Guest guest Posted August 12, 2002 Report Share Posted August 12, 2002 Doing " Complete " Fasting ------------------------ You say you want to try fasting, but don't know what you need to get started? Here are some observations from my fasting from 1988 thru 2002. I started out fasting weekly for a year or so, then gradually tapered off to once every few months now, or whenever my body " tells me to " . Please realize that I have never been able to compare notes with anyone else about the fasting process and what they may have experienced. Obviously everyone's personal biology is different. These are merely my observations and developed techniques---such as they are. As they say: " Your mileage may differ... " - Hester Supplies: 1 Bottle bentonite clay liquid, large or small, doesn't matter, you aren't going to be using but a few ounces the first time. Refrigerate after opening, keep bottle neck clean/always use a clean spoon, you may not use it again for quite some time (months perhaps). Do not put it at the back of the fridge or the water content of the clay mixture can freeze. 1 Package of psyllium husks. Note: Metamucil will not do, nor any other " fiber " products that have sugars or flavorings. Must be calorie-free. 1 Bottle of " blackstrap " unsulphered molasses(optional, but recommended). 1 Small bag of raw unhulled brown sesame seeds(optional, but recommended). 1 Package of sugar-free chewing gum (optional, but helpful if you have to spend time in close proximity to other people.) 1 Bottle of a good acidophilus or " helpful " multi-bacteria supplement to repopulate the intestinal tract for afterwards. (optional) These next three are much more " experimental " : Melatonin supplement (optional). Di-methylglycine supplement (optional). DHEA supplement (optional). 1 Day scheduled in which you can rest, nap, do little or nothing (harder than it sounds). Major holidays usually not good since lots of social events stress eating. I have fasted on both Christmas day and Thanksgiving, probably wont do that again. Maybe two days, since you will be " wobbling " a bit the day after. The night before: Eat a good healthy meal but do not binge. You might take a tablespoon or two of the molasses and the sesame seeds. Provides a little extra calcium/potassium for the cardiac system so it doesn't " freak out " . Avoid drinking alcohol if you can. Starting a fast while hung over is unpleasant and puts further stress on your liver. Do a little creative visualization upon retiring, tell your body: " Don't make up stomach acids tomorrow, we will not be needing them " . The day begins: Sleep in, but not to the point of excess or it will make you hungier. Boil water. Put enough psyllium husks into a coffee mug to cover the bottom maybe 1/4 " deep, then add some of the bentonite clay liquid. Pour in the hot water, stir it up good. Keep the spoon handy, you will need it in consuming this stuff; the mixture becomes gelatinous and " slimy " . Note that exact amounts are not critical here, but don't overdue the psyllium at first, you don't want to overwhelm the digestive system with fiber it isn't used to dealing with. (An anecdote here: I wandered over to chat with a neighbor on a fasting day, cup in hand; his 8-year old son peeked into my coffee cup and asked somewhat snottily: " What *are* you drinking? " I stuck my index finger into the mixture and then gestured upwards dramatically. A long, clear, viscous column of the stuff followed my finger up for over two feet in length! I said casually: " Oh, It's just slime! " The kid looked wild-eyed, backed away quickly, and disappeared almost immediately after that---probably scarred for life, the poor tyke.) What will begin to happen: At first there will be discomfort; mainly due to an empty stomach. Gurgling, growling, etc. You body now has to dispose of the acids which were produced in anticipation of breakfast. Even the visuali- zation technique isn't perfect. Headache; which is what the clay will help alleviate. I don't recommend aspirin or Ibuprophen at this point; trying to go " all natural " for 24 hours if possible. The psyllium helps deal with the stomach acids and gives the digestive system something to " work on " as it detoxifies and clenses itself. Things generally slow down. Your liver has to reach *waaay* back into it's bag of tricks for how to begin ketosis metabolism: breaking down fat from fat cells into ketones and water. A good analogy is switching an internal combustion engine from using premium gasoline to using diesel or kerosene fuel instead. It's a slightly more complicated chemistry than normal metabolism. Sadly, at first, your fat cells aren't used to doing their job either---being emptied out to provide a relatively clean source of emergency fuel. Your fat cells may well contain a good deal of toxins from the processed foods you've eaten over the years. Oh, and they don't like being emptied out! They complain loudly to the brain cells: " How can you do this? We are just like you! " This may be why many people who