Although the notion of electing to go without food for prolonged periods of time to improve one's health has not been something commonly considered in recent times, fasting has a long and important history. In fact, fasting played a vitally large part in early human survival. Fortunately, this ancient knowledge is making a dramatic comeback and is beginning to transform the way modern healthcare providers view their responsibilities to patients.

Human beings have the capability to survive extended periods of fasting. This was certainly known in our hunter-gatherer days, since many humans were forced to live through periods when little or no food was available to them. However, since the advent of agriculture and increasing technological advancement, modern humans have largely lost their awareness of this powerful, innate capability.

For example, the 1937 edition of The New Standard Encyclopedia stated that for humans, "Generally death occurs after eight days of deprivation of food." By 1956, this grim pronouncement inched somewhat closer to reality. That year's edition of the American Peoples Encyclopedia stated that survival time in men during water-only fasting ranged from 17 to 76 days.

In actuality, the "authorities" writing in these encyclopedias had no idea what they were talking about, but their conclusions are consistent with what most people might think. However, if we go back in time to earlier writings, we see that more "primitive" cultures were often more aware of the extent of our fasting capability. In the Bible, for example, Moses, David, Jesus, and Elijah were said to have fasted for up to 40 days.

Physiological Benefits of Fasting

Fasting can be thought of as a period of profound rest, during which time your body is free to rapidly undertake a wide variety of beneficial physiological activities, some of which are described below.

1. Neuroadaptation

Fasting helps your taste sensors adapt to a low salt intake. By allowing your body to "neuroadapt" to low-salt food, fasting rapidly facilitates the adoption of a health- promoting diet. This process of neuroadaptation appears to take place more rapidly during fasting than merely eating a low salt diet.

2. Enzymatic Recalibration

During fasting your body induces enzymatic changes that can affect numerous systems ranging from detoxification of endogenous and exogenous substances to the mobilization of fat, glycogen and protein reserves. These changes seem to persist after the fasting process, which may explain some of the dramatic clinical changes seen in patients after fasting.

3. Weight Loss

Although fasting is not generally recommended as a primary weight loss strategy, weight loss is a predictable consequence of fasting. Most people average a loss of approximately one pound per day over the course of a fast.  (When weight loss is your primary concern, a health- promoting diet coupled with exercise is usually your best approach.)

4. Detoxification

Fasting is generally thought of as a tool to facilitate detoxification, promoting the mobilization and elimination of endogenous substances such as cholesterol and uric acid and exogenous substances such as dioxin, PCBs, and other toxic chemical residue.

5. Insulin Resistance

Fasting appears to have a profound effect on insulin resistance, which is thought to be intimately involved with diabetes and high blood pressure. When your body produces adequate insulin, but it is ineffective due to resistance at the cells in the liver and elsewhere, your blood sugar levels rise. This can lead to serious clinical consequences.  Fortunately, after a period of fasting, this problem is often dramatically improved.

6. Natriuresis

Water-only fasting induces a powerful natriuretic effect, which allows the body to eliminate excess sodium and water from your body. This process allows for the resolution of chronic problems with edema and helps reduce the increased blood volume associated with high blood pressure.

7. Reducing Gut Leakage

When chronic inflammation involves the intestinal mucosa, a condition arises whereby small particles of incompletely digested foods can be absorbed into the blood stream. This introduction of foreign peptide molecules to the blood stream may stimulate an immunological cascade of effects collectively known as gut leakage. In genetically vulnerable individuals, gut leakage may be associated with the aggravation of numerous clinical entities including arthritis, colitis, asthma, allergies, and fatigue.

8. Sympathictonia

Hypersympathictonia (increased tone of the sympathetic nervous system) is thought to be associated with many problems ranging from digestive disturbances to anxiety disorders. Fasting appears to have a profound normalizing effect on the overall tone of the autonomic nervous system.

In all there are many mechanisms through which fasting may be having its profound effect. Further research into these and other areas should prove illuminating.

A Serendipitous Survival

In light of the clear misunderstanding of fasting by the medical profession, the unexpected, successful fasting experience of Henry Tanner, M.D., is truly remarkable. In 1877, Dr. Tanner was a respected, middle-aged physician living in Duluth, Minnesota. He had suffered for years with rheumatism and had consulted with seven fellow physicians, all of whom considered his case to be "hopeless." He also suffered from asthma, which chronically disrupted his sleep. He spent his waking hours in constant pain.

Tanner had been taught in medical school that humans could live only ten days without food and in this knowledge he found solace. Not believing in suicide, he determined that he would simply starve himself to death. As he stated later, "Life to me under the circumstances was not worth living... and I had made up my mind to rest from physical suffering in the arms of death." But fate had an agreeable surprise for Dr. Tanner. By unwittingly invoking a constellation of health-promoting responses associated with water-only fasting, he rapidly recovered.

By the fifth day of his fast, he was able to begin to sleep more peacefully. By the eleventh day, he reported feeling "as well as in my youthful days." Fully expecting that by this point he should be near death, he asked a fellow physician, Dr. Moyer, to examine him. Not surprisingly, Dr. Moyer was amazed.

According to Tanner's recollection, Moyer told him, "You ought to be at death's door, but you certainly look better than I ever saw you before." Henry Tanner continued to fast, under Dr. Moyer's supervision, for an additional 31 days, a total of 42 days in all.

When fellow physicians heard his story, which was sensationalized in the press, they responded with disbelief and intense criticism. Though widely rebuked as a fraud, Tanner at least had the last laugh. After his fast, Tanner had no symptoms of asthma, rheumatism, or chronic pain and lived a full life until he died at the age of ninety.

Human Fasting Capabilities

Many fasts of longer than 100 days have been documented in recent scientific literature, the longest of which was 368 days. At the TrueNorth Health Center in California, we routinely supervise water-only fasts of up to 40 days, and in certain circumstances, even longer.

In our experience, fasting has never been lethal and is often remarkably helpful. During our 20 years of supervising the care of more than 5,000 patients, fasting has proven to be both safe and effective. It has provided many patients a new lease on life.

Reawakening to an Ancient Truth

Throughout most of the 20th century, which witnessed a period of remarkable medical innovation in surgical techniques, radiation therapies, and new "miracle" drugs, the self-healing mechanisms that are unleashed during water-only fasting were largely unappreciated. 

However, as the century drew to a close, something extraordinary began to occur. After decades of collective awe of modern medicine and its purveyors, a strong undercurrent of disillusionment began to appear. There came the beginnings of a philosophical revolution that would lead health science in a promising new direction.

This new direction centers on the realization that health and healing are best supported when the biological roots of our nature are understood and respected. This new philosophical approach is based on the awareness that health and healing are natural processes. As a result, the focus of attention has increasingly shifted away from the traditional medical emphasis on drugs and surgery toward an exploration of the circumstances and requirements necessary to unleash and enhance these natural processes.

Fortunately, unlike health problems in the past, including such phenomena as water-borne diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and epidemics of tuberculosis and pneumonia that at one time were confusing puzzles - our present day epidemics of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer are not nearly so mysterious. It is becoming increasingly clear that the majority of present day health problems are the result of modern dietary excesses.

Simply put, most of our health problems are the result of our eating too much of the wrong things. We ingest too much fat and protein (especially animal fat and animal protein); too much refined sugar and other refined carbohydrates; and too many drugs, including tobacco, coffee, tea, alcohol, and soda. It is not surprising that nearly 50% of American teenagers are overweight when you consider that the average teenager consumes 25% of his or her calories from soda pop.

In the face of the current unprecedented epidemics of disease caused by dietary excess, it is understandable that the ancient healing method of water-only fasting is beginning to make intuitive sense to many people. Going without food for a period of time provides the ultimate opportunity for the reversal of the consequences of dietary excess, a chance to let an overfed and overburdened body take steps to restore health.

Rest assured that the appeal of fasting is not based solely on mere intuition. With the recent publication of the first-ever large-scale study conducted on the use of water-only fasting with life-threatening illness, what was previously considered intuitive has become scientifically apparent. Water-only fasting offers extraordinary potential for health and healing, and for some conditions it appears to be the most effective treatment available.

Fasting and High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is the leading contributing cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized societies, and is the leading reason for visits to doctors and for the use of prescription medication. It is diagnosed when a patient's pressures exceed 140/90 mm Hg. The human and financial costs of this condition are staggering.

In 1984, doctors at the TrueNorth Health Center began to investigate the use of fasting in the treatment of this devastating condition. Our study involved 174 high blood pressure patients, all of whom were admitted to the Center for treatment involving water-only fasting.

The results of the study were astonishing. Every patient experienced blood pressure reductions sufficient to eliminate the need for medication, and over ninety percent of patients achieved completely normal blood pressure. A stunning reduction of over 60 points in systolic (upper) blood pressure was noted in those patients with highly elevated pressures (known as Stage III Hypertension), where systolic pressures are greater than 180 mm Hg. These results represent the largest effect size ever shown in lowering blood pressure, and they are estimated to be five times the effect expected from medications alone.

With assistance from our colleagues at Cornell University, our study, "Medically Supervised Water-only Fasting in the Treatment of Hypertension" was completed and accepted for publication by the peer-reviewed and indexed Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. It appeared in the June, 2001 issue of JMPT.

A second study, also conducted at the Center, was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. In this investigation, we evaluated the effect of water-only fasting on 64 patients admitted with so-called "borderline" hypertension. These are individuals who have systolic blood pressures between 120 and 140 mm Hg.

Patients with blood pressures in this range are often led to believe that their blood pressures are "normal." For example, a patient with a systolic blood pressure of 138/88 would be considered "normal" by conventional medical standards, despite the fact that they are five times more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than an individual who has a systolic blood pressure of 110 mm Hg. Sixty-eight percent of all deaths attributed to the effects of high blood pressure occur in individuals whose systolic blood pressure is in this range.

The patients in our second study had a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg. The average patient in the study, beginning with a systolic blood pressure of nearly 130 mm Hg, ended his stay with systolic blood pressure of just below 109 mm Hg. This represents a very substantial improvement in health. As just stated, he is now five times less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than he was before.

Fasting Studies Draw Attention

As a result of the publication of these studies, the fasting program at TrueNorth Health Center attracted the attention of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), a large, national labor union. In March 2001, the Center's residential health education program, including the supervision of water-only fasting, became a fully covered medical benefit for all union members and spouses who have high blood pressure or diabetes.
 
In conjunction with this association with IUOE, the doctors at the Center are conducting a third fasting study. It is a prospective study with long-term follow-up to evaluate the use of fasting in the treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes. We are looking not only at the clinical outcomes of the patients (improved health and reduced morbidity), but also the effect on long-term costs of care for the patients who undergo fasting compared to those who choose conventional medical care.

The initial results are outstanding. Based on data from the first group of subjects with one-year follow-ups, the average cost reduction for fasting patients compared to patients receiving conventional medical care appears to be substantial. Once a large enough number of patients have completed the program and the long-term outcomes are calculated, we expect to publish additional papers documenting what appears to be a tremendously cost effective approach to managing these high risk, high medical cost, high blood pressure and diabetes patients.

Hope for the Future

Hopefully, these results of the TrueNorth Health Center's studies will be a contributing force in both a philosophical and practical revolution in health care. With clear and convincing evidence to guide them, and substantial cost savings to motivate them, other unions and insurance companies may decide to encourage and support the use of fasting for those they serve. In doing so, they could make available to the millions of sick and suffering patients the most profound health rediscovery of our time: the understanding that fasting allows the body to heal itself without the risk and excess cost associated with conventional medical care and drug use.
 

