I am pretty experienced fasting, and am starting a 50 day juice fast as of tomorrow, July 13. It was suppposed to start today, but I thought the idea of a "51" day fast would not give me any sense of closure, meanwhile "50" is a milestone. "LOL!", right? Yes, as if anyone here should bat an eye at what some might perceive "craziness", right? :-)

Okay, so I have done a 34 day, 28 day, and myriad 7 to 9 day Water Fasts over the last few years. Don't ask me how! :-) I have also done some extensive juice fasting, the longest being 18 days. Tomorrow I embark on "the doozie". I want to share some information here:

BREAKING THE FAST
I hear a LOT on this board about the weight loss and the juicing, but NOTHING about fast-breaking. When you fast, you cleanse your body. AFTER THE FAST is when the magic happens, when you rebuild. It is VERY important what you put in your body. This is very important especially in terms of those who fast for health reasons, because weight loss is just a symptom of detoxifying, and many benefits lie in fasting. How you break your fast and eat can determine everything! Especially because it is very important that you do not eat the WRONG things, or gastric trauma can definitely occur. For example, never break a 28 day Water Fast with a steak and potato unless you want to end up in the hospital or worse. I am not trying to scare anyone, I am drawing attention to this. You can safely fast and safely break it, it's just a matter of knowledge.

WATER-FASTING
I am NOT an advocate anymore, and I used to totally be the postergirl. For many reasons. We are so toxic I believe it is way hard on the body. Besides, there is no bebenefit to Water Fasting that is not equal to or even inferior to the benefits of juice fasting. Water Fasting sucks. You feel like shit. You can't even get out of the car you are so weak. Want to feel like you're 800? Water fast. Lay in bed alllll day. Yes, you have bursts of energy, but even then, it is unwise to be active, medically speaking.

Another major problem with water fasting: I lost 40lbs in 34 days, then gained it ball back rapidly. It then messes with your metabolism so it is harder to lose it next time, I think. Truly, it is very hard not to binge like hell afterwards. I've had fasting doctors tell me this, which is why it is ideal to be locked up. Another thing -- it really IS a danger to Water Fast for an extended amount of time unsupervised. I was a rebel and did it, but I know that in fasting centers they check a million of your chemical levels daily, and end many fasts that are "seemingly" going well. I ended my most recent one last June after 24 and not 30 days because my kidneys started to kill.

I have read Ehret, Shelton, and a lot of other books. Water Fasting was great in theory when we weren't all such nuclear waste sites (sorry, but true). It is simply unnecessary and too hard on the body. Why do it when you can juice?

JUICE FASTING
This is the way to go. You are less likely to go crazy on food AND you can weight lift (please listen to your body, though) and be full and vibrant and experience serious healing and weight loss to boot. I hike mountains while juice-fasting, opposed to the getting-dizzy-while-in-the-shower-or-getting-out-of-bed feeling I have while water-fasting.

You are also FULL. It is VERY important to drink enough: lemon-water and 2 juices does not cut it. You should have at least a gallon of juice and water a day. You can dilute straight veggie or fruit juices if need be, by the way. I just did 18 days on Watermelon juice and Rejuvelac, a fermented grain beverage made with distilled water. I did Watermelon because it is very very healthy and alkalizing, but also very cheap. (Note: I ONLY did organic and seeded, nothing genetically-modified). I juiced the rind and all and I like to put a few drops of Schulze's cayenne extract to give it a kick. Mmmmm! So good!

THIS fast I will hike every day for at least 2 weeks, and do push-ups and abs. I will ALSO do maybe 2 weeks of watermelon, then do at least 1 week on grapefruit juice, since grapefruit cuts cellulite like no other. I might even do some young coconut water and some kombucha tea after awhile. But the rejuvelac and Watermelon are cheap and effective, so that will be the method to my madness for awhile.

QUICK TIPS
Don't have time? Get a seed/nut milk bag, as found on http://www.rawfamily.com. Take veggies and/or fruits and put them in your blender (ideally Vitamix) with distilled water. Blend on high. Then pour it through the bag and it will sift out the pulp from the "green drink" or "juice". I like using kale and apples, etc, hence "green" in the title. This is VERY quick, VERY tasty, and counts as juice.

I also juice like 2 gallons of watermelon at a time, so I juice every other day, max. Yes, I study enzymes, and know some diminish, but hey, I work full-time and my body still responds great.

Just be sure to drink enough! I was always full and felt like a queen! None of the salt bloat I usually carry around, etc.

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Seriously look into eating a raw vegan diet, or as close as possible. At least for after your fast. Most experience rapid weight loss from that alone. I am a certified coach and educator in the field, and while I'm still learning and no "master" by any sort, I definitely have seen the benefits of juicing and raw foods a million-fold. So you WON'T gain weight back on a balance raw diet, and will keep thriving (i.e. more gorgeous hair, skin, and energy levels; no disease, etc). If you are unsure of the guidelines and would like to know more, simply say the words!

THE BENEFITS OF JUICING
This is not just about weight loss. The weight is a symptom of other imbalances, etc. juicing alone has helped reverse AIDS, and will totally get rid of cancer. You are giving your internal body---every cell!---a makeover, too, not just your outside appearance. Don't get me wrong, I like fitting into my old hot skirts, too, but there is so much more to it. I got rid of my dreaded HPV with my first fast, and my head clears, your skin GLOWS, your candida dies... life is good! Juice-fasting is deeply therapeutic, but you still have to eat well afterwards.

DEALING WITH THE IGNORANCE OF OTHERS
Rest assured that people who criticize don't know crap. Encourage them to read a book on it. Are you all educating yourselves? Please read as much as you can about it so you get as excited about what you are doing! I have sat and fasted through Thanksgivings and more, and nobody messes with me anymore because I am Italian and Educated and will kindly put them in their place----easy to do when they are sitting at a heart attack banquet, I swear. If you listen to them, you'll get their diseases. It's a compliment in this society to go against the norm, and hey, they may want you to eat with them, but they don't have to be the ones trying to get your ass into those 2-sizes-too-small jeans, do they? So they can back off until they know what it feels like to be that miserable, you know?

Just be sensible, okay? It is not a miracle cure-all. It is a great modality and head start, but you still have to do a lot of work. Not just on not eating, but it is hardly a free ticket for when you do start eating. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. HOWEVER, that said, if you fast right and well, and are realy good afterwards, you SHOULD only gain maybe 10 lbs back.


Erica