Archive for 'Digestive system'

More On Juice Fasting

Saturday, October 30th, 2010 at 12:30 am  
Comments (14)

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: tissue repair, liver condition, Alternative medicine, pack a day, thirty years

Busy Schedule? A Juice Fast Is a Good Alternative!

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 7:57 pm  
Comments (16)

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, Fruit juice, spinach beet, drinking water, detox diets

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

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 4:21 pm  
Comments (29)

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: local supermarket, Linda Rector, Human behavior, severe acne, glowing skin

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

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 8:36 am  
Comments (7)

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: black toxic stuff, non-centrifugal juicers, Health Medical Pharma, Juice fasting helps, direct ways

Anti-Aging Fasting

Saturday, August 21st, 2010 at 9:21 pm  
Comments (34)

Fasting is anti-aging because it rids your body of toxins, which impair your longevity health. In addition, it helps to control your weight, which is often an aging factor.

Fasting is the most efficient and effective way of detoxification.

What is fasting?

Fasting is voluntary abstinence from food and drink, except water, for an extended period.

Fasting is not starvation which is abstinence continued beyond your body’s nutrient reserves. In other words, starvation may exhaust your body’s stored nutrients to the point of presenting health hazards, while fasting is still “consuming” the nutrient reserves stored in your body. There is a big difference.

Fasting has many therapeutic benefits. Fasting accelerates the self-healing process of your body, thereby enabling your body to recover speedily from any disease. Fasting temporarily stops the continuing work of your digestive system, instrumental in reserving energy for your self-healing. Your body may now utilize the energy for self-healing, which otherwise normally might be expended on secreting digestive enzymes to break down the food for distribution of nutrients throughout your body.

Fasting slows down your by keeping your arteries young (often hardened by cholesterol, fats, inorganic minerals and fibrous tissues). Fasting facilitates the removal of accumulated substances that may damage cell functions, thereby slowing down your and extending your lifespan.

Fasting may alleviate your body pain and rid your body of drug dependence. Remember, longevity is often a drug-free life.

Fasting relieves the burden of not only your digestive tract, but also your liver and kidneys, which have to work extra hard to remove additives and toxins accumulated in your body through improper eating.

Fasting produces powerful detoxifying effects in your body not achievable by any diet, restricted or supplemented.

Fasting decreases your blood pressure by softening your blood vessels.

Fasting activates the immune system in your body.

Fasting removes the cause of any chronic disease you may have by removing the toxins, not just the symptoms, as in the case of medication.

Fasting facilitates you, if you are a smoker, to quit smoking during a fast.

Essentially, there is only one type of fasting: pure water fasting. is not fasting: it is not anti-inflammatory; only pure water fasting is. Vegetable or fruit fasting is not fasting: it is more of a healthful diet. Only pure water fasting is complete and total fasting, which has the capability to break down fat, abnormal cells, plaque, and even tumors. Pure water fasting is the most efficient natural method of detoxification.

How safe is fasting?

Fasting is both natural and safe. Your body system has the capability to fast, and your body has the ability to fast safely. Generally, it takes more than forty days to exhaust all the nutrients stored in your body. That is why in the Bible Jesus fasted for forty days. In general, your body will still have more than adequate reserves of proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins to maintain its normal function during a fast. In fact, during a fast, your body conserves its muscle and lean body tissues.

For centuries, people have practiced fasting all over the world.

Animals instinctively fast when they are sick or wounded. However, humans in similar situations erroneously believe they need to eat to regain strength, thus making them even sicker and weaker.

To prepare for a fast, eat more vegetables and fruits prior to a fast. Reduce the consumption of meat, and refrain from eating any meat the day before a fast.

During a fast, your body naturally increases mucous production to wash away viruses and infected cells. It may even induce a slight fever to activate your immune system. Your body discharges toxins and chemicals through your skin, mucous membranes, liver, and kidneys. Due to hormonal and metabolic changes, you may feel slightly colder. That is natural and normal. Just keep warm to conserve your energy and to facilitate rapid elimination. One common phenomenon is dehydration through excessive loss of water. Drinking more water is recommended during a fast.