Separating fact from fantasy about this important subject!

Excess consumption of fat is one of the major causes of disease and premature death in modern societies. It is intimately associated with the current epidemic levels of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer of the breast, colon, and prostate. Though over-consumption of fats clearly presents us with serious health risks, certain types of fat are actually essential for maintaining optimum health. A health-promoting diet must contain an adequate quantity and quality of essential fatty acids, while still avoiding excess intake of fat.

Essential fatty acids

Fatty acids are one of the components that make up fat. Humans require some of these fatty acids, which are appropriately called essential fatty acids. They are considered "essential" because, unlike the other fatty acids which we can synthesize or "manufacture" in our bodies, the essential fatty acids must be obtained through our diet. There are two types of essential fatty acids, called the Omega-3 fatty acids and the Omega-6 fatty acids. The most common of the Omega-3 fatty acids consumed by humans is alpha linolenic acid. The most common of the Omega-6 fatty acids we consume is linoleic acid.

Essential fatty acids serve at least three important functions. They assist in the formation of cell membranes, in the transport and oxidation of cholesterol, and in specialized hormone production. According to some studies, at least 2-4% of total calories should come from dietary intake of Omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic acid.

Whole natural foods

The best way to get your needed essential fatty acids is by eating a health-promoting diet derived exclusively from whole natural foods. The type of diet recommended by the National Health Association contains well over 5% of calories from linoleic acid (see chart). Essential fatty acids are found abundantly in green leafy vegetables, flaxseeds, soybeans, and nuts and seeds. Eating a health-promoting diet will provide adequate amounts of the essential fatty acids, without the problems associated with animal products, processed oils, and supplements, which are often promoted as sources for these essential nutrients. Walnuts, flax seeds and green vegetables including purslane are a rich source of the desirable Omega-3 fatty acids.

Conventional diet a problem

People eating the standard American diet, with its high concentration of processed foods, including oils, can actually develop essential fatty acid deficiency. There are several ways this can happen.

First, a diet containing large amounts of animal products, hydrogenated vegetable oils (the synthetic fats found in margarine), and other foods low in essential fatty acids can result in an overall dietary intake that is very low in essential fatty acids.

Second, the essential fatty acids in vegetable oils can be inactivated by common processing procedures, such as hydrogenation, which can interfere with the body's ability to use them.

Finally, if you eat products containing these inactivated essential fatty acids, the chemistry of these products can disrupt your use of any active essential fatty acids. Therefore, if you eat processed products with inactivated essential fatty acids, you may actually develop an essential fatty acid deficiency, even if the remainder of your diet contains unprocessed, fully active essential fatty acids!

No alternative solutions

The fact that we need essential fatty acids does not mean that we need animal foods, oils, or expensive supplements. As John McDougall, M.D., author of The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart, is fond of saying, "People love to hear good news about their bad habits." So, it is not surprising that there is a seemingly endless introduction of fad diets and supplements into the marketplace, promising fantastic benefits to the purchaser wishing to avoid the bother of making meaningful dietary changes. Unfortunately, these products are no substitute for healthful eating.

There are significant health risks associated with deviating from a health-promoting diet. While animal products, including fish, contain essential fatty acids in their tissues, they also contain a biological concentration of mercury and other toxic metals in their flesh. The problems associated with this are well documented.

Likewise, scientific studies of expensive supplementation products containing essential fatty acids have consistently failed to substantiate the spectacular claims made for them by their producers. In addition, taking large amounts of essential fatty acids in supplement form can suppress the immune system, including the suppression of natural killer cells and the production of immune substances called cytokines. These immune functions are important for defending ourselves against viruses, bacteria, parasites, and cancer cells.

As for the health benefits attributed to diets high in olive oil, such as the Mediterranean diet, these benefits are likely due to the fact that this diet is nearly vegetarian. The positive epidemiological observations more likely occur in spite of the olive oil content, rather than because of it. In addition, the heating of all oil, including olive oil, can produce cancer-causing byproducts.

Healthful diet the key

It would be very convenient if health could be bought in a bottle. But health results from healthful living. The best way to get the essential fatty acids you need is by eating a health-promoting diet derived exclusively from whole natural foods.

General dietary analysis of a one-week menu of health promoting recipes

Based on menus from The Health Promoting Cookbook, by Dr. Alan Goldhamer

This chart lists the average daily nutrient content of the recommended daily allowance for an average female 20 to 50 years old. Any specific individual may require more or less total food intake, depending on factors such as height, weight, age, and energy expenditure. This diet is derived exclusively from whole natural foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and the variable addition of raw nuts and seeds, whole grains, and legumes. It excludes all meat, fish, fowl, eggs, and dairy products, as well as added oil, salt, and sugar, and dietary drugs such as tea, coffee, alcohol, and tobacco.

Average daily nutrients from 2100-calorie menu

Footnotes:

1. Percentage of calories: protein 12%, fat 15%, carbohydrates 73%

2. Approximate weight of food consumed each day throughout the week is 3339gm.

3. N/A = not applicable or no standard established

4. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is produced only by bacteria. A strictly vegan diet (no animal foods) contains only trace amounts of vitamin B12 from bacterial contamination. Some vitamin B12 is produced by the bacteria in our mouth and intestinal tract, but it has not yet been proven that this is adequate for all people. To ensure that internal production and recycling of vitamin B12 is adequate, I recommend that vegetarians have a simple blood or urine test every one to three years for methylmalonic acid. This is the most sensitive indicator of vitamin B12 status. If the test for methylmalonic acid is positive, inclusion of vitamin B12 fortified foods or oral supplements can be undertaken. Pregnant and lactating mothers should ensure themselves of a reliable, vegetarian source of vitamin B12 in their diet, such as vitamin B12 fortified foods or oral supplementation.

The role and need for protein is a much misunderstood topic in our society. In this article you will learn how to better understand the role of protein in your diet.

First, let me provide you with a rather technical definition of a protein. A protein is any one of a group of complex organic, nitrogenous compounds, which form the principal constituents of the cell protoplasm. In other words, proteins make up the "guts" of the cells that are the building blocks of our body.

Many of the structural and functional components of our cells are made up of various proteins.

In man, proteins function in many capacities. They act as organic catalysts in the form of enzymes, as messengers such as peptide hormones, as antibodies that protect us from the effect of microorganisms, and as carrier agents in our blood to transport oxygen and other gases, as well as forming structural components of the cell.

The exact human needs for dietary protein are not known. According to The New England Journal of Medicine: "As for human protein requirements, the pendulum is still swinging because our knowledge of precise human requirements and the inter-relationships among them is far more fragmentary and tentative than generally realized."

Amino Acids

All proteins are composed of amino acids. An amino acid is any one of a class of organic compounds containing a certain amino and carboxyl group. The amino acids are the chief building blocks of proteins; that is, proteins are made by putting various amino acids together into specific combinations.

Although there are dozens of naturally occurring amino acids, the proteins in our body are derived from just twenty. Of these twenty amino acids, our body is able to adequately synthesize twelve internally. The other eight amino acids must be derived externally; that is, we must get them in our diet. These eight amino acids that we must get in our diet are called essential amino acids.

Although our body can recycle the essential amino acids, it cannot produce them. Therefore, the diet must provide a supply of them so that the body has enough raw materials in the form of essential amino acids to replace the normal, everyday losses.

These obligatory losses involve the use of amino acids in the production of products that are not recycled, such as purine bases, creatine, and epinephrine. These are degraded to uric acid, creatinine, and epinephrine - and excreted.

Without an outside source of amino acids, the body's reserves of protein would become depleted, and this starvation process would eventually lead to death.

We get these essential amino acids by eating foods that contain them. But eating is not the only consideration. The proteins of plants and animals are useless to us unless our digestive system is able to break them down into their constituent amino acids and absorb them.

Our digestive systems are not designed to absorb the very large protein molecules, only the smaller amino acids and peptides. Once absorbed, these amino acids become the raw materials from which our body can synthesize the many proteins that serve so many vital functions.
 
Protein Metabolism

Let's look at the actual metabolism of protein. The digestion of dietary protein begins in the stomach with exposure to the enzyme pepsin, which is secreted in the digestive juices and is activated by hydrochloric acid. Contrary to popular opinion, hydrochloric acid does not digest protein, it merely creates an appropriate media in which pepsin can work.

This secretion of hydrochloric acid is followed by the production of other protein digestion factors or proteolytic enzymes by the pancreas and the mucosal cells of the small intestine.

Once the large dietary protein molecules are broken down to their constituent amino acid components, absorption can take place through the mucosal cells of the small intestine.

Amino acids from dietary digestion are not alone, because the ingestion of food-even non-nitrogenous food-stimulates the digestive tract to secrete endogenous protein, derived from the sloughing of intestinal cells and used up digestive enzymes. These recycled proteins are a rich source of essential amino acids.

Studies by Nasset show that regardless of the amino acid mix of the meal, the intestinal tract maintains a remarkably similar ratio of essential amino acids.

This mixing of endogenous and dietary protein is a key concept. Until this was discovered, it was generally believed that in order to absorb and utilize the essential amino acids in the diet, the diet must contain all the amino acids in certain proportions and presented all at the same time.

This mistaken belief dates back to 1914 when Osborn and Mendel studied the protein requirements of laboratory rats. They found that rats grew faster on animal sources of protein than on vegetable sources. This was followed up by studies by Elman in 1939 using purified and isolated amino acids in rats.

We have learned a lot since 1939. But even today many so-called nutrition experts continue to advance this ancient concept, and many of the protein combining and protein quality arguments are based on this misconception.

According to Nasset, writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this mixing of endogenous protein is the body's way of regulating the relative concentrations of the amino acids available for absorption.

We now know that the body is quite capable of taking incomplete proteins and making them complete by utilizing this recycling mechanism. It is now clear that more than 200 grams of endogenous protein is added to the 30 to 100 grams of daily dietary protein.

I would like to point out that the earlier research, which is still so often used to support the mistaken idea that all the essential amino acids must be present at the same time at each meal for amino acids to be absorbed, did not even deal with amino acid absorption. It falsely stated that the essential amino acids must be present at the site of protein synthesis, within the cells of the liver, kidney or muscle. Since the recycling effect of the body's amino acids was not yet understood, the assumption was made that the only source of protein was from the diet.

Not only do we get the majority of our amino acids from recycling, but in 1961 Bender showed that an animal was able to maintain slow growth with proteins completely lacking one essential amino acid.

These concepts have been confirmed by Monroe and are reported in the 1983 edition of Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease by Goodheart and Shills.

The important fact here is that the majority of amino acids absorbed from the intestinal tract are derived from recycled body protein. We are in a sense all flesh eaters, a form of self-cannibalization.

Once absorbed, this combination of endogenous and dietary protein passes by way of the portal vein to the liver. The liver monitors the absorbed amino acids and adjusts the rate of their metabolism according to bodily needs.
 
How Much Protein Do We Need?

We must have a source of protein to replace the amino acids that are not recycled. The question is, "How much?"

This question has been a hotbed of scientific-and not so scientific-debate since 1830 when a Dutch scientist named Mulder coined the term protein.

In 1865 Playfair in England presented studies that led him to believe that the diet of the average healthy man should contain 119 grams of protein a day.

Later a man named Voit studied Munich brewery workers and found they consumed 190 grams of protein a day. Based on his studies of these brewery workers, Voit advocated 125 grams of protein per day. It was not until 1913 that Hindhede looked up the mortality rates of Voit's brewery workers and discovered that most of these individuals died very young.

