One week water fast ... 'Quick fix'?

avo · Post by **avo** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 03:09

I did a 14 day Master Cleanse a few months ago. Out of all the fast techniques, I think it is by far the easiest, as it provides (almost) everything you need in a liquid/cleansing form.

avalon · Post by **avalon** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 04:55

I've heard that there is no real point in fasting on water.

Water fasts have been around forever and have repeatedly been shown to cleanse the body in many ways. Even when not visually or apparently sickened. Some suggest a fruit fast before the water fast but obviously personal preference come to play.

some articles:

http://www.althealth.co.uk/services/inf ... sting1.php

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/fasting.htm

http://users.mrbean.net.au/~wlast/HF1-3.html

http://drbenkim.com/fasting.html

andyville · Post by **andyville** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 11:58

Corinne and avo:

I had never heard about the "master cleanse", but it looks really promising. I guess it was kind of foolish just going on a fast with no serious planning; if I'm going to try it again, I'll follow some routine such as the master cleanse. Thanks!

It would be interesting to hear more people's thoughts on the master cleanse fast. RRM for instance...?

avalon · Post by **avalon** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 13:15

Here's a good link for the Master Cleanse. If you scroll down there's a link to the Downloadable pdf Master Cleanse.

http://www.frenzy.com/~sam/mc/tmc.htm

My only reservations are for Master Cleanse kits, where commerciality is focus.

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 14:30

avalon wrote:Water fasts have been around forever and have repeatedly been shown to cleanse the body in many ways.

The whole idea is ridiculous:
Collect toxins in your body all year around, and then try to flush them out by 'cleansing' your body. Then go back to collecting toxins.
Please tell me: what is the point?

andyville_ · Post by **andyville_** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 15:45

RRM:

I consider myself quite sceptical about most stuff that is a bit "out there", but judging from all the testimonials I read everywhere from people who have tried fasts such as the master cleanse, I think there has to be something to it. I mean, it's not like these people are trying to push a product or anything, right...?

Post by **Oscar** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 15:55

Of course, but you have to see it from the perspective of ingesting toxins in the first place. IF you ingest toxins, you might want to clean up your body. IF, on the other hand, you would stop ingesting toxins, why would you need to clean your body?

1. give your body what it needs
2. don't give your body what is harmful

If you do the above, you will never need to fast.

avalon · Post by **avalon** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 15:56

Oh heavens above.

RRM:

The whole idea is ridiculous:
Collect toxins in your body all year around, and then try to flush them out by 'cleansing' your body. Then go back to collecting toxins.
Please tell me: what is the point?

The more appropriate take is, there's a good chance one has accumulated toxins/waste build up in the colon over a life-time, for those who have never done a cleanse or fast. Maybe those of us who have been eating healthier have less to consider, maybe nothing. And how could it hurt to do it once a year? Give the body a rest, a time to reflect. It's sort of a package deal.

I would say the initial point for someone who has never done any kind of cleanse, would be the idea of a change for the better. Breaking a routine. Stopping bad habits with easy beneficial cost effective means. Many times as was with me- this gives one time to reflect and make new healthier decisions. During my fruit fast in January, I found Wai.

I'm somewhat shocked RRM. I would half expect to hear you say man should not be flying since he has no wings. The Wai Diet is in itself a very purist slightly revolutionary approach to food...

andyville · Post by **andyville** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 16:35

I'm somewhat shocked RRM. I would half expect to hear you say man should not be flying since he has no wings. The Wai Diet is in itself a very purist slightly revolutionary approach to food...

I couldn't agree more! RRM:s comments sound a bit like the stuff I hear about the Wai diet on mainstream forums. I also agree on the notion that a fast might be a good way to start a new, healthier lifestyle - take away the bad stuff, and make room for some good stuff. Sometimes it's important to make a clean cut in life, in my experience.

I tried a master cleanse drink earlier today, made of water mixed with syrup, lemon juice and cayenne - delicious!

andyville · Post by **andyville** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 16:37

Oscar:

Well, simply stopping ingesting toxins doesn't necessarily mean that the toxins already assembled in your body go away? In addition to not ingesting more toxins, you also have to get rid of the toxins already collected in your body. From what I've read so far, the master cleanse seems to take care of this.

Post by **Oscar** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 17:25

There are several kinds of toxins (or toxic substances) which can accumulate, and I don't think a cleansing can take care of all of those, unless it's a miracle cure.

