We live in a world of increasing toxicity. Many of us are called to take radical means in order to help our bodies emerge from their lymphatic stagnation and in order to revive our systems. Nowadays, it is very rare that our digestive system is allowed to completely rest for a while. If in nature, fasting is a practice that sick animals will spontaneously adopt, if children do not ask for food when they are sick, man has moved so far away from the natural intelligence of life that he has too often forgotten the ancestral practice of fasting.
The logic of fasting is to eliminate obstruction and acidity that clutter the body, including the waste that covers the digestive tract. Fasting allows us to allocate the energy required by the digestion of complex food to the optimizing of the nervous system and to the process of cleaning and rebuilding our tissues. The body can auto-correct its terrain and mobilizes its vital energy resources for inner purification. This is the very state of life itself in the absence of external disturbances: a living system left to itself tends towards homeostasis.
Where to begin ?
Contrary to popular belief systems, fasting can very well be undertaken without supervision; the important is to proceed gradually and observing the laws of cause and effect. The moment where it’s important to be the most vigilant is when we renew with food after a fast, especially when compulsions enter the game and we tend to overeat or eat the wrong things that would then shock our bodies and cause uncomfortable effects (including nausea and swelling). Everyone can choose an accessible goal and a formula that will meet the requirements of their everyday life: water fasting, dry fasting, intermittent fasting (between 12 and 18 hours without solid food on a daily basis, and why not without liquid either, which would make it an intermittent dry fasting experience), fasting with whole fresh fruits (for example, a monodiet of dark grapes), fasting with fresh fruit juices (especially grapes, watermelons, oranges or lemons) or fasting with pasteurized grape and lemon juice.
How does it work ?
What I was able to observe directly is that during fasting, the body gets rid of the obstruction that lives inside its tissues, remove the diseased cells or the ones that don’t function well. The body starts cleaning itself: diseases come from interstitial constipation of an unknown, rotten and fermented mass of matter kept inside the human body.
My experience of the past 5 years has made me realize that there are many myths to deconstruct around fasting and nutrition. For example, the body’s purifying ability is not increased with water. However, water dilutes acids and therefore toxicity. Overloading the kidneys with too much fluid prevents them from fulfilling their primary function: the filtration of lymphatic waste, revealed by a cloudy urine. If we are so thirsty, it is because our bodies are on fire because of a dehydrating diet that obstructs the vitality of the cells. The less liquid one will drink, the more effective the fast. Water is a solvent and can increase the purification process if the kidneys are working well, which means filtering lymphatic waste. From my personal experience, I learned to drink only as much as my body craves for and not to overflood my system. The fact that the body is overtaxed with the fluids we ingest is due to the many dysfunctions it faces, including a weak endocrine system. The body will be able to handle these fluids better and better over time.
A second preconception: fruit liquid fasting is not a state of weakness. The metabolism may sometimes be increased, even if the physical capacity is sometimes reduced or if a detoxification crisis can come to the surface. Although on a physical level the body will sometimes get weaker before it gets stronger, on spiritual terms it’s a very strenghtening experience. Often our main organs are struggling to fulfill their functions and it will take us patience and time to regenerate them and get them function well. During a fast, herbal teas, herbs and plant decoctions are great allies. Liquid fasting is the opportunity to explore a world without solid food: yogic breathing practices, yoga, music, massage, lymphatic drainage, sauna, qi gong, dance. The more one can rest, the more detoxifying the fast will be.
Preparing a fast of a few days or a few weeks
Before starting a fast, the preparation would be ideal if one can gradually simplify their food intake during the previous week. It will of great help to ensure a more gradual and stable process with less cravings: cigarettes, alcohols, stimulants, dairy products, industrial food, meat until reaching a diet that consists only of vegetables, fruits, soups and juices. If possible, the colon will be cleaned at the beginning of the fast, as well as during (enemas at home, preferably with filtered water and the juice of 1/2 lemon or a cup of decoction of digestive plants).
If someone had told me that fasting would be part of my daily reality a few years ago, I would not have believed it. The thought of spending a day without solid food was scary to me. I gradually learned how much we use food to calm, contain or stifle our emotions. In my journey, the process has been gradual. My first fast was a 5-day water fast in October 2016. At the time, I realized that I will always find excuses not to fast because the basic problem will remain the same: a visceral fear of being without solid food for more than 16 hours. Realizing that I wanted to brave this mental conditioning and challenged myself. The experience was intense as water fasting is quite radical and has no pulling effect, especially given the state of toxicity of our organisms today (petrochemistry, make-up, cosmetics, pesticides, food poisoning, pollution): I experienced dizziness, sensations of hunger, chills, low blood pressure, a reduced heart rate, muscle loss, shortness of breath, cramps and pain in the lower back. This first fast, a water fast (my only up to this date), was the most debilitating I have experienced to this day. It has been the opportunity to get rid of my dependance on coffee.
