40 Day Fasting Guide
How desperate am I for God? Fasting is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines of all the Christian disciplines. It is a way to align our hearts with the psalmist, “My soul thirsts for God, the living God” (Psalm 42:2). “It’s a means of God’s grace to strengthen and sharpen our Godward affections,” writes David Mathis in his book,. Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life.
According to Scripture, personal experience and observation, fasting and prayer can also effect change on a much grander scale. I am convinced that when God's people fast with a proper biblical motive – seeking God's face not His hand – with a broken, repentant and contrite spirit, God will hear from heaven. He will heal our lives, our churches, our communities, our nation and world. Fasting and prayer can bring about a change in the direction of our nation, the nations of earth and the fulfillment of the Great Commission - this is powerful motivation in today’s unsettled world.
For those who desire both inward and outward impact, humbling yourself before God through fasting is a good place to start. His power can be released in and through you by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Fasting is one of the most neglected spiritual practices. When I first undertook an extended fast, I had a difficult time finding information on the nature of a biblical fast, how to start, what to expect physically and spiritually and how to end a fast. These pages are designed to answer your practical questions about fasting and ease any concerns you might have.
Recently I completed a 40-day pure water fast. It had been one of my goals for many years now, and yet I never seemed to have the time to set aside 40 days.
Like everyone, I am very busy and just could not fathom cutting myself off from the world for so long. In the last few years, I’ve done a 3-day water fast and a 10-day water fast and I had very good results, feeling clearer in the mind and spirit and more balanced and peaceful after each fast.
This year I planned to do another 10-day water fast and possibly 14 days depending on how I felt. When I saw the results on Day 8 which I will explain below, I decided that I had to continue no matter what. And that’s what led me to do 40 days. All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition. Water fasting means to drink only water, in the same way that juice fasting means to drink only fresh juice. Only water is consumed during the fast and no food. Natural Hygienists agree that having small amounts of fresh lemon or lime in the water is ok; however in this water fast, I did not do that. One week after the fast, enjoying fresh, delicious food!
Water fasting is not for the weak-minded. It takes a lot of mental strength, trust and faith to live on only water for an extended period of time.
If one has prepared for the fast well and has a full reserve of minerals and vitamins, this type of detox is totally safe. It is important to prepare the body well in advance, cleaning the colon with some intestinal cleansing and then moving gently into pure water by drinking only juices for a number of days. If someone is extremely toxic from a typical Standard American Diet and they have never done any type of detox before, then they are NOT a safe candidate for water fasting. They would need to do a lot of gentle cleansing first, build up their mineral and vitamin reserve and ensure an alkaline pH at the very least. Water fasting is certainly not a new concept or some type of ‘fad’ diet. Almost all the great spiritual leaders including Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and Gandhi practiced fasting.
This is the only type of cleanse where the body is not getting any food at all. For that reason, it can go deeper and is more powerful for healing. I believe that a water cleanse is the best way to release toxins from the mind, body and spirit. It’s that simple. The body knows how to heal itself, it just needs a chance to do it.
When you fast, you are directing the body to takes it’s energy inward. It can then start cleansing and healing itself. An example of how you don’t want to feel from breaking a fast incorrectly In addition to taking care during the fast, having a plan for breaking the fast is absolutely essential. So many people make the mistake of bingeing on comfort foods after a long fast, and in the case of drinking only water, this can actually be dangerous. It is very important to gently ease back into solids foods and only 100% raw juices and foods to allow the organs to ‘wake up’ gently. In my eBook, I discuss in detail how to break a water fast safely. As the saying goes, ‘Any fool can fast, but only a wise man can break it properly.’ My new book, is a complete guide detailing every aspect of water fasting.
This book is currently for sale in ebook format and is immediately downloadable in either or format. (To view this ebook on your iPhone or iPad, simply choose the.epub version and install the free iBook app on your device before downloading your ebook file.) In my water fasting book, you will learn:. What is Water Fasting.
Benefits of Water Fasting. Water Fasting vs.
Starvation. How Long to Fast. Hunger. Preparation for a Water Fast. Pre-fast Cleansing. Finding the Right Location.
Preparing the Body Nutritionally. Water – What Kind, How Much.
Enemas. Warnings when Water Fasting.
Emotional Cleansing Reactions. Weight Loss – What to Expect. How to Break a Water Fast. Information on Parasites. Follow-Up Cleansing.
Affirmations. Energy Devices to Energize the Water. Water Fasting by Jennifer Thompson In addition to that, I documented my 40-day experience and the entire journal is included in the book. The big surprise for me came on Day 8 of my cleanse.
