Re: Would love to fast... but find it so difficult.

Hi, Justanotherfaster,

I am sorry that I neglected your questions concerning the idea of adding anything (lime, lemon) to water on WF.

A short answer would be - no, nothing, except pure water, should be consumed on Water Fast (WF).

An individual on WF is not starving because the body uses an internal storage of food - fat - through the process of ketosis. Fat catabolism is being supported as long as hypothalamus in the brain is not stimulated by the presence of any food in the digestive organs.

Our tongue plays a very important part in fat catabolism because it has plenty of receptors that are stimulated by food and is the first organ of digestive system that cooperates with the hypothalamus. Receptors on the tongue are stimulated even when food is not swallowed but put on its surface and spat out of the mouth. Activated tongue receptors, send the message to the hypothalamus that food was taken and hypothalamus stops the catabolism of fat, stops ketosis.

The hypothalamus interprets stimulus created by real food (for example a piece of a fruit) as equal to the stimulus created even by salt, a drop of lime juice, etc; As long as the consumed product has any taste, the hypothalamus responds by stopping ketosis.

Water consumed during WF has no taste that is why water does not stimulate any receptors located in any part of the digestive system, including the tongue. Because neither the tongue receptors, nor stomach receptors, nor intestine receptors, nor any other receptors of the digestive system are stimulated on water fast, the hypothalamus supports fat catabolism; That is why a faster is not starving.

Starvation is never desired, especially during WF; WF is supposed to heal, rejuvenate, balance the body towards better health. I think that respect for our body requires from us, water fasters, abstaining from any food but water.

Love,

Anne