The human body is designed with the capacity to fast. Although fasting is safe as well as effective, it is advisable to be under medical supervision when on any extended fast. Fasting is very different than malnutrition. A poor quality diet consumed for a month results in a lowered state of health. Fasting, on the other hand, gives the body the opportunity to cleanse and heal itself. When free from the responsibilities of digestion, the capacity for self-restoration is enhanced.

• Fasting leads to detoxification and improvement in organ function simultaneously.
• Fasting often achieves results where other methods have failed.
• Therapeutic fasting accelerates the healing process and allows the body to recover from serious disease in a dramatically short period of time.
• Fasting is inexpensive and universally available

Nature tells us to fast. When we have no appetite during an acute illness, fasting is nature's way to accelerate recovery. Feeding the sick individual when his digestive powers are diminished only serves to further complicate the illness. During an acute viral illness, fasting activates white blood cells and causes more interferon to be produced. When non-human animals feel sick, they do not eat. Listen to your body when you are sick and have no appetite. Fast for a few days, then proceed to a light diet of fruit and salad vegetables for a few days and you will quickly recover your health.

Diseases responding to fasting
Conditions such as headaches, hypoglycemia, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, acne and eczema, infections, tinnitus, vertigo, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, cervical dysplasia, chronic neck and back pain, polymyalgia rheumatica, and many others are helped by fasting.

Physicians who have used this approach have recorded improvement or recovery from conditions of every description that patients had been needlessly suffering with for years. Besides the diseases already mentioned, one should assume that in the vast majority of chronic medical conditions this approach may give the disease sufferer the best chance to achieve a complete recovery and avoid a lifetime of suffering or medical treatments.

Sometimes when people try to make major dietary changes without the benefit of fasting they become frustrated. Beneficial changes that can take months or years with careful eating happen quickly if a fast is utilized. Once a person begins to realize the health potential and can see the results, he or she is more likely to become committed to a lifetime of healthful living.

The withdrawal symptoms of addiction to such drugs as alcohol, cocaine, nicotine and caffeine are resolved quickly while fasting. Most people are amazed at how easy it is to quit smoking while fasting. Those who have fasted begin to respect their body in a new way that enables them to take better care of themselves in the future.

Cautions
Conditions for which fasting is not recommended include extreme weakness or debilitation, severe anemia, nutritional deficiencies, porphyria, evidence of weakened kidney or liver function, and pregnancy. Malnourished patients with cancer or AIDS should not fast. Medications should be tapered and discontinued prior to fasting whenever possible.

A very useful book is Fasting and Eating for Health, A Medical Doctor's Program For Conquering Disease. by Joel Fuhrman, MD. 1995. Excerpts from selected chapters can be viewed from one of his web pages.

My very favorite site for insights and motivation for fasting is FreedonYou - for all you are meant to be. There is lots there, as they freely share about this powerful experience. Please consider buying any of their books also, in preparation for the fast that is right for you.

To prepare the body for the fast, it is good to take a few days to a week eliminate certain foods from the diet. Gradually eliminate caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, red meats and animal foods, milk and dairy products, eggs, and on the last day, nutritional supplements. Many benefit by consuming only fruits and vegetables for 3 to 4 days before they begin the fast. This will begin the detoxification process slowly, so that the actual fasting may be less intense. Colon cleansing by enema or colonic should be done a few times during the first week to ensure the bowel is empty.

Recovery comes in stages.

• Stage 1 is a time of general excitation of the involuntary nervous system, lasting one to three days. Cleaning of the gastrointestinal tract takes place here and into stage 2. The body's innate energies formerly concerned with handling the digestive metabolic load are freed, allowing the body a chance to restore natural health and bring about a state of homeostasis.
• Stage 2 is a time of inhibition, continuing from day two or three to the end of the first week and sometimes even into the second week. There is increasing evidence of acidosis, the presence of hypoglycemia and depression. The cleansing process is very evident in marked signs of toxicity, the return of former physical symptoms, and a dulling of mental processes, and sometimes an overwhelming sense of fatigue and the need to rest. There is generally a loss of appetite, and the tongue is likely to become coated.
• Stage 3 is a time of gradual recovery, which most fasters do not go beyond during their initial experience. It is a time of normalization with its accompanying feeling of well being, usually far surpassing the pre-existing state.
• Stage 4 is the time of full recovery.

Regarding the role of exercise, opinions vary from bed rest to long periods daily of walking, cycling or swimming. A middle of the road policy is best with individual variations to suit the particular faster. This is a good time for resting and reading.

It is important to keep dentures in the mouth, biting on them to keep the gums in condition or there may be such shrinkage that by the end of the fast the plates no longer fit. Be consistant about drinking at least 1 cup of water for every 20 pounds of weight.

Breaking the fast should be done gradually. The longer the fast, the greater amount of time should be taken to reintroduce solid foods. There are different protocols for reintroducing foods, but basically start by eating fruit or raw or cooked low-starch vegetables, such as greens or broth. This can be followed with salads and soups, then grains such as rice or millet and then nuts, seeds and legumes. Your normal diet (or a new improved version) can be taken within 2 days after ending a shorter fast or 4-7 days after a longer one.

As you continue to add foods, pay close attention to how your body responds to them. People have discovered foods they are allergic or sensitive to. If a particular food upsets you, try it again in a week or so. If it is still upsetting, perhaps you should eliminate it from your diet for an extended time.

"Man lives on one quarter of what he eats. On the other three quarters lives his doctor." Inscription on Egyptian pyramid, 3800 BC.

If you would like to go on an extended fast but can not find anyone locally to supervise it for you, there is a service that might be just right for you. Fasting Center International comes highly recommended and allows you to fast at home - yet receive the assistance you need for a successful and safe fast. Dennis Paulson, founder and director of FCI, will oversee your fast for a very reasonable fee. Please have a look at his website.