hiya, just wondered if anyone else has done a fast for several days for cleansing and healing purposes? what was your experience?
i am due for one soon, every 6 month i cleanse my body for around 10 days by consuming freshly extracted juices and vegetable broth only.
after the first three days when the detox is in full swing i start feeling elated and almost euphoric , i have more energy than ever, go for a jog every day (usually unheard of for me, but my body seems to demand the vigorous exercise). i feel fantastic and usually retain one or two permanent lifestyle changes ( the most important one was to give up coffee, the detox headache was just too much to bear and i didn't ever want to experience that again).
gone is the hayfever, the headaches and overall aches and pains after a fast, it is sheer bliss for me.

Namaste
Schnazzy

ooohh wow! I have always researched doing this, but haven't yet tried it. I am big on meditation and yoga, and I bet it can only intensify what I can accomplish. How long did you deal with stomach cramps from lack of solids? That is what effects me the most when I deliberately put off eating. That and swimminess in my head. They generally don't last more than an hour or so, then its like my body accepts the fact that its not getting any solids for awhile and settles down. I expereince this sometimes if I don't eat before class (Im in college and sometimes I sleep in too long) and don't have a chance to get lunch for a few hours.

Any other tips or things I can expect to get? I really want to try this, and am looking forward to it.

G'day Celeste, a proper healing and cleansing fast has a preparation day, where the bowel is emptied thoroughly and only light food consumed (mainly fruit).
the bowel care is vital to avoid hunger pangs and headaches. i used to use Oxy Cleanse orally but now i am a devoted enema user, so much easier and predictable, no need to hang around a toilet and wait for the laxative to kick in. bowel care should be done daily or every other day throughout the fast, it is amazing how much waste gets stored because even after a week of liquids only solids can still make an appearance, if you get my drift
for headaches just drink more water or herbal teas, maybe add a tiny bit of honey, and apply a heat pack to the liver to assist with the detox.
Fasting has a long history in Germany and is done clinically countless resorts because it has such wonderful effects. the mind becomes clear, the skin beautiful, of course there is some weightloss too, but don't consider that to be permanent without lasting lifestyle changes.
personally i enjoy doing it at the beginning of spring and autumn the most.
there are some wonderful sites on the web that will tell you more about it too, i have joined a forum as well, but it is a german forum, so not sure if it is of any use to you.

breaking the fast is another vital step, it has to be done very carefully and slowly, the longer you fast the more time you should take to get back into eating normally (2-4 days). start of with one apple in the morning and very gradually build it up from there. rice or millet are excellent grains to kick off the more solid foods with.

if you are new to proper fasting (skipping meals don't count ) i suggest you try it for 5 days and then break the fast.

good luck
Namaste
Schnazzy

Namaste
Schnazzy

ooops, not sure what happened there with the signatures LOL

Thanks, very interesting. It's February now, I think I am going to read up on it and prepare to do it in april or so. THanks!

I have done the liver cleanse twice in the past year. It sounds like what you do. I can have only fresh fruits, veggies, water and green tea. I do it for 10 days. I can't say I have a lot of energy during the 10 days, but once it is over I have boundless energy and just feel totally clean inside.

in a healing/cleansing fast no solids are taken, so any fruit or vegetables go through a juice extractor. the purpose is to give the bowels a rest and help them to eliminate properly (even after 3 weeks of non solids they still eliminate 'stuff')

started my proper fast today, feeling quite good, despite the heat (40plusC/100For more) i had some vegetable broth (clear) laced with salt as i needed to substitute some due to the profuse sweating during the day, did 2x 45mins of yoga and feel fantastic
am planning to do it for 10-14 days, will see how it goes as time goes by.

Wow that sounds interesting, maybe I should give it a try.....