In 1947 the University of Rochester laboratories had a project to establish the essential amino acid requirements of the adult male rat. In order to keep the intake of calories and nitrogen constant, the animals were fed a synthetic diet by means of a stomach tube. Attempts to relate extrapolations made from this type of study to humans are obviously questionable.

More recent studies of protein metabolism in man have been made using nitrogen balance data as a parameter. Nitrogen balance studies measure the total amount of nitrogen in the form of dietary protein that is consumed and compares that with the total amount of nitrogen excreted in the urine, feces, integumental losses, sweat, hair as well as semen, menstrual fluid and even the breath. The idea is that if the amount of protein eaten is as much as that given off, the body must be getting enough to maintain balance.

All natural foods-from lettuce to nuts-contain varying amounts of protein.

If a varied diet sufficient in calories is consumed, it is virtually impossible to get an inadequate protein intake. Even a diet devoid of concentrated sources of protein such as animal products, nuts and legumes will meet optimum protein needs.

Most conventional nutritional thinking ignores the tremendous contribution of plant foods to our protein needs. Most conventional diets contain only token amounts of these foods, relying instead on high fat, high protein animal products and a conglomeration of refined carbohydrates.
 
Are We Built to Eat Meat?

Even a brief look at comparative anatomy illustrates quite clearly that man is not designed to be a carnivore. And just because our bodies have a vital need for a substance does not mean that twice or three times our need is even better. In the case of protein, the concept that more is better is dead wrong.

It is interesting to note that most of our teeth are flat for grinding grains and vegetables-and that our hands are better designed for gathering than for tearing flesh apart. Our saliva contains alpha-amylase whose sole purpose is the digestion of carbohydrates. Alpha-amylase is not found in the saliva of carnivorous animals. Carnivores have the capacity to eliminate large amounts of cholesterol, whereas our livers can excrete only limited amounts. Like herbivores, we sweat to cool our bodies rather than pant like carnivores.

Of all animals that include meat in their diet, man is the only animal that is unable to break down uric acid to allantoin. This is due to the fact that man does not possess the necessary enzyme uricase. This leads to an increased possibility of an accumulation of uric acid in the body when animal products are eaten. (Uric acid is an intermediary product of metabolism that is associated with various pathological states, including gout.)

Problems with Meat

Compared to vegetarians, meat eaters have been shown to have massively increased levels of bile acids.

Animal products are a source of parasites and contamination. Uncooked or improperly cooked meat, fish, fowl and dairy products are the source of parasites such as Trichinosis found in pork and pork-contaminated beef, bacterial infection from Salmonellosis found in milk products and other contaminated animal products. There are multitudes of chemical agents such as carcinogenic nitrates, etc. that are added to animal products to slow down their decay, improve their color and alter their taste. Most animal products undergo significant heat treatment before consumption.

The use of heat presents serious problems. For example, a one-kilogram charbroiled steak contains as much of the cancer-causing benzopyrene as from 600 cigarettes. Methyl choanthrene is another example of a carcinogenic substance derived from heated meat. The heating of any fat, including the fats in animal products, can cause peroxidation and the formation of free radicals.

Free radicals are extremely reactive molecules that are capable of damaging almost any cell of the body. Free radicals have been shown to cause alterations to collagen and elastin tissue leading to premature aging of the skin and connective tissue. They contribute to the accumulation of intra-cellular debris such as lipofuscin and creoid and are thought to be an important component in the aging process.

In addition to parasites, bacterial infestation, toxic poisons, carcinogenic agents, and free radicals, animal products all suffer from the problem of biological concentration. Animals consume large quantities of grain, grass, etc., which are to a greater or lesser extent contaminated with herbicides, pesticides, and other agents. In addition, animals are often fed antibiotics and treated with other drugs and toxic agents. These poisons concentrate in the fat of the animal and are present in highly concentrated amount in an animal's milk and flesh. This biological concentration of poisons poses significant threats to the health of humans who consume these concentrated sources of poisons.

As if this weren't enough, animal products are completely devoid of fiber and are extremely high in protein and in spite of what millions of dollars of meat and dairy industry advertising would have you believe it is excess, not inadequate protein, that is the threat to health. Excess protein intake has been strongly implicated as a causal agent in many disease processes including kidney disease, various forms of cancer, osteoporosis and a host of autoimmune and hypersensitivity disease processes.

If animal products are included in the diet in significant quantities, it is virtually impossible to design a diet that is consistent with the overwhelming bulk of evidence in the scientific literature dealing with nutrition.

It is ironic that the chief argument used to promote the use of animal products-that is, the purported need for large quantities of protein-is the greatest reason for avoiding them.

A diet of sufficient caloric intake derived from fresh fruits and vegetables with the variable addition of nuts, whole grains and legumes will provide an optimum intake of protein and other nutrients, 30-70 grams per day, depending upon the particular foods eaten.

IN THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL learn about some of the tremendous benefits that can be derived from a properly conducted fast.  When properly utilized, fasting is a safe and effective means of maximizing the body's self-healing capacities.  The results can be truly amazing. Before going on to describe some of the many advantages of fasting, let's define it.  Fasting is the complete abstinence from all substances except pure water, in an environment of total rest.  Let's also keep in mind that fasting is only one part of the total health-supporting program we call Natural Hygiene.

Health results from healthful living. No matter how successful a fasting experience might be, it needs to be followed by a consistently healthy lifestyle.  The requirements of health must continue to be provided, especially in the areas of diet, environment, activity and psychology.

The examples that follow are just a few of the many beneficial uses of fasting.

An aid in transition

During the past seven years I've worked with thousands of patients from all over the world who had a wide variety of disorders and health concerns.  A great many of these patients required a period of supervised fasting to achieve their health goals.  Virtually all of them needed to make lifestyle changes to achieve improved health.  Fasting made the transition easier!

My observation is that the best motivating factor in helping people adopt healthful living practices is often the positive reinforcement that comes with feeling good and healthy.

Fasting, for as few as five days to as many as 40 days, will often dramatically shorten the time it takes for  an individual to make the transition from a conventional diet and lifestyle (with all the associated addictions, pains, fatigue and disease) to the independent and energetic state associated with healthful living.

People who undertake a  fast in a supervised setting, tend to achieve health more quickly than those who attempt changes without a fast.  The intensive health education, plus the emotional support they receive during their stay, result in increased compliance with dietary and lifestyle recommendations.

A speedy recovery

When individuals try to make major dietary changes without the benefit of a fasting experience, they often become frustrated.  The transition to a healthful eating pattern can make you feel sick.  Symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating, joint pain, headaches, skin rashes, irritability, depression, etc. are just a few of the common problems that can arise as the body attempts to eliminate toxins, metabolic byproducts, etc., and adjust physiologically to a health promoting diet.

It is difficult to get people to practice new healthful living habits for long unless they begin to experience some benefits quickly.  Changes that may take months (or even years) with careful eating may occur much more quickly if a properly supervised fast is utilized.  This is an important consideration because once people begin to realize their health potential, they become a likely candidate for a lifelong commitment to healthful living.

Overcoming addictions

Addictions to drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, nicotine and caffeine are examples where fasting can dramatically reduce the often protracted withdrawal symptoms that prevent many people from becoming drug-free.  Most people are surprised at how easy it is to quit smoking or drinking with the help of fasting.

Uterine fibroid tumors

Fasting can often be especially important in situations where drugs or surgery have been recommended.  When uterine fibroid tumors contribute to pain and excess bleeding, a hysterectomy, removal of the uterus, is often recommended.  A proper fast will often dramatically reduce the size and effect of these tumors.  I have treated numerous women who have been able to successfully avoid hysterectomy using conservative methods.  Ovarian cysts and cervical dysplasia also often respond favorably.

Back and neck problems

Back and neck pain are remarkably responsive to conservative care.  In my institution I utilize fasting, rest and exercise, improved posture and body use, and when appropriate, chiropractic manipulation and physical therapy.  It is interesting to note that often patients with chronic pain who have received extensive treatment, including drugs, surgery and manipulation, will experience dramatic improvement through the use of fasting.

A case history

I recently treated a young man, a Natural Hygienist since birth, who had been in a severe automobile accident four years ago.  He had suffered with constant neck pain and headaches since the accident.  His greatest concern was his tendency to pass out unexpectedly.  Apparently the dysfunction in his neck had interfered with the autonomic portion of his nervous system altering blood flow to his brain.

After a period of four weeks of care, which included a fast, followed by careful re-feeding and, in his case, spinal manipulative therapy, this individual made an excellent response.  At his three month follow-up he reported complete absence of neck pain and headaches and had not felt faint or passed out since his stay at the Center.

Cardiovascular disease

Most cases of cardiovascular disease are also responsive to conservative care.  In 154 consecutive cases of high blood pressure [hypertension] that I have fasted, 151 (98%) have been able to achieve and maintain normal blood pressure without the use of medications. [Complete details of this study will appear in an upcoming issue of Health Science.]

Angina and intermittent claudication are examples of conditions that will often respond rapidly to fasting.  Often patients can achieve freedom from pain and medications within a few days or weeks.  It is not unusual to see cholesterol levels drop as much as 100 points with diligent effort.

Gastrointestinal disorders

Disturbances of the gastrointestinal system, including esophagitis, gastritis, colitis, constipation, bloating, and the symptoms associated with so-called "candidiasis," usually respond well to conservative care.

My most recent case of gastrointestinal disturbance was a young woman with severe colitis [inflammation of the colon].  She reported severe, constant bleeding through the rectum.  She said that despite continual medical treatment with cortisone, implants, and a wide range of other medication, she had bleeding with every bowel movement for eight years.  Her physician had explained that surgery would have to be performed.

After we had eliminated her medications, a period of fasting was undertaken.  Within a week, the constant pain was resolved. By the 10th day, the passing of blood and mucus had stopped.  After two weeks of fasting we began to carefully feed her.  Her bowel movements were blood-free from the first.  At her three-month follow-up she reported feeling great and completely free of any significant bleeding or problems.

Diabetes

Many chronic degenerative conditions respond well to fasting and a Natural Hygiene lifestyle.  Diabetes is no exception.

Working with diabetic patients is very satisfying because the consequences of the disease are so devastating and the results with conservative care are usually so dramatic.  Most adult onset diabetics can be brought under control and freed from the use of insulin and other medication through the use of fasting and a carefully followed diet and lifestyle program.  Such a program will allow most diabetics to achieve a high level of function and the ability to maintain normal sugar levels without medications.

There are exceptions

Not everyone is a candidate for fasting. There are a number of factors to consider before a fast is recommended.  My procedure is to first review the patient's medical history and perform a comprehensive physical examination including appropriate laboratory or specialized diagnostic tests.  I then review my findings with the patient and make appropriate recommendations.  These may include dietary and lifestyle recommendations.  These may include dietary and lifestyle changes, exercise programs, etc., and, when indicated, fasting.  When fasting is indicated, patients stay at my institution.

Not every individual or every condition will respond to conservative treatment.  Occasionally medical care may be necessary.  When a medical consultation or treatment is indicated, the safest methods available should be utilized.

Where to fast

With the possible exception of very short fasts in acute disease, such as a cold, fever, etc., all fasting should be undertaken in an institution under the direct supervision of a doctor trained in fasting supervision.  A certified member of the International Association of Hygienic Physicians would by far be your best choice.

Fasting in an institution offers several advantages.  The most important is the constant availability of an experienced doctor to guide and advise you.  Most institutions have an educational program designed to help you better understand Natural Hygiene, the science of health.  The benefits of being in a clean, quiet and emotionally supportive environment should not be underestimated.

