Chapter 1-3 of Healing Foods by Walter Last
Fasting is a period of restricted food intake, and cleansing is the removal
of waste products from the body as a result of fasting. This combination of
fasting and cleansing is a most effective healing method. It is essential for
overcoming chronic diseases, and for rejuvenating an aging body. It is also
excellent for ensuring continued health, and minimizes the risk of a disabling
disease later in life. However, it can be rather unpleasant, especially for
beginners.
Just by fasting alone, many chronic diseases can be healed. For someone
on a cooked diet, a period on raw foods is a fast or cleansing period. The
cleansing effect is made even stronger by restricting the diet to one food
item, such as fruit, or juice, or just water. Generally speaking a fast and
related cleanse means that less food energy is being ingested than is used in
our daily activity, thus forcing the body to metabolize accumulated waste
products that clog up our cells and tissues.
Start with several one-day fasts, possibly once a week, before trying a
three-day fast. Then have a three-day fast once a month; if on normal working
hours, have the first fast day on a Friday. The second day often feels the
worst. Once or twice a year you may fast for seven days or longer. Instead of a
series of strict fasts, you may have longer periods on a raw-food diet, and a
strict fast only occasionally. With chronic diseases, the need for cleansing
obviously is much greater than just for general health improvement. After a
year or two, or on return to good health, the number of cleansing periods may
safely be reduced to twice a year except if much processed food is used. Also
with the onset of a cold, flu or other infectious disease, start a fast
immediately.
The more often you have a fast, the less you will normally be affected
by it in a negative way; a sense of peace and well-being may develop instead.
As long as you are still congested, the tongue will be strongly coated, and the
breath has a strong odor when you get up in the morning during a fast.
Conversely, if breath and tongue are clear in the morning, the body is reasonably
clean, and no more fasting is needed. Scrape or brush the tongue clean whenever
it is coated. You may use a sharp-edged spoon for scraping.
For several days before a longer fast, start already reducing the amount
of food, and preferably do not eat flesh food or processed food on the last day
before a fast. Best have only raw fruit and vegetables on that last day. In the
same way, increase the amount of food only gradually after a fast, and have
only raw food on the first day after a fast. The longer the fast, the less you
may eat at the first meal, and the longer it should take to return to the usual
diet. An apple is good for breaking a juice or water fast.
When going on a juice or water fast of three days or longer, it is
advisable to take a laxative on the first morning of the fast, and every two or
three days during a longer fast. Those with a disintegrating tumor may require
a daily laxative, in addition to daily colonies. You may take one tablespoonful
of Epsom salts in water, or herbal laxative. Quite mild and very effective is
an isotonic salt flush. This is not suitable for those with advanced cancer,
kidney disease or hypertension, as part of the salt may be absorbed.
The effectiveness of the fast can be further increased by using a hot castor-oil
pack for three days before and during the fast. Coat the liver area (the bottom
of the right ribcage) and upper abdomen with castor oil, cover with a woolen
cloth folded in four layers, and keep warm for an hour or two with a hot-water
bottle. At bedtime take 2 tablespoons of olive oil; shake it in a jar with
lecithin and fresh orange or lemon juice. The next morning take sufficient
laxative to produce a good cleanout within a few hours.
Castor oil stimulates the liver's capacity to detoxify, olive oil
induces the gall bladder to empty, and expel fat-soluble toxins from the liver,
while the laxative removes the poisons quickly from the bowels. This method of
cleansing causes a minimum of discomfort that might otherwise result in
headaches, nausea and weakness. An excellent cleanse, which also may remove
gallstones, is a three-day apple fast with half a cup of olive oil on the last
evening.
Take it easy during fasts, rest whenever you feel weak or just stay in
bed if necessary. Skin brushing, deep-breathing exercises, mild sun exposure
and frequent showers are helpful.
Different Cleansing Methods
Some natural therapists regard a fast on only water, especially
distilled water, as the only real and worthwhile fast. Fasting on purified
water is especially good for strict allergy testing. However, cleansing results
appear to be quite as good on properly selected juice fasts, but with better
maintenance of strength, and quicker recovery afterwards.
