This fasting FAQ was written at St. Theordore’s Hospital of  Sagada.  The results of therapeutic fasting have been astonishing; functional cellular recovery in patients over 70 years old.  Many of these patients had been taking medication for over 15 years.  They have experienced restoration to complete health with only 30 days of treatment while also becoming medication free.  Almost every disease condition affecting the Philippines is responding to treatment.  The photo is of Juan Liswig a patient at St. Theodore’s Hospital who underwent a 50 day juice fasting program to overcome terminal bone cancer and prostate cancer, supervised by Tom Coghill and Dr. Clare Lalwet.  One year later, Jaun, states his health is excellent.

TYPES OF FAST

Water fasting is the most commonly known fast and has been practice since man’s earliest history. Water fasting is mentioned often in the Bible as a way to get God’s attention. It is also the most difficult as the body must catabolise (break down fat) at the maximum rate releasing toxins that can cause weakness, dizziness, headaches and nausea. Water fasting is less effective than juice fasting for healing but periodic water fasting during a juice fasting can increase healing.

Fasting with Mascobado sugar and lemon water (hot or cold). This is similar to water fasting but the lemon assists the cleansing and the natural vitamins and minerals in the Mascobado boost the immune system. The natural sugars also reduce the cleansing rate to make the fast more comfortable. Generally with this fast we see some cellular regeneration and a reduction of symptoms but rarely complete cellular regeneration. With the addiction of cayenne pepper to the juice or tea it becomes the Master Cleanse that had be used by thousand of people globally.

Juice fasting has proven effective results in cellular regeneration. Juice fasting with herbs and pharmaceutical grade supplement is the ultimate therapeutic agent that consistently assists cleansing, and healing through cellular regeneration. It is a safe, effective, inexpensive treatment that can be performed at home. With trained medical professionals guiding the treatment, life threatening disease and terminal cancer can be addressed with minimum risk without damage to the body and immune system by toxic medications. With a short juice fast before and after surgery, post op-complications can be greatly reduced as blood pressure is lowered and the immune response increased. Parasitic, bacterial, fungal and viral infections can be totally cured with less organ damage and less antibiotics (if needed) without recurrence as the immune system was enhanced by the treatment.

Fruit fasting or eating only fruit also heals the body but the rate is slower and less thorough than juice fasting. The treatment duration is three times longer than juice fasting, requiring 90 days of eating only fruit for permanent healing. It is not effective for cancer, parasitic, bacterial, fungal or viral infections. A fruit diet can reduce of symptoms and pain within 5 days.

STATES OF DETOXIFICATION

Cleansing Crisis: A period lasting 1 to 3 days when the body is dumping large amounts of toxins into the blood causing headaches, bad breath, coated tongue, muscle aches, mental fog, restless, tiredness and lack of motivation. The worse cleansing crisis can be within the first 3 days. Once it passes the body enters a fasting peak. A cleansing crisis can occur at any time of the fast. When enduring a cleansing crisis, it is important to remind yourself that the bad feeling is caused by toxins leaving the body. Every time you pee, your body is getting cleaner and cleaner. A clean cell is a healthy cell.

Fasting Peak: The state is incredible, mental clarity, sensitive skin, deep breathing, clear sinuses and increased sense of smell and taste. High energy levels and a feeling of youth that is truly indescribable. They usually occur after a cleansing crisis and increase in quality and energy the longer you fast. The ultimate fasting peaks are after 21 days. Some have weeks in this state others only experience a “peak” after breaking the fast.

Normal Fasting State: This state has many variables and cannot be predicted. Some people feel normal for the entire fast. Others feel good but with low energy. Some become highly energetic for the entire fast. Some have cycles of high and low energy levels. In general the longer you fast, the healthier and more energetic you feel.

How to begin? Step 1: Slow down, study and ask questions.  Fasting is a science and knowledge precedes success.  Step 2: Buy a juicer and learn how to make the juices you enjoy. Step 3: Try to find a fasting partner for support. Step 4: Prepare yourself mentally by telling yourself that you can do this and you will get the results you seek. Step 5: Start juice fasting. Most people find it easy once the get started. Step 6: Use the enema to cleanse the colon on the first day of the fast. Step 7: Continue fasting until your body heals.

What is the best juicer? Juicers start at about P2000. These juicers will work fine. There is no difference in the quality of the juice. The juicers that cost between P4000 to P6000 have a larger opening in the top and it make juicing less work as you can put in vegetables whole without cutting. We recommend the more expensive juicer as it is an investment in your health.

Why can’t I eat? When you eat your immune system must dedicate all resources to clean the blood after digestion. As soon as you stop eating, your body starts to cleanse and repair. A few people on the program have stated that they are not healing and when asked, are you eating? The response is yes. Eating will stop cellular regeneration. If you must eat, only eat small amounts of fruit.

