hi, i wanted to share some info. and experiences on fasting.  Arnold
Ehret's book,  'The Mucusless Diet Healing System', which i highly
recommend, turned my life around when i became a vegetarian in nursing
school and was working part time in a natural foods restaurant.  i
decided to experiment with his diet etc.by fasting 3 days eating 4 days,
fasting 4 days eating 3 days.  when i did eat it would be raw salads,
steamed veggies, juices, and mashed banana with honey and a little peanut
butter(which i don't eat anymore because of the molds on peanuts), for
snacking in between.  when i fasted it would be vegetable and fruit
juices, plus wheatgrass, and psyllium husk pwd.  Ehret's book was a good
inspiration in my life because it laid down a good foundation with a good
teacher; and it was not until i experienced what Ehret had learned thru
trial and error that i deeply became convinced that his health principles
on diet and fasting were correct.  This was in 1975-76 and Ehret's diet
has stayed with me ever since.  i've been vegan (no dairy) since 1980 and
vegetarian since 1975, and have been my own doctor ever since!  i make my
own herbal tinctures and help folks out with various dis-eases. ^ The
body-mind is a very intelligent organism doing functions we are not even
aware of, so i always caution the faster to study about fasting, like
what goes on physically at that time, how to prepare and build up to a
fast, how to tune to what the needs (being intuitive) of the body are(
what to drink,when to break the fast,etc.), and how to tune-in and break
your fast very carefully.  If you're feeling good and it's warm weather
eat fruit, or if you're nervous break the fast with veggies-- they break
down secondarly.  Organic foods are key to healing.  i highly recommend
Ehret's above mentioned book if you're a serious faster and want to
understand how to heal oneself. On a 30 day fast once, i stood from a
sitting position on the floor and almost fainted, for blood vessels
constrict during a fast and oxygen didn't go to the top floor so i almost
fell over.  It really hit home at that moment, "don't mess with mother
nature"!  Two people have told me 2 weeks of fasting will get rid of
parasites.  One story was a friend traveled abroad for over 1 year and
was really weak on his return.  it took 1 year  to find out he had
foreign parasites and they put him on a 2 week fast which cleared up his
parasitic condition totally.  Another herb, Quassia, will also get rid of
parasites and lice.  it is widely used in costa rica for that purpose.
make a tea of the wood by taking 1/2-1 tsp.of the wood in a cup of cold
water and steep over night.  drink 3 times/day.(from 'new holistic
herbal' by hoffmann).  to do an enema: make a cold infusion and use 1
part Quassia to 20 parts water.  a pharmacologist said tincture was too
strong and to just make a tea.   Health is Wealth       Ananda