I saw an ascaris intestinal roundworm (parasite) released in my enema and it was a huge wake-up call that I had a possible worm infestation. Looking back, this actually made sense because I had been experiencing a lot of strange symptoms in the last 4 years, all of which is explained in the book. When I saw this worm on Day 8, I just knew I had to continue. And the amazing thing is, that they just kept on coming! I had worms and worms, all roundworms, released almost daily during the entire fast.
There was no choice but to keep going! I learned many things about the ascaris round worm during my fast, including the symptoms of having intestinal round worms. Do you think you may have intestinal worms? Symptoms of parasites or intestinal worms may include:.
Fever. Nausea. Gas and Bloating. Abdominal Pain.
Digestive Problems. Weakness/Fatigue. Allergic Reactions to Food.
Crawling Sensation Under the Skin. Eczema.
Chronic Cough. Weight Gain. Inability to Gain or Lose Weight. Anemia.
Numbness of the Hands and/or Feet. Fast Heartbeat You can imagine how having so many parasites could affect your overall health and well-being! Even I was surprised and amazed to see the results, something I was never able to achieve with juice fasting, colon cleansing or parasite programs alone. It is likely that countless individuals are suffering from ascaris round worms, other parasites and/or candida in their bodies and that their symptoms are being misdiagnosed as other medical conditions instead. The book also includes a detailed section on follow-up cleansing and nutritional support to keep the body clean and free of parasites after a long fast or detox program. My experience was so powerful that my neighbor became inspired, and she started a water fast too, about 18 days after I started.
Throughout the book, I also detail her experience. In the end, it was great to have someone to share my stories with daily and certainly, we both benefited from the mutual support. Breaking a 40 Day Water Fast – Eating on Day 41 Of course, in only drinking water for 40 days, I lost a lot of weight. In total, my weight loss was about 15 kg or 33 pounds.
During the first 2 weeks, I lost most of the weight; after that, my weight seemed to stabilize and that was quite comforting actually, because my goal was to heal myself, not to waste away! After the fast, I gained 5kg back rather quickly and I was very happy because I had really gotten too thin.
Since then, my weight has remained stable. I crave less food in general and less high-sugar content fruits. For certain, with over 21 feet (6.6 meters) of worms out of my body, my metabolism has changed for the better and I am happy to say that my food is now only feeding me! Yes, 21 feet!!! It is an amazing story of healing. The path to good health is so simple – trust that the body knows.
Feed it well, think positive thoughts, bring love into your heart, and cleanse and detoxify your body and you will begin to feel superior states of consciousness and well-being that you never even knew existed! Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.
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You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician. Read full here. New and improved edition! This eBook is now available with the parasite photos or without parasite photos, with the same text in each version. Jennifer Thompson has been working with raw food, juices, smoothies and detox for over two decades to help people heal. Today, she shares her expertise worldwide, offering lectures, workshops, training and one-on-one consultations at various health and detox retreat centers. She provides Iridology Readings & Health Coaching via Skype and Phone to clients and continues to educate, motivate and inspire others on their journey of healing.
When she’s not working, you’ll find her hiking in the mountains, power-walking along the sea or globe-trotting to a new and exotic health destination. Thanks for putting this information out there. There is very little detailed information and testimonial about 40 day water fasts online, or else I just can’t find them. I am on day 8 of what I believe will be a 40 day water fast, however may switch to juice and broths at day 21. I am fasting to increase my sensitivity to God, and have found every fast I have ever done to do just that.
I have done 15 day pure water, and 21 day with green tea first thing in the morning. I have broken both fasts extremely pourly.
Even did a 5 day fast with the middle three days of absolute fasting (no water) and had some crazy reactions with each of those. Generally I do 7-10 day water fasts. ANYWAYS, my question is. During this fast the last 3-4 days I have experienced numbness and tingling in my arms and legs. I am actually going to my dr tomorrow to get a check up to stay supervised during this fast.
What do you think the numbness and tingling is from? Would electrolyte water such as smart water have any effect? Any information you have would be appreciated. Hi Alex, It’s definitely a good idea to check in with your doctor to see what he or she says. Let us know the result! I can’t say why that may be happening to you.
In my own experience, I’ve felt some numbness and tingling from low blood pressure during fasting. If I take Magnesium Citrate, it lessens considerably. If I still had the issue after taking magnesium, I would probably try having some water with lemon and 1 Tbsp. Of liquid minerals to see if that helped before deciding what to do next. That’s only speaking from personal experience, not to be taken as advice. All the best for you and many blessings in your spiritual journey, My best, Jennifer. I was praying through whether or not I should even go to the dr, and interestingly enough my dr got diagnosed with the flu the night before and had to cancel our appointment last minute when I had driven 8 hours back home for it lol.
But I got my blood pressure, pulse, body fat, weight all taken by someone else and they seemed pretty good for day 10 of a fast. I’m relatively thin to begin with 6’1” 170 lbs to start the fast, so weight has always been a concern (not as visually anymore but just concern of if I have enough fat to withstand 40 days).
