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Moinhos Velhos
Fasting Detoxification Retreats
Purification of Body Mind Spirit
Yoga Meditation Complentary Therapies
Juice
Fasting for
Body,
Mind and Spirit
"I
fast for greater physical and mental efficiency" - Plato
Why
do you need to fast?
For
Body: Juice fasting is the oldest, fastest and safest
(biochemical) method of removing unwanted weight and increases
physical well-being , helps you to stay slim, healthy and
vital, and is a huge help in the breaking of addictions.
For
Mind: As the physical body detoxifies, rejuvenates and
regenerates, the mind begins to function more efficiently.
During the fast, the digestive system has a rest, freeing
up energy for other things. This energy is used by the mind
- bringing mental clarity. Fasting develops mental will power
and increased control over the senses and mind.
For
Spirit: All the major religions practice fasting in some
form or another. Fasting allows the body and mind to become
still, and in the stillness, one is more likely to tune into
the secrets of Life, and to connect with Spirit.
Just
about everybody benefits from fasting. Even those who live
a relatively healthy life-style still have toxins. Due to
old and often bad nutritional habits, environmental pollutants,
stresses and strains of life situations most of us suffer
from toxic deposits throughout the body. With the elimination
of these toxins, remarkable and sometimes incredible changes
can and have occurred.
Here,
at Moinhos Velhos, we have experienced and witnessed the
complete reversal of so-called incurable diseases
(like Psoriasis), the cessation of chronic migraines, the
elimination of allergies and back problems, and dramatic
relief from the discomforts and pains of rheumatic and arthritic
sufferers etc. Even
if you feel you are relatively healthy, a fast is a wonderful
preventative measure against aging and possible future ill-health.
Fasting
provides a much-needed rest for the internal organs. The functions
of restores and normalizes glandular, metabolic and nervous-system
functions; speeding up the elimination of morbid accumulations,
toxic wastes and dead cells; accelerating new cell and tissue
generation and enhancing cell-oxygenation.
Juice
fasting can help to lose surplus weight
The
benefits of fasting are on so many levels, and different people
choose to do our program for various reasons. A number of
people enquire as to whether they will lose weight. If you
have weight to lose, you will certainly lose some of it -
depending on how long you fast for. It is also an excellent
first step to losing
weight and changing bad eating habits.
Low
calorie and other fad "diets" usually fail because
they literally starve the body of much-needed nutrients, causing
even greater biochemical imbalance. Thus, when one can no
longer stand to continue with the diet because of how heavily
the body is craving what is denied, one is usually forced
to binge to the point of gaining more weight than was lost,
further lowering self-esteem.
During
scientific juice-fasting however, the body autolyzes - self-digests
its own stored substances, resynthesizing nutrients and eliminating
toxins. Additionally, fruit and vegetable juices, alkalinizing
vegetable broth, and herbal teas all add vitamins, minerals
and trace elements to the body, in addition to aiding detoxification.
After
the fast, the body is better able to digest food and is better
at utilizing nutrients in the food. The organs have a new
vitality - any sluggishness will have disappeared. If the
body was prone to water-retention, this also disappears.
During
scientific juice-fasting however, the body autolyzes - self-digests
its own stored substances, resynthesizing nutrients and eliminating
toxins. Additionally, fruit and vegetable juices, alkalinizing
vegetable broth, and herbal teas all add vitamins, minerals
and trace elements to the body, in addition to aiding detoxification.
After
the fast, the body is better able to digest food and is better
at utilizing nutrients in the food. The organs have a new vitality
- any sluggishness will have disappeared. If the body was prone
to water-retention, this also disappears.
Juice
fast or Water fast? - Frank's own experience We
have had several clients come here with extensive water fasting
experience. They have always been amazed at the amount of stool
that they have eliminated during the two weeks juice fasting
program. They have never experienced anything similar doing
a water fast. During our juice fasting program, with all the
juices, broth, powders and pills as well as the treatments,
yoga and meditation, the energy level for the majority of people
remains high during the program. People have treatments, go
for long walks, take a sauna and go swimming. During a water
fast however, it is often recommended that you rest and
do as little as possible.
I
did my last water fast a few years ago. An inflammation of my
left knee had not responded to any of our regular treatments
nor a juice fasting session. Even Mike, our highly skilled and
effective acupuncturist, who had cleared up a knee problem for
me some years earlier, was unable to eliminate the problem.
As I had to be completely inactive anyhow, I did a ten day water
fast. At the end of ten days the knee was more or less back
to normal (maybe this also had something to do with the fact
that because of the swollen knee we had to cancel a planned
trip to India. The day after canceling the trip, the knee was
almost OK. Maybe this was not the time for us to
go to India?)
