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Busy Schedule? A Juice Fast Is a Good Alternative!

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

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The term “fasting” literally suggests “not eating,” for a predetermined period of time and drinking water only. To be sure, water fasting 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.

Juice fasting provides similar weight loss and detox benefits as water fasting, with the exception that one still is able to consume a range of fruit and vegetable 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: organic produce, fruit and vegetable, detox diet, water fasting, Fruit juice

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

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

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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 bowel movement 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: Juice fasting 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. Fruit 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: Acne vulgaris, glowing skin, virgin olive oil, Digestive system, skin glow

More Tips for Juice Fasting Success

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

Comments (22)

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 fruits and vegetables 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 fruits and vegetables 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: Juice fasting, premature spoilage, detox cleansing task, melon family, cold showers

The Calorie Restriction Diet Plan is Hot News

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 at 4:08 pm

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We’ve all heard of counting calories to lose weight. In fact I remember much of my teenage life painfully counting calories before deciding whether I could eat something or not. However, what I didn’t realize at that time was how much damage I was doing to my young developing body.

I may have lost a few pounds, but just like most diets, once I stopped counting the calories I piled back on all the weight I lost plus more – it almost felt like a punishment.

A calorie (energy) is a calorie regardless of the nutritional content, however, what I failed to understand was the nutritional factor. You see, our body needs vital nutrients in order for it to perform various functions – whether it be brain function, bone development, tissue repair, or even metabolic function.

So someone that eats 1500 calories worth of mars bars is definitely going to develop an ill and diseased body compared to someone that eats 1500 calories from eating fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods.

That’s exactly what happened to me (ok, I didn’t eat mars bars, but I did leave out vital nutrients!) and it also explains why I failed to lose weight long term.

Now the Calorie Restriction Diet Plan has revolutionized the way in which we count calories. It takes a very healthy approach to this and, as stated on the Oprah Winfrey Show, healthy calorie counting and restriction can increase your life expectancy by as much as 50%. It is backed by proven medical testing and the amazing results where first noticed in animals. It is not a fad diet – as are most, as it’s core revolves around using only the healthiest nutrients.

Many people try and go it alone when counting calories and this is why so many of us fail. The Calorie Restriction Diet Plan takes a step by step approach to losing the weight and covers every aspect of it, including how to determine the amount of calories your body needs versus how much energy your body uses in a day.

Unlike many diets, you are restricted to certain foods but the great thing about this diet is that you get to work out your own meals and yes, you are even allowed treats!

Overeating put a massive strain on our body and the benefits of restricting calories includes reducing the strain on our organs, reducing blood pressure, eliminating weight related diseases and a host of other benefits – not to mention a great looking, fitter body.

Get yourself in great shape now! Grab your copy of the Calorie Restriction Diet Plan to get lean and fit.

Tags: Food energy, teenage life, Oprah Winfrey, Okinawa diet, fruit vegetables

Is Calorie Restriction Healthy?

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 4:15 pm

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Calorie control is not about just losing weight anymore. A relatively new trend known as calorie restriction is in the news more frequently. It is a regimen that involves reducing the amount of food you eat to reduce the number of calories you take in over a period of time.

It is a long term regimen involving scaling back on the amount you eat by up to 25 percent fewer calories than your body needs to stay at its normal weight. And this is done in an effort to slow the aging process and live a longer, healthier life

The notion that limiting the amount of calories you took in will increase your lifespan started back in the 1930s. More research was completed in the 1960s but the most extensive research was carried out for 2 years, inside Biosphere 2. Biosphere 2 was a giant, sealed greenhouse in Arizona where 2 physicians and seven others lived for two years inside this hermetically enclosed structure. They farmed for a living. They could not grow enough plant food to support a standard diet, but despite having less to eat, their diet was rich in vegetables and there was no junk or processed food.

The results were that their cholesterol and blood pressure numbers improved and these are two biomarkers for aging.

There were other smaller experiments but the larger one took place in 1989 when some researchers were working with monkeys. Half of the monkeys were allowed to eat whatever they wanted and the other half were given a nutrient-rich diet but 30 percent fewer calories.

After 20 years, 80 percent of the calorie restricted monkeys had survived compared to only 50 percent of the monkeys in the control group. They also reported that the monkeys who ate less were also three times less likely to die from age-related diseases including cancer and heart disease.

The premise was that if calorie restriction worked on monkeys it would probably also work on people. Most of the studies were done with mice and rats although there were two small studies in 2006 that were carried out on people. The finding was that those on calorie-restricted diets had better heart function and lower levels of inflammation than those who followed a standard American diet.

The Caloric Restriction Society or CR Society that advocates restricting calories, emphasizes the importance of preparing meals that focus on vegetables that are dense with nutrients, fruit, lean protein and healthy fat sources such as nuts and avocados. According to this group, calorie restriction is the only proven, researched back technique scientifically proven which extends lifespan and the quality of the later years. According to others, there should be concern about the negative effects of calorie restriction.

For instance, in a one year study on a calorie-restricted diet, 19 participants in a 2006 study lost about 2.2 percent of their bone density in their lower spine and hip. Granted, this was a small number for a test but even the CR Society warns that long term calorie restriction can trigger adverse effects such as loss of energy and increased sensitivity to cold.

Others believe calorie restriction could exacerbate someone who is prone to an eating disorder and they could become anorexic.

My executive summary of a calorie restriction diet is to think about the concept but moderate the action. The total daily calorie amount recommended was 1800 calories. That may work for some and not for others. My recommendation is to cut out the processed foods and the sugar and animal fat. See where that takes you in terms of improving your blood pressure and cholesterol. If you want to do more restricting, first consult with your physician and then work with a dietitian.

I invite you to find more information on successful approaches for a healthy aging and to claim your free report on challenging your brain at http://www.secretstohealthandaging.com/welcome.

Tags: Food energy, blood pressure numbers, CR Society, eating disorder, heart disease

A Calorie Restriction Diet That’s Actually Liberation

Monday, September 20th, 2010 at 4:43 pm

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If you haven’t heard of calorie restriction you’re probably bristling at the thought of it. It sounds so, well, restrictive.

But consider the alternative. Did you know how restrictive obesity can be? A November 7, 2007 Chicago Tribune article cited a study of 1.2 million women. The article opened with these words: “One of the largest medical studies ever undertaken has confirmed what many public health officials already feared: Being overweight can give you cancer.”

That makes calorie restriction sound more appealing doesn’t it?

Actually, I don’t much like the term “calorie restriction” even though that’s the formal name of this dietary approach. I much prefer my own term: “calorie liberation.” Because that’s what ultimately happens when you increase your awareness of calories – you become liberated from them.

