Has anyone here ever fasted

[dwckabal]

whether for religious, health or other reason for an extended period of time?

I've read about the health benefits of fasting periodically, but I would be interested in hearing from people who have actually done it, and how they beat the hunger pangs, etc.

Horror/success stories welcome!

[emad]

1. I'd check out the David Blaine site (if I could find it)

he's fasting in London for 46 days, taking in only water.

[Elad]

2. What David Blaine is doing

is a "trick" and not a good idea for anyone trying to fast for health reasons.

You should buy a juicer, and be well-read on juicing and fasting before attempting it. You can find plenty of literature at a local health food store, as well as juicers.

You should generally move to all raw foods for a week (fruits and veggies), and then slowly move into the fast, increasing the fresh juices as you go. After the prescribed period of time (depending on your situation, usually 3 - 7 days) reintroduce raw foods for a week, and then you can move back into your normal diet.

Fasting and cleansing twice a year is very good for your overall health and longevity.

[Drifter]

3. Someone yesterday ...

posted a site about sun worshippers.

Apparently, the guru on the page has not eaten solid food in 7 years.

Cheers
Drifter

[GumboYaYa]

4. I try to fast for at least 24 hours twice a year.

I usually go on a raw foods/fresh juice diet for the week before. The point is to help cleanse my body. Without being to graphic, it seems like it does a great job of cleansing.

If you are going to fast, don't pick a time when you will be required to do any serious physical activity. You will be very tired after a day with no food. Also drink lots of water. Your body will be releasing lots of toxins and you need the water to flush those out of your system. If you do not drink lots of water you can get excrutiating headaches.

[Abbalon]

5. Hi

Regular bowel movements keep gases from building up in you stomach and intestines.

To avoid uncomfortable gas pains drink plenty of water to keep everthing moving in the right direction. A stalled digestive system can be painful.

When I have a bout of bronchitis(ex-smoker) I sometimes avoid solid food. The extra room allows me to breathe better.

[soothsayer]

6. my friends swear by a water, maple syrup, lemon, cayenne pepper

concoction. Said that after the first day, you really aren't hungry.

David Blaine gave that recipe to Robin Quivers (of the howard stern show) when she had some kind of digestive prob going on. NOw she goes on 10 day fasts using it. I think you can drink as much as you want, but she doesn't get above 6 glasses per day. Says it's very satisfying.

So a friend of mine started doing it, too, and is about to go on a week long fast herself with this.

[Mandate My Ass]

10. I've done that but without the maple syrup

It actually tastes quite good IMO.

Beet juice is also great for a fast because it detoxifies the blood and the liver and it's full of minerals. Most of the crap in our diet demineralizes the body and when I've drunk a few glasses of beet juice over the course of a day or two I feel quite revitalized.

On edit: the longest juice fast I ever did was 3 days and I find the hunger pangs are worst the first day and by the middle of day two I didn't really feel that hungry at all.

[GumboYaYa]

11. I totally agree about Beet juice.

It is one of the best cleanser there is. I can almost feel it washing the toxins out of my organs after I drink it.

I like to make beet juice with some apple and celery juice mixed in for flavor.

I'm also addicted to wheatgrass juice. It is better than coffee IMO.

[Mandate My Ass]

12. beet carrot and parsley

is one of my faves.

The juice bar I go to just started selling wheatgrass juice but I haven't done it "straight" yet. Although I sometimes mix spirulina with just a little water or orange juice and I'm starting to develop a taste for the grassy flavor.

[OldEurope]

22. I did this, too. Satisfying is not the word I´d choose.

I fasted in this way for 12 days. It was ok, but feeding the cats was a terrible thing. I did not feel hungry, but the smell of food (even the cats´) just drove me crazy!

:crazy:

And when our neighbours started a barbecue party one evening . . .

(I better don´t tell you)

:nuke:

[HEyHEY]

7. YEah for about three days in College

Then I broke down and phoned Mom for money.

[XNASA]

8. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Yes, I have.

Look, a lot of people don't like to own up to it, but I will.

Even though it doesn't always smell like roses.........Hey, sometimes it just happens.

<ON EDIT> Oops, sorry. I thought it said "farted".

[trof]

9. No, but I've slowed a lot.

;-)

[ZenLefty]

13. 72 hour clear liquid fast

I've done this a few times now, and it's not bad. The first 24 hours are the worst, but after that the hunger pangs and cravings seem to diminish as you get used to the idea of eating gatorade and 7-up for every meal. You're a little light-headed the whole time, and won't feel like any strenuous activities.