How long should I fast? Five days a great tune up. Fourteen days is great for reducing aging and excess weight. 30 days is standard for chronic disease and 42 days on 1 liter of juice daily for cancer.

What fruits and veggies can I juice? You can juice any fruits and veggies that you can find at the local market. Juice ingredients are carrots, sugar beets, squash, apple, lemon, cucumber, celery, garlic, greens, and pineapples. Start with carrots and pineapple then mix other fruits and vegetables to taste. You cannot juice bananas and papayas as they do not pass through the juicer screen.

Can I use a blender? No. Juicing 2 kilograms of carrots will produce a juice that can be absorbed without digestion meanwhile eating that amount will require hours of digestion. Fiber is good when you are eating but not when you are healing as it takes work to move it through the intestine.

What if I can’t afford a juicer? You can use Mascobado sugar with lemon juice and herbal tea such as lemon grass. The healing will not be complete but it will reduce excess fat and reduce pain and disease symptoms.

Can I drink bottled juice? We do not see cellular regeneration from fasting using only bottled juice. You can supplement fresh juices with bottle juice if you do not have access to fresh juice. Eighty percent of your juice needs to be fresh if you want to heal.

Do I have to use an enema? No you do not need to but it will reduce gas, bloating, and increase healing. Most importantly using the enema eliminates hunger that is important to get through the first three days of your fast. Enemas are impossible to find. We have made some at St. Theodore’s and you can buy them for P150 which includes one capsule of the intestinal bacteria.

How to use the enema. Fill the enema with lukewarm filtered water with the clip closed. Place it about 4 feet above you in a bathroom. Lubricate the tip and your anus with Vaseline. Lie on your left side. Insert the tip. Release the clip and slowly let the water enter your colon. If you experience a cramp, stop the water flow for a few minutes. Massage your colon to help the water pass. When the water is inside, sit on the toilet and empty your bowels. The first time you use the enema is the most difficult. The second and third day is easier. Use the enema once per day for the first 3 days then every second or 3 day for the rest of the fast. Do not use the enema after you start to eat. Use the enema if you have food poisoning, typhoid fever, diarrhea or any intestinal infection. Using the enema is crucial with prostrate cancer and colon disease.

What about a coffee enema? Avoid them. Too much caffeine. Let the body heal without disturbing it. You cannot increase the rate of healing that is being accomplished by juice fasting.

Should I take laxatives to move my bowels? No, because you can upset your electrolyte balance. Laxatives irritate intestinal nerve endings, which in turn stimulate muscle contractions that move the irritant through the gut and out of the body. After a while the nerve endings no longer respond to stimulation. After the fast you will be constipated.

How do I replace my intestinal bacteria? At the end of the fast, put a container of Yakult mixed with acidophilus and bifidus from a capsule and one half cup of lukewarm water hung about 5 ft above the floors. When the mixture is inside, hold it till the water absorbs. Once you replace the intestinal bacteria it will continue to reproduce in you intestine for the rest of your life and assist in the maintenance of a healthy intestine.

What about vitamins? Take vitamins with the juice. Vitamins increase the healing during juice fasting. This is a good time to invest in your health. Do not take vitamins during water fasting. Take quality multi vitamins, vitamin E 800 IU daily, and any vitamins specific to your illness with a glass of juice. Avoid vitamins on a water fast as they can sit in the stomach as there is no digestion present.

How much should I drink? Drinking more juice causes less cleansing and more energy. Drinking less juice causes more cleansing and less energy. We recommend drinking lots of juice for the first few days then cut back to increase cleansing one the body is comfortably in the fasting state.

How much weight will I lose? Weight loss depends on your metabolism, age, juice intake and physical activity. Many people have lost 20 to 60 lb on a 30 day fast and with a change in diet to more plant foods the weight loss is permanent. Stretch marks are noticeably reduced and can be further reduced by using the natural scrub, then applying vitamin E from a capsule that is described further on. The skin will regain resilience after fasting without flabbiness that is common to weight loss programs.

Can I exercise or work? Yes! Physical labor and exercise can be performed during juice fasting. However energy levels are temperamental changing by the day. A toxin release will lower energy levels. Moderate exercise is recommending during juice fasting. Daily, stretching, relaxed breathing and moderate exercise is recommended.

Will I have worse body odor. This may happen for a short period during detoxification.  For most people body odor disappears during the fast.  If you do have odor try to find a natural product.  Antiperspirants are toxic and have been identified as one of the leading causes of breast cancer.  The US Food and Drug association consider antiperspirants a drug.  Unlike drugs, neither cosmetic products nor cosmetic ingredients are reviewed or approved by the FDA before they are marketed. Antiperspirants also stop the body releasing toxins. A few common ingredients are aluminum chloride, aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum zirconium, and butane, used as an aerosol propellant.

Organic or non-organic? These incredible healing results documented at St. Theodore’s Hospital were through standard produce bought at the local market. Pesticides stay with the fiber and the small amounts in the juice are cleansed by the immune system. Organic is superior as there are no contaminates and more nutrition but not required for juice fasting.

