This chapter is especially written to answer the questions which we are most commonly asked about fasting.

Will I gain my weight back after the fast?
The ability to utilize food is increased. Even people formerly underweight due to impaired digestion will normalize. For those of you who desire to keep the weight off, your fast should usher in a change of diet. Returning to bad eating habits will recreate the problem.

How can I be sure that fasting is safe?
Your physician will monitor a fast if you request it. Pray and ask God to give you peace about going on a fast. Besides, Jesus did it!

Can I exercise while fasting?
You will feel weak during water fasting and rest is advised. While juice fasting, you may experience an abundance of energy that makes exercise easy and fun. Exercise oxygenates the blood. The pumping action of the muscles flush the lymph and cells of metabolic waste. If you experience energy loss, limit yourself to stretching exercises, light walking or deep breathing.

How much should I drink?
When water fasting, drink 8-10 glasses a day or when thirsty. On a juice fast, working 14 hours a day of hard physical labor, you may need three
cantaloupes or honeydews plus herbal tea with honey and a vegetable juice combination to maintain a high energy level. Be careful not to drink too much acidic juice in the morning. Gastric secretions are also waking up to activity. Too much acidic juice early in the morning may cause stomach cramps for some. If you do not have to work at hard physical labor you can cleanse more quickly by drinking smaller amounts of juice spaced 30 minutes to an hour apart.

Should I continue with my medication?
It is wise to consult your doctor regarding the effect of fasting combined with your medication. If you must take medication and intend to fast, then you should juice fast because the vegetable juices will help protect the stomach from harsh medications. Do not water fast while on medication, unless lead by the Holy Spirit.

How much weight will I lose?
Weight loss can initially be as high as three to four pounds per day, but as the fast continues, the average loss will be one pound per day. If you are juice fasting and not losing weight, the juice is supplying all the calories you need. You may have to cut down on the juices or alternate between water fasting and juice fasting if losing weight is part of your goal. The slower your metabolism the slower the weight loss.

Will fasting or living on a fruit diet slow my metabolism?
Initially any calorie reduction will cause a lowering in the BMR or base
metabolic rate. Cleansing will bring health that will increase metabolic
performance and energy output. In other words, you will eat less and feel
more energetic.

Will I get too thin?
If you are thin or average weight and you fast for 30 days on juice or 10 days on water, you will become thin. Ribs will show, the face will become gaunt, and friends and family will display concern. But the body will quickly normalize its weight in 5 to 10 days after the fast. If you are thin to start with, fasting may allow you to gain additional weight after the fast. Metabolism is normalized due to the cleansing process. It is very important not to try to gain weight too quickly. The body can rebuild only at a set rate. Overeating will burden the body and undermine the rebuilding process.

Will fasting shrink my stomach?
From years of over-filling the stomach, it is no surprise that it has lost its
natural elasticity. Fasting helps recover the stomach's natural elasticity,
restoring a flat stomach.

Since I have finished fasting, I find that I am more sensitive to food. Unhealthy foods cause a reaction. Why?
After a fast your body is clean, and has far less tolerance to the poisonous foods which you were used to eating previous to the fast. Understand, feeling sick when eating poison is a sign that your body is functioning normally. Fasting restores the body’s ability to violently react to harmful, health-damaging, food. If you desire, you can desensitize your body by slowly introducing harmful foods into your diet. Having a healthy body may limit your ability to tolerate what you were previously free to indulge in--consider that limitation a blessing from God.

Are there any conditions that restrict fasting?
Most people can juice fast safely for up to 30 days. The exceptions are those with hypoglycemia, diabetes, hypothyroid, and Wilson's Syndrome. For these conditions, eat slices of avocado and banana every few hours, add high quality vegetable source protein powder to your juices, and add psyllium or another good bulking agent to your juices twice a day to regulate blood sugar levels. Do not juice fast if you have impaired kidney function.

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