In addition, a timely and proper termination of each fast is critical to the long-term success of the patient.  Fasting under the supervision of a trained, qualified doctor is your best assurance of a well-conducted, beneficial fasting experience.

A Case Study:

Chronic gastrointestinal disorder

A woman came to the Center recently who had suffered chronic constipation for more than 20 years.  She complained that she had not had a single spontaneous bowel movement during that time without the assistance of enemas, colonics or laxatives.

She fasted with us for a period of 12 days, during which time she experienced mild discomfort and referred low back pain.  On the fifth day of feeding after the fast, she was having spontaneous, normally formed bowel movements, and she had continued to have them since.

The long-term follow-up for people who stay on the Natural Hygiene dietary program is excellent.  Chronic constipation is definitely a problem that people can learn to live without.

Alan Goldhamer, D.C.                     

A natural process

Fasting, or the abstinence from food, is a means used in nature by all creatures from the beginning of time.  Either by instinct or intelligence this means has been used to assist the body to relieve itself from discomfort, pain and disease.

Regulatory and reparative processes of the body are given unimpeded encouragement by the temporary omission of food.  No other form of health care can boast the rewarding and gratifying results in the elimination of disease and the restoration of health.

Fasting, once considered a fad, has gained acceptance not only by a constantly increasing segment of society and has also earned the stamp of approval by many in the scientific community.

Under qualified and experienced supervision, fasting is the greatest gift which can be given to an overburdened, sick body without benefit of any other form of therapy or treatment.

William Esser, N.D., D.C.

An empowering rest

Fasting is simply a process of deep physiological rest.  This rest period helps you rebuild functioning power and recover from the energy dissipation caused by hectic daily schedules and abusive living habits.

When outside stressors, dietary and therapeutic influences are eliminated during the fasting state, fasting reveals the baseline status of your body.  This enables you to become more sensitive and connected to your body.  This connection fosters a greater awareness of the instinctive biological and emotional requirements that are essential for the maintenance of health and wholeness.

Frank Sabatino, D.C., Ph.D.

Unfounded fears about fasting

Unfounded fear is a peculiar state of disease within the imagination, arising largely out of a lack of knowledge.

If we are slaves to unfounded fears, we are also slaves to beliefs and practices and action which are inconsistent with our well-being.  So it is a matter of necessity that we understand fasting and all its facets if we are to overcome the fears that are associated with it.

Many people attempt to solve the problems of life, the distresses of the body and the anxieties of the mind with food and drugs. They have great fear about not eating because they have experienced the headaches, the weakness and distress they associate with it, and they are convinced that food and drugs are the answer to their problems.

How can you convince someone that going further without food is a matter of necessity for the recovery of his health  Only through knowledge and enough suffering to change his attitudes.

The best way to dispel unfounded fear about fasting is with knowledge, knowledge that breeds confidence, confidence that engenders beliefs, and beliefs that result in correct action.

D.J. Scott, D.C.

Making wise decisions

Not everyone is a good candidate for fasting.  Many factors need to be considered before a fast is undertaken.  Not every condition will respond optimally to fasting and conservative care alone.  Occasionally, medical care may be necessary.       

At the Center we have established good working relationships with some of  California's best specialists.  When a medical consultation or treatment is indicated, the safest methods available should always be utilized.

Jennifer Marano, D.C.

Heightening your awareness

A wonderful thing about fasting is that it puts an interval between the behavior that you are accustomed to and the behavior that you aspire to.  We tend to be creatures of habit, and the ways that we are accustomed to eating and living feel as natural to us as breathing.  That is why it is so difficult for people to stop bad habits.  But fasting brings your present lifestyle to an abrupt halt.  It gives you an opportunity to pause, reflect and decide how you are going to conduct your life afterwards.  This enables you to make a break with your past and set off in a new, more positive direction.

There is nothing routine about eating after a fast.  Each meal is a celebration.  After fasting, you tend to be very conscious about what you are eating, and why.  Fasting heightens your awareness, as well as your appreciation for food.  By fasting, we learn to eat with reverence.

It is the non-doing aspect of fasting that enables us to make behavioral stopping and pausing and interrupting our usual patterns, as we learn to take more conscious control of ourselves.

There is no better way to stop a vicious cycle of self-destructive behavior than by fasting.

Ralph C. Cinque, D.C.

Throughout history, people have noticed that when they become acutely ill, they lose their appetites.  The early Hygienic physicians reasoned that there must be some physiological reason for this loss of appetite.  Through observation and experimentation, they discovered that fasting - the complete abstinence from all substances except pure water, in an environment of complete rest - allows the body to make a unique physiological adaptation.

In the fasting state, the duration and intensity of the symptoms of illness, such as inflammation, mucus production, fever, diarrhea, etc., are often dramatically reduced.  Fasting has been found to be the most efficient and powerful means available to facilitate self-healing.

Further experimentation and observation found that fasting is also effective in the resolution of chronic disease.  Chronic disease, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, respiratory illness, autoimmune disease, etc., can be the result of several different factors. These factors include inappropriate diet, such as the consumption of animal products and refined foods, the use of drugs, including tobacco, alcohol, coffee, etc., a lack of adequate sleep or exercise, or exposure to environmental stressors such as pollution, radiation, excess noise, etc., or excess psychological stress and hereditary factors.

Fasting is an important tool in resolving the symptoms of acute illness and chronic disease, but its benefits are not limited to dealing with symptoms.

Making the transition to healthful living

It is difficult to break habits and patterns of behavior established over many years. The typical Western lifestyle leads to taste buds acclimated to stimulating foods, muscles that are flabby, and a nervous system that depends on stimulatory drugs (such as caffeine) to keep it going despite a lack of sleep. Often, as people attempt to change their diets and lifestyles, they find healthful foods unappetizing, exercise painful, and the symptoms of withdrawal from stimulants unbearable. The slow process of detoxification that accompanies the cessation of bad habits can cause unpleasant symptoms that persist for weeks or months.

Speeding up the process

Fasting is a method of speeding up the detoxification process.  It can be an intense and sometimes unpleasant experience, but it is highly effective. After fasting, healthful foods often taste delicious, and pernicious habits often have much less appeal.  Fasting is the most efficient means available to overcome dependencies of a variety of drugs, including caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, marijuana and others.  Educational programs available at institutions specializing in fasting supervision help people to develop the skills necessary to select and prepare healthful foods, develop a sensible exercise program, and find emotional support.

Overcoming signs of illness

Some individuals appear and feel healthy but still manifest abnormal signs, such as high blood pressure, elevated blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, uric acid, or liver enzymes, etc.  Fasting is often extremely effective at allowing the body to eliminate the signs associated with disease.

Prevention

Many individuals have adopted a health-promoting diet and lifestyle to overcome disease. They may be completely free of all signs and symptoms of disease but choose to use fasting as a preventive measure to allow the body to eliminate the metabolic products that can accumulate within the cells of the body despite our best efforts. Fasting may offer its greatest potential in the prevention of disease.  Fasting also can be used as a diagnostic tool in uncovering sub-clinical pathology that may exist.

Doing it right

Whether fasting is used in the transition to a healthful diet and lifestyle, to overcome the signs and symptoms of disease, or as a preventive measure, it is a powerful tool for helping sick people to get well and healthy people to stay healthy.

The most important advice about fasting is: Do it right or don't do it.  Complete rest, a supportive environment, and professional supervision are required to ensure that fasting will be a safe and effective experience.

Case studies

The following case studies will give some insight into the many ways people can benefit from fasting.

J.W., a 36-year-old female, 5 feet 4 inches tall and 215 pounds, decided that she wanted to quit smoking, lose weight, overcome her "food addictions," and resolve a 15-year history of chronic constipation.  She also suffered from severe back pain and sciatica.  She had, in her own words, tried "everything," and in desperation came to the Center for Conservative Therapy's residential health care program on the advice of a friend who had undertaken a fast there two years earlier.

After her initial examination and two days of preparatory feeding, J.W. underwent a fast of 12 days.  She experienced numerous symptoms during her fast but did not experience any significant craving for cigarettes despite her one-pack-per-day habit of over 20 years duration.  She also did not experience any hunger after the second day of fasting.  She did experience nausea, a foul taste in her mouth, headaches, and low back pain.  After 12 days of fasting, J.W. underwent a 14-day re-feeding program.  By the fourth day of re-feeding, she was having normal bowel movements for the first time in many years.  She lost a total of 31 pounds.  During her re-feeding time, she received chiropractic manipulation and physiotherapy for her joint dysfunction, in conjunction with instruction on stretching and proper body use.  At the time of her release, she was free of sciatica and felt prepared to face the "real" world.

At her six-month follow-up, J.W. had managed to lose an additional 15 pounds, had successfully become an ardent non-smoker, had completely normal bowel function, and had remained free of back pain and sciatica.

M.T., a 46-year-old male, was suffering from macular degeneration [loss of central vision], high blood pressure, joint pain, and fatigue.  Despite his efforts at making dietary changes, his symptoms continued to progress, which was upsetting to him.  Blood pressure medications were only successful at reducing his blood pressure to 180/110, and they seemed to be interfering with his sexual function.

After three weeks of fasting and two weeks of re-feeding, M.T. was a "new" man. His blood pressure normalized without medications at 114/74, and his joint pain completely resolved.  At his follow-up a year later, he reported no return of the visual problems from macular degeneration, and his blood pressure was 120/74.

S.S., a 34-year-old female, had been ill for several years. She had been previously diagnosed as having chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome, Epstein-Barr viral infection, and chronic candidiasis.  She reported a history of depression, panic attacks, palpitations, and sleep disruption.  She seemed sensitive to everything she ate, including fruits and vegetables.

S.S. underwent a fast with the hope of reducing her extreme hypersensitivity.  Her fast was quite difficult, and after just 12 days it had to be discontinued due to extreme emotional volatility.  She had a slow recovery, but within four months of her fast she reported substantial improvement.  She was much less fatigued, was sleeping better, and could tolerate a wider variety of whole natural foods. S.S. will undergo another fast soon.

A.S., a 74-year-old female, had been diagnosed as having breast cancer 10 years ago.  She had undergone a lumpectomy, but had refused all other medical treatment.  Since then, she has been totally committed to healthful living and has been absolutely compliant with all the diet and lifestyle recommendations.

Once each year she comes to the Center for "preventive" fasting.  She usually fasts for 10 days without significant symptoms.  On her most recent fast, although she arrived feeling great, by the second day she had a fever of 101 degrees and was in extreme discomfort.  It was not until the eighth day that her fever broke and she felt wonderful again.  I believe that this represented a significant healing crisis, since all her laboratory results were within normal limits.  She has had no recurrences of cancer and continues to do well.

An Introduction to the Benefits of a Professionally Supervised Fast

When the body is provided with the requirements of health, including appropriate diet, environment, activity and psychology, optimum health can be maintained.  If these requirements are not adequately provided, health will be compromised.

Often, the best means of facilitating the restoration of health is therapeutic fasting. It allows the body to create a unique physiological healing response that is unparalleled.

Therapeutic fasting is defined as the complete abstinence from all substances except pure water in an environment of complete rest.

There are no substitutes.  When therapeutic fasting is indicated, nothing else can be considered "just as good."

Going without food, even for a few days, while working, exercising, worrying, etc. is not therapeutic fasting.  A noisy, high stress and/or non-supportive environment will not provide the body the opportunity to maximize the self-healing mechanisms.  To maximize the benefits of therapeutic fasting, complete rest is essential.

