Juice Fasting Archives

Jack La Lanne: 1914-2011

Saturday, March 19th, 2011 at 2:08 am  
Jack Lalanne - 1914-2011

A Famous Quote From Jack Lalanne was : “Inactivity is the killer, and remember, it’s never too late!”

As I sat  waiting in the doctor’s  office last week,  I picked up a People magazine. I think I felt  a few tears well up in my eyes as I read that Jack LaLanne, one of my biggest fitness idols, had passed away.

I can remember as a child my mom doing exercises in her bedroom while watching his show on a little black & white TV.  The magazine article went on to describe how the exercise guru taught America how to get fit long before Arnold pumped iron and Jane felt the burn.  He started his first gym in the 1920’s and his exercise show in the 50’s made him a star.

Doctor Oz  stated that LaLanne went on to become “the father of the biggest health movement in the world, and he walked the walk”.  Jack’s famous quote was : “Inactivity is the killer, and remember, it’s never too late” At his prime, it is said that LaLanne did 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes.

Later on in his life, he became known for his emphasis on vitamins and healthy eating with the introduction of  the Jack Lalanne Line of Juicers. I  was most  impressed with a quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger that I feel depicts what Jack LaLanne was all about: “It is one thing when you are great. It’s another thing when you  use it to motivate others to become great.”

And Jack LaLanne certainly did that. He will be missed dearly. Rest in peace Jack… thank you for the awesome life you led and all that you taught us. :-) On January 23, 2011, Jack LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia at his home in Morro Bay, California. Check out this post we added some months ago of Jack LaLanne and his wife Elaine.

Tags: peace jack, Human Interest, magazine article, little black, Hospitality Recreation

History of Fasting: A Brief History of Fasting

Sunday, October 31st, 2010 at 12:08 am  

Fasting, or abstincence from food and frequently also from drinking) for an extended period of time, is certainly not new. It has actually been practiced for hundreds of years associated with spiritual ceremonies. Fasts are performed in all of the world’s major religions, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Confucianists, Hindus, Taoists, to name a few. Even though Buddhism emphasizes discipline  in eating instead of fasting, Buddhists in certain countries around the world, notably Tibet, do fast from time to time.

Initially, fasting had been one of various rituals where activities were decreased or stopped, producing a condition of repose equivalent, symbolically, to death, or to the condition prior to birth. Fasting was also done as part of fertility rituals in ancient ceremonies.

A number of these ceremonies were carried out during the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and continued to be observed for centuries. Many historians link the emblematic utilization of matzo (unleavened bread) by Jews through the springtime celebration of Pesach (Passover), with these early beginnings. Remnants of those ancient rituals are also present in fasting done by Christians all through Lent prior to Easter.

In addition to fertility, fasting was often done to prevent catastrophe or as penitence for sin. Indigenous North American Indians did tribal fasts to find favor with the spirits and thus receive assistance in the prevention of looming threats and/or disasters. The Native Americans of Mexico as well as the Incas of Peru fasted regularly to “appease” the wrath of their respective gods.

In the ancient world, the Assyrians and also the Babylonians particularly, fasted as a form of penance. The jewish people also fast for purificaton and forgiveness of sins annually on “Yom Kippur” (The Day of Atonement). Yom Kippur has been observed four thousands of years since its inception by Moses as read in Leviticus 23:27.

The passage described that on that Holy Day, no work should be done. The text goes on to explain the unique rites that the priests did to absolve the people from their sins. One of these rituals removes the people’s sins and as a symbol puts them upon an animal that is consequently sent into the wilderness. This ceremony is the source of the phrase “scapegoat”. Muslims observe similar times of fasting each year during the month of Ramadan.

The historical Christian church also connected fasting with penitence and cleansing from sin (see Matthew 6:16; Mark 9:29). For the first 200 years after its inception, Christianity recognized fasting as something done in preparation for receiving Holy Communion and baptism, as well as for the ordination of new priests into the Catholic church.

While at first this type of fasting was done on one’s own volition, later on they became compulsory. In the sixth century lent fasting was broadened from the initial 40 hours, ( the amount of time that Christ spent in the grave prior to his resurrection), to 40 days of fasting from sunup to dusk – with only one meal allowed daily.

Following the Reformation (1517-1648), fasting was maintained by the majority of Protestant churches and became optional in certain instances. More stringent Protestants such as the Puritans, on the other hand, condemned not just the celebrations of the church, but also its fasting rituals.

Fasting was belittled from very early times. A lot of Old Testament prophets and Christian authors viewed fasting as being a meaningless custom carried out by individuals who were living in sin. In our contemporary world fasting is often sharply criticized, particularly by some in the medical profession.

Doctors and psychologists have questioned the worthiness of fasting for long periods of time as they maintain that it is sometimes harmful. Roman Catholic fasting days are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In the US, fasts are done primarily by Episcopalians and Lutherans among Protestants, by Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and by Roman Catholics.

The hunger strike, a type of fasting, continues to be used as a political tool. Countless political prisoners in several parts of the globe have engaged in hunger strikes to catch the government’s ear and bring attention to their cause. Mohandas Gandhi, leader of the battle for India’s independence, carried out fasts regularly to motivate his followers to resist violence and adhere to his cherished precept of nonviolence.



Tags: incas of peru, certain countries, autumnal equinoxes, meaningless custom, forgiveness of sins

More On Juice Fasting

Saturday, October 30th, 2010 at 12:30 am  

is a type of liquid diet during which a person takes in only juice created from fruits and/or veggies. This method is generally known as a detoxification diet, designed to expel the toxins that accumulate in our bodies from the food we eat, air we breathe and water we drink, in addition to other environmental contamintants. is a great way to lose some extra pounds fast and refresh/re-energize your body, mind and spirit. If you have ben feeling sluggish, depressed, bloated and glum – then chances are good that juice fasting can help to get you back on track.

