It is advisable to prepare yourself for fasting by a short cleansing, diet. For 2 or 3 days, eat nothing but raw fruits and vegetables – one meal a day of any available fruits, the other of fresh vegetable salad.

Fasting usually begins with an effective bowel cleansing with the help of purgatives, such as Glauber’s salts or castor oil. Dr. Buchinger uses an ounce and a half of Glauber’s salts in one and a quarter pints of warm water on the morning of the first day of fasting. Since the Glauber’s salt drink is not very tasty, it is usually followed by a glass of fruit juice. Glauber’s salts will cause repeated and powerful evacuations and cleanse your bowels thoroughly. Some European clinics use castor oil for the same purpose. On the first day of fasting, one or two hours before an enema, 2 tbsp. of pure castor oil is taken in a glass of water to which the juice of half a lemon has been added. Of course, you can begin your fasting without a purgative, just by taking a double enema. First take 1 pint of plain water and let it out. Then repeat with a full quart of water, into which chamomile tea or a few drops of lemon juice have been added.

The next day, and each following day of the fast, you follow this program:

Upon arising: Enema.

After enema: Dry brush massage, followed by hot and cold shower.

9:00 A.M.: Cup of herb tea – warm, not hot. Health food stores carry a large assortment of herb teas.

11:00 A.M.: A glass of freshly-pressed fruit juice diluted 50-50 with water.

11:00 A.M. to

1:00 P.M. Walk or mild exercise, or sunbathing, if the weather permits. Various therapeutic baths or other treatments can be given at this time.

1:00 P.M.: A glass of freshly made vegetable juice or a cup of vegetable broth.

1:30 to

4:00 P.M.: Rest in bed.

4:00 P.M.: Cup of herb tea.

4:15 to

7:00 P.M.: Walk, therapeutic baths, exercises and other treatments.

7:00 P.M.:     Glass of diluted vegetable or fruit juices.

9:00 P.M.:     Cup of vegetable broth.

Drink plain lukewarm water, or mineral water, when thirsty. The total juice and broth volume during the day should be between 1 1/2 pints and 1 1/2  quarts. Never dilute fresh juices with vegetable broth, only with pure water. The total liquid intake should be approximately 6 to 8 glasses – but don’t hesitate to drink more, if thirsty.

I suggest that a therapeutic fast be supervised by a doctor or by someone who is well initiated in it. Under expert supervision, such a fast could be undertaken at home up to 30 days, if necessary. Without expert supervision I would not advise fasting longer than one week to 10 days at a time. After a few weeks on an Optimum health-building diet your fasting program may be repeated.

When you fast, you should be well informed on all the details and phases of fasting, and thoroughly convinced of its safety and superior healing potential.

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GENERAL HEALTH