try a fast experience such discomfort that they don't want to repeat the process. It's really something you have to do three or four times before it gets easier. Mentally tell your liver: " Go ahead, start breaking down fats, no food comes in until tomorrow " . Yes, you can " talk " your organs, they are yours after all, you just may be out of touch with them at first. You gradually learn to ignore the " noise " from the fat cells. Body temperature will decrease. Sometimes to the point where you will want to put on a sweater even on a summer day. If so, fine---accentuates the " eccentric " tag people have already placed on you anyway. When fasting in winter I sleep in my mummy bag *inside* the regular bedcovers. Sometimes have spent the day reading while in the sleeping bag. The point is, you could find yourself very cold, and this is okay, just bundle up. Shivering is not necessary! Inter-ocular pressure will decrease, so your vision may change a bit. These are temporary symptoms and nothing to worry about. But you may find that demanding reading is too much work both visually and mentally. Your breath will start to get bad. Ketones are nasty-smelling compounds. Using mouthwash is okay for brief rinses, just don't keep it in your mouth for long---it too has sugars and alcohol your body will try to use. Sugarfree gum if you must. But it contains artificial ingredients. We are trying to get away from such things for a little while. I use it when I have to interact with other people. Your digestive tract will essentially come to a halt. You are giving it the day off---sort of, it will go into a " maintenence/repair cycle " , or will on subsequent fasts. Don't panic if no bowel movements occur. Trust me, they will resume after the fast. Listen to music, sit in meditation. Listen to the slow, spiritually uplifting music that you normally are too busy for. Light incense, enjoy the smell of flowers, or do a little light work in the garden. Clean up the kitchen if you like; since you are now free of the chore of preparation of food. Draw energy from " higher sources " of light, color, smells, music. Lay out the food items you will use for breaking the fast---if they don't need refrigeration of course. Keep the clay/psyllium materials out on the counter where you can see them so that you don't forget about them. Be aware that a " spiritual doorway " opens up when fasting. What, if anything, you choose to do with this is up to you. Until you get used to fasting however, it's best not to work too many miracles. Do an " attitude check " about fasting. If this is nothing but a big ordeal in your mind, then that's what it will become for you. By monitoring your attitude you might be surprised. I think of it as a: " day off *from* food " . Liberating, not an " ordeal " . Take the clay/psyllium mixture again at lunchtime and dinnertime. The body likes the routine, even if the material coming in has a different purpose now. Drink as much water as your thirst requires. I like hot water since my body temperature has dropped. Rinse the cup thoroughly afterwards or it forms a " glue " in the cup very difficult to remove. Feel free to nap in the afternoon. You will probably end up taking a 30 to 90 minute nap. Getting up afterwards will be a very slow process! What not to do: Resist the urge to chew your fingernails. Your body will begin a " scavanging mode " where you may experience craving to chew on nails or your own hair, or other random stuff in your environment (like trying to make use of the sugars in your toothpaste) . (Hey, I'm not making this up! It all goes with the territory). Chewing rubber bands or other inert materials can be okay---I like green rubber bands, ones without a noticable sour taste. Again, avoid toxins; if it tastes bad it probably is bad. Minimize or eliminate watching television: the food commercials can be quite upsetting. If you must, then mute and look away. Seriously, the food commercials are intended to make everybody hungry, it's magnified on a fasting day; and can trigger secretion of gastric juices which are not wanted. Don't read magazines which have pictures of food, these too will cause discomfort. Don't avoid meals with friends or family members however. Have hot water, sit, talk, visit. You are doing a particular dietary exercise. You don't need to necessarily isolate yourself from others unless you chose to. Be aware though that some people might be uncomfortable in such a situation. And talking about your fasting is a good topic to avoid altogether! Resist the urge to preach about it until you can do it routinely. Best to teach by example. Breaking the fast early. Not a good idea. See " Ending the fast " below. Nighttime: Maybe just hot water, or ease up on the bentonite this time. Let your headache be your guide. The right amount of the clay stops or minimizes the headaches. Sometimes a low-level headache continues throughout, and there is nothing that can be done about it. I suspect that use of several supplements might help the fast for