Dec 2011 Fasting Thread... come one come all!!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

PLEASE... feel free to join this thread any time ... we loooove having new friends to fast with!!!

Here's are the 'rules' of this thread:

Please do not discuss specific food. Feel free to share "My hubby was eating and it was hard for me." Please don't share "My hubby was eating X, Y and Z..."

The reason we do this is so no one ends up getting a craving from a fasting thread. As a faster we can choose to click on a thread which discusses food but we need the safety within this thread to know food is not discussed. Juices are shared, M/C is shared, green smoothie recipes are shared... but not 'chewable' food.

Please join us... by listening to our theme song (http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741). We all come together... from around the world to fast together and support each other. Please join us!

There is a great deal of info in this stickie (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=62026). Please take a moment to read it.

And here is a thread (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=61603) where we share our favourite recipes. If you haven't contributed yours, please do!

Here's my commitment (when I'm fasting):

I'm here to fast. I'm not here to eat. I will fast until I choose to stop but I will NOT stop my fast on a bad day, at night or today. I can choose to break my fast tomorrow in the morning but not today.

I'm here to gain health.
I'm here to gift my body the time and energy to bring my body to a state of health.
I'm here to release - whatever needs to be released. Physical, emotional, conscious or unconscious out-moded things... I'm here to release them all.
I'm here to bring a greater depth to my spirituality.
I'm here to support myself and others.
I am here to continue to be mindful - focusing on this moment and not anticipating the next one.
I am here to share my experience and gain knowledge from what others share.
I'm here to feel whole. I'm here to give my beautiful, cherished body a break from digesting food!!!

This is the "Fellowship of the Fasters" - unlike the LOTRs fellowship of nine, we are a fellowship of many. We welcome newcomers daily and embrace everyone no matter what they are fasting on or their personal beliefs.

Yes you can prefer green juices to fruit. Yes you can use agave instead of maple syrup or raw honey. Yes you can juice in your Vita-Mix and use a nut mylk bag to extract your juices.

We don't care how you fast... we want to support you... and in turn, we ourselves get supported... so please... join us!!!

Come on everyone.. join in the fun and grab your Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit or Human names for our "Fellowship of the Fasters"... you just make them up, it isn't from the book/movie. (if you want to participate) and put it in your signature line!

Ever wonder how the Fellowship began?

Back when I first began fasting there were the Fasting Bandits. This was a group of amazing people who fasted together all the time. The 'theme' was a convoy of truckers. I was the water tanker! :throwhearts: Over time the Fasting Bandits moved on with their lives and weren't around much at all. A few of the members are still here... but seldom fasting anymore.

I was missing the camaraderie of the FB and was always hoping to find a new group to fast with, find support with and to support myself. The Fellowship of Fasters began because Cathy and I watch the movie Lord of the Rings a LOT and we fast together a LOT as well. We began speaking to each other as though we were Golum - and our juice was our precious.

And then the Fellowship of Fasters was born!

So to be a member... you simply need to choose a name, put it in your signature line and love fasting. You can become a life-time member or one for a short time... it's up to you.

I'm here for the long haul. My water tanker is here beside me - because I'll always be a Fasting Bandit... but now my precious walks beside on a slower path than the truckers... enjoying the grass at my feet and the flowers growing out of the cracks and crevices in the rocks around me.

[ushotmedown]

Ooh i'll join! (I'm only a couple of hours early to post in the december thread but shhh don't tell anyone )
I'm currently on day 9 going into day 10 of my own juice fast and starting to feel lots of the benefits of it :D
Not sure how long I will go on this one as I am at my boyfriend's house over christmas and don't want his family to think i'm weird (no offence to anyone)
I would also like to joining the fellowship if that's okay?
My name will be... um.... Faervel (pronounced fair-bell) It means something like strong spirit in gaelic if i remember correctly

[GoodCat]

I like your name choice Faervel... I'll be fasting at some point in the near future, but not tomorrow ..lol..

It sounds like you have a great start...

Cathy :throwhearts:

[ushotmedown]

Today is going okay so far. However we are going to visit my boyfriend's family for the weekend.
I'm taking some pre-juiced supplies with me. We will see how receptive they are to me not eating solid foods while i'm there to judge for christmas.
Because as much as I want to eat over christmas, I want to continue my fast even more. I have so much energy that has just popped up from nowhere!
I'm loving fasting atm. My best is 19 days on a water fast so i'm hoping to maybe fast into the new year; or maybe until my my birthday which is 30th July. We will see, as it is I don't really have a goal date to end my fast on. I'm just going with the flow.