You no longer have any bowel movement after the first day. That, too, is normal.

During a fast, you need less sleep than usual. You are fully refreshed with from three to six hours of sleep. A fast is invigorating.

Remember, the more you fast, the less uncomfortable you will feel. Normal functioning of the body will resume upon removal of all causes of functional impairment.

On the first day, you feel pangs of hunger, and a white coating forms on your tongue. On the second day, you begin to feel gradual dissipation of hunger, and there is more white coating on your tongue. On the third day, you may feel complete disappearance of hunger and the clearance of coating on your tongue.

The first three days of a fast are most challenging. However, once the challenge is overcome, you are well on the way to rejuvenation of your entire body. A clear tongue and clean breath are a good indication that the cleansing is more or less complete.

The length of a fast depends very much on an individual. The following is just a general guideline: a one-day fast, as often as required, preferably weekly, for good maintenance; a three-to-four-day fast for general health and well being, several times a year; a two-week fast for complete internal cleansing, every year or so; and a three-week fast (or even longer) for curing a specific disease, under the supervision of a physician

Always consult your physician first if you go on a fast longer than three to four days. Stop the fast immediately if there is significant increase in physical weakness, or drastic drop in blood pressure.

A one-day fast is ideal for maintenance, but may not be too effective for deep cleansing. Regular fasting minimizes the risk of a disabling disease later in life, and is therefore anti-aging.

Copyright (c) 2007 Stephen Lau

Stephen Lau, a writer and researcher, has spent years in writing research synopses of doctors and scientists in the . For more information on health and wellness, visit: http://www.longevityforyou.com . Mr. Lau has also designed a website on golf tips and information. For more information, go to: http://www.golfingsuccessinfo.com

Tags: cell functions, slight fever, drug dependence, voluntary abstinence, Intermittent fasting

Liver Flush

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 12:06 am  
Comments (47)

A liver flush is a home remedy. Although there are many variations, it typically involves drinking two glasses of organic apple juice every two hours for two days, eating only . At the end of the two days, people take one to two tablespoons of Epsom salts dissolved in water, followed by half a cup of olive oil with lemon juice at bedtime.

Proponents of the liver flush say that it’s a detox (detoxification) method and also use it as a natural treatment for gallstones.

Why these ingredients? Apple juice is high in malic acid, so it is thought to act as a solvent to weaken adhesions between solid globules. Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) are used because it’s believed it relaxes smooth muscle and will relax and dilate the bile duct to enable larger solid particles (like gallstones) to exit the gallbladder. Unrefined olive oil is used to stimulate the gallbladder and bile duct to contract and expel gallstones.

People often notice small pellets or balls in their stool, which can range in size and color. Although proponents of the liver flush say that these balls are gallstones, critics of the flush say that the balls are not really gallstones but are soft complexes of mineral, olive oil and lemon juice produced within the digestive tract. Although it’s a popular home remedy, there’s insufficient evidence to show that it’s effective or safe.

Known side effects include nausea and vomiting, explosive diarrhea and abdominal cramps.

Theoretically, the liver flush may be unsafe for people who have gallstones. The large amount of oil causes the gallbladder to contract, making it possible for a gallstone to become lodged in the narrow opening of the gallbladder and necessitate emergency gallbladder surgery. Since gallstones are common in and many people with gallstones are asymptomatic, the absence of gallbladder-related symptoms does not mean an absence of risk. This procedure should only be done under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner.

Sources:

Kelley WD. One answer to cancer, 1999. [http://www.whale.to/cancer/k/Chapter_4.html]

Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. London: Churchill Livingstone, 2000; 57-8.

Murray M, Pizzorno J. Textbook of Natural Medicine Vol.1 and 2. Edinburgh: Harcourt Publishers, 1999.

Tags: K. Principles, epsom salts, magnesium sulfate, J. Textbook, Abdominal pain

Colonic vs. Enema

Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 4:19 pm  
Comments (47)


Colonics and enemas are therapies that both involve introducing water into the colon through to rectum in order to cleanse the colon.

