"A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard." Bruce Lee



Epic Fast?

So many of us would like to experience what some have described as an epic fast. I guess this can be interpreted as a life-transforming fast which will serve to catapault one into a new cycle of Being and a heightened feeling of wellness. Whatever this 'really' implies, is quite subjective and deeply personal, so I won't even attempt to suggest I know what the experience of an 'Epic Fast' could be like for another. But I do know what I would like it to be for me. The real question no doubt, is why do so few of us succeed in this quest? Or more to the point, why are there so many false starts-speaking for myself of course. What is the missing ingredient to bring it together to make for a cracking experience? In my view to crack The Fasting Code one has to first establish what constitutes the best long term fast routine, and then a certain amount of introspection, psychology and perhaps even a smidgen of philosophy is needed to access the deeper levels of self-motivation and raison d'etre. There is also the small matter of practice which is easily left out of the equation. Dr Kruger has mentioned a few times in his posts that the more one practices the easier it becomes to enter into the fast mode and he also gives us the scientific basis for this.
As a matter of fact, (and I refuse to beat myself up over this) I am still working out the first part of the equation as to what might be the best fast routine for me to explore, and have narrowed it down to three possible options: 1. Water fast three days a week for several months. The advantages of this method is that it would only take a few weeks to sharpen the willpower enough to ensure a smooth transition from eating to fasting. Down side is that I might have a tendency to compensate by eating more than usual the remaining days of the week. 2. 30-60 day juice fest (ah finally got out of calling it a juice fast!) advantages are the body can get used to going with very little for long periods of time; adequate blood sugar levels during times of stress and work, and the most incredible sleep which I have already experienced during a previous juice fest. And the downsides: no chewing action, so the teeth, jaws and gums get no exercise; incredibly unsocial; difficult to get the acid/alkaline balance right in one's choices of food; Unknown factor of how the body will re-adapt to eating again after a long time on juice; acid intake of juice potentially harmful to teeth and finally very easy to sneak in some extras, such as thick banana juice, honey, oil supplements, soya or other non dairy milks. Just a thought, I am not saying that I succumbed to this 3. What I call serious under eating, which would be no more than a predetermined volume of food per day such as one single soup bowl. Can't see any disadvantages only that it would need Bruce Lee will power to keep up such a routine. 4. Chewing all food so much that the food is broken down to a consistency of filtered juice. Some people call it 'chewing to water'. I have tried this for short periods and have experienced consistenly high energy levels throughout the day as well as a certain positive attitude. The downside is that as soon as I experienced minor levels of stress the chewing routine reduced to more of a canine type chewing- three chews and one swallow. Sorry I am trying to be honest.
So if any of you harbor a similar desire to experience an Epic Fast, I hope my post will encourage or even galvanize you to... to do what? I am not sure, but you could consider making a start. And we are here to encourage one another and to connect up when the going gets tough.
With great sincerity I wish you all huge success with all your fasts big and small for the coming winter season in the Northern hemisphere and Summer season south of the equator.

"What worries me is not the person who practices 10,000 kicks, but the person who who practices a kick 10,000 times"

Bruce Lee

Excellent idea David, good to see you also think in the dead of night..

On the point of "acid intake of juice potentially harmful to teeth" bear in mind that the effects of acid on teeth is a function of

Acidity X Time.

As the teeth will NOT be affected by acid in the stomach (unless you regurgitate), fruit juice is actually not a threat to teeth, even in large volumes: It spends very little time in the mouth, much less than fruit being chewed. Actually, the bulk of what we drink never touches a tooth but passes straight down the gullet.

Have a great day

André

Thank you Dr Kruger for your thoughts on juice not being harmful to teeth, however it is always advisable when on a juice fest to fletcherize the juice prior to swallowing. In the process of mixing the juice with saliva, the juice does get everywhere and perhaps even more so than juice contained within the pulp. There is also the fact that the freshly juiced fruit and veg, has time to oxidize prior to drinking so this may also affect the pH balance potentially increasing the acidity.

True, David. But even fletcherizing juice still implies contact with the teeth considerably shorter than when you chew that same fruit. And bear in mind it is only the part of the (fresh) juice exposed to air (thus the surface in a container) that can oxidize.. so neither of these factors need to be a concern regarding tooth decay. And Oxides are not necessarily acids. Acids after all are chemicals that can "donate" protons, or Hydrogen ions, not Oxygen.

makes me wonder.. does anyone know of any scientific studies connecting juice with tooth decay? I don't.. but I did see how a tooth can dissolve in that drink that looks like diluted tar.. a "cola".. which, when slowly sipped not only comes in contact with the teeth but the sucrose in there forms dextran, the only substance able to stick to healhty enamel. (Incidentally, "Cola"'s are made with phosphoric acid!)

Sure whole fruit will always be better- physiologically. But when one considers all angles: Variety, time, availability, etc., I do believe fruit juice can be one of the best foods.

André