How to cleanse your system the natural hygiene way

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Permalink Reply by Mica on November 21, 2008 at 6:50pm

Yeah I checked that one out this afternoon when I booked the x-mas event with Dr. Graham, yay I'm going! That Costa Rica thing does sound like heaven, I so would if I could right now, also look whose lovely picture I found advertising the retreat......

.....aawww doesn't he look great!?! :)

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Permalink Reply by Mica on November 22, 2008 at 4:35am

Yay let's all meet up in Costa Rica one day, group fasting and then fruit indulging, how much fun would that be!?!

Yes I booked it, thanks Cherry and Debbie for telling me about it, yes it's a lot of money but I feel it's well worth it for what you get, and it's my personal X-mas/birthday treat to myself so I don't care ;D

I'll take some pictures for you Cheery Cherry.....:)

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Permalink Reply by Mica on November 22, 2008 at 4:46am

YES, I just did a lil water fast this last week, first green smoothies then went onto juice than I did four days of water then juice and now smoothies again and fruit.
I couldn't do the water longer because that was the longest time I managed to get away from my kids and stay in bed.
But yes I would love to continue on this journey for a bit, so I'll join you guys....:)

Permalink Reply by VOID on November 23, 2008 at 8:10am

CCK,

Regarding water fasting, it really depends on what you are after. If youre hoping for 'cleansing' in 24-36 hours, then you're probably not going to get it. But if you're looking to give your digestive system a break, then its fine. To be honest, doing a weekly 36 hour fast might not be the greatest idea though as you might start to lose small amounts of muscle protein over time.

Water fasting gives its therapeutic benefits out of a biochemical necessity. By that I mean that the reason the body starts to 'cleanse' and detox, is because it has no other choice. When you stop consuming all foods, except water, your body will, within a few hours, start to use muscle glycogen and liver glycogen, which is a storage form of carbs, along with a little muscle protein, for fuel. this wont last very long. So when all that has gone the body will use a little more protein for a while, before finally switching into fat conversion. The body begins to break down excess fat tissue, and convert it into a usable fuel, in the form of ketones (Most epople have begun this by day 3).

Since most of our toxins that the body couldnt previously eliminate or process, get stored in the fat tissue, as the fat becomes broken down for fuel use, the body begins to become re-exposed to all these toxins. So the body now has to improve its efficiency in being able to eliminate these toxins. So all the necessary eliminatory organs improve their functioning. This is actually quite a stressful process for the body initially. It uses up a lot of energy in increasing its efficiency. Fortunately, the longer the body fasts, the more efficient the body becomes at this, and so the more toxins the body can handle. Some hygienists estimate that after 21 days, your liver and kidneys are so efficient and removing toxins, that every additional day of fasting, is the equivalent of 2 days fasting previously.

Therefore its actually less stressful for the body, and more beneficial, to do one or two longer, supervised fasts, than several shorter fasts.

Thats not to say you wont get any benefits from doing a 1 day fast, but really, the detoxification or 'cleansing' that people experience wont come about until after day 3, because this is when the toxins start to be really released, and so the liver is kickstarted into turbocharge mode. Its for this reason that hygienists insist that no-one should attempt to fast for longer than 3-4 days without professional supervision.

Take care

Adam x

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Permalink Reply by VOID on November 23, 2008 at 9:57am

Hey Julia,

Yea if youre after health benefits then its gotta be a long term fast. A digestive system break can be useful, and Im not saying dont do the 1 day fast, I just personally, would prefer to keep living in a way that would reduce the need to fast. Also, exercising when fasting isnt a good idea. Hygienists say that fasting is not abstaining from food alone, it is the polar extreme form of resting. Hygienists suggest that we should lie down upto 20 hours per day when fasting.

Like Debbie says, your health conditions will likely subside in due time if you keep on living and eating hygienically.

Take Care

Adam x

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Permalink Reply by VOID on November 23, 2008 at 10:01am

Yup fruit only days are great. I recommend melons. Easy on the digestive system being full of water, yummy to eat too.

As far as having the time to take off for a long term fast, if you really wanted to undertake a long fast, i would suggest eating a low fat raw vegan diet for a couple of years first, and put all the other aspects of hygiene into your life. All the while, save up money in a separate bank account. Then take off a 6 week sabbatical. Most employers will let you do that. If yours doesnt, then heh, its a couple of years away, you can always resign by then. Get a new job.

Take care

Adam x

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Permalink Reply by VOID on November 23, 2008 at 11:37am

Julia,

Juice fasts are definately not a good idea imo. Robert Lustig has done some great work recently showing that Fruit juices not only stress the pancreas out, due to the presence of sugar without fibre, but actually the liver too. Infact the liver is even more the problem here. When you consume fruits or vegetables without fibre you expose yourself to the fructose in them, without fibre to act as a buffer. The body can use fructose when presented to it with fibre, but when it is removed, as with juices, syrups, cane sugars etc. the body just doenst know what to do with it. So it sends it off to the liver to be treated as a toxin. When it reaches the liver, the liver treats it like alcohol, since they have chemical similarities, but it cant get rid of it. So it gets stored in the liver as fat. Juices are a major contributory factor to the epidemic of non-alcohol fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.