Was only down to about 159 and somehow still had 15% bf but I think something was off with that cuz I’m normally 10-12 pre fast. Do you have any guidelines on how low someone’s weight can get without it being extremely dangerous?
I may look into a magnesium supplement around day 21 if symptoms persist! So nice to have someone to talk to that has experienced this.
Thanks Jennifer! God bless you! Dear Amy, It’s really important to go into a water fast with all the nutrients your body needs. If you are already deficient in a particular mineral, it’s going to be much harder on the body (and can cause more side effects). Think of it as trying to do a repair job with only half the tools you need. In particular, not having enough magnesium in the body can disrupt the blood brain barrier and cause all kinds of imbalance.
I recommend taking a liquid mineral supplement before your cleanse. Eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits in the weeks before starting a cleanse helps greatly as well. If I was feeling excessive dry throat during fasting, I would probably try #1) taking a magnesium supplement #2) taking some liquid minerals or #3) having an Epsom salt bath or foot soak. Then, I would re-asses my symptoms and go from there. If it was still bad, I would likely take things up a notch and drink warm water with a good quality honey for a day or 2 and see if things improve. 14 days is amazing and definitely no small feat!
My best, Jennifer. Dear Agustin, An anti-candida diet should help you pre-cleanse for a water fast so that’s great. In my experience, one of the best ways to combat candida quickly is with large amounts of organic raw apple cider vinegar (acv). Drink 1/4 cup at a time 3x daily and you can really nip in the bud. In terms of what is outlined in my book: you will find info on how I prepared for my water fast, a day-by-day journal of what I did and how I broke the fast. If you go into the fast nutrient-sufficient (in other words NOT deficient) and also be in a peaceful environment with no stress, then you should not lose a lot of muscle mass. I have a good friend who is only 45kg with almost no fat and she hardly loses any weight on her annual 21-day water fast.
That said, she eats extraordinarily well outside of fasting times (100% organic raw food grown on her farm). People who lose a lot of muscle tend to jump into fasting from S.A.D. Diet to fasting, which as you can imagine does not prepare the body well at all! Good luck and all the very best in health, Jennifer. Dear MG, If it were me, I would stay with pure water enemas to help flush out the worms.
Mainly because I can get more volume of water with using only water and flush out immediately. With coffee enemas, there is less volume of water, the water is retained for 12-15 minutes so not flushed immediately and a coffee enema can actually pull toxins from the colon (and parasites) back into the liver. No matter what, after either type of enema, it’s a good idea to take a probiotic to help restore a good microbiome in the gut.
To your good health, Jennifer. Hi Jennifer, I am on day 8 of a water fast and will see how long I will continue.
I am much overweight but only on my stomach but weighs 25-30 kg to much. I only felt some irritation on day 6 but the rest of the days have been fine.
I dont know much about enemas but its interesting, dont know what kind and how etc. I am living in a city apartment and guess I would perform an enema in my bathtub? Is it very easy to do an enema? I really want to get rid of my parasites. Probably a great idea to buy your book. Worst problem at the moment is that I am totally bored so will have to find something to do. Hi, thank you a lot for an informative website and a very interesting ebook about your 40-day water fast.
I completed a 27-day water fast around December-2016 and January-2017. I had colonics and I think I released a worm at day 21. Then, after less than 3 months “break”, I started a new water fast – this time it lasted 36 days, from end of March 2017 to the very last day of April 2017. This time I did not have colonics, but I did an enema at home every day. On day 29 I released worms – and this happened every day for the rest of the fast. On day 30 I released a worm that was 32 cm long (ascaris, I think). And on day 31 one that was 15cm long and 1cm (!) in diameter.
Thereafter the worms got smaller. After spending a few days breaking the fast with juice, I started on an anti-parasite program – self-designed. A few weeks later I am on to a 1-year professional program, same as you mention in the ebook. However, you write that you released worms throughtout the fast. Afterwards, when on the antiparasite program, no more worms were released, and you take that as an indication that there are no more worms. However – would that not rather be an indication that the antiparasite program does not work? I just find it probable that there is a connection between the worms stopping and the breaking of the fast.
For my part, I have experienced the same thing – worms when fasting, then no worms when going on the antiparasite program afterwards. I think the antiparasite program is not working. And that it needs a revision.
Maybe I will double the dosages. Or add something.
And I will definitely do another long water fast – in a year. Dear Peder, Thanks for sharing your story, and well done on doing 2 long water fasts. No small feat there! That’s amazing.
