I found this too.

Okay, I don't think this is healthy.




The major organs implicated in this overwork are the liver, followed by the kidneys, pancreas, stomach and colon. One reflexologist I spoke to told me he had never met a westerner that didn't have stomach problems.

So for us, we are looking to fast to loose weight right? What is our motivation? Losing weight is one, but it is really hard not to eat as we are so enculturated into food as a social and cultural commodity. People I have spoken to about fasting, intelligent, rational, scientific people, have angrily defended their diets and positions on food, even when I have explained to them the potential health problems with their indulgent lifestyles. We love food and are so defensive of it. This comes back to the problems a lot of ana's have, that they understand the need to restrict their food, but others don't, and make our lives hell because of it.

What I am proposing here is to think about your body and your ED, but in a health positive way, if you can be pro ana, you can be pro body too, and together, you can stay way thin, as well as trying to limit any damage and also stay away from the medical profession who have a vested interest in keeping you sick.

A lot of how this article is structured comes from questions and comments I have read on the message board, relating to peoples understanding of how to fast, how long, what the benefits are etc. For many of us who work, or are at school, have kids, families or mothers that are breathing down are necks, fasting is a difficult option, as besides the resistance, it is also a slowing and resting process, hard to do when you are on the go. To try and make this work, moderated eating is the go, similar to restricting I guess, but in the right combinations so that the food you do eat is processed as quickly as possible, and the best food for your body, i.e. not diet coke and a candy!

I'll also give you advice on how to do colonic irrigations at home, less messy and gross than a purge and a great way to keep fit, healthy and thin!!!!


Digestion.

A good digestion or metabolism is the key to weight loss fast. The quicker the food gets into your stomach, digests, gets through your colon and out as waste products, the healthier and thinner you will be.

There are lots of myths and practices that really disrupt this process. Some are discussed in food combining later on, which is a big one, another is liquids. Drinking with food, particularly cold water dilutes the acid in your stomach, making it much harder for the body to digest. You should have your last drink half and hour before your meal, and not again until at least an hour after. Sipping a glass of wine or a beer is not too bad as the acids in wine and the beer are quite good as a digester, but more than one glass and the fluid is diluting - this is a big no no.

Many ana's believe that drinking lots with food keeps you full - it just stops you getting rid of the food quickly. If your liver is not functioning properly it is really hard to digest well and process fats.

Abuse of alcohol, drugs, caffeine, esp. the big quantities found in diet pills, and purging (sorry mia's!) can really fuck your liver. Fasting is a good way to give the liver a break, and a cleanse as are the principles of the liver cleansing diet - easy to get hold of and a sane set of dietary principles. Following these kinds of diets are also seen as very pro body as against being held in suspicion by mothers and partners!

How Long do I Fast For?

This is best answered again by considering your lifestyle. The optimum time to fast is 14 days initially.

This needs to be qualified by saying that this takes a lot of discipline and also 14 days where you really don't have much on. It is a time to be as the Buddhists would say 'in the moment', where you allow yourself to let your body slow down and relax, to let your mind wander, and be gentle and good to yourself while you eliminate old wastes. Most bodies can fast for up to 21 days without starting to waste organ tissue. Fat is used up first, then muscle.


If it is impossible to do a long fast, then you need to plan to fast at least one or two days a week, if you think about it that adds up to nearly a third of a year - pretty good length of time for fasting, and it won't be impossible to schedule in.

How do I Fast?

Fasting isn't just a matter of stopping eating; it is stopping eating solids, to allow time for impurities to be eliminated from the body.

A faster needs to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Plus unlimited herbal teas, coconut water if fresh coconuts are available (the juice inside, not the flesh!) and vegetable mineral broths made of boiling up vegetables and herbs on the stove and straining out the solids leaving a broth. This keeps the body's vitamins and minerals up as well as flushing the toxins out of the liver and kidneys. Juices etc aren't allowed on an elimination fast, but you can juice fast or mono diet, and a loss of weight and purification will occur, just in a different way.

