Some important tips on fasting

1. Enema: During fasting, a huge amount of morbid matter, dead cells and diseased tissues are burned, and the toxic wasters which have been accumulated in the tissues for years, causing disease and premature aging, are loosed and expelled from the system. These wastes are eliminated from the system by way of kidneys, bowels, skin and lungs. But the alimentary canal, the bowels, is the main road by which these toxins are thrown out of the body. Since, during fasting, the natural bowel movements cease to take place, the toxic wastes would have no way of leaving the system, except with the help of enemas. If you fast without enemas, those toxins remain in your colon and are re-absorbed into the system, poisoning our whole body. Your body will try to get them out through other eliminative organs, particularly through the kidneys, which, ass a result, will often be overloaded and even damaged. 

This is why enemas during fasting are an absolute must. Enemas during fasting will assist the body in its cleansing and detoxifying effort by washing out all the toxic wasters from the alimentary canal. 

Enemas should be taken at least once, but preferably twice a day; the first thing in the morning and the last thing before going to bed. One pint to one quart of lukewarm water is sufficient. Enema bags are available in any drugstore.

2. Drugs: As a rule a complete withdrawal of drugs is advised during fasting. Exceptions are digitalis in heart disease, insulin in diabetes, and cortisone in arthritis - if these drugs have been taken previously for prolonged periods of time. Those who are on any kind of drugs would be wise to have their fast supervised by an experienced practitioner.

3. Vitamins: During fasting, the intake of vitamins and food supplements should be discontinued completely. Three exceptions: a) in serious heart cases, vitamin E should be taken while fasting, b)Very Sick persons can be given extra Vitamin C (up to 3,000 mg a day) with fruit juices; c) Very Weak Persons can be given 1 or 2 tsp. of natural honey, possibly as a sweetener in herb teas.

4. Smoking and Drinking: No smoking, no alcohol, and no coffee, of course. Incidentally, fasting is the best way to quit smoking and drinking. After about two weeks of fasting, all the desire for smoking or alcohol will be gone, as testified by hundreds of fasting patients. (See sections on Smoking and Alcoholims in Part One).

5. Contra-indications: In advanced cases of diabetes, active tuberculosis, active malignancies, mental diseases and weak hearts in older patients, fasting is not recommended. Where there is any kind of disease, do not attempt fasting without consulting your doctor and abiding by his decision on the advisability of undertaking a fast in your situation.

6. Juices: All juices should be made fresh immediately before drinking. Do not use canned or frozen juices. This meant that if you fast on your own, you have to have your own juicer (see Directions: 2). Canned or frozen juice can be used sparingly, only in an emergency situation when fresh juices are not available.

7. Herb Teas: The best herb teas to drink during fasting are peppermint, rose hips and camomile; but you may drink any of your favorites. Your health food store has a good supply of these and many other herb teas (see Directions: 6). When fasting for the purpose of healing, use specific herbs for specific conditions as suggested in Part One.

8. Work: Must you discontinue your regular work and rest or stay in bed while fasting? Not at all! On the contrary, staying in bed while fasting is definitely harmful, except for sleeping at night and for an afternoon siesta. You may live your normal life and do your regular work while you fast. You will have plenty of strength to do it, to - unless you are a ditch digger, of course, in which case we advise you to take it easy.

9. Exercise: Your body needs lots of assistance in the form of fresh air, motion, and exercise, in order to accomplish a thorough cleansing of the blood and tissues and effectively regenerate and revitalize all the body functions. Therefore, you should do lots of walking and mild exercising in the fresh air - especially deep breathing exercises - in addition to sunbathing, Always sleep with the windows open.

10. Daily baths: About one third of all body impurities and wastes are eliminated through your skin. Since the internal cleansing and speedy elimination of toxic wasters is a prime purpose of fasting, it is important to keep the skin pores wide open and the elimination through the skin as efficient as possible. Daily showers, especially in connection with dry brush massages (see Directions 4) are recommended. If the heart and circulation are good (your doctor must determine this) then hot baths, sauna, and hot and cold showers should be taken frequently.

11. Drinking Water: The fasting program, as suggested in this chapter, will give you 6 glasses of juices, broth and herb teas during 24 hours. If you still feel thirsty, you may drink additional regular water: pure, uncontaminated water, of course. Avoid chlorinated or fluoridated water. Natural, hard water is better than distilled water.

12. Hunger: Will you feel hungry while fasting? Yes, naturally, but only during the first 3 or 4 days. After that, the unbelievable will happen - the longer you fast, the less hungry you will feel, until the time when the body has completed it cleansing work, at which time you will suddenly feel an excruciating hunger - a reliable signal that it is time to break the fast and start eating.

13. Positive Attitude: Mental attitude during fasting is of paramount importance. Avoid negative influences or thoughts. Don’t listen to the terrified relatives and “friends” and their “warnings”. Have total confidence in what you are doing. Remember that hundreds of thousands of people have done it successfully before you. Perhaps thinking that you are on a juice diet instead of juice fast will make you feel safer!

14. Diet after the fast: The wonderful results achieved by fasting will be nullified in a very short time if fasting is followed by the improper diet that created the undesirable condition of ill health in the first place - a condition that fasting corrected so successfully. The regenerative, remunerative and healing processes initiated by your body during fasting must continue after the fast it broken. 

Therefore, fasting should be followed by the Airola Diet - following the Airola Diet for optimum health after your fasting will insure that you are building upon - not tearing down - the good results that fasting accomplished. 

taken from paavo airolas fasting book or clinic