The whole concept of juice fasting is that, by abstaining from solids for some time, you give the digestive system much-needed time to focus on cleansing, healing and tissue repair. Since so much energy is required to maintain the digestion process, the body normally does not have the “time” to perform these crucial maintenance functions – at least not at the depht and thoroughness that it is able to when we fast.

In addition to detoxifying, juice fasting offers all kinds of other advantages. Many use a juice fast for religious purposes, while others might undertake it just to slim down. Juice fasting may also help one to break bad habits, such as smoking, over eating, or even being addicted to caffeine. This perfectly describes me. I was a two-pack-a-day smoker for nearly thirty years and could not go through the day without constantly drinking coffee – usually ten to twelve cups daily. Juice fasting can also be deployed as an an alternative treatment for a variety of ailments including cancer.

A Detoxification diet can range in the quantity of time it is practiced. There are many who fast for three-to-seven days several times per year. I personally juice fast constantly… at the very least once per week. The reason is that, due to many years of poor eating, I developed a liver condition that requires me to keep my body clean. Last year I actually did a 100-day juice fast. After a few weeks it just becomes second nature, carrying the juice jugs in my car wherever I went. It was amazing.

But that is not to say that you also need to fast for a hundred days. Juice fasting for 100 days is something that I always wanted to do, and I have been fasting for many years. If you are new, you need not break any records I always say.

Start slow with a one-day juice fast, then on to two and three days. Do this for a while until you get used to dealing with hunger and other fasting detox symptoms. THEN you can start doing longer juice fasts of seven days and beyond. But you don’t even have to do that. Frequent juice fasting of one to two days are usually sufficient for most people, unless you have a lot of weight to lose or are doing it for specific health reasons.

Most do not contain fibers, so it is sometimes essential to stimulate certain organs and assist in the detox/cleansing processe. Certain fasters use enemas to expedite the process, while others consume an herbal or crystal salt laxative to aid with elimination. I personally use a herbal laxative called Herbs & Prunes. It is cheap and very effective. Take two of those and you’ll see some pretty massive bowel movements, legendary even. :-)

Another way to stimulate the colon and foster the elimination of built-up fecal matter is to add some psyllium husks to the juice. What psyllium does is that it creates an “abbrasive” bulk of fiber in your stomach that, in essence, serves to “scrub” the intestines and loosen stubborn debris adhered to the inner walls. This is the hardest debris to eliminate yet it is crucial to do so. If you are going to go through the effort and sacrifice of fasting, you might as well make sure that all of that filth is wiped out from your body so that it cannot continue to pollute your blood and organs.

Start out with a teaspoon of psyllium once a day with your glass of juice. If you do not move your bowels, move on to two teaspoons the next day. Do not exceed two tablespoons daily. If you STILL cannot go after this, then I recommend that you visit your doctor immediately. You could possibly have another type of more-serious obstruction. Seriously, don’t procrastinate…. get checked out right away.

There is a vast selection of fruits and veggies to choose from to prepare the juice. But not all will work well together and some of them like bananas simply cannot be juiced. Certain greens work great in a juicer, for example parsley, kale, and spinach.

Broccoli and cabbage also work very nicely, and can give the juice a very distinct flavor. Some root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and carrots also work amazingly-well in a juice fast. Grapes, apples, and citrus offer an abundance of juice and taste absolutely deliciouis. Spearmint, pepper mint, ginger, and green onion are a few of the natural herbs which taste very well in juice, along with wheatgrass, fennel, and even basil.



Tags: liquid diet, alternative treatment, tissue repair, bad habit, detoxification diet

Busy Schedule? A Juice Fast Is a Good Alternative!

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 7:57 pm  

The term “fasting” literally suggests “not eating,” for a predetermined period of time and drinking water only. To be sure, is by far the most difficult of the fasting disciplines. Today, however, the practice of fasting with freshly-extracted fruit and/or vegetable juice is being more widely embraced.

provides similar weight loss and detox benefits as , with the exception that one still is able to consume a range of juices with pulp. Since most of us have very demanding schedules, juice fasting often presents itself as a better option because the symptoms – particularly hunger and weakness – will not be as strong as they would be in a traditional water fast.

Juice can be preferable than water fasting for a variety of reasons, for instance juice is quickly broken down and assimilated by the body while supplying calories with a HUGE nutritional bang. During a juice fast, one will continue to receive energy from the juice, albeit in smaller quantities than when one is eating the usual three meals per day.

A juice fast can be carried out before or after a cleansing detox diet. In situations where the juice fast happens 1st, it typically lasts for one-to-two days prior to food being gradually reintegrated – usually over six to seven days.

My point is this: It is important to be very careful with what you eat both “before and after” a juice fast. Since the digestive system has been in partial hibernation due to the diminished intake while fasting, it is crucial to “re-awaken” the bear slowly and with much caution.I strongly encourage you to read the breaking a fast page when you have time and be prepared for this phase before you even start fasting.

If you eat too much before a fast, the detox and hunger pangs can be quite uncomfortable because the body is having to break down the feast you had prior. Similarly, if you eat too much, too soon after a fast, you will place an enormous burden on the digestive system and possibly make yourself terribly sick. I say this from experience too.

Don’t do it. Take it easy and slow. Slow is fast my friend. If you are new to juice fasting, I recommend that you start slashing all sugars, fats and caffeine from your diet at least seven days before you start. This will allow the body to begin a “pre-cleansing” process of sorts which will make the actual fast a bit easier. The more “empty” and “light” your stomach is before fasting, the better.

Some people think that they need to gorge before fasting “to store” food. But that is a recipe for misery. It is best to eat as clean and as little as possible for about a week, THEN start juice fasting. This also will give you time to become used to hunger pangs and detox sysmptoms. Consider this cleansing diet phase a “dress rehearsal” for your actual fast. :-)

If you can, it is a lot more useful to for you to prepare the fruit and veggie juice yourself with fresh fruit and a juicer. Organic product is best. If this is beyond your current budget, make sure to thoroughly wash the produce before inserting it in the juicer. I recommend that you check out our juice fasting series of articles so that you can get more detail as to how to prepare and carry it out.Again, if you are new, please do not try to break any records.