Blessings,
Faervel

[Bihaku]

My local chain grocery store did the unbelievable. Sold an almost $3 pre-washed bag of a variety of greens (collard, kale, turnip and mustard) for 99 cents. I bought 15 to use in my smoothies in order to freeze. I hear people say that they juice or smoothie a pound of greens a day, I can't do that. I half a pound of greens and fruit makes very thick smoothies for me. I can't imagine adding more.

If the sale still exist on Sunday then I will buy some more. I plan on smoothie feasting the whole of December, but if I see great weightloss results then I will continue until February.

My only "issue" with this is that I love going to the movies where I use to eat popcorn, which I love. So now I have to carry a bottle of maybe date-lemonade to drink while watching movies. It's an adjustment.

[Saria]

Ooh i'll join! (I'm only a couple of hours early to post in the december thread but shhh don't tell anyone )
I'm currently on day 9 going into day 10 of my own juice fast and starting to feel lots of the benefits of it :D
Not sure how long I will go on this one as I am at my boyfriend's house over christmas and don't want his family to think i'm weird (no offence to anyone)
I would also like to joining the fellowship if that's okay?
My name will be... um.... Faervel (pronounced fair-bell) It means something like strong spirit in gaelic if i remember correctly

Lol..i know that feeling of not wanting to fast around people because I water fast and I get really weird sometimes!! I talk a lot and get really into things but I was already weird to start with so it can't be too much of a shock. There's some people i just wouldn't want to fast around though...

[Saria]

I'm fasting too, starting today. I'm hoping for seven days on water. I have my email fasting buddy who is challanging me to this ;) I will be happy as long as I make it past four, though. Four is the longest I've done so far. I've felt very hungry all day, last meal was at 9pm last night. I was so hungry this morning but i just ignored it. I took a two hour nap this afternoon and I can't believe I've already been fasting for 22 1/2 hours! This is my fourth fast and it's so much easier once you've gained experience in it. I'm hoping to hit a deep detox with this one!

[EricaD]

Hi there!

I'm new here and wanted to participate. I converted to a vegan, 50% raw diet a week before beginning the fast, and am now on day 3 of my juice fast. My goal is to go 21 days. Just wanted to pop in and say hi!

[Saria]

Day two has gone quite well so far. I slept about 9 hours last night, only waking up once. This morning had some bad dreams as I usually do while fasting. They usually address my deepest fears. Even before I had ever fasted i tended to have bad dreams towards morning. I always blamed it on low blood sugar (which I've no longer experienced after my first water fast) but perhaps it was really my mind detoxing once I had gone hours without food. I used to be very strict about eating every four hours.

I haven't had much ambition today but i did have green tea this morning so I had some energy, just not enough to do anything productive. That's ok though, I plan to rest for this fast. Unfortunately tomorrow I do have a couple of errands to run and I'm really dreading that but I know I will get through it and it will be good for me to get out of the house for that third day.

I've had hunger off and on today but I just ignore it. I know fasting is the best thing for me right now. My body tells me so.

I'm happy to be fasting with you all!

P.S. I'm going to be Saria

[FreedomHDD]

Hey everyone. I haven't been here in awhile but recently decided to fast in order to heal what is either costochondritis or tietze syndrome. The last flare up happened around Aug. 1st while pulling myself upon a horse in Yosemite and has not gone away since that time. In the past, it always went away in about 2 to 3 days. So that was enough to really frightened me.

I started my juice fast on Dec. 1st and plan to continue for at least 15 days. However, if the condition does not clear up by that time, then I am prepared to go at least 30 days. Not sure what my plan is beyond that as I am just so, so, hopeful that this will work but also a little afraid of what it means if it doesn't work.

Look forward to following everyone's journey.

[Saria]

I'm on day 3 now and still feeling really good. I cut out the tea so it's just water now. This day 3 is definately not as bad as day 3 of any of my previous fasts. I'm still getting a few hunger pangs so then I drink some water and they go away. I had to go a few places today, which got me outside and moving around. but I'm so glad to be back home now warming up and relaxing.