March 2018, I began to learn about cellular detoxification and to simplify my diet to tend towards fruits and vegetables. I began to notice signs of detoxification, particularly through mucus coming out from my lungs or running down my throat. My acne began to clear up noticeably while the function of my kidneys was revived gradually, with the lymphatic waste starting to be apparent in urine. It was not until 6 months later that I jumped in my first long fast with a grapejuice protocol, where pasteurized grape juice is combined with lemon juice, plant tinctures, kidney decoctions, a mixture of charcoal, psyllium and clay, periods of dry fasting and enemas. While the body receives simple sugar without any nutritional input, it goes through an acidic experience which however helps it to get better due to its pulling effects. Obstructions are purged in a controlled manner while the spirit is diving into the depths of the subconscious. After experimenting with these approaches for one year, my body would just not be able to swallow more bottled grapejuice so I made up my own protocol that I was able to stick to for about 100 days of liquid fast, starting the day with fruit juices until I could no longer drink more, then a glass of vegetable juice (usually making sure to filter the juice to avoid solid bits), some occasional veggie broth or coconut water, occassionally a banana tea, a homemade lemonade or some forms of decoction. I would also add from time to time chamomille into the 3 or 4 liters of distilled water for my enema and the juice of half a lemon from time to time. I would also practice intermittent dry fasting from 21 pm to noon and a weekly dry-fast of 33-36 hours.
Integrating and benefits
To fast is to experience the luxury of having time and energy for what we want to focus on in life (other than food). This has been one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made for myself. I discovered that fasting is not a story of restriction but a phase of expansion, enhanced vigilance and connection to the self. The senses are exacerbated, the intuition is sharpened and the body is less numb. Fasting is a journey of inner deprogramming. In my case, this has reflected in the material world by the simplification of my living space, my physical possessions and goods and as well in my relationships, a return to basics and simplicity. As I was very sensitive to the fragrances of cosmetics, I refined my choices even more as well.
When one returns to solid food, the integration phase is important and will be if possible at least as long as the fasting period if not (if possible) equivalent to twice the duration. The ideal return to food is preferably done within stages: fresh fruit juices, whole fresh fruits, homemade compotes, broths, then unseasoned soups and gazpachos (especially with vegetable-fruits such as tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers and zucchini; raw vegetables requiring more digestive energy than cooked vegetables) will be ideal to revive digestion for a while. Fasting has been for me the opportunity not to resume eating habits that are best left out. More complex foods will be introduced gradually to see how the body reacts to them from now. Detoxification indeed allows the body to renew with its initial and primal reactions to each ingredient and allows us to nurture a more conscious, aware and respectful relationship with food.
The pasteurized grapejuice protocol
My first long liquid fast lasted 42-day and since then, there has been a dozen of other long fasts. The first protocol I followed was with pasteurised grapejuice, herbal tintures, windows of daily and weekly dry fasts and enemas. As the pasteurised juice is cooked (dead), it has no living enzymes, does not activate the digestive system and is fully absorbed by the stomach. It has been an extremely effective way to purge obstructions and as you will see, a lot was evacuated through ear candling. The cooked juice is also on the acidic side while fresh juices will be on the alkaline side (why they have my preference now). Grapejuice with lemons have a strong pulling effect and help the kidneys to restore their filtering function.
Facing the fears linked to food programming for the first time
The thought of being on liquids for even one day without solid food was really a scary thought for me. My mind was apprehending this in terms of restriction. Only experience led me to the understanding that a fast is a big phase of expansion, followed by an integration, a contraction. Beforehand I had heard other people’s experiences about fasting but I really couldn’t grasp and understand what the experience was about. I didn’t understand the journey of it neither could I see the wonders of it or how it assists in shifting the inner reality. A (long) fast is a major upgrade that takes time (weeks) to integrate. It’s like a deep dive into a hole of information, a high speed experience. The logic of a fast will be different than the logic of nutrition, it won’t be about providing the highest quality of nutrients.
