Balanced Approach to Fasting

Jan 6th, 2008 • 3 Comments by Tom Coghill

Balanced Approach

After my first 30-day juice fast, I was hooked and did two more 30-day fasts consecutively, eating for 10 days in between. From drug addiction to being a health zealot was a definite improvement, but my approach remained the same. Fasting and eating healthy became my new obsession. Eating a cookie brought days of guilt and shame. My thoughts dwelled on the horror of all the deadly toxins I had just injected into my bloodstream. I had to be in the gym 5 days a week. I was totally focused on my body and food. It was all I talked about and it irritated people. Now, fasting is just part of my life and eating healthy is normal. I don’t talk about the subject unless I have to. When I came to be at peace, I became balanced.

Obsession or being fanatical comes from fear of being out of control. It is a security blanket that we hang onto; something that we can control, but obsession stops us from enjoying life. Obsession with health takes all the fun out of it. It is like going on a vacation and worrying about every detail. The trip becomes a nightmare. It is all the little worries and fear that take the joy out of the fasting journey. Am I drinking too much juice? Will adding mashed banana slow detoxification? How quickly will I lose weight? Can I exercise while fasting? Will loss of weight cause flabby skin? Does fasting hurt the liver? Why do I feel dizzy?

Many questions are answered in the Commonly Asked Questions chapter. Questions are important and understanding brings comfort, but fasting is a personal journey and each fast is a different journey. There will always be the unexpected, for fasting is as mysterious as the human soul. It may be hard to let go and just enjoy the journey but that is the best way to fast.

By Tom Coghill of Fasting.ws Articles may be copied or reproduced as long as the back links to fasting.ws are intact and the author’s name is included.

3 Responses to Balanced Approach to Fasting

xpclfx says:

February 14, 2010 at 10:42 AM

Hi Tom. I just finished a 40 day fast, (just water), when I came off I had potato soup, home made wheat flat bread drenched in honey. Don’t forget the soy milk!. In the morning I had some oatmeal, and a hard boiled egg! Then I had an urge to use the restroom- what happen next, was the most unbearable PAIN I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! IT ALMOST BROUGHT THIS 46 YR. OLD MAN TO TEARS! So I thought, well, guts must be awake now, no more pain! That day I stuck to chicken noodle soup, 2 cans, until the evening when I had just a little more potato soup right before a tasty salmon steak on top of spinach lettuce and a side of Spanish rice! The next day, oatmeal and two hard-boiled eggs in the morning, then cottage cheese ’bout 1030, then at 1230, big sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard sandwich. At 330, protein shake. Oh by the way, something different today- no bowel movement!, its gets better! I know, I’ll push it out! I went to a buffet! PAIN, PRESSURE! Finally I got a double shot espresso latte, caffeine caused some flow, a breakthrough, diarrhea of course. Thought it was over. Continued to eat as day before, and you guessed it, another buffet, oh but this time, w/a huge piece of German chocolate cake, cherries jubilee, chocolate cheese cake, reeses peanut butter cup. Both buffets were Chinese, have to get my MSG’s ya know. Both buffets were not in the plan. One was a birthday, the other was a Valentines dinner. that all started Tues. night at 2pm. Now its Saturday, and me and my wife are celebrating our 14th anniversary. Oatmeal in the morning, two hard-boiled eggs. Got the worst Heartburn I ever had! Took two tablets of Pepcid AD, wasn’t sufficient, so I took some Pepto Bismol. Then to a Chinese restaurant for dim sum. After that, a trip to the herb store,where I purchased some Pshylimn husks to make a tea to hopefully get my bowels moving. But it was to no avail. Still I have yet to see any input of food I’ve eaten become output! My wife surfed and found your site. I’m now going to start doing what you prescribed in your column. Is this enough to rectify my problem of constipation, ( no pun intended ). I thought about getting that salt solution from my doctor to cleanse my colon, or will doing your 10 day fast breaking process be enough for the 40 day fast I did ? Signed Scared and feeling stupid . P.S. I wish I would have seen your article before I broke the fast. I feel stupid, cause I ignored what I now know was God telling me to research breaking a fast of such a length. Am I in serious danger?

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bkcarlton says:

April 13, 2010 at 7:53 PM

Hi,

I fasted 21 days with broth and water starting mid-January. Since then I have been fasting one day a week (sometimes I have coconut oil those days) and also 3 days April 4/5/6. I am supposed to get a medical test for which I need to fast (just clear liquids) another 3 to 4 days. Is it too soon to do this already? I am concerned that I am messing up my metabolism with all the frequent fasting.

Thanks,

Kristina

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- Tom Coghill says:
  
  April 14, 2010 at 1:35 AM
  
  Hi Kristina
  Periodic fasting will help you live a long and heathy life. That is like saying that cleaning your house once a week will destroy it. If start to feel bad if I do not fast occasionally just to clean out any crappy living.
  
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littleharoldeh

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Tom Coghill

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said:Hi Christin, You can drink almost any juice mixture. It is hard to go wrong. Find you mix and the body does the work. The less you drink the more you detox but feel weaker. Glad to be of support and

ineedamiracle

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said:Hi Erin, Get excited, because juice fasting is truly an amazing and freeing experience. The gains in health will be tremedous. The battle of toxic thinking is a much longer process and can take years

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said:hey there, Thank-you for the support ineedamiricle. I don't seem to be getting positive responses at home. My mother is horrified and my room-mate looked at me like I suddenly grew an extra hea

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