Andrea,

I used to fast intermittently many years ago.  But I've stopped that 
practice in favor of eating as "properly" as I can.  Reasons that I 
fasted in the past were along the lines of "well, I really need to get 
rid of toxins - I'm just too clogged up" and "I just know I'll feel 
better if I just stop eating for awhile."  Now I feel that it's wiser to 
feed the body more-or-less continually as all bodily functions require 
nourishment to be optimal and functioning well.  When I feel any need to 
detoxify, I omit all cooked foods and eat sparsely (maybe one small meal 
a day) and one type of food at a time, usually.  And I avail myself of 
external methods such as a sitz bath, massage, etc.

A friend, whom I highly regard, practices what he terms a "milk fast."  
Once a year, he travels to India and, for a month, eats nothing except 
cow's milk.  It's not really a fast, just a focus on one food.  For me, 
that "fasting" food is usually red meat or fish or sometimes it's just 
berries which I focus on for up to a week.  It hasn't failed me yet as a 
detox method.

Regards,

-=mark=-


Andrea Hughett wrote:
> I've become interested in trying IF - well, actually, I AM trying it but want to know what I'm doing. Can you point me to articles, books, websites, etc that would give me more information? Or personal experiences - while anecdotal evidence is not scientifically conclusive, it can be fascinating.
>
> I'm also looking for studies on more extended fasting - how long can one go on severely reduced calorie and protein intake (greens and a few nuts) before muscle wasting and metabolic slowdown set in?
>
> Andrea
>
>
>       
>
>