How to Do a Summer Cleansing Fast

This summer cleansing fast comes from a Seneca Indian tradition. The North American tribe believed in fasting as a means of connecting mind, body and spirit with all of Nature. Please see "How to Understand a Summer Cleansing Fast" (under Related eHows) and consult your doctor before beginning this fast.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Bragg Aminos
• Fresh Fruit
• Herbal Teas
• Mineral Bouillon
• Vegetables

1. Prepare for your fast by gathering all the food you will need in advance. Avoid the temptation to eat a big "last supper" before the fast. Your mind, stomach and appetite need to get used to the idea that less food is acceptable. An internal bath before you begin your fast is also a good idea.
2. Eat all the fruit (except bananas) you want on the first day. Eat apples, berries, watermelon, peaches and cherries. Drink plenty of fresh juice, water and herbal tea.
3. Eat nothing on the second day. However, drink all the herbal tea you want for the second day. Drink your favorite teas, or some suggested teas are cyani, catnip, chickweed, buchu, dandelion, barberry, and black walnut. Use raw herbs boiled in water and then strain to make your own fresh tea.
4. Eat all the vegetables you want on the third day. Eat them raw, steamed, roasted or baked. Drink teas and juiced vegetables.
5. Prepare a big pot of vegetable broth on the fourth day. Boil all your leftover vegetables from the day before in a pot with water. Add other vegetables as well, such as potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, broccoli, green peppers, zucchini, cabbage and parsley.
6. Season your broth with Bragg Aminos or mineral bouillon.
7. Strain away the vegetables and drink only the broth of your stew throughout the fourth day of your fast. (Keep the vegetables and eat them the next day.) Drink tea and water as well.
8. Break the fast on the fifth day with fruits in the morning, steamed vegetables for lunch, and a sensible, healthy dinner.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid heavy exercise during the fast. Some light yoga, stretching, gardening or walking are excellent ways to stimulate your metabolism and aid the processes of fasting, but hard exercise will distract your body. It is important, however, to begin exercising regularly immediately after the fast.
• An internal bath at the end of the fast is an excellent way to aid your body in expelling toxins that have accumulated in your colon during the fast.
• Pregnant women and children should not fast.
• Consult your health care provider before going on this fast especially if you have diabetes, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, or epilepsy; if you are under 18 or underweight; or if you are on medication.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.