[Saria]

I'm near the end of day 4. I am confident I can go at least 2 more days, probably make it to 7. I've only had mild detox symptoms as far as coated tongue, metallic taste in mouth, body odor, I've gone to the bathroom a couple of times but am hoping to have more of that. There has to be something serious waiting to come out! I feel really chilled today and still am bored...

[Saria]

I feel like I'm the only one fasting...-pouts- but at least there is still a lot of support on the forum, that makes it so much more enjoyable and doable! I am on day 5 now and feeling amazing, although a little drained. No more hunger whatsoever. I'm going to get out today and take my herbs with me because I'm hoping they get some extra sunlight in the car lol! The metallic taste in my mouth is getting less strong, or maybe I'm just getting used to it...I don't really know. Anyway, time to get some enemas and get rid of the back-up. I'm already happy with how much better this fast has felt than the last but I'll really be happy if I can deep clean my system! I'm ok with losing some weight but that's not the goal of my fast, I just want to clean out my body and start fresh and then only put good in.
I wish I could remove more toxin sources from my environment, but I will be in this apartment for such a short time that I don't think I should invest in too much stuff around the house here. When I move I will make sure to find a place that's more healthy!

[FreedomHDD]

Hollycfx, you are not alone. I am on day 8 of my juice fast. Yesterday seemed to be the magic day for me starting to feel better in terms of my condition. I am now sleeping like a baby instead of feeling so much discomfort at night. I can’t believe it but I just don’t want to get too excited. Actually, I can’t bring myself to state exactly how good I feel right now out of paranoia of jinxing it - LOL. You have to understand that I have been experiencing this pain to some degree since August and I just don’t want to celebrate prematurely. For now, I will say that I feel better because I do, but I am not pain free yet. I started walking for 20 minutes on yesterday and did it again today.

Also, I started taking herbs on yesterday. I spoke with someone on Dr. Morse's team and decided it was worth a try.

[Saria]

FreedomHDD, I'm glad you're fasting with me!! And so glad to hear that you're feeling much better!! I'm sure you won't go back to feeling badly, and hope you keep feeling good! I am also having the best day so far of my fast!! So we can celebrate together :excited:
I went to the store so i got my fresh air and did the enema which made a world of difference just on my first one. I can't believe it took me this long to start them! My lymph nodes are still not swollen and i can still smell! Hopefully tomorrow I can start exercising lightly. That's great you have been walking!!

[FreedomHDD]

Thanks Hollycfx. Yes, we can celebrate together. Are your lymph swollen or not swollen. I had that occur on once about two years ago. They automatically went away in about 2 weeks without me doing anything. Haven't had the experience again.

I know I just mentioned the herbs but not I am thinking of not continuing unless I don't see progress. I'm mainly reconsidering due to a thread I just found on this site back in 2005. I've never taken herbs before and still wonder if it's okay to take them especially while fasting. Dr. Morse's representative seems to think it critical.

[Saria]

My lymph nodes were swollen for 4-5 years and are not swollen any longer. They went down during my last fast which was 4 days, but flared up again afterward. I am really hoping this longer fast will keep them down for good. I've had them cat scanned before and the doctor said there was no cancer and of course had no idea what was up. I'm 99% sure it was toxic buildup. I did darkroom photography at the time, worked in a smoking environment, deviated from the healthy-ish eating I had growing up, had a LOT of emotional stress, just got done working somewhere making fried foods, drank alcohol, lived in a newly built log house, moved into a lot of new houses as a child...there are so many factors there and that's just what I remember at the moment.

herbs can be really helpful but I guess during a fast some things are different. I don't know anything abuot that, though.

[FreedomHDD]

Saria, it's definitely encouraging that they went down during the last fast. Sounds like you've taken all the right precautions. It happened to me a few hours after getting an underarm wax from a non qualified place.

Thanks for responding and since I don't know anything about herbs I am going to see what the fast will do without them. I bought them as a last resort and figured I'd try it along with fasting. But now I am little afraid of them.

[Saria]

Are they fresh herbs, dried herbs or essential oils? Some oils you don't want to put on your skin

[FreedomHDD]

Great question... I'm not sure how they are clasified.
Here is a link to one of the two.

http://www.naturesbotanicalpharmacy.com/Herbal.cfm?HerbID=8

[Saria]

How are you doing, FreedomHDD? Are you still fasting?
I'm on day 6. Feeling much better than before. I think I will be able to exercise lightly and I'm going to exfoliate my skin. Tomorrow I'm getting a colonic and I'm debating whether or not I should continue the fast about 24 hours after that? I was planning to break tomorrow evening and juice for 3 days...Would I still get rid of any toxins that get stirred up during the colonic if I juice? Or is it more powerful to stay on water? I don't want to trap anything in when I cuold just be patient and get more benefits out of what I'm doing!

