The 7 Day Fast

Ok, let's begin to fast. Please keep in mind that I will be guiding you through my personal 7 day fasting period. Let me start by sharing with you a list of items that I use while fasting:

•  7 Day Fasting Kit  - Springreen's kit includes (intestinal cleaner, detoxification and nutritional supplements). Springreen's kit includes a recommended daily routine to follow. I incorporate the program into my own schedule. Based on previous fasts, I feel the best when using the Springreen 7 day kit throughout my fast.
•  Colema board (I find it helpful during my 7 day fast) - helps with the removal of compacted areas deep within the intestine. When performing a colonic, I feel comfortable just doing one 7 day fast each year and maybe a few 1-3 day fast during the year, just as long as I am eating a healthy diet of mostly raw organic foods.
• Steam distilled water  - I usually have plenty of reserves on hand, especially when planning to do a home colonic. I use 5 gallon buckets of steam distilled water with a tablespoon of Epsom salts or 1/3 cup of lemon juice for each colonic performed during my fast. Unfiltered tap water should never be used.
• Daily schedule - I briefly spoke about this earlier in the series. I create a schedule for each day of the fast. This way, I don't feel stressed that I missed something. I can just stay relaxed and calm and follow my routine.
• Journal (optional) - I will journal my thoughts and feelings each day throughout the fast. It is a great habit to get into even when not fasting... read my article on Journaling .

My 7 Day Fast actually starts 3 days prior to not eating. Here's why: the 3 days prior to my fast, I prepare meals containing only raw organic fruits and vegetables (fruit bowl in the morning and fresh green salads for lunch and dinner). This stimulates the elimination process in my body and slowly prepares me for a long fast (only one day of fruits and vegetables prior to not eating is necessary when performing a shorter Three Day Fast).

Day 1  -  no more food!  From day one thru day seven, I drink a cleansing drink made up of 10-12 ounces steam distilled water, detoxificant and intestinal cleaner five times a day about 3 hours apart. About 1½ hours after each cleansing drink, I take a combination of nutritional supplements (greenlife, wheat germ oil, Vitamin C and whole beet plant juice tablets). All of this is supplied with my 7 day fasting kit. I seem to make it through this day fairly easily.

*The detoxificant is derived from a mineral-rich volcanic clay. The clay is used because of its strong absorptive properties. (Adsorbs over 40 times its own weight in toxic substances). The intestinal cleaner contains ground-up psyllium that assists the body with the elimination process. I find these both to be key ingredients during the detoxification process.

Days 2-3 - I find these 2 days to be the most difficult for me. My body is sending out those awful hunger signals. My energy level is low. These are the days that most people want to cheat. Be aware! Once you cheat (even the tiniest bit of food) the detoxification process stops. It will take a full 24 hours of not eating to start the process again. So stick it out!

Colonic - The early evening of day 2 is when I perform my first colonic. When fasting, your body dumps a higher level of toxic residue into the blood stream giving you that fatigue feeling.  For me, the colonic helps to restore the energy that I lose during these 2 days by helping the the body to flush the toxic waste sooner. I will continue with the colonic each evening until the end of the fast (a total of 5-6 colonic).

Note: Some people choose to do 2 colonic in a day. I feel 1 a day is appropriate for me (time may be an issue). If you are feeling extremely fatigued and are dumping a lot of toxins, you may want to perform 2 colonic/day, especially towards the beginning of the week. You may want to consult with a qualified person if you are not sure about performing a colonic on your own. Also, just to clarify, an enema is no substitute for a colonic! They don't reach as far into the intestine as colonic do.

Days 4-6 - Thank God! The hunger pains are diminishing. These next few days seem relatively easy for me. Now, I find that keeping myself busy is the hardest thing for me at this point. This is why I create a pre-fast schedule for myself.

By the 4th day, my body is now in "ketosis".  This means that the liver is producing ketones from the fat stores in the body to fuel the brain and other organs...normally fueled by glucose. What is important here is that the utilization of ketones significantly limits the amount of muscle wasting that takes place in the body when we don't eat (the body does not utilize "ketosis" during a juice fast). I have personally verified this biochemical process through blood work that I've had done by a lab during my 7 day fasting period.

Day 7 - By day 7 I'm feeling anxious to end my 7 day fast. I probably feel this way because in my mind, I finished what it was that I set out to do. I feel that by day 7, I've given my body the appropriate time to cleanse the entire bloodstream and I am feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Now, I am ready to start eating again.

Please note: If at any time during the fast you experience sudden weakness, a noticeable decrease in blood pressure or persistent vomiting - stop fasting!!! Rarely do I find that people fasting 7 days or less have any difficulties. For your own safety, please consult with a qualified health professional that is knowledgeable and has much experience with fasting before engaging in any type of lengthy fast.

Before I start eating solid food again, I must break the fast ever-so-gently. This is one of the most crucial aspects to fasting for long periods of time...breaking the fast. Next, I will share with you how I break my fast. You will not want to miss this important stage when performing your fast. 

Read the previous articles in the detox series:

Intoduction to Detox

Benefits to Fasting

Preparing to fast