As for the benefits, there are many:

* Increased longevity.

* Reduces free radicals so your cells are stronger.

* Prevents autoimmune disease and slows down the aging of the immune system.

* Improved thyroid function.

* Reduced risk for cancer.

* Lower blood pressure.

Prior to becoming diagnosed with celiac disease I lost 40 pounds and my immune system was wearing out. After my diagnosis and going on a gluten-free I was determined to keep the weight off. I calculated how many calories I needed per day to maintain my weight and I never exceed that amount.

Rarely do I get hungry. When you eat small amounts of food throughout the day it kick starts your metabolism somehow and your body doesn’t go into famine mode and hoard fat. The best part is that when you stick to a specific budget of calories you learn how many calories are in foods and that’s half the battle.

It’s just like money. You look at the price tag before purchasing something, right? This prevents you from overspending. Using the same principle with food helps keep the fat off.

Once you know how many calories are in the foods that you eat it becomes almost effortless. You quickly reach the point where you don’t have to measure everything and add up calories. It becomes intuitive. Your body adjusts to the reduced caloric intake. It’s almost impossible for me to exceed my daily calorie budget because my body would feel so stuffed. It’s like a little hatch closes once I reach my limit.

And when you’re eating less calories you’re cooking less, using fewer resources, throwing away less packaging. You’re living light, both literally and figuratively.

Want to try a calorie restriction diet that’s actually fun and easy to learn? Go to http://www.sixworddiet.com This little 60 page booklet has been flying off the shelves. Why? Because you get to eat whatever you want, 12 times per day. You’re eating so often you forget your calories are restricted. Now that’s liberation.

Tags: how many calories are in foods, autoimmune disease, price tag, celiac disease, Food and drink

Calorie Restriction With Optimal Nutrition (CRON) – Life Extension?

Monday, September 20th, 2010 at 8:43 am

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It has been know for nearly 80 years that restricting calorie intake leads to an extension of life among most animal species. Many have speculated that the same principles may apply to humans as well, although it is a difficult theory to prove scientifically due to the extreme time frame required to conduct the experiment (in excess of 120 years!) Nevertheless, it is an intriguing theory which could provide many additional, healthy years to one’s lifespan.

Calorie Restriction requires that 20% – 30% less calories are consumed below the normal level eaten. For example if 2500 calories are required to maintain a healthy weight, then around 1800 calories would constitute a restricted dietary lifestyle. The other component is to ensure that sufficient required vitamins and mineral nutrients are also included in the daily diet. Naturally this requires the elimination of all junk food in favor of healthful vegetables (mostly raw), minimal lean protein sources, nuts, seeds and oils.

To begin this type of diet, one must proceed slowly. Although weight loss is not the goal here, typically the pounds will come off… be sure to limit to no more than 1 – 2 pounds per week. This is because the body releases stored toxins in the body fat as it is reduced, and losing too rapidly can provide a toxic overload to the body.

Once you have followed a health eating pattern for a minimum of two weeks, you will no longer crave the sugars, fried foods and fast foods which make up the typical Standard American Diet (SAD). The most important part of this eating style are the biochemical alterations which immediately occur in the body. Lipid profiles alter toward lower cholesterol ratios (HDL-C to Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides to HDL-C), which are the real indicators of cardiovascular health.

Blood pressure will decline to normal levels and your basal body temperature will typically fall to a level 1 – 2.5 degrees below the ‘normal’ of 98.6. It is of note that the normal temperature reading is an average established over many years which is an example of the inflammation levels of the average person. Excess inflammation in the body results in higher body temperature. After several weeks of restriction, you will find your morning basal body temperature drop. This is a good indicator that you have already reduced your core temperature and that restriction is having a positive effect.

It is essential to monitor everything that you eat. You cannot follow this lifestyle without knowing the calorie and nutritional content of every item you consume. The best tool to use for monitoring is the free CRON-O-METER (spaz.ca/cronometer/). Enter all foods (and it is important to weigh the foods at first) in this handy tool as you eat. It will provide you with the calorie content as well as the nutritional breakdown. Mix your food choices to get the proper mix of nutrients. You will quickly find that there is no room for any food types which provide little or no nutritional value.

Read More Expert Advice on Diet, Health and Nutrition

John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates.

Tags: Calorie restriction, Read More, junk food, american diet, Health Medical Pharma

Weight Loss Truths – Calorie Restriction is the Key to Weight Loss Success

Monday, September 20th, 2010 at 3:58 am

Comments (12)

All successful weight loss programs rely on one common denominator; calorie restriction.

What is calorie restriction? Calorie restriction is an effort to reduce the amount of calories one consumes in order for the body to achieve a negative energy balance. This is simply a person reducing food consumption to the point that they are burning more energy than they are consuming. The body is then forced to use stored fuel (muscle tissue, glycogen and body fat) in order to survive. The burning of these stored fuels is cause of the weight loss phenomenon.

How does a person achieve this negative energy balance through calorie restriction? First a person must have an idea on what a calorie is. A calorie is a measure of heat. Food is the fuel our body needs to generate heat. If the body is not getting enough fuel from food consumption then the fuel must be found elsewhere. That fuel is found in our body fat.

The best analogy for this process is gasoline and an automobile. Cars run on gasoline. Without gasoline, a car is useless. We drive our car and fill up with gasoline when we are getting low on fuel.

What would happen if we put 18 gallons on gas in our car if we only burned 16 gallons? We would have extra gas left over. That extra gas has to go somewhere so it goes into storage for when we only have 14 gallons available but we need 16 gallons.

What would happen if we never tapped into our gas reserves? The surplus would keep growing and growing causing a need for larger storage tanks.

The human body works in the exact same way. The surplus fuel (food) is turned into stored energy (body fat) and the only way to reduce how much fuel is stored in reserve is to limit new consumption of fuel (food). This is the only way that the human body can body fat. A caloric deficit must be established so stored energy (body fat) can be burned to keep us alive.

How is a calorie deficit achieved? The simplest answer is to eat a fewer number of calories then it takes to fuel your basal metabolic rate. The BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the measure of energy a person needs to subsist. People can figure out their BMR by using any of the numerous BMR calculators that can be found online.

Once the BMR is calculated a person can then have a goal to shot for. If the BMR is 2500 calories a day, they a person should shoot to try to eat fewer the 2500 calories a day for a consistent period of time.

How can a person effectively create a caloric deficit? Part 2 of this article will address this issue.