purposes of longevity: melatonin, Di-methyglycine, and possibly DHEA. So experiment with taking these at bedtime just before going to sleep. (Maybe just Melatonin if it is your first time fasting.) You probably won't need the melatonin to fall asleep---you are taking it for the boost to the pineal(?) gland. Sleep will be a " death-like " experience, with no dreams whatsoever. I sometimes feel that fasting is like a " little death " that you " get to walk away from afterwards " . I also wonder if experiencing this " little death " psycologically/philosophically is what makes people so uncomfortable with the experience---rather than the actual physical discomfort. Ending the fast: I suggest fasting in whole day/night periods. I've tried breaking the fast early (like eating an evening meal on the fasting day), or waiting past the usual " break-fast time " , then starting with a lunch. Neither worked very well for me. Breaking the fast at the start of a new day seems the most natural. Note that once your body get used to a " normal " duration for fasting, injecting food early just tends to confuse and interrupt the digestive system. I ate dinner once " too early " . It just sat in there overnight with the digestive system: " on strike until the morning shift " . For optimum CR benefits, you'll probably want to start right back in on a carefully considered CR meal; maybe just a tiny bit higher on " good " fat content than usual---but not much. Plan on eating again in about two hours---this may differ slightly from a usual CR timetable. It's sort of a safety signal to the body that: " Yes, there's a steady supply of food available once again. " Have a tablespoon of the molasses and sesame seeds. Goes right to the bloodstream with calcium, potassium, etc. Tends to ease the heart and not " draw " so much calcium from bones? I would assume that the heart and brain get first priority in such " emergency situations " . I avoid eggs right after a fast. Much as I love them, I find that they cause severe loose stools within a few hours. I once broke a fast by going to a movie theater and bingeing on the big tub of popcorn. Felt awful afterwards, and I don't mean guilt. Won't do that again! Second meal very important; don't skip this one or the system gets very confused: " Hey, do we continue ketosis or not? " For an interim period now, your liver will be doing both types of chemistry. The regular metabolism does not start up instantly, and the ketosis continues and will taper off. Your engine will " stutter " for a bit. There's " water in the gasoline " so to speak. Don't expect to be rareing to go right away. In fact, I sometimes find the day after the fast to be more low-energy that the fasting day itself. However, after 24 hours have gone by I feel great! This is one of the several reasons that I keep repeating what some would consider an arduous process. Don't attempt a " jump-start " by suddenly throwing in lots of sugar. You'll likely do more harm than good. Ether sprayed into the air intake of your car is generally a bad idea, and a last resort when starting your car too! A headache may occur again (sorry), or it may not; doesn't always happen. This time take an aspirin or Ibuprophen for it. Do not use the bentonite clay, you will just confuse the situation. I call this headache the " re-integration " headache (if it occurs). It usually doesn't last long, nor is it very severe. Expect a period of " clumsiness " . Poor motor control, depth perception, and so forth. You may even experience a brief period of " the shakes " , i.e., like shivering, except that you aren't actually cold. This is why I choose Saturday to fast, it gives me Sunday to " recover " before I resume my mundane job of fighter pilot/brain surgeon (yeah, right). You will still be tired, and irritability most likely to be noticed while resuming normal metabolism (your hand slips during the brain surgery, aerial dogfight, etc). Why fast at all?: ----------------- I'm convinced that it has substantial benefit for longevity; possibly an alternative to " conventional " Caloric Reduction (if the word " conventional " can be used in the context of CR at all). A more realistic belief might be that it is a substantial boost to CR. Somewhere, I have heard or read that the optimum was two days fasting, followed by five days of CR diet; then repeat " ad infinitum " , or should we say " ad longaeva " ? I swear that it came from some " scientist " , but that was years ago, possibly not Dr. Walford. Anybody having info on that source please let me know. I wonder if I have that much control scheduling my life, but may try it once I get my CR act together. Obviously the better foods you consume (in moderation), with fewer toxins, the less detoxification has to occur during fasting. Good as it may be, periodic fasting is not a " free pass " to gorge out afterwards at the buffet counter. (Yup, I've tried that too---just made me sick. Also went to an expensive restaurant another time for a huge egg breakfast to " reward " myself