Eating only certain foods or drinking only juices is not therapeutic fasting.  The physiological and clinical impact and benefits are different.  This is not to say that juice diets or so-called elimination diets do not have a role.  But they are not the same as therapeutic fasting.

When properly applied and conducted, therapeutic fasting is one of the most potent tools available for assisting the body in healing itself.  When abused or applied injudiciously, harm can result.  The most important advice I can give anyone regarding fasting is this.  If you are going to undertake a fast, do it right or don't do it.

Is Fasting Indicated?

The most clear cut indication for therapeutic fasting is the lack of appetite that characterizes acute disease.  When the body generates a healing crisis in acute disease, it is generally best to eliminate the intake of food until the crisis has resolved and hunger returns.  That might mean skipping a meal, or two.  It might mean skipping many meals.

Fasting is extremely effective in helping the body to quickly resolve the problems that create the need for the symptoms that we know as acute disease.  These symptoms include things like fever, inflammation, pain, etc.  It is in acute disease that we see the most dramatic results from short term fasting.

Fasting is also effectively utilized in chronic disease.  Chronic disease often has its origin in acute diseases that never resolved or were suppressed.  Fasting allows the body an opportunity to generate an acute response in a chronic condition.           

It is in the fasting state that the body is given the opportunity to purify its tissues, to eliminate undesirable tissue accumulations, growth, etc. It also allows the body an opportunity to let stressed and abused tissues heal.

The scientific and medical literature contains literally hundreds of papers dealing with the therapeutic use of fasting.  It has been extensively used in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, atherosclerotic vascular disease, congestive heart failure, cancer, autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, and as a desensitization tool in the treatment of hypersensitivity and allergies.

Fasting is also used for what might be termed rejuvenescence.  It provides an opportunity for the organism to "clean house," physically and mentally; for accumulated debris to be eliminated; and to allow for the introspection that is so often lacking in the rush of modern day life.
 
Contraindications

There are individuals who are not good candidates for therapeutic fasting.  But there are few conditions per se that contraindicate its appropriate use.        

The greatest contraindication to fasting is fear.  A lack of understanding of the fasting process can present insurmountable problems.  Extreme weakness in various diseases associated with muscular wasting may also contraindicate fasting.

There are numerous medications that can complicate the fasting process.  Inadequate nutrient reserves would be another potential contraindication to fasting. Certain types of cancer and severe kidney disease may also make an individual a poor fasting candidate.
 
Professional Supervision

With proper supervision and careful clinical monitoring, therapeutic fasting is safe and effective as a means of helping the body heal itself.  But as with any activity there are inherent risks.  I advise anyone contemplating a therapeutic fast to consider utilizing a certified IAHP professional who is trained in its use.

The International Association of Hygienic Physicians is an association made up of primary care physicians who specialize in the supervision of therapeutic fasting.  Each certified member is a licensed medical doctor, chiropractor or osteopath who has completed a minimum six-month residency program in an accredited institution specializing in therapeutic fasting.

The IAHP has established standards of practice for fasting supervision and is currently conducting fasting research.  With the recent increase in number of certified professionals, a safe and effective fasting experience is more readily available than ever before.
 
Where to Fast

Whatever the indication for therapeutic fasting, it is essential that the individual be placed in an environment conducive to complete rest.  The body needs to adjust to the fasting physiology.  The importance of rest should not be underestimated.  Unnecessary mobilization of nutrient reserves must be avoided.

Here again we see the benefits of fasting in a Natural Hygiene facility under the supervision of a certified IAHP professional.  You will be in a setting that is designed for the purpose of providing a quiet, peaceful and emotionally supportive environment in which to fast.  You will be separated from the well-meaning interference of friends and family. And you will have 24-hour access to a doctor trained and experienced in the use of fasting.
 
Pre-Fast Evaluation

Before therapeutic fasting is undertaken, a pre-fasting evaluation should be completed.  This includes a complete health history, including an evaluation of previous illnesses, injury and treatment.  An assessment is made of the current symptoms and current treatment being undertaken.  A family history is also of interest.

Next, a comprehensive physical exam should be performed.  Appropriate laboratory procedures such as the utilization of urinalysis or blood evaluations should also be performed.

These procedures provide the practitioner with the information needed to determine if therapeutic fasting is indicated as well as providing a base line that can be used to establish each individual's norms.

Without a good base line, it can be very difficult to differentiate a positive healing crisis from a physiological compromise.  For example, a person who develops an arrhythmia on the fourteenth day of a fast might be treated very differently from an individual who starts the fast with the same condition.

How Long to Fast

Once the evaluation has been completed and it is determined that fasting is in fact indicated, the next question usually concerns the duration of the fast.  How long will it last?

It should be understood that the fast itself is an important diagnostic tool in determining duration.  The signs and symptoms that occur during the fast provide the trained observer with important information about the nature of the underlying conditions.

Although an experienced practitioner can estimate the length of a fast needed, none of us have crystal balls.  It is important to go into the fast with a willingness to allow the body to tell us what is indicated.  The idea is to fast as briefly as possible, but as long as necessary to allow the body to generate and resolve any possible healing crises that might result.

In the past, the concept of fasting "to completion" was often promoted.  This meant fasting until the tongue cleared and hunger returned.  But experience has shown that these factors are unreliable indicators.  Some people would not develop a clear tongue even if they fasted far beyond their bodily reserves.  The mere absence of hunger does not ensure that adequate reserves remain.
 
Understanding the Fast

The physiology of fasting has been extensively studied, and three phases of fasting have been identified.

The first phase can be called the gastrointestinal phase, and lasts approximately for first six hours following the last meal.  During this phase the body uses glucose, amino acids and fats, as they are absorbed from the intestinal tract.      

Phase two lasts for more or less the next two days.  During this time the body will use its glycogen (sugar) reserves that are stored in the muscle and liver cells.  These glycogen reserves are mobilized to provide the central nervous system, including the brain, with its normal fuel, glucose.  Within a few hours the body begins to convert adipose (fat) tissue into fatty acids.

Were it not for the body's ability to switch fuels and enter phase three, where the body switches from glucose to fat metabolism, therapeutic fasting could not take place.  The body's protein reserves would be quickly depleted.

Fortunately, this is not a problem.  In fact, within ten hours from the last meal approximately 50% of muscle fuel is coming from fat.  Even the brain itself begins to shift over the fat metabolism.  The consumption of protein reserves decreases from 75 grams per day at the beginning of a fast to just 20 grams a day by the end of the second week.

As you can see, excess activity including excess emotional stress could increase the body's fuel needs, interfering with the optimum adaptation to the fasting state.

Body reserves differ from individual to individual.  But a "typical" 155-pound male at normal weight has enough reserves to fast for between two to four months.  If the fast were allowed to continue beyond the individual's reserves, starvation would ensue and serious damage and eventually death would occur.
 
Breaking the Fast

As with all aspects of fasting, proper termination of the fast is a highly individual matter.  The decision to terminate a fast is based on an evaluation of numerous factors, including the patient's history, symptomatic presentation, examination results, laboratory results, as well as their psychological state and personal circumstances.

One of the characteristics of therapeutic fasting is the healing crisis.  It is important to understand the healing crisis and avoid interfering with this necessary and productive process.  We always try to terminate a fast during a period of stability.

Most fasts will be terminated with fresh fruits or vegetables or their juices.
 
After the Fast

The most important period of the fast is the initial re-feeding.  Too rapid a return to food and activity can spell disaster.  Materials that have been mobilized during the fast must be eliminated.  Improper feeding or activity after the fast can seriously disrupt this process.

It is during the re-feeding program that good dietary and lifestyle habits are reinforced.  The body must be given an opportunity to develop a preference for whole, natural foods, appropriate physical activity, etc. No matter how successful your body is at resolving problems with a fasting process, long-term dietary and life-style compliance will be necessary.

Fasting is not a cure.  It is a process that facilitates the body's healing mechanisms.  It is up to each individual to ensure that the requirements of health are provided on a continuing basis.

People who succeed with Natural Hygiene are those who cooperate long enough that they feel so good that "feeling good" becomes their motivation.  Lifestyle changes based on discipline alone or coupled with negative motivation such as fear of pain, disease or death will only last so long.  But the ecstasy of optimal health is lasting.

Summary

Therapeutic fasting means taking pure water while ensuring complete physical and emotional rest.  This unique process maximizes the healing potential of the body, allowing it to "clean house" and quickly restore a state of higher health.

Therapeutic fasting should be supervised by a properly trained hygienic doctor and should be followed by appropriate dietary and lifestyle modifications.

When properly implemented, therapeutic fasting is extremely effective in creating an internal environment in which the body can do what it does best - heal itself.

Human beings, and other living things, often have been characterized as living "machines." In fact, the concept of human beings as being sophisticated machines dates back as far as the mid-eighteenth century, to the French physician-philosopher Julien La Mettrie.

Early physician-scholars such as La Mettrie could not help but be impressed by the intricacy of our many survival mechanisms that are obvious to the trained eye. Our eyes, ears, heart, lungs, and many other physical features are marvelous mechanical devices, meticulously designed by nature to aid in our survival and/or reproduction.

More impressive still is the fact that these mechanisms work together, in an orchestrated fashion. When we start to jog, our heart increases its pumping action, and our lungs work harder, in exquisite coordination with the heart. The parts work together for the "common good," which is our survival or reproductive potential. Biologists have a word for these parts, these components of our natural design. They are called adaptations.

Modern health professionals are astounded when they discover what the American Hygienic physician-philosopher Herbert Shelton described decades ago: that water-only fasting is an adaptation, and is one of the most powerful healing adaptations of the human design!
 
Examples of adaptations

A living creature, such as a human being, can be thought of as a large, intricate machine, comprised of many, mini-machines, each of which is themselves an adaptation. For example, our tongue is clearly an adaptation, in that it is an intricate machine, designed by nature, to assist our survival prospects.

Actually, the tongue is not a single entity, but is itself composed of many distinct parts, each of which is a component of the fabulous "tongue-machine." Each part, a taste bud, for example, is an important component of the overall design. Our ability to taste sweet things, for example, was part of nature's design in order to encourage our ancestors to eat ripe fruit and other sweet-tasting foods. Our ability to taste bitter things is part of nature's way of discouraging our consumption of substances that might be poisonous. Working together, the many "mini-machines" within our taste preference system (which includes the tongue and our sense of smell) assist in guiding our behavior toward survival-successful ends.

We are built of literally thousands of these mini-machines "adaptations" which are the mechanisms that aid our survival or reproduction. This idea is not new to health professionals, as they clearly recognize that our eyes, ears, heart, and lungs are part of the overall "survival machine," our body.

However, few health professionals recognize that in addition to observable parts, adaptations also come in an altogether different form. Adaptations do not have to be physical structures, such as eyes or ears. They also can be in the form of behavioral tendencies, coded into our nervous systems, as part of our natural design. Such behavioral adaptations are every bit as crucial to our survival as are our eyes, heart, and lungs.

Behavioral adaptations

Consider your behavioral inclination toward a pesky mosquito drilling into your skin. Probably, you slap at the pest. Slapping at mosquitoes is an example of a behavioral adaptation. It is an exquisitely coordinated movement of muscles and sensory feedback, made possible by our natural design. Nature punishes us with unpleasant feelings if we can't or won't slap at the mosquito, and rewards us with a small feeling of relief when we do. This is not a learned, or taught, tendency. It is a genetically-mediated feature of the circuitry in our brains. All children, the world over, slap at mosquitoes automatically, a telltale sign of a naturally designed behavioral tendency. In other words, slapping at mosquitoes is an "adaptation."