W.S. Evans (Bill) is one of the millions of people who have battled a life long weight problem. Bill has a passion for helping others battle their weight problems by sharing what he has learned with his struggles with obesity. Bill’s struggle can be viewed on his blog called “My next 60 pounds”. Bill’s blog can be found at http://billgetsfit.blogspot.com.

Tags: energy body, amount of calories, human body works, Calorie restriction, food consumption

Fast Food and Calories

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 1:03 am

Comments (42)

Here in the technology and information age, we have more knowledge and advancements than ever before in history. Sixty years ago, who would have ever thought that you could send an instant message over a phone, let alone take a picture with it? Sixty years ago, who would have thought we would be capable of sending a man to the moon, but fail the war on obesity and cancer?

Isn’t it oddly shocking that America is so well-advanced in everything except health and fitness? While the fitness industry tells us to count calories and exercise for fat loss, we grow fatter and fatter as a nation.

Running parallel to the fitness industry is the fast food chains, doing their best to keep on the top of “healthy eating” trend. It seems the fast-food industry can tailor to anyone’s dieting needs with “fat-free,” “low-calorie,” and “low-carb” menu items.

Today, fast food is considered a normal eating venture among the average person. People aren’t just eating out on special occasions or weekends anymore; they are eating out all the time. But is it the calories in fast food that’s so destructive to the body and waistline or does the problem lie deeper?

Fast Food and Obesity

Fast food is simply tasty, ready-cooked meals packed to go. Fast food has been around since the early 1900′s, but its popularity sparked and grew in the 1940′s with the birth of good ole’ Mickey D’s; quick food priced cheaply. Within a few years similar fast-food operations popped up everywhere in the blink of an eye.

With the compelling rise in fast-food restaurants since the 1940′s, oddly, too, started the rise in obesity and cancer during that same time period. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do the math and link fast food to the obesity and cancer crisis.

Fast Food and its Nutritional Value

To say fast food has a “nutritional value” is an oxymoron. There is absolutely nothing nutritional about fast food. Fast food simply feeds hunger and/or your immediate craving. Fast food does not feed your body in the form of usable lasting energy or building materials, the essence your body thrives on for life itself.

Fast food is highly processed with a wide array of additives. The concept of fast food is obviously, food ready-to-eat and served quickly. To ensure fast food’s low cost to the consumer, the fast food products are made with highly-processed ingredients to give it shelf-life, to hold consistency, and to enhance flavor. Fast food is altered from its original healthy form it was meant to nourish the body with, to a denatured form that lacks any nutritional value whatsoever.

According to Diana Schwarzbein, M.D., “The FDA Total Diet Study found that fast-food hamburgers, across the board, contained 113 different pesticide residues.” So my question is why does the FDA want to regulate the sale of vitamins, minerals, and herbs that are actually beneficial for the body when there’s a linking fast-food / cancer / obesity crisis on our hands?

Why Fast Food is Fattening and Dangerous

Wake up people. It’s not the calories in fast food that’s damaging to your health and waistline, it’s the chemical additives such as aspartame and MSG (monosodium glutamate). These chemical additives are approved by the FDA and studies show that they lead to weight and disease issues.

Synthetic chemicals added to processed food, including fast food, damage your body’s cells. Your body is made up of nutrients found in plants and animals you eat. Man-made food items loaded with pesticides, as well as aspartame, margarine, and other man-made chemicals do not nourish your body. If your body can’t use what you put into it you will gain fat and decrease health.

Since we can’t visually see what actually happens at the molecular level when we eat processed food, we discount it and rely on the FDA to do our thinking for us. After all, if its FDA approved, it MUST be okay to eat, right? Not at all.

Nutrients from the food we eat allow us to burn fat and be healthy. Your body cannot process synthetic chemicals. If a food item can’t be processed, it will end up lodged in areas of your body, primarily fatty areas and tissues, creating an acidic pH.

A simple fast-food chicken breast can contain everything from modified corn starch to hydrolyzed corn gluten. Hello? Chicken comprised of corn? A fast-food chicken nugget is nearly 60% corn, and corn is what farmers use to fatten up cattle.

Michael Pollan, author of, The Omnivore’s Dilemma says it perfectly – “How did we ever get to a point where we need investigative journalist to tell us where our food comes from?”

A good visual that Dr. Mark A. Gustafson found is that it takes fifty-one days to digest fast food chicken nuggets or French fries. FIFTY-ONE DAYS! Does that sound healthy? I could care less about the caloric, fat, or carbohydrate content. That’s not the problem, people. The problem with fast food is that it’s void of nutrients and loaded with chemicals not recognized by the body.

What’s even more devastating is the book The Fast Food Diet written by Stephan Sinatra, M.D. This is a sad state when a doctor promotes eating chemically-altered food with addictive chemicals and damaged fats that scars the artery walls and contribute to total metabolic damage.

Eating Good and Avoiding the Hidden Dangers

Granted, calories do count to an extent, but what counts more is the quality of the calorie. If you want to lose fat then you have to change your eating habits. This doesn’t mean opt for Healthy Choice® and Smart One’s® frozen meals because they appear to be healthy. Food manufacturers use deceptive marking tactics to create an illusion to make people buy their product.

To lose fat and keep it off you should choose foods in their natural state, such as fresh organic cuts of meat, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, essential fats, and plenty of filtered water. It’s vital that you go back to the basics.

Make eating fresh and organic food choices the bulk of your diet. If you do that, you will never have to count calories again. The quality of food outweighs the quantity every time.

References: Schwarbein, Diana M.D. The Schwarzbein Principle. 1999. 287 Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma. 2006. 1

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She is a nationally qualified bodybuilder and holds two personal training certifications. She has written 6 ebooks on fitness and has helped hundreds of clients transform their bodies. http://www.theelitephysique.com “Use of this article is authorized provided it is reproduced in full, and all web URLS are active hyperlinks directed to the author”

Tags: food item, Food manufacturers, calories in fast food, food industry, usable lasting energy

Quit Being Fast Food Diet Stupid!

Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 8:19 pm

Comments (36)

What is this that I keep seeing about fast food diets? I do a ton of internet research day in and day out, and I keep seeing articles and web-sites containing information in regards to fast food diets that can still keep you thin and healthy. What can I say? I suppose that I can understand the point of view of the fast food industry to reflect this opinion; it’s in the interest of their self-preservation. However, I can only speculate as to why anyone else of any other affiliation would even think about justifying a fast food diet as being healthy.