You don’t have to fast for forty days to receive benefit from your efforts. It is best if you start slow, possibly with a one-day to three-day juice fast. Once you get used to that, then you can venture out for longer periods of time. Take it easy and be careful. This is not a race… it is best to go slow and build a foundation that lasts than to speed ahead and have to start from scratch over and over, dont’ you think?

Tags: Hospitality Recreation, detox juices, carrot celery, cranberry juice, Food and drink

How to Zap Acne & Skin Blemishes With a 72-Hour Colon Cleansing Juice Fast

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 4:21 pm  

If you want to have clear/glowing skin that is free of acne and/or blemishes, then put away the scrub pad for a while and try a juice fast instead. You will be amazed at the marked results you can get by giving your digestive system as little as three days to expel digestive system waste. Believe it or not, much of what we eat (especially the bad stuff) lingers in our bellies and can fester in the colon for years.

These toxins continually are absorbed into the blood and intoxicate our bodies over and over and over. And one of the organs that gets hit the hardest is the skin. It is not unusual for skin problems such as severe acne and/or blemishes to be caused by chronic toxicity of the digestive system. You can scrub, scrub and scrub… but unless you cleanse your gut, the results will be minimal. Hopefully this article will give you a fresh persective and arm you with what you need to solve this problem and get your skin glow back! Yes, I am a GUY…. but I still like to look good! :-)

By detoxing your colon, you reduce the poisons that leak from the pores of your skin which are the primary culprits for acne. Probably, like most people, you eat three “square” meals per day. That means that you should be having at the very least TWO bowel movements daily – three would be even better. I actually spoke recently to a gastroenterologist and he confirmed to me that, when healthy, we should have one for each meal eaten. BUT, that is usually not the case for most of us.

How many times daily do you go? If you move your bowels just once per day, then you are probably toxic and need cleansing. A lot of those toxins undoubtedly are making their way to your facial pores and causing that acne that you so much want to get rid off. So what to do?

You have to eliminate all of that filth in your colon ASAP! So the first day of the juice fast should focus on exactly that – cleansing the colon. Then, for the following two days, we will fine-tune the cleansing to make sure that EVERYTHING has been expelled and that you have properly and thoroughly detoxified.

Carrying out a 72-hour juice fast is, in my opinion, the easiest method to cleanse the colon, decontaminate the blood and revitalize your skin. However, it is important for you to note: for three days ia a very powerful startingpoint for your healing and transformation.

Still, fasting is NOT a “cure-all” for everyone and, for it to work, you must be willing to make PERMANENT eating-habit changes. Otherwise you are simply fooling yourself. You might be fine for a little while, but eventually what you eat will catch up with you and you will find yourself back where you started. So this DOES require your active participation.

In the book, Cooking for Healthy Healing: Diet Programs and Recipes for Alternative Healing Linda Rector-page,Ph.D., speaks with regards to fasting: “Fasting works by self-digestion. During a cleanse, the body in its limitless intelligence, will break down and burn off just the materials and cells that are sick or unnecessary, such as an abscess, tumor, extra fat stores, and congestive toxins.

Just a reasonably brief fast can speed up eradication of these toxins from the liver, lungs and skin, frequently leading to extraordinary changes as big quantities of built up debris is eliminated. Live foods and juices could virtually grab lifeless matter from your body and carry it away.”

The Day Prior To The Juice Fast

The day prior to the fast, consume a big salad and a couple of pears and/or apples. This injection of raw fruits and veggies gives the body a nice shot of fiber to kickstart the colon cleansing process – loosening all of that tough, toxic stool that clings to the walls of the intestines.

Drink at the very least eight large glasses of water and, if possible, take two-to-three of the Herbs & Prunes laxative that I’ve talked about before. Steer clear of white flour, sugar and anything fried. Today should be a day to eat light and premare yourself mentally and physically for the juice fast.

Day ONE Of The Juice Fast

Carry out this kind of detox on a weekend or whenever you can take it easy and not be swamped by a million things at once. I mean, if you simply CANNOT take time off, then I would say go ahead and do the fast. But it is best if you wait until you can relax and focus on what you are doing without being distracted by multiple ancillary issues. Also, you will need to stay close to a restroom while doing this as you will likely have multiple bowel movements, many of them at unexpected moments and times. You don’t want to be caught unawares! .

To complete this juice fast, you will need these supplies:

* A quart of prune juice, organic is best

* One gallon of apple juice – organic is possible.

* At least six apples, organic if possible

* Seltzer/Sparkling Water to help soothe hunger and detox symptoms

*Decaffeinated Green Tea to help soothe hunger and detox symptoms

Whenever you get up in the am, drink up:

* 8 ounces of prune juice

* 10-20 minutes afterwards drink an additional eight ounces
of prune juice

* 10 mins afterward drink still one more eight ounces of prune juice

* Twenty minutes to one-half-hour later, drink 8 ounces, this time of apple juice

* Twenty minutes to one-half-hour later, drink one more eight-ounce glass of the apple juice

If you have not raced to the toilet by now, I assure you that you will very soon. Take in an eight-ounce glass of apple juice every hour, on the hour for the rest of the day – until 5 or 6pm. If hunger hits you in the afternoon, make yourself a cup of the decaf green tea and sip it.

As far as what you are allowed to have during the day, you can eat three apples or pears in the morning and another three at night – no later than 9pm. This procedure will start to really empty your gut of all of that debris that has kept you toxic and bloated. Do not eat anything after 10 pm. If you get hungry, crack open a seltzer water and go back to bed.