Many behavioral characteristics and bodily responses are components of our natural design. Coughing, sneezing, vomiting, fever, and inflammation, while they may not be pleasant, are adaptations. They are sophisticated responses of the body, designed into our nature, in order to assist our health and healing. The artificial suppression of such adaptive mechanisms, such as suppressing a cough or a fever with medication or other means, is almost always a step away from health.

It is now well known that fever, inflammation, coughing, and vomiting are health-promoting adaptations that require judicious management. Among better-educated health professionals, it is understood that artificial suppression of these adaptive responses may provide pain relief, but at the potential compromise of overall health. The wise professional will attempt to understand what is causing these adaptations to be activated, and to remove such causes, rather than merely attempting to suppress symptoms. But while fever, inflammation, and other symptoms are finally becoming recognized as adaptive processes, the importance of the loss of appetite, characteristic of many disease processes, is largely unappreciated.
 
A multi-faceted adaptation

As Herbert Shelton noted in his long out-of-print 1928 book Human Life: Its Philosophy and Laws, Fasting has its origins in the dim uncertainties of the long forgotten past when the first wounded animal found that it had no desire for food. In other words, fasting is an ancient adaptation. It is also a multi-faceted one, because it involves both physical and psychological adaptations.

Few health professionals are aware of the many, truly astonishing, physical adaptations that result from water-only fasting. Most believe that water-only fasting is simply "starving," and that little or no benefits result from such an experience.

In reality, water-only fasting is dynamic, complex, and involves many health-promoting processes. For example, studies have indicated that immune function is significantly enhanced during water-only fasting, an effect that few would suspect. There is also an enhanced mobilization and elimination of toxic products, including poisons such as PCP, dioxins, pesticide residues, and other pollutants. The evolutionary reasons for this benefit are uncertain. Probably, in the dim uncertainties of the long-forgotten past, life-threatening infections and exposure to naturally-occurring environmental toxins were serious threats to the survival of our ancestors. These threats may have resulted in the development of health-promoting adaptations, one of which was water-only fasting.

In addition to many documented physical adaptations associated with water-only fasting, there is also an obvious psychological one as well. Often when we are ill, we lose our appetite. Like many other animals, we don't feel much like eating when we get sick, and this is hardly an accident. It is clearly a component of our natural design, the psychological component of the fasting "machine." Like our tongues, the fasting process is multi-faceted, a "packet" of adaptations all working together. The natural adaptation of water-only fasting starts with a desire to refrain from eating, and results in many health-promoting automated processes. Few health professionals ever have considered that the lack of appetite that accompanies illness is actually a component of such a complex adaptive mechanism. As a result, honoring this adaptive tendency is rarely encouraged. In fact, it is often actively discouraged.

An understandable error

When an unwell animal fasts, it is quietly fighting for its life. The lack of appetite is a component of a finely coordinated strategy of the body to restore health as quickly as possible. Rest is an additional, and integral, component of this strategy. Not only do sick animals often fast, they also rest while doing so. Fasting and resting help to assist the healing process. However, once an animal begins to recover, two marked behavioral changes occur. First, the animal becomes more active. Second, the hunger drive returns, and the animal begins to seek food and eat. Activity and eating are the visible signs of a creature returning to health.

It is hardly surprising, then, that humans have confused the connection between eating and the regaining of health. Observing that increased appetite and health go hand-in-hand after illness, many people have mistakenly assumed that an increase in food intake causes the regaining of health. In reality, they have it backwards. It is the increase in health that results in the reappearance of hunger! Sadly, this connection has been missed by most health professionals. This is not surprising, as other adaptations also have been misconstrued and mismanaged throughout history, including fever, inflammation, and vomiting. The natural desire to refrain from eating when ill is simply another example of a misunderstood adaptation.

A voluntary adaptation        

If the natural desire for water-only fasting when ill were to become better respected, this would be a positive step. Instead of being force-fed chicken soup, people with a condition resulting in the need to fast would be managed quite differently. However, water-only fasting is an unusual adaptation in that it does not require the loss of appetite associated with acute illness. Fasting also can be undertaken voluntarily.

Unlike other health-promoting adaptations, such as fever or inflammation, a water-only fasting process can be started with merely a behavioral decision. As such, it is possible to invoke this multi-faceted healing process without the loss of desire for food. As you might imagine, few health professionals have ever considered this possibility, and they rarely have the slightest clue about the positive effects of such a strategy. Unless one suspected that fasting was a complex, multi-faceted healing adaptation, one would never choose to fast without a crisis involving a naturally-reduced hunger drive. However, this ancient mechanism, designed by nature to assist healing processes during crises, also works well when we are not in a crisis.
 
Overcoming excesses

It is now recognized that, in the industrialized world, most diseases are due to dietary excesses, especially of animal products and processed foods (such as oils and refined sugar). It turns out that voluntary, water-only fasting is often magnificent in its ability to assist the body in healing from the consequences of these excesses.

Fasting results in weight loss, elimination of excess cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid, as well as accumulated environmental toxins. Often, growths and tumors associated with dietary excesses, such as fibroids and cysts, are reabsorbed. Inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis, colitis, asthma, and hepatitis, often are greatly improved or resolved. Many enzymatic functions of the liver and other organs, including the insulin-resistance characteristic of diabetes, can rapidly normalize. For most adult-onset diabetes patients, medications become unnecessary.   

Hypertension, the leading cause of doctor visits and of prescription medication use in America, is almost always rapidly resolved during supervised water-only fasting. In over 250 cases of hypertension seen at the TrueNorth  Health Center over the past 16 years, almost all were able to achieve a blood pressure level after fasting that eliminated the need for medication. Our ongoing research is beginning to provide explanations for these spectacular results.

Fasting also assists in an extremely important normalizing process, a process we call taste neuroadaptation. Many modern foods are not the normal foods of our species, they are foods that have been altered to create unnaturally intense taste responses. As a result, most of our modern foods are high in processed sugar, fat, and salt. Our taste buds adapt to these abnormal-but-appealing foodstuffs, making the consumption of whole natural foods less palatable by comparison. Water-only fasting helps to rapidly re-sensitize the palate, so that healthful foods can be fully enjoyed again. Of the many benefits of water-only fasting, this is, for many people, one of the most important.

Proper supervision vital

Supervision is an important component of a water-only fasting experience. During a fast, many powerful adaptive processes are put into motion, some with potentially unpleasant and/or disturbing characteristics. Clinical experience and laboratory data often are needed to distinguish between a positive healing process being generated by the body, and a possible physiological compromise. For this reason, it is recommended that fasting only be undertaken under the supervision of a physician with appropriate training.

Hygienic physicians certified in fasting supervision by the International Association of Hygienic Physicians must hold a valid license as a primary care physician (M.D., D.C., D.O., or N.D.) and complete a six-month residency in fasting supervision at an approved facility. With appropriate training, a supervising physician can help ensure a safe and effective fasting experience.

Fasting, as defined by Hygienic physicians, is the complete abstinence from all substances except pure water in an environment of complete rest. The "complete rest" component of fasting is important because even moderate activity can double caloric usage and reduce the effectiveness of the fast. Clinical research has indicated that the detoxification process, as well as other important healing processes made possible by fasting, may be significantly compromised by excess activity. Resting is a critical component in ensuring that a fast is both a safe and effective experience.

The lost adaptation

At the TrueNorth Health Center, we describe water-only fasting as "the lost adaptation." While creatures all over the Earth routinely make use of this powerful healing strategy, they often must do so because they are so ill that they cannot successfully obtain food. Modern humans, in contrast, are rarely faced with this situation. Today, no matter how sick we get, even if we are lying in a hospital bed, food is brought by others up to our very mouths. And it is usually highly-stimulating food. The idea of fasting, even if we are inclined to do so, is strongly resisted. Well-meaning (but misguided) friends, relatives, and health professionals urge us to eat, so we can "get better."

Similarly, when we are not acutely ill, the idea of water-only fasting seems absurd. It goes against our ancient, natural programming, which encourages us to make sure we get plenty to eat now, because in our natural, ancestral environment there might not have been any food available again soon. Most people fear that if they fast for a few days, dire things will occur, or they believe that the average person can fast only a few days, perhaps a week. The concept of fasting for a week or two, or longer, for health benefits seems ridiculous to them. It also seems ridiculous to the typical health professional, unless they understand that fasting is an adaptation. It is amazing that such a powerful and useful adaptation is virtually unknown, as amazing as if we collectively decided to refrain from slapping mosquitoes. An adaptation that facilitated the survival prospects of a great many of our ancestors has been very nearly "lost."

But times are changing. With the publication of Dr. Joel Fuhrman's recent book, Fasting and Eating for Health, a modern and thorough review of the benefits of fasting has been articulated. And at the TrueNorth Health Center in California, our nine staff doctors (with assistance from Cornell University scientists) have worked together to generate and publish scientifically credible research that documents the benefits of fasting.

It is our hope that our efforts will result in a greater awareness and appreciation of this remarkable process. The utility of fasting may then be widely found, both by health professionals and by the patients who will ultimately reap the benefits.

Learn how to live without this debilitating disease! People in non-western cultures who eat diets low in animal fat and protein have much lower incidences of all types of arthritis!

While most arthritis sufferers are being told that they will need to "learn to live with it," Drs. Goldhamer and Marano of the TrueNorth Health Center in Penngrove, Calif., are helping patients learn to live without it.

Arthritis is a general term which means inflammation of one of the joints in the body. We have all experienced inflammation at one time or another. The most common cause of inflammation is injury. Suppose you lose your footing and fall. During the fall you injure your ankle by twisting it. As a result, your ankle becomes inflamed. The injured area becomes red and hot, it swells up, and you experience pain. Fortunately, the symptoms associated with acute inflammation are part of the healing process. The increased blood flow to the area brings with it extra white blood cells, results in swelling and pain, and limits mobility, which prevents further damage. This process allows your body to heal itself quickly.

Because there are many different causes of inflammation, there are many different kinds of arthritis. The initial inflammation resulting from trauma or other injury, such as the one described above, is not the big problem. Continuous inflammation- the kind that goes on for years- is what leads to the very debilitating problems of arthritis, and it can result in permanently dysfunctional and deformed joints.

Osteoarthritis

The most common form of arthritis is called Osteoarthritis. This is what most people mean when they say, "My arthritis is bothering me." The other name for Osteoarthritis is degenerative joint disease, which is a pretty good description of what happens-the joints degenerate.

Osteoarthritis is seen most frequently in the joints that are most used and abused. It is considered a disease of "aging," but certainly it is not caused by getting older. Whether you develop Osteoarthritis or not depends, to a large degree, on how you live your life. In fact, Osteoarthritis is not just for the aged. By age 30, 35% of people are beginning to show some signs of osteoarthritic changes in their knees, and by ages 70 to 79, at least 85% of people have diagnosable Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis can take place in any joint. As you would expect, carpenters tend to develop Osteoarthritis in their wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Tailors tend to develop it in their hands and fingers. People who are obese tend to have inflammation in their ankles, knees, and hips.

Typically, Osteoarthritis affects a single joint or just a few joints. The early stages of the process are painless. But in time, the pain begins to develop into a deep ache. Many people with Osteoarthritis feel some stiffness after resting and upon waking in the morning. But this stiffness usually lessens after the person has had time to move around a little.
 
Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis belongs to a group of ailments that are called antigen/antibody diseases, or immune complex diseases. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system malfunctions and damages the joint tissues. Inflammation of the joints leads to cartilage destruction. Rheumatoid arthritis is found in between 1% and 4% of the population.

