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Recently I decided to recruit friends and clients into committing to a one-day-a-week liquid fast. I found a great deal of resistance to a complete liquid fast, so I modified the fast to be lenient enough to entice people to give the concept a try.

Here is an example of my lenient liquid fast day. Breakfast is usually a soy protein shake consisting of 1 cup of skim milk, 2 small strawberries, a small banana and 1 large scoop of Trader Joe's soy protein powder (the scoop comes in the can). Blend this for a healthy liquid breakfast meal. Lunch consists of 1 small orange and 8 oz. non-fat, low sugar yogurt. Dinner is one can of low-sodium tomato soup. If you're into juicing, a great alternative for any of these meals would be a large glass of carrot, celery and mixed green vegetable juice. Always be sure to drink lots and lots of water, all day long. Avoid canned, bottled or cartons of fruit juices, for they usually contain large amounts of sugar.

Pure liquid fasting of water or vegetable juices is very beneficial to the physical body. Even a lenient fast relieves the body of the task of digesting food. When the intake of calories is restricted or completely eliminated, the body fuels itself through alternative means. The most effective fast is a 2 - 3 day liquid fast. During this time the liver converts stored sugars into glucose for the body's fuel. When these stores are depleted, fat then becomes the primary source of energy for the body. For extended periods of time, (over three days), the body will begin to use lean muscle mass as well. This is why moderate exercise is critical to any long-term weight management program.

Personally I become far to hungry for a complete 3-day liquid fast, due to my daily exercise routine and my high level of activity. If you are a sedentary person you may wish to consider a 2 - 3 day liquid or vegetable juice fast. This will definitely help get your eating habits on track. When you fast, your awareness and sensitivity to proper nutrition and diet is enhanced. This awareness has a carry-over effect into the remaining days of the week. You find that you can sustain your physical body on far less food than what you thought you needed. There is a reason the United States leads the world in record numbers of obesity, we tend to overeat!

Below are a few comments and results from the month of January lenient one-day-a-week liquid fast participants:

Janet: “Easier than I thought––I lost 4 pounds in 3 weeks.”

Beth: “Nice not to always be thinking about food, you just get busy doing other things.”

Daw: “The carry-over effect into the rest of the week helped me shed 6 pounds in 4 weeks.”

Francis: “Learning to eat more live foods––fruits & vegetables. Not as painful as I thought.”

Lynn: “Will continue the one-day-a-week-fast for life to maintain my trim waistline.”
Susan: “Enjoyed feeling of accomplishment ––even if I goof up, it's still 90% better than my usual eating habits.”

Learning to put food into proper perspective is not always an easy thing to do. After all, food is simply to sustain life. Do you eat to live or live to eat? You have a choice.

Always consult with your Physician before beginning any fasting, diet or exercise program.

CATHY L. JAMIESON is a Board Certified Hypnotherapist. She has a degree in Nutrition and Fitness, offers Spiritual Counseling Programs, Meditation Techniques, Pranic Healing, is a Reiki Master Teacher and a Lightarian Practitioner. Call Toll FREE (866) 2TO-HEAL for more information.