Day TWO of The Colon Cleansing Juice Fast

An alternate way to get the cleansing ball rolling is to use an amazing product called Oxy-Powder. You can purchase the tablets and follow the thirty-day cleanse protocol. So you would take it during the three days that you are juice fasting, and continue to do so until the thirty days are completed. Take a capsule a day for thirty days basically.

On the 2nd day you are able to consume diverse types of juice and you can chomp doen as many as five apples or pears. You may drink any type of juice whether it is fruit or veggie. However, I strongly encourage you to drink a combination of both fruit and vegetable juice. has natural sugar, but it is sugar nonetheless.

You will want to keep sugar content low, and you can do this by mixing the fruit and veggie juice… and then perhaps adding a bit of water as well. When I say “fruit juice,” I am NOT talking about Kook-Aid or any other artificial types that one commonly finds in the supermarket. I am talking about natural organic juices.

Your local supermarket probably has a health-food section. Look there or on the lower shelves of the juices section. This time of premium juice will cost you an extra dollar or two. But that is a small price to pay for your health, is it not?

Day THREE Of The Colon Cleansing Juice Fast

The 3rd day is much like the 2nd one. You are able to consume whatever type of juice you want along with the five pears or apples.

Fourth Day, after the fast is done

Once you have completed the 72-hour juice fast, it is imperative that you slowly and gradually build up your system to take in solid food. If you end the fast with a cheeseburger, then you have wasted your time! :-) Be patient and gentle… patient and gentle. You have done a LOT of cleansing over the past three days and your body is in better shape than it possibly has been in years. Don’t ruin it by eating inappropriately…

Below are a few of the food items that you can start refeeding witht:

* Salad: lettuce and tomatoes with just a tiny dab of EVOO <- extra virgin olive oil :-)

* Baked potato; with just a tiny dab of salt and EVOO. Steer clear of butter or sour cream

* Light soup: Do NOT go out and get the really thick and greasy “chowders” out there or other types of “super-fattening” soups. Opt for light soup like chicken broth, vegetable etc… You can have soup with a little meat in it, but keep the solids to a minimum for at least three to five days immediately after the juice fast.

* Oatmeal, multigrain cereal; I am not talking about the commercial variety which comes packed with sugar. I am talking about natural PLAIN oatmeal. Oat/bran cereal (the low sugar type) is also terrific to help the digestive system right after a fast.

* Fruit salad: these come pre-packaged but can be expensive. I suggest you purchase your choice of apples, pears, strawberries, grapes and bananas. Cut them and mix them together in tuppereware bowls you can simply pull out of the fridge and eat or take with you.

* Fruit smoothie; Pull out the blender and mix some fruit with either low-fat milk or water (and lots of ice). My favorite is lemon/orange/strawberry smoothie. Drink it natural. Don’t pour sugar into it or you are only fooling yourself.

* Yogurt; Avoid those filled with sugar… opt for natural instead. If you like yogurt, you can actually mix some into your fruit salad for an added treat!

Important Note: If you’re sick, feeling under the weather or your defense system is weak, then it is probably best if you wait to do this fast until you feel a bit better. Continue to cleanse your face regularly while doing the fast and, little by little, you will start to notice quite the difference.

I had persistent blackheads on my nose, cheeks and shoulders. After this type of cleansing… they all but went away. Some disappeared right away, others took a few weeks. But detoxing my gut did the trick. I pray and hope that it does the same for you dear friend. :-)



Tags: Food and drink, square meals, chronic toxicity, bad stuff, Juice fasting

Here’s How Juice Fasting Can Transform The Course of Your Life

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 12:46 pm  

Why Juice Fasting?

In this article I continue to talk about juice fasting, especially in relation to the . To be sure, one of the primary purposes for which people fast is to detoxify the body and improve their health.

Others do it strictly for weight loss and many observe times of fasting as part of their religious beliefs. What is your reason for wanting to fast? Have you ever written these reasons on paper? If not, I recommend that you do. Putting your goals in writing gives them a certain type of power than they do not have just swimming up in your mind. Health, health, health is what this is all about.

Traditional medicine is wonderful and I am always amazed at just how much we have advanced in the last century. Surely new discoveries may one day overcome age-old human enemies as cancer.

Meanwhile, it is our duty to do everything within our power to take care of our bodies and maintain the best health possible. This task is not for your doctor, parents, spouse or children… it is FOR YOU! So, if you are overweight and toxic, this article the clarion call to WAKE UP AND START TO TAKE ACTION!

And juice fasting is a very effective tool that can help you lose weight and improve your health in a relatively short period of time. A juice fast can detoxify your body at the same time delivering a very nice shot of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. (and also) places the body in healing mode and allows it to rest from digestion and focus instead on deep cleansing, healing and fat burning.

Whenever you drink natural , you’re taking in some very powerful curative nutrients. You are drinking living enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and photochemical agents that help the body cleanse and rejuvenate. I mean, I could go on and on and on talking about the benefits of juice fasting.

But even the most accurate description will fall short. You just have to try it for yourself. And if you already are an experienced juice faster, then you STILL have universes to explore. No matter how many times you have fasted in the past, each fast – in my opinion – takes us to a different region in our minds, bodies and souls.

So even if I fast for 100 years, I would only be scratching the surface since the world of the spirit is infinite. I don’t know about you, but to me this is immensely exciting. What other practice on the phase of this earth gives the body the power to basically cannibalize disease? Truly amazing stuff! :-)

How should we proceed with a juice fast?

To begin with, you have to know that fasting can be safe. Many do not realize that the human body can actually make it without eating for as long as 70 days or more, depending on your weight and fat percentage. The body actually  has stores of vital nutrients in the liver and bone marrow. While fasting, it has the ability to tap into these resources to ensure your survival in every way possible. A lot of people do not know this and are therefore misinformed about fasting.

I recall vividly one gentleman staring at me shaken and wild-eyed: “Fasting… you mean not eating? You will die!!!” Here he was, with an enormous potbelly that hung almost down to his knees, ,but it was ME who was in danger of dying. Ugghh!

