January 24, 2006

• I wish they'd all fast for a lot longer than the Gitmo POWs. Dying for Jeebus is fun!
• Who me obsessed? For me tomorrow is the last day of a 10 day fast. I'm not sure I've reached a higher spiritual plane, but it sure has been easier working out the day's menu plan...
• I've never had the dramatic results the author talks about, but I have fasted for a day a few times and felt better afterward.
• I am of the opinion that fasting is unhealthy. Going without food for a day is okay, but for longer periods, it starves the body of important nutrients. You are far better off just maintaining a good calorie-restricted diet. Moderation in everything, as the saying goes.
• Skrik, were you referring to this? Temporary fasting is hella cool. I should try it sometime.
• hey monkeys! i am by my nature a very skeptical individual. my skeptic radar is always on- i question everything, always! appoximately 4 years ago i was ready to approach life on a new level and ready to drop some old habits ( meats, sugar, coffee, smoking etc...) i was tired of being tired and needed more energy for my hectic (professional) life. what to do? i had a friend who was into fasting, and he had encouraged me in the past to try a l or 2 day fast to begin with. after MUCH INVESTIGATING and really learning all i could about the various ways to fast ( raw vegetable or fruit juice vs. classic pure water fast etc...) i became encouraged and with a bit of confidence and my friend to support me , i went for it. albeit, with just a wee bit of the old skepticism hanging around the edges. WOW! i really had some outstanding results! i undertook the pure raw vegetable fast (raw vegetable for the enzymes, vitamins/minerals and trace elements involved) i felt the raw vegetable juices, mostly greens-kale, parsley, cucumber, beet tops, etc... the superior route for my needs. initially i undertook a week fast. i was still smoking (a little over a pack a day) however, at the 3rd day mark i found i wanted less and less to smoke. i made it through the week and, yes, i did quite smoking about the second week after the fast. it seemed easy to do it this time around (i had tried 3/4 x in the past) was it the fast and/or my new outlook? who knows, i'm sure alot of the new mind set and all the superior energy i had absolutely helped me this time around. i would encourage anyone to at least give it a shot themselves. i now fast about 3 times a year ( the longest fast was 3 weeks, much was involved and the way to break a fast is VERY, VERY important) i do feel the change and rejuvenating effect this brings about in my body and spirit. on the whole, i have learned to eat in a whole new way (lots of raw and organic foods, i sprout many nuts and seeds, lots of good water instead of soda and coffee and i do try to meditate some every single day) it's not easy and it can be trying at points in the fast. it is always good to have some support through it if you are able, but it is very much worth the effort. i still have a drink now and then, sometimes when work is very hectic and i come home tired and feeling wary maybe l more than i really need- maybe a butterfinger bar here or there, just so you remember -no body is perfect, don't be so hard on yourself, remember you can always give it another go! everything in moderation. good luck to whomever is willing to give it a try! a wonderful start would be a day or two of fresh organic green vegtable juice and lots of good water and nice long walks or bike rides outside in nature. a great time to start would be spring! ,
• Wow, Amicus, that's pretty impressive. Of course I fast. I'm fasting even now. **surreptitiously wipes carmel frosting off keyboard and face**
• Carmel fast?
• Actually, Pete, you get greater benefits if the carmel frosting is on cake, accompanied by a large glass of milk, eaten after a nice ham sandwich with pickles and chips Ahem. Which I did not eat. Oh, no. Certainly not.
• Don't ever fast on just water for any great length of time. Take in some kind of juice or broth daily. Otherwise you can seriously fuck yourself up.
• If by "juice or broth" you mean "beer or whiskey" then hell yeah - I got way fucked up on that stuff in college. Dude! WhOOOOO!!!
• Funny. Days without eating always go slow for me.
• yes!!! middleclasstool is very correct my fellow monkeys!!! i second the fact that to fast on simply water for more than 24 to 48 hour is not advised. i will say this; it does depend on where you live (climate) i live down here in the sunshine state (south area) and i do recommend for climates that are this hot and humid to drink more water perhaps than our fellow northern monkeys on a fast. i do feel ORGANIC VEGETABLE JUICE IS FAR SUPERIOR THAN JUST WATER. also the kind of water you drink for a fast and in everyday life is very important to your body. I would also like to state that should you have a serious health problem i.e. diabetes, malignancies etc... you should NEVER undertake a prolonged fast and certainly know what you are doing before attempting a fast. NEVER STOP YOUR MEDS AND ALWAYS NOTIFY YOUR DOCTOR. a fast is much more than simply sipping water or vegetable juice or broth for a few days. there are many things to consider and to learn before you attempt any sort of fast. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you learn and research nutrition before starting any health program. most people here in our great usa know more about medications (see t.v. ads) than we know about basic nutrition or even how to properly read and understand information on our food labels here in the u.s.a. i really feel with my whole being that if we just would take a step back and think about what kinds of garbage (highly processed foods) we stick in our pie holes every day we would give ourselves and the children (think of the children!!!) a far superior life on so many levels. lets all start to demand more from ourselves and the big corporations that are killing us in so many ways! /end rant may i recommend the following: COMPLETE NUTRITION by Dr. Michael Sharon CONSCIOUS EATING by Gabriel Cousens MD., MD (H) founder of THE TREE OF LIFE REJUVENATION CENTER (www.treeoflife.nu) HEATH SEEKERS by Celene Bernstein (www.healthseekers.co.za) feel free to e-mail me should you have any questions or ideas. GOOD FOR YOU GOMICHILD!!!
• Oh there is no way I would do a water fast. I am on the Master Cleanse which is lemon juice and tea. Apart from feeling hungry and having a grotty tongue (and being sick of the site of lemons) I've felt pretty normal throughout. I didn't do it as a "weight loss diet" and agree it's much better to eat healthier and excercise if that is your goal, I did it to break out of the unhealthy cycle of eating and drinking I felt I was in. As Amicus humani generis said above you should consult your doctor if you have a medical condition. It's a real mental challenge too. To be honest a few times there (like just about every day) I didn't think I'd make it to 10 days. But mind over matter! It also helps if you do it with a friend for support and encouragement, also to discuss your interesting bowel movements with (in case you don't hang out on #mofirc (~^)...)
• I survived! And am now feeling tipsy after just one glass of wine!
• if a wee bit is good then more must be better so I gave up eating food altogether I gave up drinking pints of water now I'm so weak I can scarcely totter the back o' my neck feels strangely hot and what my name is I've quite forgot I've given up sleeping given up dreaming I know it's all illusion and the world is only seeming somehow my thinking is wonderfully clear though the things I'm seeing can't be here everything to excess is my new motto now I lie here ninety-nine per cent blotto
• that was wonderful beeswacky
• **stands** **applauds**
• Top drawer, Sir Bees, Top drawer! )))!! *adjusts monocle, cigarette holder*
• Fasting – Re-Thinking The System That Is Food