A raw juice fast (which contains enzymes) will be a different experience. For the cooked protocol, all pasteurized (cooked for 9 minutes) juices from dark berries (grapes, pomegrenate, cherry, blueberries, watermelon, cranberries) can be used with ½ lemon or orange or grapefruit per liter and a half. The body is given simple sugars (and zero nutrition) so it focuses on integral dumping. The toxic mucoid plaque in our GI tract made of old dried fecal matter, parasites, pathogens, toxins and emotions is loosened by the pulling effects of grapejuice. It’s recommended to take sips to avoid spiking blood sugar. The dry fasting windows help make the fast more potent: dry fasting is the highest form of healing and is deeply regenerating on a cellular level. In addition, this kind of protocol assists for the cleanse of the lymphatic system.
Once a day, I was taking herbal tinctures. During my first fast, I could do with the “pudding” (in form of liquid, solidified jelly, baked or encapsulated), a mixture of bentonite clay, charcoal and psyllium, which takes waste on its way out and makes sure it’s not absorbed into the blood. Later on, it would be impossible for me to swallow that mixture. I would do an enema during the wet window: the water will be body temperature and ideally distilled water with the juice of half a lemon for best mucus pulling effect and anti-candida and parasites, one table spoon of chlorella powder for alkalising and calming the bowels. Any herbal tea can be used for enema as well, one may also dissolve probiotic capsules into the enema water as a quick boost of probiotics, even though ultimately our gut flora balances out and rebuilds as we come back into balance by changing our internal terrain. Detoxing is a big commitment in terms of time and energy; it becomes a lifestyle.
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clay enema -
kidney tea -
grapejuice, lemon, orange and grapefruit
My first experience: deep underground cleaning
Year 2018 has been a whole year of ascetism to reconnect to my own energy field and focus on being aware of what’s mine and what isn’t. From end of August to beginning of October 2018, I went through my first long fast, 42 days. It took me more than 3 months to integrate and to feel the benefits of it on physical but also emotional, psychic and multidimensional levels. During this fast, I struggled the most around day 16 – day 20 when I was thinking I wasn’t even halfway and my mind got involved in the process. For a few days, I ate a few dates and even went for a plate of raw zucchini (which was extremely hard to digest, I learned from experience about the required amount of digestive energy for raw vegetables). As my dehydration was coming up to the surface, I was enjoying coconut water after longer weekly dry fasts (36 hours). In the beginning, I felt some days were really long. All the time spent for preparing or cleaning the dishes, groceries, digestion or elimination was available for something else. I felt more sovereign over my own time but it sometimes felt too intense and overwhelmingly long. All my senses were heightened.
Soon enough, my nervous system would inform me of traumatic energies very sharply, I would get shaky when a bit of stress (such as driving in the middle of a city or interacting with workers from a mind-controlling yoga center) would cross my way. I felt the need to clear my space and I reviewed all my belongings: about every single object in every room of the house, bathroom, kitchen, living room and bedrooms. I gave away boxes and boxes of clothes, books, old objects. I also got overwhelmed by the frequency of some old massive furniture and simplified the space for more energy flow. I bumped into some second hand lovely furniture. I invested in the most organic and natural products I could find for soaps, I threw away useless supplements that were addressing symptoms. I became very sensitive to the frequency of things: creams, shampoos, body soaps and would use a minimum amount on me. I threw away beauty creams that I wasn’t sure about and I stopped using nail polish and started to use a natural nail oil.
Breaking the fast
I broke my fast on a high after a long 43-hour dry fast, almost 2 days! I was shivering from feeling the energy flowing within my body. I wasn’t dreaming about coming back to food. I was also getting quite on the border with some old satisfaction from being skinny. For 2 days, I would eat mangos and fruits that weren’t organic and it wasn’t tasty at all. Moreover, fruits weren’t really calling me as tomatoes and sprouts would be doing. I discovered an organic farm close (18 minutes) from my home. They had quite clean products in there, it felt like a magic cavern, shopping there was already a sensory experience: I would find green herbs and tasty green leafs grown locally and organically and red peppers. I wanted to nourrish with food that had been grown with love and care, I could literally taste the love. For a while, I prepared my juices with extra care and love. It was a feast and the best party I had been at for a long time. My first vegetable broth was divine after so much sugary intake. For 3 days, everything tasted amazingly great. I made sure I wasn’t doing something else while connecting with food, like reading or watching a video. I was diving back slowly, not mixing many ingredients in one meal, leaving 30 minutes or one hour in between each fruit meal, not mixing too many things at once in my stomach, eating one fruit at the time (one thing I was never able to do before). I was learning about food combination and bloating from mistakes of food combining. I had some cravings for salty things (cheese, chickpeas) but kept away from them, trying to satisfy it with natural salts such as dried tomatoes or seaweeds. I committed to eating mucus free for 2 months which helped for the integration and with my difficulties to digest. For a full week, I would feel tired with the digestive function being activated again. I noticed I would feel more evidently in my chest when something or someone was out of alignement. It took me a good 3 months to integrate 42 days of fasting and for a decent level of digestion to be attained again. Ear candling was the most extraordinary during that fast as my kidneys were not filtering yet.