All of your joints are covered by a layer of smooth cartilage which allows your joints to move easily; this lets your body move and distribute its weight evenly. The rheumatoid arthritis process causes the degeneration and destruction of this cartilage. Once this happens, the bone itself begins to erode and the joint becomes deformed.

Rheumatoid arthritis is usually seen in the peripheral joints-especially the hands, elbows, knees, and even the feet sometimes-and because it is a systemic problem, the distribution is usually symmetrical. If you have it on your right side, you usually have it on the left side, too, in the same joints. You have probably seen someone who has swollen and misshapen joints that do not bend properly. These severe changes are often the result of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately three times more women than men, and most often appears between the ages of 35 and 50. Rest, which is helpful in Osteoarthritis, does not seem to alleviate the pain of rheumatoid arthritis; the pain persists. In addition, morning stiffness is much more severe than in Osteoarthritis; it lasts a longer time. As a result, many people resort to taking some kind of medication to get past the stiffness and pain just so that they can button their clothes or tie their shoes.

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common types of arthritis. But there are other less common types, such as gout, lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc. There appears to be a genetic predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis, and the less common types of arthritis tend to have strong genetic predispositions associated with them as well.

Is there hope for relief?

People who suffer from arthritis usually seek some form of treatment to solve their problem. Unfortunately, arthritis of all types has a very poor prognosis under medical treatment. There is no cure for any of the types of arthritis, and medical treatment consists mainly of attempting to relieve pain.

Although medical treatment is not a viable solution, there is hope for those willing to develop a new awareness. New attitudes and behaviors toward arthritis can lead to the lessening, and sometimes the elimination, of pain.

Practical tips

Some of the steps you can take to alleviate the pain of Osteoarthritis are primarily mechanical and are relatively easy to implement.

Osteoarthritis can be caused or aggravated by poor body mechanics, so correction of poor posture and training in proper body use-such as the Alexander technique or similar techniques that teach proper body use-may be beneficial in relieving pain and stopping the progression of Osteoarthritis.

Do not overload or overtax your joints. Alternate your activities to use different parts of your body, and if possible take frequent rest periods during the day. You can apply heat packs or ice packs both before and after a session of use of an inflamed joint. This can be very helpful in reducing pain and stiffness. Ice and heat stimulate blood flow to the area, which brings in added oxygen and nutrients.

Beneficial exercise

Mild exercise that moves the joint, but does not aggravate it, can be very beneficial. Exercise prevents muscle atrophy around the affected joints. Muscles protect the joints, which is why it is so important to maintain the muscle strength around an arthritic joint. Exercise also helps circulate fluids in the joint capsule. There aren't any direct blood vessels that go right to the joint surfaces, so oxygen and nutrients cannot get directly to the cartilage coating around the joints. Nutrients have to diffuse from the nearest blood vessels into the fluid that is in each joint. Exercise assures that there is plenty of motion of the fluid around the joints, so that the nutrients and the oxygen can get delivered. This allows the joints to repair themselves and prevents further degeneration.

Exercise only to the point where pain is not made worse. Some people may need to change the type of exercise they do. Runners who start developing arthritic knees and hips may need to switch to swimming, which takes the weight off the joint but still allows full joint motion. Consultation with a chiropractor or exercise physiologist may be necessary to determine what type of exercise you can do to maintain muscle integrity and joint motion, while not making the degeneration worse.

Foot problems can cause the mechanics of the entire lower body to become faulty, which can put pressure in the wrong places and cause degeneration of the lower extremity joints. Wearing the proper shoes and possibly using orthotics (devices that hold your foot in a particular position) may help normalize the mechanics of the foot, resulting in reduced knee and hip pain.

Full range of motion

Chiropractic care and physical therapy can be of benefit. Chiropractic adjustments can help arthritic joints by restoring a complete range of motion. The breakdown and degeneration of a joint sometimes leads to the joint becoming tight and restricted in its movements. When it does not move through its full range, a number of problems can occur. The joint will not get the circulation it needs, and the joints above and below it have to move more to compensate. This puts extra stress on these other joints and eventually can cause problems. By restoring the full range of motion and the joint "play," chiropractic care may alleviate pain and restore normal joint function.

Every day, virtually everyone inflames their joints through normal daily activities. Fortunately, if you get sufficient rest and sleep, your body can heal during the night. If you do not get sufficient sleep, the inflammation can increase faster than your body can heal; this may lead to chronic problems.

Dietary factors

People in other cultures work just as hard as Americans do, and a certain percentage of those populations probably have genetic predispositions similar to those of Americans. But people in those cultures tend not to develop arthritis at anywhere near the same rate as in the United States. Why? It appears that diet is a major factor.

In cultures where people eat very small quantities of animal fat and animal protein, there is a much lower incidence of all kinds of arthritis. When these people relocate to a city or country where people eat the same type of diet that we do in the United States, their incidence of arthritis increases dramatically. That is a clear indication that the westernized diet is involved in the development of arthritis. The two biggest dietary culprits seem to be animal fat and animal protein.

At the TrueNorth Health Center, we see many people experience a decrease in their Osteoarthritis after changing their diets. The dietary changes do not reverse the joint deformities, which remain unchanged. But the pain still diminishes, because the improved diet helps reduce the inflammation in the joints.

Eating animal products

Rheumatoid arthritis is rare in societies where animal products are seldom eaten, such as in Africa, Japan, and China. And when rheumatoid arthritis does develop, it is usually much milder and is associated with much less disability than in the United States. There are several theories as to why diet influences these antibody/antigen complex diseases, and the culprits are again protein and fat.

Any foreign protein that comes into the body is called an antigen. Our immune system manufactures antibodies to fight these invading substances, and antibody/antigen complexes are formed.

The invaders can be viruses, bacteria, or food protein. (Most people do not think about food protein when they think of invading protein or other foreign proteins.) The antibodies fight antigens by attaching to them and clumping them together to form complexes (many antibodies and antigens clumped together). These complexes are usually eliminated from the body by the immune system. But in some people this does not happen. Instead, the complexes become lodged in various tissues around the body where they cause inflammation (much like a splinter causes when it lodges). When these complexes lodge in the joints, you get pain, swelling, and redness.

Diet can play an additional role in antigen/antibody problems if a person's intestines allow large food proteins to enter the body. When we eat, our digestive system breaks the food down into smaller and smaller particles. In most people the particles have to be very, very small-down to their basic components-before they can get from the digestive tract into the body proper. But in some people, proteins are able to get through at an earlier stage, when they are still quite large and complex. This process is called "gut leakage."

When these larger proteins get into the body, they are perceived as antigens. The body starts attacking them and trying to eliminate them. Eating a high-protein diet, especially one containing animal products, may make people who have a genetic tendency to allow larger particles into their bodies more susceptible to arthritis.

Diet change alleviates pain

One study that supports the contention that diet plays a role in the evolution of arthritis was undertaken at Wayne State University Medical School. The results were dramatic. Investigators took six rheumatoid arthritis patients and fed them a totally fat-free diet for seven weeks. During that time all six patients experienced a complete remission from the pain. The symptoms recurred within 72 hours when either vegetable oil or animal fat was introduced to their diets. If they ate chicken, beef, cheese, coconut oil, or safflower oil, they experienced severe arthritic pain within 72 hours.

Fasting in recovery

People's reactions to the various antigens can be very different. Dairy products, eggs, beef, wheat, and corn are the most common culprits, but there are many others, some of them quite obscure.

If a person suffering from rheumatoid arthritis wants to find out what foods he or she is sensitive to, the best way to go about it is to undertake a period of fasting (ingesting only pure water), followed by a period of rotational feeding. Many arthritis patients have fasted at the TrueNorth Health Center. During the fasting period, it is common for joint pain and swelling to totally disappear.

This pain-free period provides welcome relief, but proper refeeding after the fast is crucial. In fact, there is no point in undertaking a fast if your intention is to go back to your previous way of eating because this behavior is part of the problem (possibly the major part).

Life after the fasting

During the refeeding period we can find out which foods are contributing to the joint pain. We introduce various foods slowly, one at a time, starting with those that are least likely to cause problems. Ideally, every patient would eat the diet we recommend at the Center-a plant-based diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, and the variable addition of nuts, grains, and legumes. This diet is low in fat, low in protein, high in fiber, and contains no animal products. But some people's systems are intolerant even to some of these plant-based foods.

Arthritis patients need to learn which foods they can eat without inducing symptoms, and how much they can eat of those acceptable foods. Some people find that they cannot tolerate very much fruit; others find that they can tolerate some vegetables but not others. Simply eliminating the worst offenders-meats, dairy products, eggs, and wheat-may not be adequate to relieve the pain in a particular individual.

Re-feeding is a learning process.  Each person is different, and each person must learn how he or she needs to eat (and live) in order to remain free from arthritis pain. As a result of their new awareness, many people come to consider their arthritis a kind of "blessing" because a reoccurrence of their arthritic pain reminds them of their need to adhere closely to a health-promoting lifestyle.

Experience of success

At the TrueNorth Health Center, we have found that the most effective approach to arthritis involves an appropriate period of supervised fasting, followed by a health-promoting diet, appropriate exercise, adequate rest and sleep, good body mechanics and posture, and, when appropriate, chiropractic manipulation and physical therapy.  Arthritis is something our patients are learning to live without.  

THERE IS GENUINE HOPE for those suffering from diabetes.  In a great many cases, unnecessary suffering and premature death can be prevented. This is especially important information because diabetes mellitus is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Diabetes is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism.  In simple terms, the body cannot deal with sugar in the normal way due to a lack of insulin.  Insulin is a hormone, produced by the pancreas, which allow cells to absorb sugar.  If there is not enough insulin, or if the body fails to respond to its insulin, sugar builds up in the blood.  This is called hyperglycemia, and it can do great damage to many areas of the body, especially to blood vessels and nerves.  It leads to blindness, kidney failure, sexual dysfunction, and increased risk of heart attack and stroke, nerve damage (neuropathy), and many other problems.

The types of diabetes

Type I is commonly called "juvenile onset diabetes" or "insulin dependent diabetes" because it often begins when an individual is a child or young adult and insulin injections are required to control blood sugar levels.  In Type I diabetics, the pancreas cells that produce insulin are destroyed, and the body produces little or no insulin.  These people must receive insulin injections in order to live.  About eight percent of all diabetics are Type I.

Type II is called "adult onset diabetes" or "non-insulin dependent diabetes" because it most often affects people over forty years old.  These people do make insulin but their bodies do not use it properly.  Roughly 90 percent of all diabetics are Type II.

Early symptoms of diabetes and typical medical treatment

The earliest symptoms of diabetes are usually excessive thirst and frequent urination.  Weight loss, in spite of increased hunger, often follows, and can progress to nausea, vomiting, and anorexia (loss of appetite).  The onset of diabetes tends to be abrupt in children and much more gradual in older people. When diabetes is suspected, laboratory tests of urine and blood are used to confirm the diagnosis.

Medical treatment of diabetes is often directed by doctors called diabetologists; doctors who specialize in helping diabetics control their blood sugar.  Type I (juvenile onset / insulin with a combination of diet, exercise and insulin.  Type II (adult onset / non-insulin dependent) Diabetes can often be controlled with diet, exercise and lifestyle measures alone.  Unfortunately, in common practice many diabetics do not know how to (or simply won't) Control their diet, exercise and lifestyle adequately and medical doctors routinely prescribe oral medications or insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.