Now we have a community of people talking about worms being released during water fasts (ok just you and me so far, but sure to grow!). You’ve raised some good questions about worms and what happens during an anti-parasite program. It’s my understand that the digestive enzymes will normally break down intestinal worms during a parasite program, and therefore you won’t see them coming out unless in unique cases as when a piece of mucoid plaque comes out and a worm is wrapped around it. Also remember that the parasite program will also destroy eggs, which are microscopic. During a water fast, the digestive enzymes are pretty much dormant and also the cleansing is so much more accelerated that there is no time to gently break anything down, rather is just comes out! If you were not doing the enemas, I don’t think any worms would come out and over time they would be broken down by enzymes.
The way I finally determined that I was free of worms was when I did another long water fast 2 years after the 40-day water fast. In that fast, I did 25 days on only water and during that time I did not see even one worm released. I did one enema every day. After that, I was able to conclude that the worms were gone.
Mind you, in the 2 years in between I did a 30-day herbal parasite program every 90 days without fail. I don’t think you need to double the dosage of the parasitic herbs.
You may want to just try a few more parasite cleanses in the next year before your next water fast. Definitely let me know what happens!
All the best in health, Jennifer. Hi Jennifer Thank you for sharing your story.
I am currently on day 8 of a water fast, I have fasted before but stopped at day 8. I have not put a timescale on this and agree you shouldn’t I feel I will know when to stop. I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis so was wondering what supplements you would recommend after I stop the fast? I will be going on juices and then reintroducing fruits and raw veggies after that. I am going to do a parasite cleanse also, how long would you recommend doing this for? Many thanks in advance. Hi, I found your homepage today, and read about your 40 day water fast.
I have myself just completed a 27-day water fast. It has been quit a journey, and a mostly good one. Today it is one week since I broke the fast.
Before the fast I had digestive issues – and that seems to have changed now. I guess I need a little bit more time to see how things develop. I did 1 enema every day – except for one or two days a week, when I had a colonics session at a clinic. The enemas and colonics are good to do, I think.
During one of the colonics, that was day 21 of the fast, a big worm came out. It was coiled into a 270-degree circle with a circumference a little bigger than a quarter. After that colonics I went back to work, and felt really bad. Went home, got some sleep, and after a few days I was back feeling better. But something definitely came out at that point.
After the fast my stool is way better than before. I do suspect that I had, and maybe still have, parasites. You mention that you went on several parasite programs after your fast. What type of parasite program?
Could you point me towards information about good and working parasite programs? Kind regards, Peder from Norway. Dear Peggy, I also had extreme hair loss after a long water fast once, and then when I started to have numbness and tingling in my toes and feet a few weeks later, I realized it was very low B12. I triple dosed the B12 dosage for 1 week and then went to a normal dose after that. When I started taking B12, in 1 day, the numbness and tingling stopped and after 3 days, the hair loss stopped. Now I recommend to start taking B12 immediately after a long fast (14 days or more).
Thanks for your good fasting vibes! To your health, Jennifer. Dear Sue, What type of pre-cleansing did you do? Not to be too critical on you at all, but it probably is not a good idea to drink coffee with GERD even when you are eating, yet alone while fasting. I’m only making this observation since you are asking me for an opinion. Coffee is extremely acid-forming and also kills good bacteria in your stomach.
Essentially a disaster for anyone with acid reflux of any kind. Cashews, while not unhealthy on their own, are also acid-forming and would require a lot of acid for the stomach to digest. Having only been off those things for 2 days doesn’t really tell us too much at this point. All of that said, if someone is burping a lot during a cleanse, I would normally suggest to stop the detox immediately, do a parasite program for 30 days and then try again. If you have any serious medical concerns, it’s always best to ask you medical doctor. (Of course that always needs to be said as a disclaimer and also to note that I am not a medical doctor.
This information is only for informational purposes and is not to replace any medical advice.) Thank you and healthy blessings! My best, To your health, Jennifer. Dear Sue, Yes, you should be ok to start your parasite cleanse while transitioning into a veggie juice fast. As far as which detox is best for you – colon, heavy metal, parasite or others like kidney, liver, lymphatic, candida etc – there is no way for me to know what’s best for you without knowing anything about your case, but the order in which you cleanse is very important depending on what is in most need of rebalancing first. Every person is different since every person has different inherent weakness plus diet and lifestyle accumulation. The order and what cleanses I may recommend for you is most likely entirely different from the person reading this right now! I can most definitely answer this question in a consultation, in fact that is exactly how I work with clients.
In your session, we also go over all your supplements and hone them down to the ones that you really need at this time, if any. This alone can save you so much money and not only that, but you get a clear action plan of what to do for detoxing instead of taking shots in the dark. Faster results, less time in detox mode and feeling better, more healthy and energized – truly an optimized approach in every sense! Take some time to “digest” this info, literally and figuratively that is! I’ve got plenty of good info around my site too if you just want to read more about cleansing. My best, To your health, Jennifer.
