. Read enriching books. Take walks in Nature. Meditate. Work on your hobby or crafts. Really focus on you. Stressful situations, even driving in high traffic areas, will make this difficult. Not to mention, during this period, you may find yourself less able to handle even minor stresses. For many of my earlier fasts, I did it during work because I would be surrounded by food during weekends. However, those fasts were very difficult, especially because I was in a high-pressure job. It’s hard to heal when you keep getting injuries to the wound.

Fifth, have some healthy food ready for when you are breaking the fast. Have some wild salmon or organic chicken ready to be cooked (I always crave salmon after a fast.) Have veggies ready to be steamed. Keep some cooked brown rice on hand. Have fresh fruit available. Much of this can be leftovers from what you were juicing.

Your first meal after a fast should be small. It should fit into a small plate or fill half a small bowl. Your stomach will have shrunken, and there won’t be nearly as much room as you recall. Eat lightly in a small portion, and if you’re still hungry, wait about 20 minutes before going for a second helping. You may find you don’t need it. Continue with lots of water and juices throughout the day. You’ll start to get a feel for how much food you need to feel satiated, and the healthier the foods, the more satiated you’ll feel. Make a meal plan for the rest of the week or month to include healthy foods.

Finally, introduce “commonly allergenic” foods one at a time. These include wheat, soy, corn, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and chocolate. After breaking the fast and beginning to eat solids again, give yourself a few days to a week of highly nutritious, non-allergen containing meals. Have an accurate scale and weigh yourself during the fast and as you begin eating solids again. Don’t gloat too much over rapid weight loss. Most of it was probably water. However, watching the weight is important in detecting food intolerances. Then perhaps try a slice of wheat bread. Weight yourself an hour after eating it, then a few hours, then watch the weight over the next day or so. If there is a sudden, significant influx of weight during this time (2-5 lbs usually tipped me off,) you may have an intolerance to that food. If there is no significant change (and your body feels good) try another piece. When you have a good idea of how that food affects you, you can move on to something else.

How will you know when you’re ready to break the fast? Your body will usually tell you, but in the beginning, this is tricky. I usually wait until the day after the withdrawal period. So if Monday I start the fast and I feel fine, then Tuesday I have headaches and feel like a train wreck, if Wednesday comes around, and I can’t satiate my hunger anymore with liquids, I’ll break the fast. One of the Dr. Haas books claims that you could essentially push to 10 days, but I’ve never made it that far and really don’t plan to. Some body types may be able to handle it, but I have a high protein requirement. Even chicken broth wouldn’t do for that long of a period. If I have the withdrawal on Monday, I may break the fast late on Tuesday. It depends on what my body is telling me. If the water and juices cannot satiate me any longer, I break off.

Some difficult things I’ve experienced during fasting include headaches, light nausea, backaches, fatigue, weakness, disorientation (usually during water fasts), desperation (in wanting food), some intestinal cramping depending on the juice I’ve had (spinach is a big culprit), occasional repulsion to a juice or tea I’ve had already during my fast, and feeling colder than usual. Some benefits I’ve experienced are breathing easier, no joint pain, clarity in my personal self, more powerful experiences in meditation and journeys, and self mastery.

When I fast, I prefer the juices of apples (especially Granny Smith), watermelon, very few vegetable blends (recipes that came with my juicer,) and pineapple (especially blended with strawberries.) I also drink herb teas, lemon squeezed in water (following the recipe, you can also add pure maple syrup to sweeten and add minerals), plenty of fresh water, occasional mineral water, and rarely, homemade or organic chicken broth.

Going along with Dr. Haas’ advice, I recommend against consuming caffeine during this time. I also recommend that if you are a smoker, alcoholic, or are addicted to drugs, you take care of these issues before you attempt to fast. Otherwise, you’re not fully healing. Fasting may be a great thing to do once you’ve beaten these issues, but I strongly recommend against fasting while you’re partaking in these substances. Also, for women on oral/hormonal birth control, I recommend you fast during the week of your period when you will not be taking your pill or have the hormones in your system. I have fasted while taking the pill and I find it more difficult doing it this way.

All in all, I find fasting to be a wonderful healing method on many levels. It’s not for everyone, but for those who partake in it, there is a great power of healing to be had.