for fasting. Lost it all a few hours later). Fasting may have other benefits, such as: " liver-training " (how to do the more complicated ketosis chemistry), detoxification of fat cells---the fat cells are supposed to serve as emergency bunker supplies of food, but if they never get emptied out/replenished, they accumulate toxins from our artificial diets). Detoxification of the digestive tract. This is pretty important for preventing various cancers and conditions such as diverticulitus, and allowing optimum absorbtion of nutrients---particularly for those who might be on a more strict CR regime. Spirituality: I hardly need to dwell on this one. I've found that when I do interact with people and make requests, they sometimes go far out of their way to comply with the request---er, as long as I don't breath on them! It is also said that if you want to find out what your true purpose is in life that you must fast for three days. I dunno, I've never gone that long, so still fumbling. Weight loss: Hey dream on. Doesn't happen. I haven't noticed any perceptible difference from brief fasting. We carry several pounds of material in the digestive tract. Scale goes down temporarily, but bounces right back up again the next few days. Unexpected side effects/when not to do it: Well, there is one I guess I have to mention: " rectal cramping " . I know no way to be delicate about this. Infrequent, but it does happen, the rectum/colon/lower intestine goes into a very intense but brief cramping. The figure of speech " pain-in-ass " is used way too casually in our society. Once you experience this, you will know what I mean. (If you experience it at all; I might be the only person this happens to, since I have no comparison data.) It isn't something to be feared or dreaded, (I suspect that it is natural and has some unknown useful purpose) but if you have just had surgery in the lower regions by chance---say a polyp removed for example, then fasting is not a good idea until you are completely healed. Remember, I'm not an expert---I just play one on the Internet! You have been warned. Fasting is not advised either if you are pregnant or diabetic. Use some common sense please. If you aren't basically healthy to begin with, then this is too extreme---do a juice fast instead. Doing juice fasts regularly, then switching over to " hard " fasting might be a more sensible way to begin than by the " cold turkey " method anyway. Parti- cularly for those who may be hypoglycemic. Low blood sugar/hypoglycemic: one woman friend of mine was so impressed by my descriptions of fasting that she reported trying it, only to pass out in her bathroom and wake up on the floor a substantial time later. I don't know what to say about that, but am mentioning it here. I have never had loss of consciousness or dizzy spells. But it certainly can make you irritable! (She never tried it again.) If you have serious blood sugar problems you should definitely discuss fasting with a doctor before beginning. Social stigma/criticism. Some family members/friends may be unsympathetic or openly hostile about the practice. Tell 'em: " It's just the first step towards becoming a 'Moonie', but it was either this or take up heroin " . Or mumble something about: " Druidic Initiation---First Circle " , I don't know. Handle it with a sense of humor. Apparently the concept that it might lengthen and improve a person's life, and in fact could be a healthy practice, is just too weird a concept for people to comprehend. Just be aware that it can make others uncomfortable, even if you are dealing with it just fine. Normally people who aren't eating are assumed to be 'sick', either physically or mentally. Saving money. Believe it or not, fasting one day a week can noticably save on the grocery bills. That's fifteen fewer meals per month. You can use the money to buy better quality CR-friendly foods. (I once calculated the monthly savings and redirected all of those funds towards buying musical equipment. I don't need to do that any longer.) Saving time. No, not the hypothetical " longevity " in the distant future, but rather the few hours escaping the tyranny of food. Offset by long naps, and slower metabolism in general however. Yet it does still give extended hours for doing other activities. Does it ever get easier?: Yup, you bet. Once you know what to expect, and once the organs get their act together, it's just another day. I have bicycled for hours, jogged, even done a day of heavy lifting helping a neighbor move furniture. But the breath is still going to be nasty, even with gum and mouthwash, and there will be the unpredictable urges to take a " beauty rest " . (Sleeping Beauty was probably just fasting when the Prince interrupted her.) Be advised also that noisy, hectic environments might be more vexing than usual. Visit a pinball arcade, you'll see what I mean. The desire for " higher " energy coming from light, music, smells, touch and nature is very real. Good luck with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.