Preparing to Fast

 I've shared with you the idea of fasting to help cleanse and purge the body of harmful toxins and pollutants that quite often reside within us. Personally, I try to commit myself to a 7-day fast at least one time each year.  Yes, I do find a 7 day fast to be incredibly challenging. Although, I find fasting to be much less challenging when prepared for it ahead of time.

I will be the first to admit, fasting is no easy walk in the park, especially when committing to a fast for 7 days or more. It takes a strong willingness and much determination along with careful planning to make each fast successful. I can remember my first fast many years ago. It was more or less started on a dare. Almost no preparation went into this fast. In fact, to start my fast, I just decided to stop eating one day…bad idea! Let's just say, I've come a long ways since then. I now eagerly approach each fast with greater skill, confidence, and comfort. I now recognize fasting for the art that it truly is. Also, I have made a commitment to making my fast an essential part of my routine health program.

Whether you choose to do a 1, 3 or 7 day fast, it requires some preparation. Obviously, the longer you wish to fast, the more preparation time that is needed. So, before you get started with a fast of your own, you may want to first consider the length of time you are planning to fast (if you plan to fast more than 7 days, I would suggest that you consult with a health professional that is properly trained in the field of fasting).  This will ensure that you have the best possible experience while fasting.

Here is a list of some of the things that I do to prepare myself for a successful fasting experience (please keep in mind that I prepare myself for 7 days of fasting).

• Pencil it in on the calendar - when I pencil in the period in which I wish to fast, I am more likely to stick with it and plan accordingly.
• Mini-fast (1-day fasts) - I may do a couple of mini-fast a few months out to get me in the right frame of mind. Simply, if I can't make it through 1 day of fasting, I certainly won't make it through 7 days.
• Form a support group - I will try to coordinate with friends of mine who routinely do the same 7 day fast. This way we can support and encourage each other during the fasting period.
• Create a schedule - I create a schedule ahead of time before the week of the fast and fill it with things to preoccupy me with while fasting (reading a new book, journaling, taking a walk in a park, visit a museum, see a movie, a periodic nap, a colonic…). Don't schedule to meet your friends at a restaurant...bad idea!
•  7 Day Fasting Kit  - I make sure to order my kit ahead of time and review any instructions that come with it. This will go along with the schedule that I created.
• Get rid of unwanted foods that may tempt you - days leading up to the fast, I will start to clean out the fridge and cabinets from foods that may cause me to cheat. This one may be difficult to do if you have a family.
• Schedule a massage - I schedule 3-4 1hr. massages ahead of time for the week of my fast. This is a very relaxing treat. I try to schedule my massages in the evening at my home so that I can go right to sleep after the therapist is done.
• Colonic - I have my own colema board at home that I sometimes use when fasting. The advantage to this is privacy. There are mixed reviews when it comes to performing colonics. I will need more time to cover this later. In the mean time use your own discretion.
• Have plenty of steam distilled water - I have my own steam distiller. So, I make enough water ahead of time to drink and to use for a colonic if necessary.

Hopefully, this should help get you started on a path towards a healthier and cleaner body. Again, if I am prepared ahead of time, I know that my fasting experience will be much easier. So, if you are thinking about taking on a 3 or 7 day fast, take the necessary time to fully prepare yourself. You will be happy that you did. I know I was!

Next, I will share with you my 7 day fasting program. I will cover the 3 days prior to the fast all the way through the 7 days of fasting. 

Previous articles in the detox series:

Introduction to Detox

Benefits of Fasting