Hello Jennifer, I have drastically cut calories in the past (about 1000 a day for months), but I have never gone all the way and done a fast because I’m concerned about lacking energy, which I need to get through ballet class/pointe. I was wondering what I could do to get more energy during the fast? Should I take stimulants and drink a little juice each day? It will be hard to do this if I don’t know how to deal with the lack of energy. I’d greatly appreciate your advice so I may move forward with the cleanse. Dear Samantha, No one should be taking exercise classes while doing a water fast.
The whole point of doing a water fast is to slow down, and allow your body to go within. Any energy you have should be internalized for cleansing and detoxing. It sounds like perhaps now is not the right time in your life to do a water fast, and that’s ok!
You will know and feel when you have the time and are ready to go into this type of deep and powerful cleansing. Meanwhile, you can do many other types of cleanses which involve eating, juices, blended soups, or smoothies and still be able to have the energy you need to go through your ballet class. To your health, Jennifer. Many aspects of your life need to be considered. First adding stimulants is a bad idea for many reasons but primarily because you are working toward the disposition of body that does not require drugs for optimal performance. Consider that if your diet includes stimulants, even coffee that you should gain a foundation without it before fasting or at least consider a plan of action for your return diet, that you will not be using caffeine or any stimulants in your diet.
Having removed 1000 calories from your diet. If this means that you are consuming only 1000 calories a day. You are currently operating in a calorie restricted mode. The question is then are the foods you are consuming OPTIMAL for Peak performance? Being an athlete you know you body better than anyone. A few questions you may consider is, do you need to fast? How does fasting fit into your lifestyle?
How does your current diet play into your life and is it up to par for your expectations? If you are considering how to fit fasting into your life, I am assuming the your current diet is not exactly a firm foundation for you. It may be comfortable and sustaining but you are looking for improvement if possible. Fasting from this perspective and the way you are going to need to approach it is as an art. Because you are already operating at an optimal above average level of competition in physical activity and appreciate the ascetic of your ability to perform with your body. For this reason I imagine that fasting on a day of rest would be the best time to become antiquated with fasting. With good planning for the approach into the fast and great attention to the re-feeding and return into your dietary routine.
Then with one day of experience you can determine the effectiveness of fasting on your life without causing to much recoil. You are already in an optimized state. With a good approach into a fast, lack of energy is not really an issue, so long as you are getting the rest you need, the energy is abundant. Fear and restlessness, emotional and mental crisis can become active in a fasting state.
Knowing yourself, having a clear sense of purpose in your fast, keeping firm rules for when to break your fast and maintaining your re-feeding schedule for optimal return to your ordinary or quality compensation in dietary plan is very important. This is all about learning how to feed yourself optimally, to find that balance between the pleasure of eating and taking in required nutrients for optimal survival. You are the only one who can negotiate this agreement. We do not know what is the perfect diet for any individual, we only have general rules and you are already operationally transcending those rules. Getting good rest, you do not always need as much at usual during a fast, but getting good rest. If you have an active lifestyle, with work and obligations.
When you are not serving those obligations sleep and rest. I have worked a 40 hour a week job with an hour drive to get to work while on a prolonged fast. To do this you have to rest in all your free time, even when it feels like you do not need it. Then when you are active, be gentle and forgive yourself, don’t push to hard let only the natural movement occur without effort. Know when to break the fast and do break it early with a sound plan for entry back into your diet. Imagine that 2 weeks after your fast that you are still fasting as your body rekindles its digestive fire.
Keep an eye on all benefits and changes, maybe keep a journal to capture the subtle differences and the magic if anything strikes you as such. Jennifer please correct me on anything that I have said that is poor advise and does not agree with your experience. Dear John, Thank you for sharing your opinion on the matter. Certainly there are different ways to offer advice for fasting and different points of view on the subject. I believe in taking a human approach.
40 Days Fasting And Prayer Guide Singapore
Sometimes I have to read in between the lines of what someone is telling me, or asking. In many cases, people are drawn to water fasting for the wrong reasons. There are often times eating disorders present. It’s so important to be responsible and professional in how these cases are handled, and not to push someone into the idea that water fasting is OK for them just because it was OK for you. I would never advise someone to work or to exercise during their water fast, and most especially on their first water fast, as I simply do not know their physical health or their emotional state of mind. Giving the body a real opportunity to rest and go within maximizes the benefits of any fast. Sadly, there are many professions out there (such as modeling or professional ballet) where there competition is so fierce that people are literally starving themselves to get ahead.
To be very clear, water fasting, when done correctly and for the goal of attaining an optimal state of health, is not starvation. If I sense that someone is looking to starve themselves by water fasting, I will never advise them to move forward.
