Chapter 1-3 of Healing Foods by Walter Last
Fasting is a period of
restricted food intake, and cleansing is the removal of waste products from the
body as a result of fasting. This combination of fasting and cleansing is a
most effective healing method. It is essential for overcoming chronic diseases,
and for rejuvenating an aging body. It is also excellent for ensuring continued
health, and minimizes the risk of a disabling disease later in life. However,
it can be rather unpleasant, especially for beginners.
Just by fasting alone, many
chronic diseases can be healed. For someone on a cooked diet, a period on raw
foods is a fast or cleansing period. The cleansing effect is made even stronger
by restricting the diet to one food item, such as fruit, or juice, or just
water.
Start with several one-day
fasts, possibly once a week, before trying a three-day fast. Then have a
three-day fast once a month; if on normal working hours, have the first fast
day on a Friday. The second day often feels the worst. Once or twice a year you
may fast for seven days or longer. Instead of a series of strict fasts, you may
have longer periods on a raw-food diet, and a strict fast only occasionally.
With chronic diseases, the need for cleansing obviously is much greater than
just for general health improvement. After a year or two, or on return to good
health, the number of cleansing periods may safely be reduced to twice a year
except if much processed food is used. Also with the onset of a cold, flu or
other infectious disease, start a fast immediately.
The more often you have a
fast, the less you will normally be affected by it in a negative way; a sense
of peace and well-being may develop instead. As long as you are still
congested, the tongue will be strongly coated, and the breath has a strong odor
when you get up in the morning during a fast. Conversely, if breath and tongue
are clear in the morning, the body is reasonably clean, and no more fasting is
needed. Scrape or brush the tongue clean whenever it is coated. You may use a
sharp-edged spoon for scraping.
For several days before a
longer fast, start already reducing the amount of food, and preferably do not
eat flesh food or processed food on the last day before a fast. Best have only
raw fruit and vegetables on that last day. In the same way, increase the amount
of food only gradually after a fast, and have only raw food on the first day
after a fast. The longer the fast, the less you may eat at the first meal, and
the longer it should take to return to the usual diet. An apple is good for
breaking a juice or water fast.
When going on a juice or
water fast of three days or longer, it is advisable to take a laxative on the
first morning of the fast, and every two or three days during a longer fast.
Those with a disintegrating tumor may require a daily laxative, in addition to
daily colonies. You may take one tablespoonful of Epsom salts in water, or
herbal laxative. Quite mild and very effective is an isotonic salt flush. This
is not suitable for those with advanced cancer, kidney disease or hypertension,
as part of the salt may be absorbed.
The effectiveness of the fast
can be further increased by using a hot castor-oil pack for three days before
and during the fast. Coat the liver area (the bottom of the right ribcage) and
upper abdomen with castor oil, cover with a woolen cloth folded in four layers,
and keep warm for an hour or two with a hot-water bottle. At bedtime take 2
tablespoons of olive oil; shake it in a jar with lecithin and fresh orange or
lemon juice. The next morning take sufficient laxative to produce a good
cleanout within a few hours.
Castor oil stimulates the
liver's capacity to detoxify, olive oil induces the gall bladder to empty, and
expel fat-soluble toxins from the liver, while the laxative removes the poisons
quickly from the bowels. This method of cleansing causes a minimum of
discomfort that might otherwise result in headaches, nausea and weakness. An
excellent cleanse, which also may remove gallstones, is a three-day apple fast
with half a cup of olive oil on the last evening.
Take it easy during fasts,
rest whenever you feel weak or just stay in bed if necessary. Skin brushing,
deep-breathing exercises, mild sun exposure and frequent showers are helpful.
Different Cleansing Methods
Some natural therapists
regard a fast on only water, especially distilled water, as the only real and
worthwhile fast. Fasting on purified water is especially good for strict
allergy testing. However, cleansing results appear to be quite as good on
properly selected juice fasts, but with better maintenance of strength, and
quicker recovery afterwards.
Except for very sensitive
individuals, I recommend apples for the first three-day fast. Preferably obtain
unsprayed apples, otherwise either peel or scrub in warm soapy water and rinse
well. Do not ingest waxed skins. Eat as many apples as you like, generally the
more the better to keep the bowels moving. Apple fasts are usually well
tolerated and are also good for children.
Fasting on freshly pressed
vegetable juices is somewhat more severe but generally well tolerated.
Preferably use plenty of green juice made from grass, leaves, parley and
celery, flavored with sweet vegetables such as carrot, beetroot or pumpkin, and
possibly also an apple. This may be diluted with water for a total fluid intake
of 2-3 liters daily, depending on your weight. If rather sensitive, minimize
the amount of sweet juices.
For very sensitive, weak and
underweight individuals, a rice diet of 10 or more days may be better. Eat only
cooked brown rice, lightly flavored with salt and olive oil, and preferably 1-3
tablespoons per meal of unheated ground linseed. Use sufficient linseed to have
three easy, bulky bowel movements daily. You do not need to eat proper meals,
just have a few spoonfuls whenever you feel hungry, and chew very slowly.