There is controversy regarding dietary recommendations for diabetics.  The American Diabetes Association recommends a diet that allows up to 30 percent of calories to be derived from fat.  Experimental evidence, however, suggests that a low fat diet, less than 15 percent, is preferable.  For example, Dr. James Anderson of the University of Kentucky placed 16 insulin treated diabetic men on a special high plant fiber diet with only 11 percent of calories from fat.  After only 16 day, these patients were able to reduce insulin use by 58 percent.  They showed an increased number of insulin receptors, which means their bodies, became more sensitive to insulin.  This is just one of many studies that have been published supporting a low fat, natural foods approach in the management of diabetes.  Despite the scientific evidence, very few medical doctors are recommending this approach.

Correct diet crucial for diabetics

A major problem for diabetics and non-diabetics as well, is excess fat and oil in the diet.  Fat and oil decrease the body's sensitivity to insulin, allowing the blood sugar levels to rise dangerously.  In one study, Dr. S. Sweeney fed young, healthy medical students a very high fat diet for two days and then gave them a glucose tolerance test.  Virtually all of the students showed blood sugar levels high enough to classify them as diabetic. Some were quite severe.  All of the students, blood sugar levels returned to normal when placed on a low fat diet.

A diet derived exclusively from whole natural foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, combined with a moderate aerobic exercise program can enable most Type II diabetics to maintain normal blood sugar levels without resorting to medications of any kind.  Type I diabetics will often be able to obtain much more stable blood sugar on significantly reduced levels of insulin.  Experimental evidence suggests that this combination of diet and exercise can slow down or even stop the degenerative changes associated with diabetes.

In our practice, we have had tremendous success with the use of dietary change with both type I and Type II diabetics.

Fasting can be beneficial

With Type II diabetics, we often utilize a period of fasting to stabilize blood sugar levels and eliminate the need for medication.  Fasting appears to facilitate the body's healing response.  Changes that can take weeks or months to occur with careful feeding occur much more rapidly when fasting is utilized.  Some diabetics with very resistant high blood sugar levels will not respond adequately without fasting.  Careful monitoring is absolutely essential in fasting Type II Diabetics to insure that adequate insulin is present to prevent any associated problems.

While most Type II diabetics produce enough insulin to process the natural ketone bodies produced by the body during fasting, Type I (insulin dependent) diabetics do not produce insulin.  Fasting is generally not used in the treatment of Type I diabetics.  However, diet, exercise and lifestyle modification are extremely beneficial.

Two case studies on diabetes

The following examples are typical of the results we see with diabetes patients at the TrueNorth Center.

Recently, a woman 64 years of age came to our facility. She had been having trouble with frequent urination and an acetone odor to her breath.  When she first saw her family physician sugar was noticed in her urine and blood tests revealed a blood sugar of over 500 mg/dl (five times normal).  Her doctor diagnosed her condition as Type II diabetes and put her on a diabetic diet and diabetes pills.

This approach did not work, and her blood sugar levels remained very high.  Additional medications were tried without success.  The week before her arrival at the Center her blood sugar levels were 258 mg/dl despite maximum dosage of oral medications.  The woman claimed to have been on a strict vegetarian diet and was not overweight.

After a review of her medical history and a comprehensive physical examination and laboratory testing, we placed this woman on a fast.  She remained at the center and was given only distilled water.  Her activities were restricted to resting, listening to educational tapes, participating in our group activities and quietly interacting with other patents and staff.

During her fast she was monitored carefully by daily examination, and by blood and urine testing as was appropriate. She fasted for a total of 9 days and followed that with 12 days of careful feeding on a diet derived exclusively from whole natural foods.  While fasting she developed several symptoms common to fasting including nausea, periods of weakness, a foul taste in the mouth, headaches and some joint pain. By the end of her stay her blood sugar level was within normal limits, her symptoms of fatigue had resolved, and she was free of all medication.

A follow-up visit one month later found this woman to have normal blood sugar levels without the use of medication.  She had excellent energy and vitality and a newfound positive outlook on life.  An interesting side note is that her blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels were markedly reduced and chronic depression was no longer present.

Some patients are able to overcome diabetes without fasting.  Mild problems with high blood sugar levels will often respond to a careful program of dietary and lifestyle modification.  A vegetable based diet and appropriate exercise will often allow the body to heal itself so that the need for medication and its inherent risks can be eliminated.  An example is a 78 year old man who came to us because of back pain.  He had been on diabetes pills for several years and still maintained excessively high blood sugar levels.  He was terrified at the idea of fasting but agreed to follow a diet and exercise program that I designed for him.  Within about three weeks we were able to help him eliminate the need for medication entirely.  It has been several years now and he is quite well.  He uses no medications and reports that he feels better now than when he was 60 years old.

Not all diabetics respond so easily.  At the Center we have seen many, especially Type I onset diabetics, cases that presented a great challenge.  Type I diabetics do not produce enough insulin.  Usually, they will continue to require some insulin indefinitely.  With careful attention to diet and lifestyle it is often possible to greatly reduce the amount of insulin needed and help to stabilize even the "brittle" diabetics, those who have difficulty controlling their sugar levels.

We find working with diabetic patients to be a very rewarding challenge.  They often respond remarkably well despite years of frustrating, unproductive care.  Because the consequences of the disease are so devastating, a real deal of satisfaction can be derived from helping the diabetics avoid the typical route of disease and degeneration.
 

What is the epidemic condition that causes more death and disability in industrialized countries than any other?

What is the leading reason for visits to doctors and the single biggest justification for drug prescriptions?

What condition affects the majority of Americans over the age of 65, often has no symptoms, and is referred to as the  "silent killer"?

If you said high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, you would be correct.

Blood Pressure Basics

Blood pressure measurements are recorded as two distinct numbers, the first one over the second. The top number is called the systolic blood pressure and this number represents the pressure of the blood in the vessels during the heart's contraction.  The bottom number, or diastolic blood pressure, represents the pressure of the blood in the vessels when the heart relaxes.

Both measurements are important risk factors that are associated with your risk of morbidity and mortality.  That means your risk of becoming ill or dead.

For every point your systolic blood pressure rises over 90 there is a one percent increased risk of mortality.  Looked at positively, this means that for every point you drop your systolic blood pressure all the way down to 90, there is a one percent reduction in mortality.  Therefore, an individual who successfully reduces his/her systolic blood pressure from 150 to 110 through improved dietary and lifestyle habits would reduce their risk of all cause mortality by a whopping 40 percent.  Said simply, this means that if you reduce your systolic blood pressure by 40 points, you are 40% less likely to die this year.

Blood Pressure Matters

When blood pressure is elevated the increased wear and tear on the blood vessels and the turbulence created in the bloodstream appears to increase the tendency to form fatty sores called plaques.  When these plaques rupture they may lead to a blockage of the blood vessels that feed circulation to the heart or brain resulting in a heart attack or stroke.  These incidents are the leading cause of death in industrialized countries.

Interestingly, the majority of heart attacks and strokes that result from increased blood pressure occur in individuals whose blood pressure is not yet elevated high enough to justify the significant risks of medications.  All blood pressure medications are known to have significant risks and side effects.  These side effects are so dangerous that until blood pressures are significantly elevated (greater than 160 mm/Hg in most patients) the risks of medications outweigh the potential benefit.

Fortunately there are many options other than drugs that work to safely lower blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of premature death and disability.

*Blood pressure numbers are given here as  "points" without the associated terminology as  "millimeters of mercury," indicated by "mm Hg."  The correct way to technically describe blood pressure of 120/80 is  "120/80 mm/Hg."

What Works

As Figure 1 indicates, numerous approaches have been scientifically proven to be safe and effective at lowering blood pressure.  For example, for every Kg of weight loss (2.2 pounds), systolic blood pressure is reduced an average of 1.6 points.  The adoption of a vegetarian high fiber diet will also reduce systolic blood pressure, by an average of 2.8 points.  Also, and very significantly, the reduction of alcohol and sodium will reduce systolic blood pressure by 4.8 and 16 points respectively.  It is interesting to note that the 16 point reduction from severe sodium restriction is actually a larger effect size than would be expected from any combination of medications.  Exercise has additionally been shown to have a powerful normalizing effect on blood pressure.  For example, a regular walking program of 45 minutes, 4-5 times a week may reduce blood pressure by an average of about 7 points.

Water-Only Fasting and Blood Pressure

In a study conducted at the TrueNorth Health Center in California and published in the June 2001 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the use of water-only fasting followed by a low-fat, low-salt vegan diet demonstrated the largest effect on lowering blood pressure of any study in the scientific literature (See Figure 2).  The average drop in systolic blood pressure in 174 consecutive patients was 37 points.  In those patients with higher levels of blood pressure, starting at what is called Stage 3 hypertension (where the systolic blood pressure exceeds 180 points or 180 mm/Hg), the average reduction was 60 points!

In a second study, also conducted at the TrueNorth Health Center and published in the October 2002 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a group of 68 patients with "borderline" high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure between 120 and 140 mm Hg) underwent a period of water-only fasting for an average of two weeks.  The average reduction in blood pressure exceeded 20 points, resulting in a final average blood pressure of 96/67.  This is a level similar to that level suspected to be optimum blood pressure by Dr. Richard Peto of Oxford and other authorities.

Worth Getting Healthy

In 2001, California's largest labor union, The International Union of Operating Engineers, elected to make the TrueNorth Health residential health education program a fully covered medical benefit offered to all active and retired union members and their families that suffer with high blood pressure or diabetes.  This represents the first time in history that a major medical payer has agreed to provide water-only fasting as a fully covered medical benefit. 

The Operating Engineers Union is self-insured and all information concerning medical expenses is centralized.  This has allowed us to accurately evaluate the effect of the fasting program on the cost of medical treatment and drugs in the year prior to, and the year after, participation in the TrueNorth Health program.  The results have been clinically and economically impressive.  The cost of medical and drug treatment was reduced an average of over $2700 per member in the first year alone.  This cost savings exceeded the cost of the program, demonstrating that fasting can be both clinically and economically effective.  TrueNorth Health Center will continue to track the outcomes of the Union members in the years to come, and we expect the long-term results to be outstanding.

Feeding After the Fast

The effect of fasting on blood pressure can seem like a miracle, as patients who have been told that they need to take medications "for the rest of your life" are able to throw away those medications.  However, in order to sustain the results requires compliance with a health promoting lifestyle, including proper diet, sleep, and exercise habits. With respect to diet, we instruct our patients to avoid all processed foods that contain added salt, including bread, cheese, highly salted salad dressings, soups, sauces, soda, as well as the use of coffee, alcohol and chocolate.  In place of a conventional American diet, we encourage a diet derived exclusively from whole, minimally processed foods including fruits, vegetables, unprocessed whole grains, beans, and raw nuts and seeds.

Breakfast is often fresh fruit and/or oatmeal with some ground flax seeds.  Lunch is often a large raw vegetable salad, with steamed vegetables and minimally processed complex carbohydrates including steamed or baked potatoes, yams, squash, etc.  Dinner may include another large raw vegetable salad, more steamed vegetables and rice, millet, or a dish out of The Health Promoting Cookbook.

By avoiding all meat, fish, fowl, eggs and dairy products as well as all foods with added oil, flour, salt and sugar, our patients eliminate the dietary excess that is a contributing cause of high blood pressure.  When combined with a program of proper sleep and exercise, the results are consistently outstanding.  By utilizing fasting to jump start a new way of living, patients are able to break bad habits and gain control of their health.  High blood pressure is just one of many major health concerns that can be successfully treated with this approach.  And it is one that you can definitely learn to live without!