"Fasting, in the strictest sense, is defined as the voluntary abstinence from food and drink, except water, as long as the nutritional reserves of the body are adequate to sustain normal function. This is the state of physiological rest."
Fasting and Eating for Health, Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
We've been preparing to fast for a few months by reading Dr. Fuhrman's book on the subject. We did it once before for 3 days when Mati got sick and ever since, we have been interested in how our bodies would respond to a longer fast. Dr. Fuhrman recommends a longer fast for health and longevity once every 5 to 1o years. That's what we're doing now. It is not recommended to fast for longer periods of time without medical supervision. Matthew and I, though, have been eating a high nutrient diet for 2 years now and have the nutrient stores required to endure a longer fast. Also, neither of us are on medications or have an illness that needs medical supervision. We will however, be careful. We plan to monitor ourselves and our symptoms and will break the fast if necessary.
That being said, the timing is perfect for us. We're both on vacation and so is everyone else. It's quiet and beautiful outside and very cold. Perfect for staying in and recuperating. We bought matching pajamas. When I was a kid, we always had new pajamas for Christmas. I love this tradition and so we've adopted it for fasting throughout Christmas. We bought more paint supplies. We have a movie pile, books we like and music to listen to. We 're ready!
We found this fantastic snowman.
We appreciated our meals more than usual yesterday. We ate giant salads topped with eggplant and red pepper ratatouille, baked french fries with guacamole and for dessert we savored every delicious bite of our crepes caramel de buerre au salé - which are crepes filled with the most delicious caramel you've ever tasted. We feasted.
Today is Day 1 and it's 3:30pm. We woke up in our twin pj's at 12:30pm and its been a joy to sit here and write. Mati is reading something by Albert Camus and our bodies think we're the best bosses ever for giving them the holidays off for the first time in over 30 some odd years.
Until tomorrow, Day 2,
Be Well, Little elf cells.
"The health of our nation is not improving; in fact, we are getting sicker. Changes are developing in health care, and the public is more aware that a problem exists. Our economy is weighed down by an expensive and largely ineffective medical system that relies on expensive tests, treatments and last minute heroics to attempt to combat the harmful effects of a nation poisoning itself with a rich disease-causing diet.""The self healing power of the body is often overlooked because it is rarely given a chance to act in a world that expects the quick fix. The power of the body is as evident as green grass, rainy days and sunshine."
These are excerpts from: Fasting and Eating for Health, Joel Fuhrman, M.D. 1995