Preferably follow the rice diet with a period of eating raw food only. Possibly
alternate periods on cooked rice and on raw foods several times. However, if
brown rice is not tolerated, then try white rice.
For insensitive individuals a
three-day lemon-juice fast is excellent, and especially good for improving
liver functions; it is also recommended for those with high blood pressure, and
for overweight males. About 10 times during the day drink a large glass of
water with the addition of the fresh juice of half a lemon. You may flavor this
with a small amount of fresh grapefruit or orange juice. Later you may extend
this fast to seven days or longer.
The 'grape cure' is well
known as a cancer cure, but it is also good for coronary artery disease and
other chronic diseases. You eat about one kilo of grapes spaced out during the
day to avoid any strong rise in the blood sugar level. Sensitive individuals
may use additional alkalizer if the grapes cause acidity. Continue for several
weeks. Sometimes a crisis develops during which a tumor is aborted. Black
grapes are best, otherwise purple or red.
If you cannot obtain unsprayed
grapes, wash them thoroughly in warm soapy water and rinse well. If you are
sensitive to molds also soak them in diluted hydrogen peroxide, or expose to
sunlight before a last rinse and eating.
For a longer cleansing period
a mixed fast may be used. You may, for instance, start with several days on a
rice diet, and follow this with a period on raw food only, some time on apples
or grapes, and a further period on juices. Then you repeat this sequence in
reverse order with days of eating only fruit, raw food, and finally rice,
before returning to your normal diet. The whole cleansing period may last for
several weeks, or even months, with repeated sequences.
Unless you have an acute
infectious disease, do not start a strict fast when you feel weak. In this case
you may alternate between a rice diet and a raw-food diet. Those with acute
infections may have only fresh fruit, or vegetable juice, until health improves
and good appetite returns.
If you suspect your body is
overloaded with chemicals, or that your liver's ability to detoxify is reduced,
have only mild fasts initially, such as the rice diet and raw-food diet. Also
supply plenty of sulfur in the form of MSM, or alternatively use onions, raw
egg yolk and possibly the amino acids taurine, cysteine and methionine, or even
powdered sulfur. The older we are and
the less physically active, the more important is regular cleansing.
The Basic Cleanse: I recommend this
10-day mixed cleanse at least once for most individuals near the beginning of
their health improvement journey. It combines fasting and cleansing with
intestinal sanitation and allergy testing. For details see The Basic Cleanse.
'Lymphacizing'
- gently bouncing on a rebounder, greatly increase the cleansing action during
a fast. This speeds up the lymph flow to many times its normal rate.
Cleansing the body involves
several steps: dislodging wastes and toxins from within and between cells, and
transporting them with the lymph fluid to the large veins near the neck, where
they enter the bloodstream to be discharged through the liver and kidneys.
A greatly reduced food intake
is the main factor to dislodge stored wastes and toxins. Muscle activity
propels the lymph flow; castor-oil packs, fruit acids, olive oil, bitter herbs
and sulfur compounds stimulate liver detoxification of fat-soluble waste, while
a high fluid intake and kidney herbs help remove water-soluble wastes.
During fasting we usually do
not have much energy for muscle activity, but lymphacizing can come to the
rescue, as it does not consume much energy, and one actually feels energized
afterwards. With each upward bounce the lymph is pushed towards the neck, and
prevented from falling back again because the valves through which it pushes
are one-way. For details see Exercises.
Another good way of speeding
up your lymph circulation is by inverting your body. Special inversion
equipment is available where you can hang upside down or you may use a
slant-board, be it self-made or purchased or you may simply put your legs up
against a wall while lying on the floor or bicycle in the inverted position, or
do a shoulder-stand or headstand.
Mucus problems are very common.
This is obvious when we have a cold with a congested or running nose, but at
other times it may be noticed as congested or inflamed sinuses, ear or hearing
problems, including tinnitus and ‘glue ear’ in children, glaucoma, throat and
lung problems, especially asthma. To overcome these conditions see he summary
on Mucus Problems in Specific Health Problems.
The Oil Rinse: You may remove
fat-soluble toxins before they reach the liver. First thing in the morning
take a large sip of a light oil, such as sunflower oil or grape seed oil
(stored in glass bottles), and vigorously swish it around the mouth for ten to
twenty minutes, then spit it out (be careful, it may clog the sink). Rinse the
mouth several times with warm water. Continue this for several months. This
rinse is especially important if the lymph system is congested as it commonly
is with cancer and other chronic diseases, and it is very effective with health
problems in the head and neck area, including dental problems.
Distilled Water Rinse: At other times you may use distilled water to
filter out water-soluble toxins. After rising and again at bedtime, use a
cupful of distilled water. Take a mouthful and hold it under the tongue for
about 2 minutes. Then spit it out and repeat the process until the cup is
empty.
Chapter 1: BASIC HEALTH IMPROVEMENT