Perhaps you, too, have had some encounters with unbelieving loved ones and/or acquaintances. Let the results speak for themselves is what I always suggest. But, if you are new, the best thing you can do is to start slow and give yourself plenty of time to get used to the fasting process, particularly hunger pangs, detox symptoms and the emotional ups and downs.

Once you have successfully completed various one, two and three-day juice fasts, you can then venture and complete seven days. Do seven days every other week, for example. This is a very powerful form of intermittent fasting. Continue to move forward and then – eventually – give yourself the goal of doing three straight weeks of juice fasting.

A juice fast 21 to 30 days in length will likely have a profound impact on your mind, body and spirit. It could definitely change the entire course of your life. If you are able to handle 21 days, then you can probably make it to 30 days with relative ease. Everyone should have the awesome experience of completing thirty days of juice or . There is just nothing like it. Many go beyond thirty days. Last year I completed 100 days of juice fasting.

But this is really not necessary in most cases. I personally did it because of a lingering liver condition that requires me to cleanse regularly. I always had the goal of juicing for 100 days… so that was my personal goal. If you are more than 100 pounds overweight, you should not force yourself into a long fast is you have never done one before. I mean, everyone has their mission in life.

When I got sick and tired of living in obesity, depression and isolation, I launched a 40-day water fast within days. But that was me. If you feel that fasting is the way through which you want to lose all of your excess weight, then give yourself plenty of “trial and error” time. If you initially start with your sights on doing 14 days and then fall off on day five, don’t berate yourself or think it was a failure. Simply get up and try, try again. It may take a few tries before you settle into your fasting grove. Just keep getting up and do not ever give up.

Likewise, prior to beginning a juice fast, you must recognize that it likely won’t be a “piece of cake.” You might have moments of turmoil when you will have a very strong urge to quit due to hunger pangs, detox symptoms and/or emotional attacks. You may just say “screw it,” and start driving to the market to buy the biggest cake you can get your hands on! I have been there so many times it isn’t funny.

When all of these trials emerge (and they certainly will), realize that the symptoms will pass. Realize that, even though it may seem that time is crawling, this fast is a very small window of time in the grand scheme of things. And realize that, no matter how much discomfort you face initially, it will be NOTHING in comparison to the HUGE benefits that you will gain mentally, spiritually and physically.

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired with your weight and health, you definitely should try a juice fast. You will not regret it. I pray and hope that all of your dreams come true, and that you receive the strength, wisdom and determination to overcome all obstacles that may stand in your way. Talk soon! :-)



Tags: fasting and cleansing, body actually , hunger pangs, clarion call, unbelieving loved ones

Some Key Pointers To Help You When Juice Fasting & Detox Cleansing

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 8:36 am  

A real fast doesn’t normally include any kind of sustenance or beverages aside from just water. However, after many years of fasting and coaching others, I cannot deny just how immensely powerful it is to fast with juices. At first I opposed juice fasting because I considered myself a “purist.”

But, a little older now (and wiser I hope!), I see that nature has immense healing and restorative powers that cannot be denied, and juice fasting - in my opinion - is one of the most direct ways in which to harness this miracle. The juices provide nutrition which hasten the body’s excretion of toxins, as well as tissue repair. Indeed, fasting with fruit and veggie juices is very powerful and can help you to notably improve your health, as well as lose weight quickly.

Beyond weight loss, however, I always like to emphasize the power of body cleansing. Fasting causes the body to switch to “survival” mode, meaning that it starts to tap on stored fat in order to provide energy needs.

Since the worst of the toxins from the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat are stored inside fat cells, this survival mode - known as ketosis – causes the toxins to be released into the blood stream. The result is what can be mild to severe detox symptoms. These last anywhere from nine to 21 days, depending on your body makeup and state of health. helps to facilitate this process because the abundant nutrients in raw fresh juices help the body to more effectively process and expel these poisons.

Fasting enables the digestive system get some rest and so the extra energy can be utilized to eliminate toxins. The body metabolises its tissue to supply the energy usually produced from solid foods.

However, and miraculously, the body will only consume the unhealthy, fragile cells, NOT the healthy ones. It is for this reason that fasting frequently for a week to 14 days (at least once annually), can help keep you healthy, clean and lean. This, of course, depends largely on what you eat when you aren’t fasting. You STILL must become willing to make PERMANENT eating-habit changes once the fast is over. Here are juice fasting pointers you should be aware of:

* Don’t use anything except raw organic produce to prevent any kind of chemical deposits which could remain. However, if organic is at present beyond your budget, or if you simply do not have access to it where you live, then it is imperative that you wash and scrub the fruits and vegetables throughly before juicing. I recommend that you purchase a hand scrubbing brush especially for this purpose.

* Utilize a non-centrifugal juicer so that you can protect the live nutrients in the juice. An entire argument could be presented both in favor and against this and that type of juicer. I honestly do not make a huge deal of it. In an optimum circumstance, purchase the non-centrifugal. If you cannot find one where you live, just get the very best that you can. It is better to start doing something right away than to continue to procrastinate, don’t you think?

Sidebar: What’s the big deal about juicers anyways? Well, non-centrifugal juicers generate less heat and therefore do not threaten the nutrients in the juice which can be destroyed by high temperatures. In addition, some schools of thought indicate that these life-giving nutrients actually are sucked into the bloodstream through the esophagus prior to reaching the digestive system. There is no proof to this argument, but it certainly is a very interesting supposition.

* Help your body out through the detox process and go out for regular walks or cycling… any type of low-impact exercise would be great. Spend plenty of time taking deep breaths and visualize clean air going in and black toxic stuff being eliminated as you exhale.