For me this is just more evidence to illustrate the idea that everything is interconnected and as important as everything else. we should not interfere with nature. It has presented everything to us in its natural, pure form with everything that is necessary for its proper use. Fibre is an important nutrient. It is meant to be there. If you remove one thing it messes up the rest. This is also why I dont like dried fruits, since water is an equally important nutrient.

Grapefruit juice in particular would be a bad idea. Grapefruits contains 2 compounds which inhibit the enzyme cytochrome P450, which is essential in liver phase 1 detoxification, thereby inhibiting the ability of the body to breakdown the toxins and metabolic byproducts to be excreted in phase 2. This is very dangerous indeed.

Grapes eaten whole will be fine. Really its just the more watery the better. Ive used nectarines before (i love nectarines) and berries.

Take care

Adam x

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Permalink Reply by VOID on November 24, 2008 at 5:20am

Mark,

Its true that fruit juice straight is bad, worse, please be clear that diluting fruit juice with some green juice will not solve the problem either. Many greens contain lots of fructose too. And it only reduces the intake of the fruit juice slightly anyway. With just fasting or feasting, its not like youre just having one glass of mixed fruit and greens juice, youre drinking a couple of litres usually. Thats a major assault on the liver.

Im glad it worked for you, as it does for many people. Im not trying to deter people from juice fasting, just presenting arguments why I feel its perhaps not the healthiest of ideas.

Take care

Adam x

Permalink Reply by VOID on November 24, 2008 at 5:39am

Grapefruits are ok to eat as food they have lots of healthy aspects to them as well. I wouldnt recommend eating them daily because of their capacity to inhibit phase 1 detox, which is essential. I just wouldnt recommend them if youre looking to increase your bodys detoxification.

Take care

Adam x

Permalink Reply by VOID on November 24, 2008 at 5:25am

Mark,

For me it doesnt really matter. Fruit is hybridised, but its still healthy all the same. Research is showing time and time again that fruits contain thousands of protective compounds, even chemoprotective, and that both in vitro and in vivo, they offer protection to those who consume them. Theyve shown that whole fruits do not aggravate the liver, or pancreas the way other sugars do, and that whole fruit sugars do not feed cancer extraneously as isolated/refined sugars do.

And research has been coming up over and over that its fruits, not vegetables that are the most important thing in cancer protection. In fact there was an article in the independant (UK newspaper) that illustrated this earlier this year.

So hybridised or not, Im not bothered. And juices...well hybridised or not, its still fructose without fibre, and so its still alcohol without the buzz, as far as the livers concerned.

Diabetics can eat fruit too. Even the major dietetic organisations worldwide agree with this.

Take care

Adam x

Permalink Reply by VOID on November 23, 2008 at 9:54am

Hey Xerxes,

Yes, a 1 day fast can definately be beneficial for giving the digestive system a break, I just think if its done weekly, its causing a lot of stress to the bodys biochemistry on a regular basis. I dont think it will be especially harmful to be honest, but I think eating melons for a day could be just as beneficial. I used to have melon days all the time. lol.

Take care

Adam x

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Permalink Reply by Mica on November 24, 2008 at 1:27pm

Wow what great info and it all makes a lot of sense, thank you guys.
So from what you have said I'm thinking, short of doing the long supervised water fast, which sounds very powerful, for convenience or money reasons, one could maybe do a prolonged protocol like this maybe?

Pure water only till mid-dayish to give the body a nice chance to finish it's daily detox. Maybe a bit of high water fruit if too hungry.

Green smoothie for lunch containing high fruit, green leafies, wild herbs, celery, cucumber, sprouts, etc.
How about avocado? Which I love in my smoothies, but maybe go easy whilst cleansing?

Water or fresh orange juice in between meals or maybe also fresh young coconut water and jelly blended

Another green smoothie or fruit for dinner, not too late at night.

And maybe do this for a long time like lets say at least 20 days up to even three months, you know like the juice feast but leaving the food intact, just blending most of it to make it easier to digest.
And also to make sure to implement all or most of the other basic NH elements.
Debbie posted a great list once in one of the EGOP threads, may I dig it up and copy on here please Debbie?
Or maybe you would like to as a great reminder?!?

Basically leaving out all grains, nuts and seeds except maybe coconut but making sure one gets enough calories from fruit and greens to function properly during this time.

What do you guys think? And are there any foods more favorable to others to use for this? I know you already mentioned melon. Anything you would add?? :)

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