The term fast food diet is an oxymoron! True, if you eat fast food regularly, you are in fact surviving on a diet that consists of fast food. However, you are not, in fact, on a fast food diet. A diet, in every sense of the modern meaning as it applies to weight loss or healthy eating, cannot come even close to being in the same family as fast food. We are not even talking about distant cousins, twice removed, re-instated through marriage… We are talking about the fact that there is no such thing as a fast food diet. Fast food can be utilized occasionally to replace healthy food because you are on the go and have no access to food that you have prepared yourself. It is a temporary fix for the problem of not having access to healthy food. However, it is not meant to be eaten solely in a “fast food diet”.

We as Americans have grown lazy and dependent upon the fast food industry. They know this, and prey upon us because of this. The concept or term “fast food diet”, I am sure, was even invented by one of the fast food conglomerates in order to try to gain leverage upon the health conscious Americans who have begun to educate themselves upon the dangers of eating fast food on a regular basis. You are smiling at my comment and thinking to yourself, “this guy is crazy”, or “that would be funny if it were true”. However, if it is true, is it truly funny? How else do you think that the fast food diet came to be? You come up with a better idea and let me know.

Business is business, and money is money. Fast food is a business and needs money to survive. If you were to suddenly decide not to eat fast food anymore because it was unhealthy for you to do so, then they have lost their business and they have lost their money. So, let’s create a term “fast food diet” and let Americans think that it means that they can lose weight, and eat our food while doing so! I swear, there was a moment of silence in my mind after writing that… because I know that a ton of us fell for it! The fast food diet caught on faster than a California brush fire during a drought!

Do not be suckered into thinking that counting calories and eating healthy is the same thing! Yes, they are listing fast food diets that you can partake in which list items off of the various fast food establishments’ menus in order to eat a less than two-thousand calorie “fast food diet” daily. This can give you some quick results in weight loss due to your body burning more calories in a day than you are taking into it with you shiny new fast food diet. However, while it is getting thinner, is it getting better? What attributes and vitamins and minerals is your body getting from these menu items? Are you truly getting healthier, or do you feel yourself drained of energy and getting sick more often?

The fact of the matter is that your body does not get anything healthy from these menu items which will enable you to maintain the weight loss that you accomplished from the fast food diet. Your fast food diet has forced your body to actually break down muscle tissue as well as fat in order to get the necessary proteins and vitamins that the food is lacking. So, why eat a fast food diet?

The best fast food diet is the one that refrains from eating any fast food at all. You can watch your calories, and still get all of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. You can eat negative calorie items that are full of anti-oxidants and anti-carcinogens which will actually prolong your health and your life on this planet. The truth is that the fast food diet is simply a way to keep you coming back to get your fix from the fast food pushers. As I said, the fast food industry serves their purpose. However, do not let yourself be fooled into thinking that eating a fast food diet on a regular basis is going to lead to any long-term positive results.

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Tags: food diets, Natural Disaster, healthy eating, Man-Made Disaster, food diet

Fast Food Nutritional Information Guide – What To Choose When You Have To Go To Fast Food Restaurant

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at 11:17 pm

Comments (35)

Fast food seems to be the main provider of nutrition for our body these days. The amounts of fast food consumed by children below 14 have increased at tremendous rate from 1980 to 2000. The estimation is that children now consume 10% of their bodies with fast food, and that 10% of fast food contribute to their total energy intake on daily basis.

Compare this to the 2% number of fast food consumption in children in 1980. And for your information, relying on fast food alone won’t meet your body daily requirement of nutrition. The numbers of fast food restaurants have doubled in 20 years and it’s predicted to growth at more alarming rate in the coming years. The reason of this alarming growth rate is due to the bad infestation of fast food restaurants, not only in America, but also in the world.

The fast food giants now also specifically target children in their advertisement campaign too. And now we can see fast food restaurants opening up their branches at public school too. This fast food infestation is believed to be responsible in triggering the obesity and diabetes epidemic in societies. And since a lot of people rely on fast food for their daily nutrition intake its worth knowing the nutritions information that are contained in the fast food.

So let’s get to know well the fast food nutrition information that is currently becoming a part of our daily life. First of all most of the fast food use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil which contribute trans fat to our body. Trans fats are hand-made fats which are made through the injection of hydrogen on unsaturated fat, making it a trans fat. So naturally all fast food products which are made through frying contain a lot of Trans fat.

Research done by feeding monkeys on fast food which contain Trans fat resulted in an increase of the size of bellies of the monkeys. And monkeys fed on unsaturated fat foods which contain the same calories did not show the same increase of size. And the most alarming occurrences are that monkeys fed on fast food show an early sign of diabetes. These Trans fats that are found in fast food have higher probability of causing heart disease than other fats.

Let’s take a look at some of the popular fast food products.

McDonald’s Big Mac and fries

Fat: 12g (per 100g)

Salt:; 0.9g

Sugar: 3.7g

Protein: 9.3

Fibre: 3.2g

KFC two chicken pieces and fries

Fat: 12g

Salt: 0.7g

Sugar: n/a

Protein: 12.2g

Fibre: n/a

Considering the amount of fat available there, obviously the best choices for food in fast foods restaurant are the salad and the grilled meat. Be careful with the dressing; make sure you order it in separate cups so that you can control the amount of additional fat that you are going to eat.

Mc Donald Chicken Caesar Salad

Fat: 6 g (per 100g)

Salt: 0.39 g

Protein: 7g

Sugar: 1g

Fibre: 3g

Subway Veggie Delight sandwich

Fat: 3g

Salt: 0.5 g

Protein: 7g

Sugar: 3.5g

Fibre: 3g

Subway Chicken Savory Sandwich

Fat: 3g

Salt: 0.6 g

Protein: 8g

Sugar: 6g

Fibre: 4g

With such a bad infestation of fast food, now you know what to order when your friends or your colleagues or even your families insist on taking you to the nearest fast food chain. New York City have 23 McDonald’s in Manhattan alone and everywhere in hospitals, airports, train stations and eve high schools, so with this fast food nutrition information you are armed with knowledge to order the least poisonous foods for you.

Linda Mie A former obese girl now sharing her recommendations and reviews of various diet methods available out there. Find out her personal twist and tricks on popular diet methods based on her own experiences for quick and healthy weight loss diet. See also her new guide: the fast food 101.

Tags: Donald Chicken Caesar, unsaturated fat foods, heart disease, Vegetable fats and oils, daily nutrition intake

Fasting – 95% OF Dieters Fail – Fasting Will ENSURE You Beat The Odds!

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at 7:10 pm

Comments (40)

If we control our appetite, our weight is automatically controlled and that’s exactly what fasting will teach you – How to control your appetite.