The more calories you burn each day, the faster the body can process and be rid of the toxins that cause all of the uncomfortable cravings and detox symptoms. But I said “low intensity.” Biking a few miles is fine… but NOT a twenty or thirty mile hike please! If you jog, do it slowly and stop the moment you start to feel light-headed. Low impact, low impact, low impact… oh, did I tell you: low impact! :-)

* Consume the juice as quickly as possible after you prepare it. You can plausibly stretch a juice’s lifespan to as much as three – even four days if you agitate it frequently, keep it in an airtight jar and cover the jar or jug with aluminum foil to shield the juice from all light. Many times I have been juice fasting for long periods of time and simply do not have the time to be juicing every day. So I prepare up to one gallon of juice at a time and then protect it like a newborn baby!

* Raw fruit and veggie juices possess alkaline nutrients that help the body to more effectively counteract toxic/acid waste generated by the water we drink, air we breathe and food we eat – in addition to a variety of environmental toxins..

* Lots of poisons tend to be expelled via the pores and skin during detoxification. Spending at least ten minutes each day “brushing” your skin helps a lot to get those pores actively eliminating toxic residue. Just make sure that you do not use a brush that is too harsh and can break your skin.

The whole point is to “hel” your skin, NOT mangle it! Shower when you are finished. If you have access to a sauna, use it daily for ten to fifteen minutes to further stimulate the excretion of toxins through the skin.

* You can drink as many as 7 eight-ounce glasses of juice daily, but no more. Make sure to drink at least half a gallon of water also. When hunger and/or detox symptoms hit you, try drinking a seltzer/sparkling water or a cup of green tea for some added pep. I usually drink the seltzer water two or three times daily if I am struggling with hunger.

Green tea (preferably decaffeinated) usually helps a lot at those “hump” times of the day when you feel yourself dragging. You ought not, however, drink green tea at night as it may keep you up. If you drink anything in the evening, try chamomille tea instead. It is very soothing and will help you settle in for the night.

* You should always break the fast slowly. Spend various days re-introducing solid food to the digestive system. Anything raw is usually best and is most easily digested. A huge steak two days after fasting is not a good idea.

Neither is a cheeseburger or any of that other trash that got you sick and overweight in the first place. NOW is a perfect time for you to take stock of your eating habits and become willing to make some PERMANENT changes. Otherwise you will simply end up back where you started, eventually.

For those who have chronic conditions such as cancer and/or diabetes (among others) or are underweight or with child, I strongly encourage you to see your doctor and talk to him or her FIRST. Thanx for visiting Fitness Through Fasting. If I can be of service to you in any way, simply drop me a line! :-)



Tags: Hospitality Recreation, survival mode, detox process, tissue repair, green tea

More Tips for Juice Fasting Success

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 4:32 am  

General Juice Fasting Rules:

o Have freshly prepared fruit and veggie juice and do not store it for over 72 hours. If you cannot consume it right away, put it into an airtight jug or jar. It is important for the juice to be sealed air tight to avert premature spoilage. Juice extracted freshly from fruits and/or vegetables is a huge nutritional powerhouse. It does, however, spoil quite quickly, so it is very important for you to be aware of this so you do not let any of it go to waste.

o The majority of fruit/veggie juices go down quite smoothly and do not foster the release of acids from your stomach. However, I caution you to use lemon, orange and tomato juice sparingly as they could, in some cases, cause uncomfortable acidity. Use them, but always mix them up with other types of produce.

o Raw aren’t always suitable when eaten jointly. Apples tend to be the exclusion.

o Working with Greens– you may want to juice all of your greens up front and leave harder types of veggies for last. The reason for this is that when you prepare greens last, they tend to create a thick sediment on the jug, which makes pouring it harder. I actually spilled an entire half-gallon of juice I had just extracted for that very same reason.

For example, I juice a few carrots or pears first, then I move on to spinach, parsley and watercress… then on to carrots, celery and/or squash. You may come up with your own favorite way of juicing; this is just my recommendation based on a lot of trial and error

o Melons should be juiced themselves. Making a meal out of melons is another option.

o Refrain from utilizing juices of the sweetened, commercial variety. That is just garbage and will only serve to perpetuate sugar cravings. Any food that is pasteurized loses its nutritional pep.

o Cucumbers are in the melon family and might not blend too well with other vegetables. You may have to get used to the taste in some mixtures, but do not let that inhibit you from trying out new combinations.

o Dilute all fruit juice 25 to 50% so as to minimize the amount of sugar that you will be ingesting. Drinking too much non-diluted fruit juice can end up strengthening hunger and cravings. So be very careful with fruit. Fruit has natural sugar, but it is sugar nonetheless. You don’t have to water it down too much; just use common sense. The juice can still be quite tasty.

o Vegetable juices need not be diluted.

Some Suggestions To Help You With Your Juice Fast:

o Take hot and cold showers or baths. While juice fasting, the body will be expelling a lot of toxins through the skin. So regular bathing will help rinse it out and keep the epidermis clean and thus avoid acne or other skin blemishes.

I actually use the bathtub as my own private fasting “recharging” station. I may be about to crack and break a fast prematurely, but once I sit in the bathtub and just let warm to hot water hit me, I seem to always get a second wind. Give it a shot. To be sure, your water bill will probably surge during this time. lol

o The pre-fasting diet ought to consist of eliminating all fat and refined sugar. Start to eat larger quantities of instead. This will begin the detox and help you later by reducing the intensity and length of hunger pangs and detox symptoms. Trust me; following this type of “pre-fast” cleansing diet will make the fast much more bearable and stack the deck in your favor.

o Avoid negative people. Do NOT feed into the hysteria if well-intentioned (but misinformed) relatives and friends caution you that “you will die if you don’t eat.” Gosh, I have no idea how many times I have heard that one.