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heavy ear candling on the masterfast -
My second long liquid feast followed by an hybrid fast: potent and serious dumping
End of February 2019, I was having my last solid food after a week of allowing myself more freedom into tasting the food without being scared of slowing detox down as I knew I was about to dive deeper again. I dried fast for 40 hours to kickstart the second round of a less radical fasting period (I would have a broth from time to time and it happened I had tomato juice as I was driving for long hours and getting very much in the ether). Between 2 realities as I was travelling away and coming back home, my mind didn’t have the chance to build stories and fears about entering a new fast. The fridge was empty. Beforehand, there was less compulsive eating (as it happened for 2 weeks prior to the first fast). This second attempt was easier to navigate; I knew I could make it through. During this fast, I had to do frequent ear candling to avoid for my ears to be clogged up. In the physical realm, I cleaned a part of my basement. At the end of the fast, I stopped at a plant shop and bought a dozen of new plants and redecorated one of the rooms of the house.
I went back to food while dealing with handlers and the process of breaking the fast was more complicated than the first time. After 3 weeks of being back to food, I felt unclear and numb. I decided to fast again and it was my first experience of an hybrid liquid fast; this time I included fruit meals and some fresh fruit juice. My motivation was different this time: I wanted to understand the emotions, anxiety, fears and triggers of the last weeks and I also wanted to get out of limbo land with old stagnant projects that had been waiting for my attention for months/years. The hybrid lasted 2 weeks and helped me integrate and relaunch digestion gradually. Hydration from fruits helped to make it a more pleasant experience. For a few weeks though, I began to be unable to commit to my usual dry fasting windows and lost the habit and the discipline. It takes years for the body to hydrate itself at the cellular level. The reason we feel so thirsty is because the mainstream diet is dehydrating and acidic. The Standard American Diet obstructs the body and sucks the hydration and the vitality out of the cells. We feel the need to drink to cool down the acids and dilute the toxicity. However, drinking water does not hydrate the body. If anything, it puts more stress on the kidneys, which have to filter all the extra fluid. Ideally, the kidneys filter excess obstructions in the fluid and expel them out of the body through the urine. However, when the kidneys are obstructed, the blood and lymph become backed-up with obstructions, which may start coming out through the skin (another elimination organ) in the form of pimples, rashes, eczema, psoriasis. This simply means that underneath the skin, the fluid is backed up with obstructions because the kidneys and bowels are blocked. Basically, when the kidneys are blocked, the whole body becomes obstructed. The more sediment we see in the urine, the more obstruction is exiting the body. Clear urine indicates that the kidneys are not filtering. After a few weeks of rehabilitation I had sweet potatoes chips (with oil on it); the effects were hardly manageable and I realized the addictive effect of fats on the brain. My body was asking for more, from a compulsive place not a place of nutritional needs. I also noticed the effects of spices as they are stimulants but indulged once in a while with them while doing my best to stay away from salt.
Integrating fasting periods
Fasting is helping me to be less cut from my body, to reconnect to my numbed senses, to rediscover the pleasure of every bite of food. There is very rare models around of what health looks like. Fasting is showing me also how to face and process my emotions, watch my thougths from a distance and excavate hidden motives behind every action and thought. It helps me to pacify my relationship with food and realise I didn’t even know how complex this relationship was. Fasting has been the most rewarding decision I have made for myself in a while, simple and clear. It is showing me the way, revealing how I can be ungrounded, how I can be dissociated from my body. I am getting stronger in my psyche.
From mid-2019, I moved to fresh fruit liquid feasting as my body would just refuse the cooked grapejuice. I would experiment with citrus (oranges, lemons and tangerines) and pineapples, apples and kiwis with a bit of distilled or spring water, coconut water and birch sap. I am an advocate of listening to where my spirit is guiding me, not forcing my body to follow a protocol that does not fit and especially coming back to my own intuitive guidance which by far exceed the results I can get on any protocol. I noticed that most detox movements have a lot of mind control elements in them and tend to be impregnated with a certain level of shame and guilt and a derailment from personal sovereignty. There is a time for everything and I am grateful for all the experiences I went through and overcame.