95% of people who start dieting give up and put on weight.

This is due to being unable to control appetite – Learn to control your appetite through fasting and you succeed in healthy weight control.

Let’s look how fasting can help you lose weight.

As we have said only 5% of people who go on a diet and lose weight keep the weight off for five years or more.

What happens to the other 95%? They remain fat or get fatter.

Is it that the diets don’t work? Yes and no.

The diets work, we don’t.

We lack the discipline to control our diets and eventually slip back to old habit patterns.

There was plenty of dieting in the Bible. It was called fasting.

Fasting is simply the restriction of our usual eating.

Whether a fruit fast or a water fast or a fast from meat, or beef or sweets, fasting is a restriction of our food, a diet.

People have had the same temptations and weaknesses throughout recorded history.

Food has always been one of those weaknesses and fasting is a way to overcome the weakness for food.

The benefit of fasting is not just in weight loss.

A water fast will result in an average of 1 to 2 pounds per day of weight loss. But that is not the benefit of fasting for weight loss.

“I think that will benefit me,” you may say, especially if you are overweight. But that is not the main reason for fasting.

Fasting can actually make you fatter.

The power of fasting is not in losing weight during the fast, but in gaining control of your appetite, which is the REAL problem to healthy weight control.

During a fast, the body burns its own fat.

As the body burns fat, it eliminates toxins and cleanses itself.

First, after several days, your metabolism slows down.

The body slows its metabolism approximately 20% after several days on a fast.

Medical science describes this as a survival mechanism. If the body is not getting food, then it slows down so that it needs less food.

This way, you can live much longer with no food if your body slows down.

Second, your digestive system is cleaner.

The villi in the intestines are cleaner, the stomach lining is cleaner, and the colon is cleaner.

If the lungs are clogged, the intestines coated with filth, the colon stopped up, the blood thick and sluggish, fat surrounding the heart and in the arteries, the body is running inefficiently.

A fast simply cleans up the body.

When you combine those two elements, a cleaner more efficient body with a slower metabolism, you need less food for the same level of activity.

Food is absorbed and utilized better in a clean digestive system.

Fasting will allow you to gain control of your appetite and you will gain the power of self-control after you have completed a long fast.

You may not get the self-control that you seek on your first fast.

But, do you master anything else on your first try?

Fasting on a periodic basis allows a person to gradually gain control over their appetite and this is the key to healthy weight control.

You will find that you are not hungry when you end your fast (after three days, hunger usually abates).

You are as not hungry and have control over what you eat and that is the main benefit of fasting.

You will no longer comfort eat or eat for the sake of eating. Your appetite will be controlled and you will eat less and not be hungry and gain control over your weight.

MORE FREE INFO

On all aspects of health and more on fasting for weight loss visit our website for a huge resource of articles, features and downloads and at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

Tags: getting food, Hospitality Recreation, habit patterns, fasting for weight loss, Health Medical Pharma

Fasting – Basic Strategies How to Perform a Healthy Fast

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at 3:59 pm

Comments (47)

One of the most important points of a fast is to go into and out of it slowly, and properly. During a fast your body truly does enter a different regime. Your stomach and intestines don’t work like they usually do, and the last thing you want to do is to come in and/or out of such a different mode with any sort of shock.

So I like to prepare my body well in advance. Since I improve on my fast every year, I will explain my last fast in spring of 2007, which was the most effortless, and probably powerful, fast yet.

It so happened one year that I accidentally ended my fast on Easter. Since I believe in God, this seemed fitting, and perhaps a sign from God, so I made it a custom after that – to always end my fasting period on Easter.

Also, once I tried a fast session in fall, but my body really did not like it. It felt like it was getting ready for another cold winter, when it was stocking up on energy supplies, and really seemed averse to the idea of entering a fasting period. So I would recommend you do your fast during the spring. When nature generally goes through its renewing period. It is always better to follow nature, and God (who is and made nature), and to listen to one’s body.

To prepare my body for the fast, I decided to earmark the biblical 40 days for this purpose. So I subtracted 40 days from Easter, and since this turned out to be around my birthday, I indulged in one last shoondig, partied it up, and from my birthday, vowed not to pollute my body until the fast was over. This meant no meat, no alcohol, do drugs, no cigarettes. I guess sex is okay, but I found my desire for that practically disappears during every fast. I imagine my body was telling me, “Hey pal, if you can’t even find food for yourself, how do you expect to start a family?” Amazing how the body works, eh? So expect zero sex drive.

The first part of my fasting period was spent cleaning and preparing my body. Not polluting it, and letting itself clean itself in the way that it naturally does. When I started with the parasite cleanse, the instructions stated I should not have any breads or food with yeast in it. Really? Well then, might as well take the biblical example, and during these forty days, do not eat anything with yeast in it.

Over the preparation period, I would very slowly also focus on eating less. Do not gorge and pig out. In fact, the only scientific way they have managed to extend a rat’s life is by denying it of food. Excess calories kill you. So exercise this restraint even more now. Do not overeat, but perhaps have your unleavened/Lebanese bread by your side and nibble on that over the entire day. I focus on the fact that I am entering a fasting period, and actually find that my body expects it this time of year, and gradually, every day, I find I am eating less and less, without any effort. Make sure to drink lots of clean water. This will fill you up, and start the cleansing process.

Now this year I combined my fast with a parasite cleanse, because the liver cleanse suggested it. So for two weeks before I started the actual fast, I would go on a parasite cleansing program. Your body is a living organism, and within it are teaming millions of different kinds of parasites. For a proper liver cleanse, you want to clean your body as much as you can of parasites beforehand. For this I found ParaGone 1 and 2. It was amazing what horrible things my body was getting rid of at the end of the two weeks. But make sure to follow carefully the instructions of what to eat. I was nibbling almost only on unleavened bread, and produced a horrible and painful diarrhoea on day 15. So I suggest nibbling also on white yoghurt and brans as well, to produce some reasonable stool.

But by the time the parasite cleanse was coming to an end, I had already been eating very little, drinking lots of water, and my body wonderfully prepared to enter the fast.

I like to do a full eight days of water only. This seems a short enough time for me, and this time it was rather painless. But I imagine that, if this is your first or one of your first few times fasting, this may be too extreme for you. I do not believe that slowly eating less should be too painful. Your body adjusts, your stomach shrinks, and this should not be a painful process, especially if you are allowed to nibble on food all day.