Don’t get glued to the TV set and become immersed in news which can often be quite negative. Avoid horror or violent films. Spend more time in prayer, meditation and viewing/listening to inspirational material. This is very important because fasting is mostly a “mental” discipline. If you are being bombarded with negativity to and fro, your chances of reaching your goal could diminish.

o Get some exercise every day that you are fasting to oxygenate and assist the body in its fat burning, detox cleansing task. I am not saying to go out and run a marathon or put yourself through grueling aerobic and/or weight training routines. I am talking about low impact exercise (like walking or riding a bike) for at least half an hour. This will help you to lose weight faster, but it also will help to take your mind off of food and eating! :-)

o I know this one may sound a bit odd to some people, but I also recommend that you sit under the sun for fifteen minutes to a half-hour daily while juice fasting. Sunlight in small quantities can help energize you, as well as give you a light bronze that will make you look great. Just don’t overdo it.

o Make use of Enemas–A juice fast may not always induce the disposal of ALL toxins, especially that tough and stubborn fecal matter adhered to the walls of the colon. You will want to make sure that any such debris is expelled so that it does not continue to pollute your body. Several colon cleansing sessions will usually do the trick. To this end, check out our  detox blog for a huge variety of articles related to detox cleansing.

o Continue with your normal daily schedule of activities. However, you will need to reduce the intensity at which you normally do things. You will need to take it easy, move slower and give yourself plenty of time to get things done. When fasting, especially during the first nine to eleven days, doing even the most mundane daily tasks can often require a great deal of exertion and concentration.

o Avoid coffee, soft drinks, tobacco or anything more. I smoked two-to-three packs of Marlboro reds for nearly thirty years. I smoked my last one the morning of my first 40-day water fast. If you are a smoker, I encourage you to do the same. Now is as good a time as any to overcome this terrible addiction.

o Cut back on certain nutritional supplements and prescription drugs. If you are more than sixty years of age, it is recommended that you take a multivitamin once daily while fasting. Again, make sure that you discuss all of this with your doctor and ALWAYS follow his or her recommendations. Although fruit and veggie juice has a LOT of nutrients, elderly fasters should err in the side of caution and take the multi-vitamin.

o If you are hypoglycemic, it will be best if you have someone around to supervise your fast. Depending on how your body reacts, you may need to “slow-down” the fast by adding some sort of protein.

o If you wear dentures, do not remove then because sometimes the gums shrink while one is fasting and you may find yourself having to buy a new pair.

o Get as much rest as you can and sleep, sleep, sleep!

Some Final Recommendations: It is important for you to realize that while fasting, you will likely experience periods of intense fatigue, tiredness and mood swings. This is all normal. Remember that when we fast a huge number of toxins that were hiding in fat tissue are abruptly loosened into the bloodstream. This is what causes the detox symptoms, which – depending on your diet – may be quite severe. But, the good news is that they WILL pass!

As I said before, fasting is a time when we tap into the spirit in ways that we are not accustomed to. It is a time of physical, mental and spiritual healing. Take full advantage of it and remember the HUGE benefits that you will gain from walking through the discomfort and reaching your goal.



Tags: live enzymes, nutritional value, favorite way, Juice Fasting Success, fruits and/or vegetables

To Hell & Back – How Fasting Saved My Life

Friday, October 22nd, 2010 at 1:35 pm  

Robert-Dave-Johnston

“Sometimes I would get so sick that I would actually vomit all over myself while gorging. I did not care. I would just continue to eat. Wouldn’t even change my shirt. In my mind, I was garbage and did not deserve even the slightest of human dignities.”

Ever since I was a small child, I recall always feeling inadequate, ugly, weak an unworthy. This translated to lots of bullying in school and very few friends. The kids called me “the ugly fat cow.” Anytime I would walk by or get in the bus they would start “mooo, mooo, mooo.”

You know how tough kids can be. I was terrified to go to school. I was the overweight, nonathletic, dark-skinned kid in the group. The ugly duckling. My mother worked hard to raise and support me, but it was very hard as she was alone.

My father was a very famous Latin American singer in the 1960s and 70s and I guess he was too busy with his fame to care much about me. So he left us when I was very young. I was always in emotional pain. Food gave me the hiding place and “medication” that I needed. I recall that for a great part of my childhood my grandfather ran a little shop from the house.

Kids would come up to the kitchen window and order candy, sodas and fried goodies. Needless to say, I ravaged the candy when noone was looking. It was not unusual for my grandparents to find tons of candy wrappers under my bed. “You’re eating my profits!” grandpa would shout. I could not stop. I was not even ten years old and already was a food addict.

My mother went on to remarry, but the father image that I longed for did not materialize. In fact, there were periods of mental and even physical abuse. I retreated further into my shell. Girls did not like me, I had no friends and became a total outcast. This went on through high school.

Many other things happened and for a period of time I lost a lot of weight. It was mostly due to my huge love for Rocky and Sylvester Stallone. But that did not last and my binging eventually led me to regain all of the weight.

By this time I was in my late teens and had gone off to Los Angeles to be on my own. I did ok at first and started to get in shape and do some acting. I played in numerous rock bands. Like they said in the movie Goodfellas – “It was a glorious time.”

I met and hung out with a lot of celebrities (Slash and Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses were my favorites), had hair down to my waist, rode a motorcycle and felt like I was on my way to doing something positive with my life, especially in music as a singer, guitarist and composer. But the food addiction and binging had other plans.

Increased alcohol consumption led to weight gain which led to demoralization which led to a full-blown relapse into binging. This time, however, I was going straight to hell. By the time my sting in Los Angeles was over, I had given up on music, acting and just stayed in my tiny apartment in Santa Monica Boulevard eating, eating and chain smoking.

Sometimes I ran out money and would call the pizza man and then beg him to give me the pie and that I would pay later. I was blacklisted by pizza delivery restaurants within a ten-mile radius. lol I could go on and on.

Over the following years I was lucky enough to start a journalism career in San Juan, Puerto  Rico which is where my mother is from. I can only say it was a “God” thing because one day I was working out in the sun mixing cement and the next day I was in an office writing business stories. I was taken there. I don’t recall having the ambition, energy or vision to do so.