Except for very sensitive individuals, I recommend apples for the first
three-day fast. Preferably obtain unsprayed apples, otherwise either peel or
scrub in warm soapy water and rinse well. Do not ingest waxed skins. Eat as
many apples as you like, generally the more the better to keep the bowels
moving. Apple fasts are usually well tolerated and are also good for children.
Fasting on freshly pressed vegetable juices is somewhat more severe but
generally well tolerated. Preferably use plenty of green juice made from grass,
leaves, parley and celery, flavored with sweet vegetables such as carrot,
beetroot or pumpkin, and possibly also an apple. This may be diluted with water
for a total fluid intake of 2-3 liters daily, depending on your weight. If
rather sensitive, minimize the amount of sweet juices.
For very sensitive, weak and underweight individuals, a cooked legume
diet of 10 or more days may be better. Try split red lentils, lightly flavored
with salt and olive oil, and preferably 1-3 tablespoons of unheated ground
linseed per day, possibly also some cooked onions and leaf vegetables. Use
sufficient linseed to have several easy, bulky bowel movements daily. You do
not need to eat proper meals, just have a few spoonfuls whenever you feel
hungry, and chew very slowly. Preferably follow the legume diet with a few days
of eating raw food only. Possibly alternate periods on cooked legumes and on
raw foods several times.
For insensitive individuals a three-day lemon-juice fast is excellent,
and especially good for improving liver functions; it is also recommended for those
with high blood pressure, and for overweight males. About 10 times during the
day drink a large glass of water with the addition of about 10% of fresh lemon
juice. You may flavor this with a small amount of fresh grapefruit or orange
juice, and preferably add small amounts of spirulina
and possibly cinnamon.. Later you may extend this fast to seven days or longer.
The 'grape cure' is well known as a cancer cure, but it is also good for
coronary artery disease and other chronic diseases. You eat about one kilo of
grapes spaced out during the day to avoid any strong rise in the blood sugar
level. Sensitive individuals may use additional alkalizer
if the grapes cause acidity. Continue for several weeks. Sometimes a crisis
develops during which a tumor is aborted. Black grapes are best, otherwise
purple or red.
If you cannot obtain unsprayed grapes, wash them thoroughly in warm
soapy water and rinse well. If you are sensitive to molds also soak them in
diluted hydrogen peroxide, or expose to sunlight before a last rinse and
eating.
For a longer cleansing period a mixed fast may be used. You may, for
instance, start with several days on a legume diet, and follow this with a
period on raw food only, some time on apples or grapes, and a further period on
juices. Then you repeat this sequence in reverse order with days of eating only
fruit, raw food, and finally legumes, before returning to your normal diet. The
whole cleansing period may last for several weeks, or even months, with
repeated sequences.
Unless you have an acute infectious disease, do not start a strict fast
when you feel weak. In this case you may alternate between a legume diet and a
raw-food diet. Those with acute infections may have only fresh fruit, or
vegetable juice, until health improves and good appetite returns.
If you suspect your body is overloaded with chemicals, or that your
liver's ability to detoxify is reduced, have only mild fasts initially, such as
the legume diet and raw-food diet. Also supply plenty of sulfur in the form of
MSM, or sodium thiosulphate,. or alternatively use
onions, raw egg yolk and possibly the amino acids cysteine
and methionine. The older we are and the less
physically active, the more important is regular cleansing.
The Basic Cleanse: I recommend this
8--day mixed cleanse at least once for most individuals near the beginning of
their health improvement journey. It combines fasting and cleansing with
intestinal sanitation and allergy testing. For details see The Basic Cleanse.
'Lymphacizing' - gently bouncing
on a rebounder, greatly increase the cleansing action during a fast. This
speeds up the lymph flow to many times its normal rate.
Cleansing the body involves several steps: dislodging wastes and toxins
from within and between cells, and transporting them with the lymph fluid to
the large veins near the neck, where they enter the bloodstream to be
discharged through the liver and kidneys.
A greatly reduced food intake is the main factor to dislodge stored
wastes and toxins. Muscle activity propels the lymph flow; castor-oil packs,
fruit acids, olive oil, bitter herbs and sulfur compounds stimulate liver
detoxification of fat-soluble waste, while a high fluid intake and kidney herbs
help remove water-soluble wastes.