Bernard Jensen says, “If you can’t help a person, never harm them.” To your health, Jennifer. These are the longest known without food. Why you not on list? You would be the longest lasting Western woman. Unless of course you were sneaking the food! 😉 Ralph Flores & Helen Klaben (1963): 29 Days: survival situation Prahlad Jani (2003): 30 Days (Confirmed) 70 Years (Claimed) Hindu meditator James G. Scott (1991): 43 Days survival situation David Blaine (2003): 44 Days magician/showmanship Oglach Brendan Hughes: 29 Days political hunger strike Anastasia of Sirmium (304):60 Days imprisoned in ancient Rome Barry Horne (1998)68 Days political hunger striker: died of liver failure from hunger strikes Brother Yun (1995) 75 Days Chinese preacher Ram Bahadur Bomjon (Buddha Boy)11 Months anomaly in Nepal.
Dear “Poster Child,” You’ve got quite a strange list of exhibitionists in your “longest without food.” None of the famous natural hygienists are even on your list! By the way, people who are in survival situations or prisoners are in a state of fear, not in a place of peaceful meditationand should never be included in a true water fasting list. Water fasting in the spiritual and health sense is done for cleansing (and for some people for connecting to the divine).
There should be NO ego involved. Perhaps the reason why I did not make the “list” is because I was not looking to compete with others. I was guided through my fasting journey for my own healing. Even to share my story, I was reluctant to put out the info in my book because it is such a personal and emotional thing. I didn’t want people to judge me or tell me I was crazy (or in your case accuse me of “sneaking the food”). Just look at my youtube video or my before and after pics, and you will see there was no possible way I cheated or was sneaking food.
You are better than these nasty comments. Be accountable for your words and your intentions in what you are saying. Pull yourself and your spirit up to a better place. If you can’t help a person, never harm them. Learn how to lift people up, not knock them down.
If your list is the tell-all list, then by all meansfeel free to add me as the “western woman”! To your health, Jennifer. Hello, I agree Jennifer.
I would also add that there really should not nor can there be a set plan for the duration of a fast. One should not look at or plan a fast with a set number of days in mind. Something in your experience may signal the end to a fast at any time from the first day onward. It is very important to pay attention and gain insight into what the more subtle cues may be for when to end a fast. Not that a final number is not useful as some suggestive guide and a marker for inquiry of experiential accounting.
Still, the interior value of a fast is revealed of its own and as you said, it can be deeply personal. Mostly we only talk about the exterior aspects of a fast, this tendency leads to numbers and physical benefits. It is really hard to convey interior experience but with very vague generalized terminology that is palatable to anyone. In the end we blend into our environmental cultural groove and the emphasis on our lifestyle hopefully drops completely as the actuality of our true capacity to engage and share in our uniqueness with others becomes applicable in focus and appreciated.
Dear John, Indeed what you are saying is true. It’s very important not to attach yourself to a number of days, especially with water fasting. In my eBook, I advise against forcing yourself into a number. I’m also against announcing your water fast in social media, for one because it can open you up to negativity that you don’t need to deal with while fasting and second, because it can make the experience turn into an ego-driven experience where you feel that you have to continue simply because you told people you would. I explain the importance of listening to your body and staying in tune with the gentle (important) message from your spirit.
Any number of days is ok! You’ve gotta hike your own hike, with fasting and in life too! To your health, Jennifer. Dear Emily, There was really no way to be sure at that point, so I embarked on a parasite cleansing protocol for 30 days immediately after the 40-day fast which I repeated every 3 months for 2 years. In total, that comes to 8 parasite cleanses that I did in a 24-month time span. After that, I did a 25-day water fast and was very happy to NOT see any worms expelled during that fast. It was only then that I could reasonably conclude that all of the worms were eliminated.
My best, To your health, Jennifer. Hi, Congratulations, I also have done a 40 day water fast. I found it fairly easy with the exception of the last week. I have never really been a foodie so abstinence wasn’t an issue for me. Went from 95kg my winter weight:P to 74kg. I’m a tall lean guy mostly and lost most of my belly fat, top of shoulders thinned out, top back of legs and my butt!
Broke with tomato and celery juice broth day one, orange juice day 2 and sweet fruits onward. I don’t fall for the fruit is bad sugar sugar story. Fruit sugars are our natural fuel. We are designed to see and smell it, can acquire it easily and it is quickly digested.
Leaves are unappealing to me, I eat some tender ones and sprouts, but fruit and nuts are my food. Skip breakfast, that’s a new addition to the humans. Twice a day if you must, once being optimal. Digestion is key. Herbert Shelton, a natural hygienist who supervised over 50,000 water fasts. This is where real knowledge is gleaned from.