One thing to avoid: Television. Even food that normally disgusts you will start to look good, and you'd be surprised how many burger king/taco bell/mc donalds/arbys commercials are on TV that you miss when you're not paying attention.

Best thing to do is to keep your mind stimulated. If one is doing this for spiritual reasons they may see fit to meditate the whole time, but if one is doing this for medical/health reasons, it's best to keep the mind busy. Play a lot of Diablo II. Read a book. Clean the house top to bottom. Watch movies. Keep busy, it takes your mind off food.

[trof]

14. Does Scotch count as a clear liquid?

I'm pretty sure the soda does, but I'm not clear about the Scotch.
;-)

[HEyHEY]

15. Or 7-up?

[ZenLefty]

18. Only single malt, 12+ year old scotch counts

The lower quality stuff (i.e.: Passport, Clan MacGregor) you shouldn't even be drinking in the first place. :D

[catzies]

20. Good advice on turning off TV with its food commercials

I had my tonsils out last year (at the age of 40!) and was on broths and miso for a month, and the food commercials mad me insane. Magazine recipes too.

When you're fasting, intentionally or not, food commercials are as seductive as porn.

[Brewman_Jax]

16. Yes

My normal fast length is 24-48 hours. I plan in advance so that I'll have plenty of water, green tea, vegetable juice, and lemons on hand. Also, I have plenty of reading and music for meditation--and silence, too.

And no going out for the evening. O8)

[hel]

17. Many times

since my family is Muslim, and I'm supposed to be one. I fast at least 4-5 days every Ramadan, not for religious reasons though. It might seem weird to you, but I do like fasting with family and friends. You wake up in the middle of the night -according to Muslim fasting rules- before the sun rises, you eat a quick meal with everybody else who is fasting, you drink water or tea, and go back to sleep. The next day you don't eat, drink or smoke anything. You shouldn't even swear or have bad thoughts about anybody, the book says.

Whatever, at the exact minute of the sunset, all the mosques' lights (a little like Christmas lights) light, the ezans (I don't know the English word for this, prayer chant) sound from every mosque, and you sit at home with all your family, you eat a big and special meal which tastes superb since you got so hungry. It's like Thanksgiving for 30 days, I guess.

You definitely don't lose any weight, even if you fast for all the Ramadan. Your metabolism adjusts to it after a few days, like others said, you don't even get hungry or thirsty most of the time.

I do know that from experience that fasting does not make your health worse. I'm not sure if it makes it better.

[Nikia]

19. 5 days of clear liquid

That was horrible. I had severe diarrhea. The first three were recommended my doctor. The next two were because I felt sick and didn't want to eat. I was really weak and pale during that time. I fasted during this year's Yom Kippur. I am part Jewish but of the Jewish religion. I still think it is a good holiday and decided to do a partial observation.

[Awsi Dooger]

21. Many times, longest was 8 days

About 15 years ago after a bad medical checkup with high trigylcerides. Nothing but water, which is always my method. Last year I mentioned fasting to my dad for the first time. I couldn't believe he had done it frequently also, with a long of 8 days!

That lengthy fast was no problem. After about the 3rd day it was like food and its temptations did not exist. And I had no intention of breaking the fast, until a few friends had a full comp to the Caesar's Palace buffet and asked me to join. I hadn't told anyone about my fast.

Damn that meal was awful, completely bland no matter what I ate. It was as if my system was identifying roast turkey and key lime pie as one in the same. Then everything from the buffet went straight out in liquid form, if you know what I mean.

I have executed many other fasts in the 2 to 3 day range. Once you get past the early headaches I feel completely comfortable, no problems with food commercials like others have reported.

And my favorite diet BY FAR is what I call the Go and No Diet. On day one, you eat absolutely everything you want, morning until midnight, all the goodies and more. The next day you eat nothing at all. I lose tons of weight on this diet whenever I find the need, like after Christmas holidays.

The secret is to completely gorge yourself on the GO days, and not eat less with some idiotic thought that it means you can sneak in some little amount on the NO days. Let's say you eat from 8 AM until midnight, that's 16 hours. But if you don't eat again until 8 AM of the next GO day, that's a full 32 hours for your system minus food. And on my NO days, I'm so stuffed from the day before that I don't even WANT anything to eat. Instead, at night I hit the store and plan the feast for the following day.

Believe it or not, that every other day diet is supposed to be extremely healthy. Lab rats are said to live 50% longer, or thereabouts, when it is applied to them.