[FreedomHDD]

Hi Saria, yes I am definitely still fasting. The fact that my pain is about 95% gone, there is no way I am stopping. The fact that I sleep like a baby again meaning on my stomach or any other position I like without pain is priceless. I value a pain free body more than I ever did. At a minimum, I plan to do 14 days of juice fast.

I've never done a water fast before so therefore I can't offer any answers to your questions. I've done many juice fast and I'm not sure what happens as you switch between to. Definiitely more cleansing on a water fast but I would imagine you'd continue to do so on a juice fast but it might be less of it.

Stay focus on your plan and have a great weekend. I hope to have a good report on Monday.

[Saria]

FreedomHDD, I'm so very glad to hear your pain is vanishing so quickly !!! I'm sure you're beyond happy!! So you've been sleeping well? I find it difficult to sleep during water fasting sometimes. I have to move around a lot because my limbs tend to fall asleep more than usual. have you been experiencing any detox dreams? I usually have them near morning I start dreaming about things from the past my brain has long since pushed aside. I often have lucid dreams so I usually know I'm dreaming and I've learned to enjoy these "nightmares" as part of the cleansing process.
As far as me switching to juice after my 7 days are up, I will just wait till saturday evening and then see how I feel. I'll follow my intuition. If I feel very sick I will stay on water until Sunday because I don't want to break my fast on a bad day or while a heavy load of toxins are still coming out!
You have a great weekend as well. Monday I will be juicing with you!!
Enjoy your fast and new found health!!!

[Bihaku]

Breakfast smoothie before going to work: 2 carrots, 1/3 lbs of kale, 1/2 cup of cranberries, 2 dates, 1 cup of grapes. For lunch, I will drink water. I will want to see a movie after work, so I won't be consuming anything but water. Then remain glass of smoothie for dinner which I made this morning.

I've been off the wagon with SAD, mostly to being hungry when out after work, or running errands. I need to train myself to only eat (drink smoothies) when I am at home. I need to stay on track. I can't bring smoothies with me, because my job doesn't have a fridge for the employees and I am not sure I would want to drink a warm smoothie after 4 hours of working while it sits in my work locker.

[Saria]

My 7 day fast on water/tea is finally over! I made some apple Kale juice just now I would have liked a little more apple and less kale but I really wanted to get some chlorolphyl in I believe kale has that...I put in a couple handfuls of it and one apple. At first it made me really tired but after washing the juicer I had some energy. I napped almost all day so it's not time to go to bed yet!

[FreedomHDD]

Well it is day 12 for me. I had a good weekend which consisted of most relaxing but also exercise each day. I actually climbed Stone Mountain (in Georgia) on yesterday. It was not the easiest climb but I did it.

Most of all, I seriously can't believe I am pain free. Completely, completely, completely pain free. But I don't know what will happen when I resume eating. There are a lot of people suffering with this condition (costochondritis and/or tietze) as I've been researching it for months now. In could conscience, I don't feel like I can go shouting to the world that I am healed until I resume eating and only if I remain pain free for at least a month (eating clean healthy vegan diet with no processed foods). I really don't care what anybody thinks (including the doctors who could not help me and barely even diagnosed me as I had to tell them the name of my condition) as I know that the pain is now gone due to this fast. The pain had been nonstop for nearly 4 months. Occasionally (because I don't like masking pain without getting rid of the cause) I took Ibuprofen maybe once a month so I could sleep pain free once in a while. Other than that, I used heat to relieve the pain temporarily. I could not sleep on my stomach or my side, so I slept miserably on my back night after night. I was afraid to cough, carry my groceries, turn the steering wheel too hard, and many more every day things. Any and all of these would trigger the pain more intensely. After only 6 days of juice fasting, I all of suddenly was able to sleep like a baby again. My chest is no longer sore to the touch. I’m gradually losing my fear of being able to do ordinary activity but that's a little hard since I have been doing it for months now.