But how you go about the actual fast is up to your own experimentation. Perhaps you could try one or two days of the lemon juice fast. The parasite cleanse says you should not have any fructose, or even maple syrup, so it is a hard call to make. If possible, try at least one day of water only. This will prepare your kidneys for the kidney cleanse. Try to go as many days of water only as you can. I like to go three.

Once you have survived that, you can look forward to the kidney cleanse, because it calls for a massive diet of watermelon. So pull out your handkerchief, knife and spoon, and be prepared to feast like a king on your first hearty meal. The instructions for the kidney fast says you should nibble on as much as two large watermelons all day long, while lying in a warm bath and casually urinating out your stones over the entire day. I find this rather inconvenient and difficult to accomplish, but try if you can anyway. You may have extreme diarrhea, but mostly in the form of water and some pulp gushing out through your intestines. This is okay, because it is good to flush out your intestines at least once a year. You are cleansing your body, so might as well cleanse and scrub every corner of it. Did you know that pork lines your intestinal walls, and beef tends to clog it? I’ve heard a story of an autopsy where they found the intestines so clogged that there was only a pinhole in the centre allowing anything to get through. All this caked-on junk stays on your intestinal walls, seeping toxins back into your bloodstream, and harming your body further. It is good to eat leafy vegetables and bran throughout the year, to occasionally clean out your intestines. But if you don’t do that, at least this forty days should take care of that for you. Eat lots of leafy salads and get this process moving during your preparation period. If you would like to help it along, you can try the pure intestinal flush, which is to drink about one and a half litres of sea salt water. You can make your own, if you are not by the sea or ocean, but you need to buy sea salt and not use regular iodized table salt. Bring the water to the flavour of the ocean and drink it all down in about five minutes. Then wait by the toilet, because in about ten minutes you won’t have much warning and you’ll experience Niagara Falls. Before or in between jet sessions, you can lie on your back, raise your legs, and move them around a bit. This seems to loosen up the intestines and speed up the process a bit. Be prepared to hang around the toilet for about 30 minutes or more. By the end of it you will probably only see clear liquid gushing out like through the end of a regular garden hose. This will wonderfully clean out your intestines and something you are supposed to do several times a year. (More details on the sea salt water intestinal flush on the juice fasting pages.)

Otherwise, eating lots of salad and/or bran, together with the parasite cleanse and the diarrhoea that it produces, and then the kidney and liver cleanse, seems to do a good job of cleaning out the intestines. If you are not doing the full forty days, or spent a lifetime or year of gorging out on meat, you might try this salt water intestinal cleanse in combination with the leafy salads and bran during your preparation period.

Once you are done with the kidney cleanse and your watermelon feast, the next day you are ready for your liver cleanse. And this is the piece de resistance. This for me is always the greatest pleasure of the fast, albeit rather disgusting, because I can actually see what unwanted things I’ve gotten rid out of my system.

A quick explanation first though. Most people, and doctors, think kidney stones and not liver stones. Actually, speaking of doctors, I’d rather not embark here on a long thesis of how western medicine is not preventive, but rather serves to further enrich the wealthy pharmaceutical companies, with doctors as their ambassadors, willingly prescribing you every chemical and drug, for which I’m sure they get some kickback, and almost never giving you sound preventive medical advice. I believe western medicine can be useful for performing diagnostic tests, or actual surgeries when absolutely necessary, but I generally try to stay away from them, and generally never have to visit them, because I exercise preventive medicine, and hence have no reason to. So if you consider me a quack (which I would understand) and go to your local doctor asking him for his advice on all this, do not expect to get an endorsement. Even my Chinese doctor looked at me in horror, wondering why on earth I would not want to eat. But if you look on the internet for “fasting”, you will find ample material to read on the subject. People have been doing it for thousands of years. The record is apparently 86 days, and I even saw on CNN some guy in Tibet who was sitting under a tree for two years, meditating and surviving on air only.

Anyway, I do not need these extremes, and a few days of water only cannot harm you. But you can adjust the level yourself, and experiment every year, researching it further as I do.

But for the liver stones, when they get really bad, only then do they calcify, harden, and once large enough, only then do they show up on x-ray. So don’t expect your doctor to endorse this cleanse, but if you do do it, and capture it in a caldron somehow so that you can look at it, trust me, this is all the evidence you will need.

Apparently what happens is that a piece of dead parasite or something gets lodged in your liver. Or based on the number of “stones” I release every year, plenty of dead pieces of parasites throughout your liver. Now when this piece of parasite is stuck somewhere in your liver, which itself is an important organ filtering and cleaning your body, around this piece of parasite starts to form a layer of cholesterol or something. Layer upon layer keeps adding to this, until you develop these “stones”. You are supposed to perform a liver cleanse at least twice a year. I only do it once, but during one year I can fill up a full coffee cup of these cholesterol rocks after a good cleanse. For my last cleanse, one of the rocks I produced was larger than my thumbnail. It was probably lodged in one of my bile ducts exiting from the liver, with all the rocks combined (most were about the size of a pea towards an oat grain) clogging up the efficiency of this very important filtering organ. When you cut one of these rocks in half, it is pure cholesterol, has the consistency of denser cheese, sort of rubbery, olive green on the outside, and dark green on the inside. Horrible little things I’m quite glad to get rid of, and imagine my liver will run so much smoother at cleaning out and filtering my body, and keeping healthy cholesterol levels.

But before this liver cleanse, the instructions also recommend getting your teeth cleaned properly. The human mouth is a bastion of bacteria and a good bite into your flesh can potentially lead to death. Or at least brush your teeth and tongue well, several time a day, during and after the liver cleanse. The bacterial haven in your mouth apparently goes down into your stomach and can be a harmful shock on your freshly cleaned liver.

With the liver cleanse, and the epson salts and grapefruit juice, expect the regular streaming “diarrhoea” (basically just sweet smelling grapefruit juice) and a further healthy cleaning of your intestines. [For the daring few who would like to view a repulsive picture of the product of my liver cleanse, check out my super diarrhea and hemorrhoids page. But this was an extreme situation which I will not repeat again.]

So, if you are doing the extreme like me, this would be day five of your fast. Can’t imagine much energy in watermelons and grapefruits.

During my fast, I also like to eat the occasional lemon. Lemon is supposed to be a good cleanser, and offers you a nice snacky break during your day. I just eat the whole thing, imagining that the pulp will only help flush out the intestines. But the acidity of it tends to weaken the teeth and make brushing them more painful.

