On Finding a Doctor to Supervise Your Water Fast
My posts on water fasting, interestingly enough, have become some of the most popular and active posts at Mudita Journal — at least, in terms of traffic and the questions these posts have generated.
One reason for this, no doubt, is the fact that there is so little good information available about how to safely conduct a water fast. I’ve tried to address this topic, to some extent, in my own posts.
That said, despite the fact that I’ve conducted 8 or 10 fasts personally, I don’t consider myself an expert on fasting, and I strongly encourage my readers to consult with a doctor before undertaking any kind of fast.
So I was particularly pleased to field this question from reader Megan:
Question for anyone with fasting experience...I am planning my first fast to begin in about a week. I eat a plant-based vegan diet and feel I have adequately educated myself on the topic of water fasting. My goal is 10 days, but I will see how I react. Dr. Fuhrman and many others stress that fasting should only be done under a doctor’s supervision. Are any or all you seeing a doctor during your fasts. I hadn’t considered it until today, but now I am wondering.
While I’ve never had the luxury of being “fully” supervised by a doctor, at a fasting facility or elsewhere, I have consulted with doctors before and after my fasts.
It is often hard to find an M.D. who has experience (or even comfort) with fasting, so you might consider consulting with an N.D. (Doctor of Naturopathy), D.O.M. (Doctor of Oriental Medicine), or an Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) doctor.
It was my D.O.M. (our family’s “primary care physician”) who told me about adding sea salt to the water I drink during my fast. And it was an Ayurvedic doctor who pointed out that it’s downright crazy to conduct a water fast without using enemas along the way. These two suggestions, alone, have increased the comfort level of our fasts incalculably.
So, in sum, I strongly recommend finding an alternative-medicine doctor with experience in water fasting, with whom you can talk with during, after, and (if necessary) during your fast.
Hi Joshua,
Thanks so much for the advice. I had a long and somewhat exhaustive search today, but thankfully I found a N.D. who has experience with water fasting. I spoke with her today and am seeing her next week to discuss the fast before I proceed. I must say I feel much more secure about going through with it knowing that I will be able to utilize her as a local resource.
Thanks again,
Megan
[...] PLEASE NOTE (3/12/2007) - I’m getting a ton of e-mails — several each day — from people who want advice about undertaking a water fast. In general, I’m not going to answer such inquiries unless it is abundantly clear that you have already sought out a doctor to supervise your fast. I am not a doctor, and I am not a replacement for a doctor! Sorry. I’m currently on day 2 of what I expect will be a 7-day therapeutic water fast, where I’ll be ingesting nothing but large quantities of water for 7 days. [...]
[...] Of course, you should always find a suitable doctor to talk with before undertaking a water fast. They can provide helpful guidance, including ways to make the fast a more comfortable and healthful experience. [...]
Hi Joshua,
Can you give the rationale why the Ayurvedic doctor said that’s it’s “downright crazy” to do a water fast without using enemas during the fast?
Thanks,
Paul
Paul,
When you fast, your body stops having bowel movements.
This means that feces stay in your colon for five to ten days (however long you are fasting) and do all the same stuff they’d do if they spent the same amount of time in a warm, moist plastic bag — except that your colon is porous, and so any toxins are leeching into your body the whole time.
So doing an enema helps you remove those toxins before they get into your system, further facilitating the cleansing process of the fast itself.
Joshua
On the point about your not having stools when you fast, just for me, it has not been my experience. I tend to have regular stools on days 1-3 and then occasionally discharges on days 4 through 8. Not knocking enemas. They may be helpful and useful in their own right. But at least for me, I don’t believe feces stay in my colon when I fast. Maybe I should do an enema and find out!
Paul