For
the most effective detoxification and overall purification, juice-fasting with powders and pills is without doubt the
best. Many scientists support juice fasting as the most
effective method of detoxification. Dr. Ragnar Berg, the Swedish
Nobelist who was long considered to be the leading biochemist
and the foremost authority on nutrition in the world stated, "During fasting the body burns up and excretes huge
amounts of accumulated wastes. We can help this process
by drinking alkaline juice instead of water. Juice fasting is
therefore the best form of fasting." Many other scientists
are in total agreement with this.
Converted
Mill
A
few years ago we had the pleasure of having DR Keki Sidhwa
as our guest during one of our regular juice fasting programs.
DR Sidhwa has supported more than 25000 people in his center
with Water Fasting, and recently sent a couple of his long
time clients to us to participate in our program. They had
done several fasts with Dr. Sidhwa but never before had they
experienced elimination of toxic deposits as they did on the
Moinhos Velhos Juice Fasting Program.
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My
own experience - by Frank
Water:
I did my first water fast in 1971. It was part of the
yoga program in which I was participating. My yoga teacher,
Yanaki from the Delta Yoga Center in Canada would call me every
few hours to assure herself that I was OK. I was fine and I
found it an interesting 3-day experience - fasting on water
only. But then I was more than enthusiastic with anything to
do with yoga (yoga had been the salvation for my bad back, which
for much of the previous 10 years had been strapped into a steel
corset). I do not remember too much from this fast except that
the very concept of not having regular meals 3 times a day was
a strange one for me. I stayed in bed reading most of the time.
Juice:
Four years later I did my first two weeks juice fast at the
Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas. There were no powders or herbs
- this fast was done for spiritual reasons only. Fasting is
such an important aspect for the spiritual aspirant. I felt
great with a heightened awareness and clarity, and I became
a firm advocate of juice fasting. What I particularly remember
from this period was the shining faces of two young staff members
who had done a three week juice fast. They were radiating such
an inner glow. |
Fasting
Valley
The
21 day process
The
21 day Process involves 7 days of air only, then 7 days on some water and
diluted juice and the last seven days on a mixture of packaged
juice and water. Although I did eliminate some old toxic deposits,
the process was just too hard on my system. For the last ten
days I was completely wiped out -I did not have enough strength
to walk 30 meters. I lost so much of my muscle power and even
two years later had not regained my strength. I also lost
my sense of balance. Anne
Karine's experience was a little different from mine, but
she lost so much weight that she looked as if she had come
out of Beltzen. She also lost her sense of
balance. The 21-Day Process can be tough. We will stick
with our Fresh Organic Juice Fasting ...with selected herbs and powders. Some time ago I fasted
for 40 days following our program, and I felt great, full
of vitality and energy. My body and mind is very happy when
I fast on our program, but my tongue sometimes complains.
Here
is an exert from Frank's diary of the 21 day fast
Day
5
Woke
up at 5.30 after a perfectly normal night sleep, but my mouth
was glued together. I had slept uninterrupted through the whole night;
I did not even get up to pee, which I normally do at least once.
As a matter of fact at no time so far during the process have
I being peeing a lot, unlike Jem who peed the whole time. This
is also what the book says one could expect. I have been peeing
less then normal for me. Except for my mouth feeling as if it
was glued together I felt fine and normal and I was therefore quit surprised when I got out of
bed to see how weak
I was. Had my first nice long hot
shower. Among the many things that I enjoy with the shower
is the few drops of water which enters the mouth, and I am very
careful not to swallow but to spit out again. But here as I
am writing this my mouth again feels as if it is glued together
so I think I will have to ask for some ice today.
I
am certainly glad that we have Koram and Jem here as care givers.
Prior to going into the process I did not really appreciate
how important a care giver was. Yes I did see how weak Jem got
during his process, but I did not think that this would happen
to me. In my superiority
I felt that with my many years of fasting experience, and my
recent 40 and 17 days fasting I would
go sailing through this process like nothing. How wrong I was.
I was partially influenced in my belief by Jasmuheen`s statement
in her book, that with her preparations she went flying through
the first week with a high level of energy. I was expecting
something of the same. OK.
I have not been wiped out like Koram was, who could not even get out of bed. Or Jem
who was very week for a few days. But I am very glad
that they are here to support us. Because this has nothing to
do with fasting, this is a very different process. The fasting
and purification before the process is certainly a must to facilitate
this transformation. Koram proved that it can be done without,
but what hell he must have gone through. |
For
a day by day diary of Frank's experience with the 21
day fasting process.
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