So now we are on day six of the fast, and you can try one last cleanse which I have not tried yet, but which I’d like to next time. And that is the crazy Russian doctor’s bay leaf joint cleansing. I couldn’t find information to support it on the internet, but that does not mean it does not work. Might as well try, eh? Can’t imagine it hurting you. But apparently you get a whole bag, perhaps looking like a fist, of bay leaves and make some super duper strong tea, sipping on that the entire day. You will apparently feel a bit of pain throughout all your flesh, but apparently it dislodges salt crystals which accumulate in your joints. Which can eventually lead to joint problems when you get older. So I definitely plan to try this one year as well, since I’ve also had general joint problems throughout my life.

And the next few days I spend slowly coming out of my fast. I might continue to nibble on the lemon, or maybe just start eating whole grapefruits, but when you actually want to get out of the fast, the instructions state that you should start with orange juice. I’m lazy about getting juice squirted all over my hands, so I go right ahead and just eat the whole oranges. It apparently prepares your stomach with necessary acids in preparation of real food. Already I am in heaven eating the oranges. And because my stomach has shrunk so much, I find that about 5 or 8 a day fills me up plenty. I feel satisfied, and that I am already in eating heaven. You are supposed to have squeezed orange juice for two days, but that assumes a lemon juice fast diet of 30 or more days. So if you are doing a shorter water only fast like me, I would assume that one single day of that would be plenty. The next day I then have a leafy salad. Make sure to always use olive oil for dressing, as it is also cleansing, is healthy, unclogs your arteries, and is a good anti-oxidant. I like to mix that with vinegar, mustard and spices, so I make a tasty dressing and absolutely relish the flavours of my first juicy meal. Trust me, the oranges can get really old really quickly, and after a day of that I’m looking forward to a real meal and some real flavours.

After the following day of salad only, then I indulge myself in almost whatever I want, but it would be better to stay away from the heavy steaks. Generally I climb out of my fast slowly, and this time it was a full week before Easter came around. So I still stayed away from the beer, cigarettes, big meat, and waited for the feast until Easter.

The important point I learned is to climb in and out of your fast slowly. There are stories of Holocaust victims saved at the end of war whose stomachs exploded and they died after gorging out on food fed to them following many years of a very meagre diet. I was not very aware of this when I first started fasting, and if you are one of the daring few and would like to know how NOT to fast, or how not to come out of a fast, you can read my ultimate burning ring of fire page.

Of course, during this time, it would be good to combine it with some spiritual cleansing as well. Meditation, not working the last seven days, but if you are not religious like me, I think you will have at least done yourself a lot of good with this healthy body cleanse. Then you can embark on the rest of the year and gorge out like you usually do, satisfied with a more productive liver and lower cholesterol levels. Or just try to eat more leafy greens and keep your body reasonably clean. Or go visit your doctor after a week for a cholesterol check. I haven’t done a before and after diagnostic test yet, but I’d be curious to see the results. Maybe you can wait a week after the liver cleanse to give it a chance to work at full efficiency before reading the levels. I’ve also seen two week liver cleansing programs in the herbal pharmacy, so you might want to launch that after your liver stone flush. Apparently the liver cleans your blood, and will improve your vision with cleaner blood flowing through your eyes, and a more efficient liver will help remove and prevent all sorts of diseases, so take your cleansing opportunity to give your body and the important cleansing liver a good thorough job.

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Tags: cold winter, sign from god, on food, even find food, real food

Introduction to Fasting

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

Comments (39)

Fasting, in its simplest definition, is giving up anything for a specific period of time.

Typically, we think of fasting as is in giving up food or water as in a fasting diet. In

this regard, there are basically three types of fasts: a total fast in which you give up

all food and water, a water fast, in which you give up all food and drink only water,

and a juice fast, in which you give up solid foods but drink only fresh juices.

There are different reasons for fasting as well. The three main reasons for fasting

are:

1. Weight loss. This type of fasts has the end goal of losing weight. If you take in

less calories than you burn, the end result should be weight loss. So if you give up

solid foods for let’s say a week or so, and drink only juice and water, you should be

able to lose a fair amount of weight. This is the theory behind weight-loss fasting.

Obviously, weight-loss fasting should not be attempted, or started, without first

consulting a medical professional.

2. Religion. Most religious texts including the Bible, refer to fasting and prayer.

Fasting, is a way to show obedience and faithfulness to God. When we fast, we are

sacrificing our carnal instinct to heat and drink. This is pleasing to God. Also, when

we fast, it alters our mind. This is said by some to cause a deeper relationship with

God. In the Old Testament, many times God’s chosen people were called to fasting

and prayer. There are many examples where God answered the prayers of his

people when they fasted and pray to him.

3. Health. They held fast typically involves either a water fast or a juice fast. With

this type of fast, solid foods are given out for a set period of time sometimes as

long as several weeks. The only substance allowed to enter the body would be pure

water or fresh fruit and vegetable juices. This has the healthful benefit of cleansing

the body and eliminating toxins that have built up in the intestinal tract. When water

fasting, typically distilled water is used. Never use faucet or tap water when water

fasting. Tap water contains harmful chemicals that can cause more damage when

you are fasting. This is because the only liquid entering the body is water it is

assimilated very quickly. This causes the harmful chemicals to be rapidly absorbed

as well. Distilled water contains no harmful chemicals or bacteria and in fact, can

pull harmful toxins out of the body.

Whatever the reason, fasting can be a healthy choice for your body, soul, and mind.

Whether your goal is weight-loss, health, or a deeper relationship with God, a fast

can be a beneficial activity to try. The most important thing about fasting, is to not

give up. The first couple of hours of fast are the most difficult ones. Even two to

three hours without food can seem like an eternity we are used to eating at any

time. We live in a society where food is easily and readily available. When we deprive

our bodies of this food, it can cause severe mental distress. However, the body will

adjust to your fast. Just give it time and remember that your mind is what is craving

the food. Your body can survive several days without food. Once you get past this

initial thought, your fast can be an enjoyable and healthful benefit.

Dean Novosat writes about health issues. His current website is http://www.fastinglife.com.

Tags: prayer fasting, end result, different reasons, fruit and vegetable juices, fasting diet

Foods to Avoid – Candida Diet

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 7:44 am

Comments (50)

Here is a sample list of foods to temporarily avoid while on a candida diet.

Refined sugar is thought to encourage the growth of Candida yeast.

Foods containing refined sugar include: white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, maple sugar, molasses, date sugar, turbinado, raw sugar, demerrara, amasake, rice syrup, sorghum.

Read labels carefully because there may be hidden forms of sugar. When reading the label, words to watch out for include: sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glycogen, glucose, mannitol, sorbitol, galactose, monosaccharides, polysaccharides.