Long standing personal experience. Good luck with your fasts and juice feasting! Dear Mike, It’s truly a shame that you are unable to read or comprehend the context of an entire sentenceand in doing so you missed the most important piece of advice in the sentence which is, “Only a wise man can break it properly.” The whole point of this saying is to remind people that the hardest part of fasting starts when the fast is over. Breaking a fast is never to be underestimated in its importance. Anyone can cut out the words from a sentence and make incorrect assumptionsbut to what benefit? How does your comment to me benefit YOU? You have a lot of anger just waiting to explode if this sentence sparked you to tap away and direct such a harsh negative emotion.
I realize that your anger actually has nothing to do with me, and perhaps the word “fool” or stupid” has some emotional trauma attached to it for you. This is actually an opportunity to release yourself from the prison of anger and pain you have created for yourself, if you are ready that is. Staying angry does not help you on your healing journey in any way.
LET GO of this and stop fighting. See that people are here to help and support you on your journey, and if you open your eyes to the love, you will immediately feel respected and valued. If you think that I don’t know, appreciate or understand the discipline required for water fasting after having done a 40-day water fast, a 25-day water fast in addition to several 7 and 10-day water fasts, then I really cannot help you. I wish you all the best in your journey and thank you for stopping! In health, Jennifer. Kali, I think you meant to respond to Mike above. I actually agree with the quote.
Having had a good amount of fasting experience, eventually fasting became pretty natural and easy. However, I personally never put enough effort in my regular diet. I always would think that I could cold stop my core trends and transition strait to a healthy diet. That did not work for me. I found that, well either I after achieving the ability to fast more than 90 days with nonconsecutive breaks over a 120 day period did not have the will power to maintain this Healthy ideal of a diet in a snap. I just was not prepared for it.
Or one actually needs to lay a trend down first because the bodies tendency is subliminally to return to the last behavior known rut of behavior. For me, the hardest part has been moving toward a healthier dietary trend that agreed with me.
It seems that every point one might make about their own dietary experience can be contested by the experience of another. If I say that I feel that my target diet is a low calorie mostly raw vegan approach, another might point out that it is perfectly healthy and necessary to include some cooked Meat. All I am interested in really, is feeling my best and if possible attaining a relatively tangible enlightenment that matches my own sense of expectation for what that state might be. What I hope for others is that they also will feel their best and aspire to reach their furthest potential.
The trouble that I find, is the anger that this brings up in others when seeking to reach out for support and a sense of common ground with others. It is clear we are all different, that we come from different backgrounds and perhaps alternative stages of perception or even levels of clarity.
Many go the route it seems of minimal communication on these subjects and really that makes sense, when we factor in the chances for misunderstanding that can overturn our intention to get support. Still, I personally do not think that this should or can actually inhibit the conversation. So, we all have different tapestries of experience and seek differently that arbitrary prize that is very unique and specifically individual for each of us to explore and define to others through our lives works. But, I think that may be the point. For me, even coming on this forum, just felt offset by the angry comment left by Mike and felt obligated in some way to share my experience, and honestly, likely only for own chance to be appreciated and understood, though that is selfish in the end, and anyone with any mind to counter indicate my intentions to share can totally obliterate my line of reason, should I stay quiet and say nothing. Shouldn’t we be encouraging each other to actualize our authentic selves? It really gets to me, because here there is an individual who has set up a site, shared a personal experience that steps out of the ordinary and is willing to give some advise, encouragement and instruction on a very narrowly accepted topic.
Then you have a comment like Mike’s. Mike who mentioned the difficulty that he recognizes when first learning to fast. The pain perhaps of learning to manage the intense drop you to the floor in tear migraines or the gradual exhaustion as behavior addictive routines are crushed by the bodies innate wisdom for energy conservation (like hanging out online looking for more information or anything you might have missed that could support you in and through your endeavor). Like coming to accept that natural effortless activity that begins to override our ordinary tendency for action, (like not being able to sleep, and so getting up and cleaning the entire house in less time and with more precision than ever), suffering through the moments when the mind just will not stop repeating the same meaningless thought over and over again for hours all night long. I mean the list of strange and difficult is amazing, terrible and long, from breaking a fast early and binge purging to waking up with a vibration in your body so totally all consuming that, well who is even going to understand.
Still, however difficult and important the techniques and the art of fasting are. Due to my own struggle to maintain a buoyantly enlightened pattern of consumption and though this may be my own fault and no one else. That after I found the ability and worked out the synergy in my method to fast long periods of time, and though I was only rarely competent on that, the base reason of my failure was due to the congruity of addiction to my developmental mode of nutritional competence.
I like to assume that everyone is working with the same set of complexity and having the same difficulty as I am. If I did have a chip on my shoulder and believe me I do. It is because whenever I try to reach out and interact with a fasting base group, i am immediately told to get a-life. That fasting could cure the flaws in my mentality.