Decide you are going to fast, and take the step. It will be hard sometimes, and your brain and others will be telling you to eat eat eat, but be strong and keep reminding your self that food will always be around. It is excellent to have a buddy to do it with, or go away from your normal food triggers, if you are able to get some time off. I always like to be by the sea and swim if possible, or in the mountains where I am with nature. Meditation, long baths, writing diaries and poems, reading and lots of sleeping really help. Just let your body relax totally, and reward your self for every day with lots of love and encouragement.

What should I Avoid in my Diet?

Most Ana's are usually really aware of foods, but also use coffee and ciggies as a appetite suppressant, needless to say, caffeine and nico are really fucked for you, but hey - I'm, pro choice, so be aware that they actually stop you processing fats and damage your liver too, so cutting down these is a good start.

Sugar and salt, chemical additives, MSG, preservatives, white flour, fast food, meat, dairy products these are all really bad in any amount candies and chocolate are in here too. The optimum is a 50/50 raw cooked diet of whole foods - i.e., those not processed. I know you've heard all this before, but it is sadly true, and it also means that you need to know how to cook and prepare veggies and grains. Organic food is also preferable, but also really expensive - in Australia at least. So try and substitute as much organic as you can afford, and think of what you are saving on food the days you fast. You are in charge of your body, 'nuff said.
How Will Fasting Make me Feel?

The first couple of days can be really ratty - this is when the toxins are pouring out. I get nauseous and cranky and my brain crazily talks to me about eating, I get really obsessed with food, find it hard to sleep and concentrate. Sometimes I have heaps of energy. In my experience, girls who have more body fat deal with fasting better. Each experience is individual though. On my first big fast, I had a lot of body fat compared to some of my peers, who were totally no energy, when I was running around with energy to burn.

If you are really low in body fat, fasting is very tiring, so go real slow, if you feel really sick, just keep drinking water and peppermint teas, it will pass.

Oral hygiene is really important too, your tongue will get really furry, so teeth cleaning at least 3 times a day with tongue scrubbing is recommended.

Some people experience a lot of emotion fasting, it is a very individual process, others will be euphoric, some depressed, some angry, some a combination, but you will experience change, each fast brings emotional, and physical change. You are controlling your body and food, but also cleansing it and this is a very beautiful gift to give your body, and you will feel different about who you are afterward. By day three you will be used to not eating and I get really empowered and strong, after day 10, you feel you can go forever. Obviously it is best to set an amount of days and see how you go. Start big is actually my suggestion, do a major cleanse and then just maintain with a day or so a week.
Colonics.

Now, colonics are an acquired taste. I love them, but have many friends who hate them with a passion. One thing for sure though, without a colonic element, long term fasting is nowhere near as effective. As you fast and the toxins in your colon are wanting to be eliminated, they will just get stuck in all the mucous and crap stuck to the walls without a flush. A colonic is basically a fluid flush of the lower and upper colon. It is not dangerous when done in the method I will describe and is self-administered. Best practice is to do this in the bathroom as near the toilet as possible.

You will need a bucket, a plastic hose of about 2 meters length and a diameter of 5-6mm and a smaller length of hose, say 20 cms that slips inside the larger hose tightly. You will also need a jug that will hold about 2 litres, a bulldog clip, some fishing line and 2 cups of strong coffee or green tea and 2 litres of filtered water.

To make the device, the tubing needs to be attached to the handle of the bucket so it is secure and the tube is at the bottom of the bucket - of course make sure all these implements are clean first! You need to hang the bucket or sit it about 3 feet above you when you are lying on the floor on a towel. The premise is that the higher the bucket, the greater the gravity flow of water. Mix the hot coffee/tea and cold water, the caffeine in the mix acts as a stimulant to your bowel and gets the crap flowing. Take the smaller piece of hose and put it to one side, put the fluid in the bucket, suck the bigger hose until you have siphoned a gravity flow of liquid, then kink the hose and clip to stop the fluid until you are ready. Lube up one end of the smaller piece of hose and slip the unlubed end into the bigger piece. Lie down comfortably on you back and ease the tube into your ass, no more than 2 inches. Slowly take the clip off and let the fluid run into your bowel, at first it will feel odd and you may want to urgently go to the toilet, take deep breaths, this will pass and you will feel the water moving around your colon. Some people like warm fluid, some like cool, it is up to you.

