Fast track to health

No doubt someone in Hollywood will cast a beautiful wraith as the dying Alice, Harrison Ford as the enlightened doctor of fasting and all the rest, as they say, will be box-office. But this happy-ever-after story is by no means unique. The fast, one of the most ancient forms of fighting disease, is back in the public eye.

There are so many lessons to learn from the natural order of things. When an animal is hurt, it finds a quiet place and curls up, not to die, but to sleep. During this sleep all the body’s energies are being concentrated on the healing process. Digesting food is one of the most energy consuming exercises that the body has to undertake. Huge amounts of blood and heat are diverted to the stomach area to allow for digestion to begin. If we are ill, this massive side-tracking of energy to the stomach slows down the healing and the recuperation process. When the stomach is empty for a controlled period, the body’s energy can be targeted to heal. Fasting is now being advised before surgery in the case of obese patients. Again, the results have been dramatic with post-operative recovery also showing improvement.In Paris it is the latest thing. Those exquisite women, whose thigh-dusting Chanel suits reveal acres of smooth, toned flesh, have tired of the seaweed wraps and the deep tissue massages. They take a few days out and live on a mixture of spinach, carrot and beetroot juice. They return to the cocktail circuit glowing, smooth skinned and invigorated, every cell washed clean by having given their systems a rest and rinse.

Of course, there is a canyon of difference between slim Parisian thighs and cases like Alice. The point is that fasting can be applied to just about every kind of complaint or disease under the sun. With this must come an explanation of fasting. For years I was under the impression that an apple fast meant that you just ate apples. It is quite the opposite. To go on an apple fast is to exclude apples. To fast and eat only apples is to go on a total fast taking apples. Very confusing but the practitioners of fasting insist that it is inaccurate to describe it otherwise.

The most powerful aspect of a fast is that it allows the body to detoxify at a very rapid rate. This is why it can be such a handy little beauty aid because it is those toxins that dull the skin and pucker those fleshy parts best not seen. As with many naturopathic remedies there is often a phase of feeling worse before you feel better. When it is a case of chronic or acute disease, obviously the fasting clinic carefully monitors every stage of detoxification.

If you like the idea of embarking on a short-term fast for a bit of internal spring cleaning or to knock an autumn cold on the head, then there are a couple of things to watch. It is vital that fasting should not be practised in conjunction with a heavy work or exercise programme. If the body is going to re-invigorate itself, it needs to be kept quiet on the outside too. Keep quiet, stick to the juice or fruit that you have chosen and allow your body to do the work. The flu caught me last week. I ran for cover and spent two gentle days on a mixture of orange and pomegranate juice. On day three I emerged a new woman — well, flu free at least.