My conclusion is that juice fasting must have enabled my body to get rid of all the inflammation in my chest. I guess since my body was not busy digesting food, it was able to heal. I suppose it's also possible that particular foods I might have been eating have been removed and may also be the reason it has healed. Meaning that if I knew what they were and removed them without fasting then the same result might have been achieved. I can't answer that question. But what I can say is that I was unable to stop eating some of the quote/unquote healthy vegan processed foods that I love. Now that I am detoxing, of course processed foods sounds like crap to me but I needed to fast to feel this way.

I’m planning to keep fasting for at least 14 days. I want to be sure I am completely healed, even disease or conditions that I can't see or feel at this point.

[FreedomHDD]

Saria, thank you very much. My dreams are the same as always. I tend to always sleep so well while fasting (even compared to before this condition). I sleep like a baby when fasting. I usually don't require as much sleep however. I see you are now drinking juice. So glad you are joining me. I bet it taste like heaven.

[Saria]

Fasting another 14 days would be amazing! I know it's hard to believe that the benefits will last when you return eating. I know after my last fast I had SAD a few days and my lymph nodes flared up again but I had only fasted 4 days on water so that may have played a role...I would think if you continue longer and then resume the diet you described you will no longer have the health issues. But I'm not an expert of course lol!! A suggestion I read is when you're reintroducing foods, do one different food at a time and wait to see if you have any reactions. That way it would be easier to identify foods that you are possibly sensitive to. But sometimes after fasting you are sensitive to things just because you have been fasting...but if you've been on juice it's not quite the same as water as far as waking up the digestive system.
The juice does taste like heaven!! :drool:I had a blended banana last night and a little solid food today. It seems very soon but as long as I just allow myself one of these treats a day for the next few days, I haven't had any problems.
It's still been a little difficult for me to get to sleep but I am sleeping better now than I was when I was only on water. I'm not sleeping as long as usual, though. I'll probably start taking afternoon naps.
It's amazing that you are healing and feel encouraged to keep going! Props on the mountain climbing, wow! How is the weather there? It's been very hard for me to stay warm here.

[FreedomHDD]

Oh no, not an additional 14 days but a total of 14 days. Saria, when you say your lymph nodes swelled back up again after fasting, do you mean with a predominantly raw diet? Sounds like your plan is going well also. I look forward to joining you with the raw dishes soon as that is how I plan to break my fast even thought it's not how I eat for lifestyle.

The weather is pretty cold in Georgia these days as in the high 40's which does makes it a little challenging to fast. Is it even colder where you are? If so, a big, big kudos to you for hanging in there with fasting. I get so cold while fasting.

[Saria]

They only swelled up because I ate SAD for three days in a row. So I won't be going back to that full strength...lol. Since you're healing you would really be well off on a raw diet for awhile!
It's colder here most days, 20-30F and I get soooo cold too!! Today I'm finally starting to feel a little warmer...but that's because the sun's out -sigh-

[FreedomHDD]

I see. Well I'm glad everything good now. I tried raw food diet several years ago and concluded it was not for me. But I always tell people that it taught me to include lots more raw foods in my diet on a daily basis. Unless my lowfat, vegan, wholefood diet proved not to work for me, I don't see myself doing the raw food thing again. Believe me when I say I have lots of room for improvement with my diet. In other words, I was starting to eat things like Amy Cheeseless Pizza's, Khasi Chocolate Chip cookies, kettle chips and other vegan "unhealthy" crap. So I want to see what happens when I stay with "REAL" foods only. But I definitely plan to come off of the fast with 100% raw and transition slowly. 20 to 30F, OMG, that's just too cold for me.

[Saria]

Yes it's rediculously cold and I'm beginning to question why I still live here...
I got some raw sea salt sweet potato chips at Whole Foods today and they are so amazing!! I don't need to ever eat any other kind of chips again. I'm going to get a dehydrator this weekend lol and start making some of those things. They're so expensive to buy. I was eating a lot of raw nuts before but I think the chips will be a better thing for me right now. Maybe you could try some of the raw foods and just replace some of the less healthy vegan foods with the raw ones? They are still more calorie dense than fresh fruits and veggies but probably more simple and less bad than the processed stuff.

[FreedomHDD]

Very good point Saria because I am a huge Kale Chip lover.

[Saria]

I haven't even tried those yet...lol but will soon!

[ushotmedown]

I'm sorry I haven't been around, I've had no internet for a while. I ended my fast on day 13 due to familial duties. I however will be participating in January's fasting thread as I plan to do an extended fast as I loved the way it felt!!