Diabetes: Diabetics can juice fast by controlling the juice intake and drinking smaller amounts of juice spaced throughout the day. All medication should be stopped on the first day of the fast. Failing to do so will cause a hypoglycemic reaction (low blood sugar). All our patients on the program are medication free.

Cardiovascular Disease: The healing of cardiovascular disease with juice fasting is astounding. We are seeing total recovery. With serious heart conditions, start slowly and eat some fruits like papaya and banana for three days to slow the detoxification. After that period, juice fast without food. A 30-day juice fasting treatment is recommended and a 60-day post treatment diet.

Documenting Treatment. Keep a daily record of your fast. For example:

DAY 1: Weight 66 kilos, Feel good, lots of energy, tired in the morning with a coated tongue Walked for 20 minutes. Chest pain decreased by 50%. Drank 4 liter of juice using carrots, beets, lemons, pineapples.

Weight loss should be recorded on the first day of the fast including hip stomach and upper thigh measurements and the end of the fast. Take a before and after picture with front and side view wearing a t-shirt. Do not be afraid to show the ugly fat you are about to lose.

Your fasting program is an important contribution to the  science of fasting. Your results will help to encourage other fasters or be used to create accurate treatment protocols.

Will I have energy to work? Energy will increase the longer you fast. The first few days may be hard and cause a tired unmotivated state.

What if I cannot afford a juicer? Borrow a juicer or save to buy one. It is better to complete the program correctly and get the results you need. Till then, change your diet to more raw food and whole grains.

How long will juice stay fresh? It will go bad quickly if not cooled. Two hours out of the refrigerator and 24 hours if refrigerated. Keep the juice cool and travel it in a thermos. You can carry the juice for work in 2 large thermoses. Also take some herbal tea and honey.

How do I break the fast? Carefully! Slowly! Breaking a fast is harder than fasting. Old patterns of indulgence and compulsive eating can return with a vengeance when you start to eat. If you dream about pizza during a fast, you will be overcome by a “pizza urge” after you break the fast. Be careful what foods you think of during a fast. Over eating will cause pain as the body needs to wake up for the fasting state gradually. For a 30 day fast, continue to juice then eat small amounts of fruits and raw vegetables. Increase the amount as the body become hungrier. Wait 5 day before eating any cooked food or protein foods. Chew your food and maintain your peace.

What should I eat after the fast? The post treatment diet is crucial to maintain your recovery especially for cancer patients. The diet should be eighty percent raw fruits and vegetables. The best protein is egg white with only one yoke per day. Nuts are good if chewed well. Soybean is excellent. Boiled or baked fish (do not eat river fish commercially grown). Chicken is a good source of protein. To prepare meat and chicken cut off the fats then boil it and pour off the fat. Stop eating processed oils and fried foods? The post cancer diet is 140 days including periodic shorter fasts. For most other chronic diseases, the post treatment diet period is 60 days. After that, you can eat more cooked or processed food or stay on the post treatment diet for life and enjoy vigorous health during retirement.

How often should I fast? That depends on your needs. Some fast one day a week. Three days out of the month and others do a long juice fast per year. Once you have fasted, you will feel the urge to fast when your body becomes toxic.

Can I still drink coffee? If you drink over 5 cups of coffee per day get ready for some headaches, tiredness and mental fog for 3 days. You can have one cup for the first two days of the juice fast and quit on the third to ease caffeine withdrawals. Coffee during the fast will reduce and impair cellular regeneration.

Can I still smoke cigarettes? Toxins from the cigarette will stop the lungs recovering. Buy the nicotine patch for the period of the fast and try to quit during the fast.

What type of water should I drink? Tap water can be highly toxic and add to the burden of detoxification. Use purified or spring water.

Skin Care: Juice fasting over 21 days can have a dramatic impact on the health of your skin giving it a healthy radiance and smooth complexion. You can help this along by using a natural scrub. Coffee, brown or white sugar is rubbed on the wrinkles around the eyes for abut 5 minutes daily. It will remove the dead skin and take 10 years off your age. It will cause a slight redness of the skin at the start but it will pass within the hour. Rub the eyelids, and under the chin. It is cheaper than plastic sugary. Using or fresh ground coffee is the best but it is messy. Sugar cleans up easier.

Restrictions to Fasting: Patients with poor liver or kidney function may need to conduct shorter periodic fasting to reduce impact of detoxification on the cleansing organs. Papaya, banana and some fruit can be eaten to slow the detoxification. If you feel good after 3 to 5 days, enter a strict juice fast.

Things to watch for: Be careful not to move get up quickly from a sitting position. The heart slows to conserve energy and sudden movement can cause a blackout on a long fast. If you feel dizzy from movement, sit back down or get down on one knee to establish normal blood pressure.