But there are some key differences between colonics and enemas: Colonics cleanse the entire length of the colon. Enemas cleanse the lower part of the colon, the sigmoid and part of the descending colon. Colonics involve mutiple infusions of water into the colon. Enemas involve a single infusion of water into the colon. With colonics, fecal matter leaves the body via a tube. The client does not see or smell the fecal matter during the session.

At the end of the session, the client usually sits on a toilet, and usually passes any residual water and stools.

An enema involves the one-time infusion of water. It sits in the lower part of the colon for a period of time, and then the person sits on the toilet.

Colonics must be administered by a trained colon hydrotherapist and requires professional equipment.

Enemas do not have to be administered by a professional. Disposable enema kits are available in drugstores and online.

Tags: fecal matter, residual water, professional equipment, Sexual health, Digestive system

5 Ways to Improve Digestion

Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 2:02 am  
Comments (52)

Do you inhale your food? Are you so busy that even chewing seems like a luxury? Here are some tips on improving digestion: Basic 1: Chew, Chew, Chew Take smaller bites.
Put your fork down in between bites.
Try using chopsticks – it forces you to slow down.
Thoroughly chew each bite of food.
Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth – chewing grains thoroughly allows amylase, the digestive enzyme present in saliva, to digest the grains. Basic 2: Get Enough Water
Insufficient water intake is a primary cause of constipation. Constipation then causes an imbalance in bacteria, promotes inflammation of the intestinal lining, and can even lead to the absorption of larger molecules, a condition known as intestinal permeability. 5 Ways to Boost Your Water Intake.

Basic 3: Increase Your Dietary Fiber
Good sources of dietary fiber include: Dried fruit, such as dates, figs, and prunes
Beans and legumes- if you don’t have time to cook dried beans, buy canned, but make sure you rinse them thoroughly before cooking. Lentils and split peas are less gas-forming than other legumes.
Bring an apple with you to work as a snack
Ground flaxseeds are a gentle laxative. They can be useful for chronic constipation, damage to the intestine wall from laxative use, irritable bowel, and to soothe inflammation. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds on rice, grains, salads, or any other meal of your choice.A pilot study at Indiana State University found that mindfulness, including specific instructions to slowly savor the flavor of food and be aware of how much food is enough, helped to reduce eating binges from an average of four binges per week to one and a half. Eat in the moment. Savor every bite, enjoying the flavors, textures, and smells of your meal.
Buy fresh flowers to put on the dining table.
Use smaller cutlery so that you eat less with each bite.
Create a beautiful atmosphere – dim the lights, play music and light candles. Read Are Your Candles Killing You? for guidelines on buying candles.Food sensitivities are behind many digestive disorders. For example, between 33% and 66% of IBS patients report having one or more food intolerances, resulting in bloating, gas, and pain. The most common culprits are milk and dairy (40-44%) and grains (40-60%).

A trained practitioner can supervise an elimination diet. Many foods are removed from the diet for a brief period of time, then re-introduced sequentially to isolate the body’s reaction to the offending foods.

Not all bacteria is bad. There are over 400 different kinds of bacteria and yeasts in the digestive system. Of these, the bacteria Lactobacillus acidophillus and Bifidobacterium bifidum are considered good “probiotic” bacteria because they can help to maintain intestinal health. Acidophilus and Other Probiotics.

Although good bacteria can be found in some yogurt, there is a wide variation in the quantity and quality. Look for good quality organic yogurt that add the active cultures after pasteurization, because this heat process destroys both good and bad bacteria.

Supplements containing acidophilus and bifidobacteria can be found in . They are especially helpful for the following conditions: Irritable bowel syndrome
Diarrhea
Gas, bloating, flatulence
Recurring vaginal yeast infections
Bad breath
Enteric-Coated Peppermint Oil – Peppermint oil can reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.
Digestive Enzymes – Enzyme supplements are believed to support the body’s own digestive enzymes to aid digestion and help with other disorders stemming from poor digestion.
Go to the Wellness Makeover.

Tags: pilot study, eating binges, Indiana State University, health food stores, intestinal permeability

SEO Powered By SEOPressor

Fitness Through Fasting Blog is Stephen Fry proof thanks to caching by WP Super Cache