During fasting we usually do not have much energy for muscle activity,
but lymphacizing can come to the rescue, as it does
not consume much energy, and one actually feels energized afterwards. With each
upward bounce the lymph is pushed towards the neck, and prevented from falling
back again because the valves through which it pushes are one-way. For details
see Exercises.
Another good way of speeding up your lymph circulation is by inverting
your body. Special inversion equipment is available where you can hang upside
down or you may use a slant-board, be it self-made or purchased or you may
simply put your legs up against a wall while lying on the floor or bicycle in
the inverted position, or do a shoulder-stand or headstand.
Mucus problems are very common.
This is obvious when we have a cold with a congested or running nose, but at
other times it may be noticed as congested or inflamed sinuses, ear or hearing
problems, including tinnitus and ‘glue ear’ in children, glaucoma, throat and
lung problems, especially asthma. Mucus problems tend to be caused by fungus
infestations and sensitivity to lactose or milk sugar, for details see Instant Cure of the Common
Cold.
Keep a teaspoonful of
sugar in the mouth and move it around slightly until it is dissolved after a
minute or two, then spit it out and take another teaspoonful. Fine sugar is
best for this purpose as it dissolves faster. Continue with this for several
hours until the cold symptoms, such as mucus congestion of the nose and
sinuses, have disappeared and you can easily breathe through the nose. This
also tends to remove any headaches and other discomfort.
I have found that a
heavy cold can be stopped in about 4 hours using this method - a light cold may
require less time. For influenza or other persistent mucus congestion this may
have to be repeated for several days. The sugar draws mucus dissolved in lymph
fluid into the mouth and so gradually clears the head spaces. As a precaution,
if you feel that you are susceptible to getting colds, or if you have a runny
nose or other congestion of head spaces, you may use the sugar cure for one or
two hours and repeat it once a week or as required.
The Oil Rinse: You may remove fat-soluble toxins before they reach the liver.
First thing in the morning take a large sip of a light oil, such as sunflower
oil or grape seed oil (stored in glass bottles), and vigorously swish it around
the mouth for ten to twenty minutes, then spit it out (be careful, it may clog
the sink). Rinse the mouth several times with warm water. Continue this for
several months. This rinse is especially important if the lymph system is
congested as it commonly is with cancer and other chronic diseases, and it is
very effective with health problems in the head and neck area, including dental
problems.
Distilled Water Rinse: At other
times you may use distilled water to filter out water-soluble toxins. After
rising and again at bedtime, use a cupful of distilled water. Take a mouthful and
hold it under the tongue for about 2 minutes. Then spit it out and repeat the
process until the cup is empty.
HYPERCOAGULATION
Hypercoagulation is
an increased tendency of the blood to form obstructive fibrin fibres and clots.
Clots can lead to infarction or tissue death from blocked blood supply. Clots
in the lungs are called pulmonary embolism, in the heart muscle it causes a
heart attack, in the brain a stroke, in the legs ulcers and deep vein
thrombosis. In addition fibrin obstructions can build up in blood vessels
similar to clogged-up old water pipes.
Fibrin is a sticky protein fiber. It naturally cross-links to make
platelets stick together and form blood clots for sealing wounds to stop
bleeding. The problem is that fibrin also starts cross-linking when
non-bleeding inflammations are present as with cardiovascular disease. Commonly
such inflammation is triggered by microbes and toxins in the blood.
The resulting excess of cross-linked fibrin forms micro-clots that block
blood flow in capillaries, it also sticks to the walls of blood vessels and
narrows their opening, and it causes blood cells to clump together. Sticky
blood appears to be a precondition for cholesterol to start clogging up
arteries, and it is also a common factor leading to high blood pressure.
Clumping can be seen
with live blood analysis when erythrocytes aggregate, sometimes looking like
many coins sticking together in a column-like manner (rouleaux formation).
Such clumped blood does not flow freely like healthy blood, and cannot move
through capillaries so that many organs become starved of nutrients.
There are several useful
remedies to clean out the congested blood vessels and greatly improve blood
circulation, such as DMSO, Olive Leaf Extract, fibrinolytic enzymes
(Nattokinase, Serrapeptase and Bromelain), sodium thiosulphate and heave metal
chelators. For details see Hypercoagulation.
Chapter 1: BASIC HEALTH IMPROVEMENT