Things went really well and I seemed to have found my niche as a writer, which apparently I did fairly well. But that feeling of “not being good enough” was always there.

Anytime something good happened in my career (awards, raises, praise from colleagues), I would minimize it and set out to prove everyone wrong. I would slide into a binge and disappear from sight. I would lock myself in my apartment to drink and eat and simply not show up to work.

My bottom was me not bathing, shaving or changing clothes for weeks, sometimes months at a time. I would spend weeks alone in my apartment living off of pizza, cheeseburgers and Chinese food delivery. I would order an Xtra large pizza every day and eat it in its entirety, as well as liters and liters of soda.

Sometimes I would get so sick that I would actually vomit all over myself while gorging. I did not care. I would just continue to eat. Wouldn’t even change my shirt. In my mind, I was garbage and did not deserve even the slightest of human dignities.

How can a human being sink so low? My only exposure with the outside world was my daily trips to Dunkin Donuts to buy a dozen pack and some apple fritters. I wore only black over sized clothing, most of which was badly stained by icing and grease from the pizza and Chinese food.
I was the ‘man in black.’ Walking death…

Black shorts or sweatpants and a black t-shirt. That was my uniform. Several times I contemplated suicide and even started to plan it. The only thing that held me back was knowing the horrible pain that would cause for my precious mother.

Eventually I lost my journalism career, my home, my fiancee and ended up living in rescue missions, christian homes and anywhere that I could crash. I smoked two packs a day of Marlboro Reds and was drinking heavily as well as binging nonstop.

My mother was the only one that could stand me. I was obese, dirty, smelly and lost in chronic depression, bitterness and hatred. I was dead in life. Many well-intentioned men tried to help me, but I was unwilling to listen or have any type of accountability in my life.

Some years later I moved to Florida and secured a job at a great business newspaper. I was overweight but was in somewhat more ‘control’ than before. Everyone in that newspaper was very good to me.

But, again, I had to prove everyone wrong. So one Friday I went home to drink and binge and disappeared for months. They tried to help… but I was trapped and simply could not stop eating.

I recall waking and seeing boxes and boxes and boxes of pizza all over the place, garbage and the horrible smell of death. I looked in the mirror and saw a horribly bloated, greasy face with deep, dark circles around the eyes. I looked like something out of Night of The Living Dead.

By then I was 90 pounds overweight and very sick from intestinal toxicity and a liver condition that was getting worse.

One day I started fasting basically out of desperation, but was consumed by horrible withdrawal symptoms before I could finish even eight hours without solid food. It was like being stabbed all over my body… the detox pain was intense.

I was puzzled by the bad breath, white-sticky tongue, metallic taste and dizziness that I experienced. Research later led me to the realization that the symptoms were a reflection of just how toxic my body and digestive system had become.

By that time I had spent nearly 25 years binging, binging and binging with very little interruption.I had no social life and hardly any friends. For all I cared my life was over. How dark it gets before the dawn! :-)

In an ultimate low, I received the grace, strength and resolve to launch a 40-day water fast. The start of the fast was hell. I quit smoking cold turkey right then and there. The symptoms hit me hard and I was against the ropes many times. I don’t know why I was doing this.

I just knew that I had to. I could sense in my spirit that this was my chance to find some sort of life. It was very hard and painful – especially during the first 11 days of cleansing and detoxification. But I was reborn.

Fasting for weight loss, health and fitness has changed my life. It worked when traditional diets did not. I realized that, as long as I kept putting food in my body, I was not giving it the opportunity to cleanse from all the toxicity that had built up over the years.

My complete lack of control with food was a problem that only fasting was able to break. It forced me to navigate through the pains and discomfort of cleansing and detoxification.

Only then did the chains of food slavery break and I was led to freedom.

Once the fasting was over, I found – to my astonishment- that I was no longer willing to just put anything in my mouth. The sacrifice of fasting and cleansing gave me a new perspective on food.

This new perspective, in turn, gave me a fresh sense of discipline that had otherwise eluded me. In short, for me diets did not work because, in reality, what I needed was to stop eating altogether for a season so my body could clean itself.

I tried all the diets, believe me. Yet I only grew fatter and more frustrated. Each failure usually restored me to the previous undesired weight and added another 10 to 20 pounds to boot.

Later I realized that, at least for me, fasting and cleansing had to come BEFORE or could expect to stick to any particular diet – no matter how good it was.

Having lost nearly 100 pounds through juice and water fasting, I now dedicate myself to helping others interested in improving their health through this amazing, life-giving discipline. I am not here to present a rosy picture that this is easy. It is not. You have to get to the point where you are “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

AT that point, there is no other option but to press on and do whatever it takes to find freedom. And I am not cured of food addiction. I will be a food addict for the rest of my life. But, one day at a time, I choose to NOT take that first careless bit of the trigger foods that enslaved me.

That does not mean that I am a killjoy either. I do have my treats once in a while, but it with a structure and it is just a one-time shot. The mental food obsession has left me. I rarely get obsessive thoughts about food anymore. I have made contact with the God of my understanding.

You may wonder: why do you I give such graphic details? Well, I want to give you hope! I want you to know that no matter how low and hopeless you may feel, you CAN overcome and find freedom just like I did.

I pray that you may be filled with strength, wisdom and determination to seize your freedom. And may all of your dreams come true. :-)

Best Regards,

Rob



Tags: food addiction, ugly duckling, Rocky Stallone, Human behavior, Jim Zwerg

Your Fasting Questions Answered

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 1:02 pm  
Because I received such great feedback from readers who responded to last week’s survey, I decided to record a video where I answer some of the most asked questions.

I’ve shared some personal things about myself and my fasting journey in this video; things you might be able to relate to, because I think it might really help you.

Just click on the ‘Play’ button to watch now…


Please share your thoughts, comments and questions below.

Thanks,

Robert

Tags: Robert Dave Johnston, water fasting, Fasting, play button, Human behavior

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