In my opinion it takes time to do that, months or years, and the best way is to let our body take care of it. In order to be able to do it, our body has to get all the nutrients it needs, so it isn't only busy with surviving. On top of that, stopping to ingest further toxins, makes sure our body doesn't need to take care of new additions.

If we've ingested and accumulated toxins for years and years, how can we expect to get rid of it in a week?

nick · Post by **nick** » Wed 07 Jun 2006 22:43

The more appropriate take is, there's a good chance one has accumulated toxins/waste build up in the colon over a life-time, for those who have never done a cleanse or fast. Maybe those of us who have been eating healthier have less to consider, maybe nothing. And how could it hurt to do it once a year? Give the body a rest, a time to reflect. It's sort of a package deal.

I like your idea of a time to reflect and think about changes to make.
But a fast doesn't give you information or a diet plan to think about what is healthy and what isn't. A healthy diet approach should replace the need to do such fasts.

It couldn't hurt, but it when you add it up, it probably won't help. But indirectly it could lead to a healthier diet much like you did.

I would say the initial point for someone who has never done any kind of cleanse, would be the idea of a change for the better. Breaking a routine. Stopping bad habits with easy beneficial cost effective means. Many times as was with me- this gives one time to reflect and make new healthier decisions. During my fruit fast in January, I found Wai.

Ok. But compared to a healthy diet, a fast is just a short term remedy for what is truly a long term approach. I guess you should wiegh the benefits to each person. But I would think logic and science would favor a healthy diet in place of fasting.
One thing is for sure, when I'm sick I eat less and this could be a sign that your body doesn't need food, so that is a type of fasting.

Oscar makes a solid point too!

Corinne · Post by **Corinne** » Thu 08 Jun 2006 00:42

As I said earlier, I only felt the need to fast when I was eating cooked foods (toxins). Now I don't feel the need to fast. In this respect I agree with Oscar. RRM is right too he's just being very blunt about it that's all!

Also if you are choosing the fasting route, the Master Cleanse for instance must be combined with a colon cleanse of some sort (either mechanical or by drinking salt water) otherwise the detox is not complete.

Fasting for mental/spiritual reasons is something else. It's like refraining from talking for a day or more...Some sort of exercise of mind over matter. In this respect you could decide to fast but it need not be so long.

Ok. But compared to a healthy diet, a fast is just a short term remedy for what is truly a long term approach.

right on Nick! Animals also fast when they are sick. It's a way of preserving energy to fight off the infection.

Post by **Oscar** » Thu 08 Jun 2006 00:50

When you're sick, the body also stops eating to limit the amount of toxins being consumed, so it has all resources available for fighting the disease.

avalon · Post by **avalon** » Thu 08 Jun 2006 01:35

Oscar:

If we've ingested and accumulated toxins for years and years, how can we expect to get rid of it in a week?

That's a good point. I don't think we can expect a hallejuha! in one week, but you may find you've evacuated a bunch-O-crap, from your you know where

Just like the drain in your sink or shower gets clogged, we have pipes too, and I'll bet ya they wouldn't ming a good cleaning now and then. A good washing might improve digestion and elimination.

nick:

But a fast doesn't give you information or a diet plan to think about what is healthy and what isn't. A healthy diet approach should replace the need to do such fasts.

Forgive me, but duhh

I think anyone who decides to do a fast has some reason, obviously. Either for an illness, or a spiritual/religious reason, or as I said a break, a cleasnse to name a few. Admittedly a fast is not a diet. Diet is food, a fast is no food.

When I did my first 7 day juice fast in January, it was beacuse I knew I'd been eating badly, horribly, oh so wickedly, had gained 34lbs and felt lousy. I knew I had to do something to stop the madness, my out-of-control-ness. I was googling for a good detox solution because that's what I felt I needed to do. And it had to be basic and simple and a shake-up to my pattern of binging. I landed on a different fruit a day dextox fast and it was wonderful! I couldn't believe it! And I knew midweek I had to prepare for what came after the fast. I wanted to eat healthy afterwards and I would say 95% have. The S.A.D. 5 % is left over from depression binges and alcohol abuse that goes with it...but a far far cry from where I was and minus 30lbs! Sorry, I know I've written this elsewhere also.

Some people fast some don't feel the need to. Fasting is a personal choice accompanied by an action as with many things in life. Do it don't do it. But please keep an open mind. Or better yet, Fast

p.s. as a side note, sometimes it's about control. Our lives out of control, but if one can have the strength and resolve to control food intake, if only for a day, or three days- and cleanse at the same time, maybe through this we regain control of something lost or broken.