Tags: refined sugar, brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, Food and drink

Foods to Limit Candida Cleanse

Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 11:25 am

Comments (50)

Dairy Products — Candida is thought to impair the body’s ability to digest fat, so dairy products may have to be restricted. How much dairy one consumes may also depend on individual reactions to cow’s milk and cow’s milk products such as cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, and butter.

People often temporarily eliminate the following dairy foods from the diet: Cow’s milk, including whole, skim, 2%, dry powdered milk
Most cheeses. Cheeses lower in lactose may be tolerated, such as Monterey Jack, sharp white cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, Colby, provolone, and dry curd cottage cheese.Organic skim yogurt made with live bacteria may be beneficial for some people because of the beneficial bacteria it contains.

Don’t forget to read about the Foods to Avoid Entirely on the Candida Diet.

Back to the Candida Diet.

Tags: Dairy farming, Food and drink, Health Medical Pharma, diet foods, monterey jack

Learn About a Juice Fast

Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 10:14 pm

Comments (52)

A juice fast is a type of detox diet. A juice fast involves the short-term intake of raw vegetable and fruit juice and water only. Proponents of juice fasting use juice because it’s thought to be a good source of vitamins and antioxidants.

A juice fast is considered an extreme form of detoxification because no solid food is consumed. More moderate detox methods, such as the detox diet include solid food.

Pregnant or nursing women or children shouldn’t try a juice fast. People with diabetes, low blood sugar, eating disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, malnutrition, addictions, underweight, anemia, impaired immune function, infection, nutritional deficiency, low blood pressure, ulcerative colitis, cancer, terminal illness, epilepsy, or other chronic conditions shouldn’t try a juice fast or should do so only under strict medical supervision. People shouldn’t try a juice fast before or after surgical procedures. A juice fasting can reduce blood proteins and change the way prescription drugs react in the body. People taking prescription medications should consult a health professional skilled in detoxification before trying a juice fast, and should never discontinue or reduce their medications on their own.

It’s important to consult a qualified health professional before trying a juice fast.

Common temporary side effects of a juice fast include headaches, tiredness, hypoglycemia, constipation, acne, increased body odor, and bad breath.

Other side effects of a juice fast can include fainting, dizziness, low blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, weight loss, hunger, vomiting, diarrhea, and kidney problems. If these side effects occur, there is a worsening of symptoms, or new symptoms appear, the fast should be discontinued and it should prompt an immediate visit to a qualified health professional.

Another possible side effect of a juice fast is diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and electrolyte loss.

If continued for a longer time, juice fasting can lead to nutrient deficiencies, particularly protein and calcium deficiency.

Grapefruit juice should not be used during a juice fast, especially by people taking certain prescription drugs. A compound in grapefruit can change the way certain prescription drugs are metabolized in the body. Recent evidence suggests that pomegranate juice may also have the same effect.

A juice fast typically lasts for one to three days. A longer fast requires medical supervision and possibly monitoring to ensure that nutrient deficiencies don’t result.

Proponents of juice fasting suggest fasting only during the warmer months of the year. Spring is thought to be the best time of the year for juice fasting. Seven or more days before the fast, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, dairy, wheat, animal meat, fish, and eggs are typically reduced or eliminated from the diet. This preparation diet often consists mainly of organic fruits, vegetables, and beans. Between 32 and 64 ounces of juice is usually recommended per day during the fast. The juice is sipped throughout the day. Typical fruits and vegetables include celery, carrot, kale, cabbage, apple, pineapple, cranberry, spinach, beet, and greens. Citrus fruits are often avoided. Approximately 6 glasses of room temperature or warm filtered water is often recommended in addition to the juice. Organic fruits and vegetables are usually recommended. If organic produce isn’t available, practitioners suggest peeling the skin off fruits and vegetables or washing vegetables with a non-toxic produce cleaner, usually available at health food stores. Freshly juiced fruits and vegetables are preferred, but if unavailable, practitioners suggest buying it from the health food store or juice bar as fresh as possible. Green vegetables and sprouts contain the pigment chlorophyll, which juice proponents believe are especially beneficial during a juice fast. A combination of fruits and vegetables is recommended. Variations on the strict juice fast include eating one meal a day in addition to the juice.Certain fruits and vegetables and their parts should not be juiced, such as the pits of peaches, apricots, cherries, and other fruits, apple seeds, citrus peels, carrot and rhubarb tops, tough skins (such as kiwi, pineapple, mangoes), and bananas and avocados.

There should be a gradual return to solid foods. Read the sample guidelines on how to break a fast.

Tags: blood proteins, heart arrhythmias, Food and drink, kidney problems, Grapefruit juice

Risks of Red Yeast Rice

Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 9:07 am

Comments (43)

Red yeast rice is a nutritional supplement used to lower cholesterol.

The side effects and risks of red yeast rice are not fully understood. Red yeast rice side effects and risks may include: Headache
Indigestion
Bloating and gas
Dizziness
Heartburn
Muscle pain
Joint pain
Liver inflammation
Damage to peripheral nerves

Red yeast rice, like the statin drugs, can cause myopathy. Signs and symptoms include muscle pain, weakness, and elevated levels of creatine kinase.

Rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue that can lead to kidney failure, is a serious side effect that can occur rarely. People who notice muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness while using red yeast rice should see a doctor immediately.

In studies, red yeast rice has been found to interfere with the body’s ability to produce CoQ10, which is thought to be a side effect of statin drugs.

There is insufficient information about the long-term safety of red yeast rice.

More
Red Yeast Rice Fact Sheet
Red Yeast Rice – Potential Drug Interactions

Sources

Mueller PS. Symptomatic myopathy due to red yeast rice. Annals of Internal Medicine. 145.6 (2006):474-5.

Prasad GV, Wong T, Meliton G, Bhaloo S. Rhabdomyolysis due to red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) in a renal transplant recipient. Transplantation. 74.8 (2002)):1200-1.

Smith DJ, Olive KE. Chinese red rice-induced myopathy. Southern Medical Journal. 96.12 (2003):1265-7.

Vercelli L, Mongini T, Olivero N, Rodolico C, Musumeci O, Palmucci L. Chinese red rice depletes muscle coenzyme Q10 and maintains muscle damage after discontinuation of statin treatment. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 54.4 (2006):718-20.

Yang HT, Lin SH, Huang SY, Chou HJ. Acute administration of red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) depletes tissue coenzyme Q(10) levels in ICR mice. British Journal of Nutrition. 93.1 (2005):131-5.

Tags: muscle damage, Chinese red rice-induced myopathy, Chou HJ, Yang HT, Monascus purpureus

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