TIPS FOR THE FAST

BASIC NOTES FOR THE FAST

The purpose of the fast is to spiritually cleanse and sacrifice that which is higher for which is lower. For the body’s sake, people fast to cleanse their bodies. Shoghi Effendi said we need to take care of our nerves and our bodies, for it is the horse upon which the rider (our soul and personality) carry.

This is a great time for a typical spring cleansing of the body. It’s the time of year when we change seasons, and our energies will be shifting as well. This is why most people get sick in the fall and in the spring. We need to detoxify our bodies of all the winter foods, comfort foods, American “cuisine” we indulge in.

View this next 19 days as a time to recreate yourself…create new habits in eating, treating yourself and healing your spirit. Below are some helpful hints for physical fasting:

Basic hints:
Fiber is the key to cleansing the digestive track. It is sensitive to emotional turmoil. Choose foods high in fiber, and whole grains. Chew your food at least 10 times if not 20 when eating. Carbohydrates are almost fully digested in your mouth with the enzymes. Don’t drink during meals. You can sip tepid water if needed. Substitute green tea for coffee if you can. (It is an antioxidant and adds digestive enzymes) Avoid fatty fried foods. Avoid sugars. Substitute with honey, molasses, or pure maple syrup. Avoid mixing more than 5 foods together. Start a movement routine; aerobics, walking, yoga, tai chi, etc.. Get to know stress management techniques. Practice deep relaxation.
Detoxification of the digestive track will help keep you young!

Helpful Aids:
Check if any medicine you are taking will interfere with these prior to consumption.
HERBS: Aloe Juice, licorice root, and comfy root. They heal the digestive track and sooth it.
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES: Probiotics (friendly flora) take with water in am, papaya enzymes (taken after the meal), chlorophyll.
GARLIC: Great for the heart, antioxidant, and immunity.
L-GLUTAMINE supplements for digestive healing. Supplements of antioxidants to help with detoxification: C, E, beta-carotene, Quercetin, CoQ10 Master Cleanser drink: 2 TBS lemon juice, 1tsp cayenne red pepper, 1 T pure maple syrup, and 6 oz water. (Please don’t drink on a trip, driving, etc.. This will cause elimination pretty quickly! J)

NOTES: Headaches and fatigue are normal the first 5 days of cleansing. Sauna/sweats are helpful to detoxification. Massage at least 3 times during the fast to move toxins and induce deep relaxation.


Am Nutrition
SPIRIT: Upon waking, say “Allah u Abha’s” Have Persian/Arabic chanting CD to play
WATER: Drink 1 cup spring water (or more if you can) tepid in temperature.
FRUIT: If you have a juicer, leave on counter the night before with a plate full of fruit/veggies you will juice in the morning. If you don’t have a juicer, eat fresh fruit or buy pure juiced fruits/vegetables. Drink/eat while preparing your breakfast meal. Fruits will digest within 20 minutes.
FOODS: For slower metabolisms, eat oatmeal, potatoes, whole grain breads. Try a smoothie with fruits & protein powders, flax, silk tofu.
For faster metabolisms, add eggs or other proteins as they can take up to 2.5 hours to digest. Be creative, plan frittatas, quiches with spinach, veggies, lots of garlic for its detoxification properties.
Add blackstrap molasses to anything, as it will be as a rock in your stomach! Try a recipe for gingersnap pancakes/waffles with flax, whole grain flour, etc..

PM, breaking the fast
SPIRIT: Prayer of thanksgiving/praise, or say “Ya-Bahul-Abha!”
WATER: Drink 1 tepid glass of water, spring water preferably.
FIBER: If you have a juicer, same instructions as above. If not, have some raw fruits/veggies on hand to eat right away to balance blood sugar. Break the fast SLOWLY. Do not rush to fill the stomach, and resist the temptation.
FOODS: For the 19 days, it would be great to concentrate on brown rice, basmati brown rice, a mix of veggies, and small amounts of proteins through nuts, fish, white meats. Try to eliminate red meats. Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates, whole grains.