I sincerely hope so, because even though you do not know me, I do. Even if you were not intending to target me, you are right. I connect my own sense of wellness directly with my diet and find that fasting is a powerful way to correct the course of many things.
I do not think an individual can fast without becoming a very humble and compassionate person. That anyone who is interested in exploring fasting is a courageous person who deserves respect and some appreciation. Yet I still do not know what it takes to sustain a healthy diet in the aftermath of a fast other than support and a great deal of conscious planning and follow through. As for the shock wave of the Universal reverberation caused by a sincere fast in the disentanglement of the collective dream, that is your singularity of global impact as an individual and I can’t wait to hear about it. Hi Amy, Once you complete a 40-day water fast, you will see that it would be impossible to do several times a year!
Think of a 40-day water fast like climbing Mt. It’s a life-changing experience and a HUGE physical and spiritual challenge.
How many long and how often really depends on the individual – what are you goals and what is your current state of health? There are many types of detoxes which do not require total water fasting that are also very effective for healing. To your health, Jennifer.
I am 61 years old this month and am doing my first real water fast in my life. I have been healthy eater for about 3 years in that I have done 2 week grape fasts when the delicious grape season comes around.
I have also done a 40 day juice fast which went very well. My eating for about 32 years has been fruit smoothies or quinoa porridge and fruit in winter for breakfast.Normally salad with salmon or beans and organic basmati rice with avocado and tomatoes. I don’t want to go on and on but I wanted to give you some idea about me before I ask you this question. I was initially only going to do this water fast for 7 days, but I am quite motivated to extend it as I go. I have had some close ones say to me ” not are your age” I do pilates as a way of life. I weigh and have done 60 kilograms. Could you advise me?
I have searched on google extensively and many young women have done even 40 day fasts successfully. What is this ‘ At your age you should not be doing something like this’ I have fared rather well so far on day 6 of my water fasts and not even had some of the severe symptoms yet of nausea etc.
I am just weakened at times but then also experience energy at time. I am drinking water actually sipping water throughout my day. Thank you for your consideration Sharon. I just read a little bit of your story on your water fast. I’ll be doing the same thing, only I’ll be doing a juice fast with raw foods.
I’m embarrassed to say that I acquired hsv2 and I do believe that the body can heal from this horrible disease. As for my juice fast, will this be just as effective as a water fast? After all, I’ll be blending the veggies with clean water. There are also certain things I’ll be taking for the disease such as oregano oil and bentonite clay. What are your thoughts about fasting with blended raw foods (juicing) and taking natural supplements like the oil and clay?
Your opinion would be very much appreciated. Hi Mike, Great news that you will be starting a juice and raw food cleanse – that’s awesome!
I think the juice and/or smoothie fast is a great place to start. After all, you have to learn how to walk before you can run. See how you feel and how your body responds. You have plenty of time to try other types of detox later. For the oregano oil, in my experience it is not the most effective choice for hsv2. I usually recommend something like Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) with a combination of other herbs. The bentonite clay is not normally needed for a basic raw food cleanse.
You only need that if you start taking more rigorous colon cleansing herbs and should never take bentonite with other supplements or herbs because the clay will absorb them. In short, ditch the bentonite and oregano oil and focus on the cleanse for now. Getting alkaline is a very important step for you. (As a side note, the bentonite clay makes for a great face mask so you can always use it for that!) Blessings and good luck! To your health, Jennifer. Hi RSam, Organic herbals teas and either lemon in water or raw apple cider vinegar in water would potentially be a good idea to help get through any hunger pains. Make sure the teas do not contain any artificial flavorings.
Green tea is not necessarily recommended in large quantities because of the caffeine. One or two cups per day would probably be ok. Of course, you should always consult with a medical doctor and ask their professional opinion before making any changes to your diet. To your health, Jennifer. Hi Jennifer, I agree with your recommendations on periodic fasting and eating as much raw, preferably organic, foods in the diet as possible. The longest I’ve fasted on pure water is 7 days and the hardest part is dealing with weakness and the mind craving for food like it’s a drug. Fasting is like weight lifting for our will power.
Also, the force of gravity makes me want to constantly lay down. The last time I water fasted I only made it 4 days and I sneezed while turning my head and covering my mouth and I threw my back out, so I broke the fast to add support to my core again. Next time I’ll pinch my nose to prevent sneezing if I’m fasting! I want to mention something I discovered recently and have been taking about 2 Tblsp a day now for about 10 days. Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth may just be the most amazing thing I’ve ever discovered and I can’t believe I never read about it in all my decades of learning about health and nutrition.
40 Day Prayer And Fasting Guide For Women
I really like what I’m feeling since taking it and I highly recommend it to everyone who can eat solid foods. It’s probably the number one best thing for getting rid of parasites in the body and that’s why I mentioned it here.
I’m looking forward to doing another 7 day water fast soon.