Take as much of the water as you can inside, clip the tube and hold it there, gently massaging your stomach. I put on a CD and try and focus on things other than how bad I need to go to the toilet! The whole process should take about 1/2 an hour. When you just cant hold on any longer, remove your tube gently go to the toilet and expel the water and bits of crap. If you aren't squeamish like me, put a strainer in the bowl and have a look at the shit that comes out. You will be shocked at what you are holding onto in your body! Black tar and worms are common, as are ropey bits that look like leather. Keep it up till all the fluid is gone. The insert the hose again and keep going. After the first few times, this will be easy and routine; I find it really pleasant to see all the grossness out of my body and into the sewer. Do this first thing in the morning and at night before bed while fasting and taking cleansing herbs.

and if you don't want to read all that, just lower your caffeine intake and drink lots of water and you won't get dark circles under your eyes.

though i should talk. i look like a damn raccoon half the time.

Anx said:

Well, if you don't wanna read it, just have a look at this. It's my personal favorite part.

The girl is teaching how do give home made colonics.


If you aren't squeamish like me, put a strainer in the bowl and have a look at the shit that comes out. You will be shocked at what you are holding onto in your body! Black tar and worms are common, as are ropey bits that look like leather.

SureThing said:

what the hell, does she hunt for okra and gators in a swamp or something?!? gross!

i think a good flushing out is very healthy now and then and it does make you feel lighter. but i don't think it's healthy to do all the time.

Anx said:

I have a friend in Florida that does them ALLL the time.
(No not Dan)
We went to stay with her one time and rite after breakfast, she took me and my other friend in the bathroom and was like
HERE TRY IT!
It was like a little party in there.

Heres another good point, which I can actually relate too.
I went through this thing one time before senior week I wanted to have a PERFECTLY flat belly for the beack so I took laxatives for like 3 wks straight. The only sucky thing is they really make your heart beat so fast it's like your gonna take a heart attack or somethign.

A good digestion or metabolism is the key to weight loss fast. The quicker the food gets into your stomach, digests, gets through your colon and out as waste products, the healthier and thinner you will be

Anything pro is awful in my opinion perpetuating the acceptability of this kind of self harm is tantamount to abuse IMHO. From what i see its vaguely dressed up as help but in actuality is thinly disguised glorification of the lifestyle.

It sux ass.

I find these website to be very disturbing.

I personally think they are very dangerous. They're worse than folks who say that being obese is ok if you accept yourself.

Anorexia is not a lifestyle--it s a disorder. Women who are anerixic never feel happy with themselves, and those sites make it looks like they do. They're sick sick sick.







Dani, this is a really good thread. It reveals that you're both smart, and intellectually sound, and if this doesn't impress folks, I don't know what will.

Imago said:

You JUST dodged a bullet yesterday with the whole job thing and here you are posting on the Org??

2the9s said:

More importantly did you see WHAT he posted?????

HMMM?

SureThing said:

I second that!

I don't understand, they're telling people how to help themselves, or how to heathily maintain their severe low weight?

Imago said:

you got the same orgnote as me you

mdiver said:

Must have.

Imago said:

I don't know what you guys are talking about, but can you take it up in orgnotes.

I strongly believe that the issue at hand is humoungosly irrelevant to whatever it is you to are discussing.

NDRU said:

The latter.

These sites are trying to bill Anorexia as a lifestyle with aesthetic benefits.

Their slogans are often "Anorexia - A lifestyle, not a disorder."

Imago said:

When is the next round of layoffs?

bottom line: Intellectual, knowlegable, and filled with wisdom way beyond anything I've ever witnessed on the org. That's just what this thread represents to me.

2the9s said:

So you and BlackAdder are the same person?

Yeah, it is a lifestyle to most of the people on the site.

And it IS a lifestyle, IMO.

It's their choice, to live that way. Even if it is sick.....

2the9s said:

Dude, I'm still stressed the hell out about it.

SureThing said:

I think that was a terribly thought provoking and intellectually sound thing for you to say.

Anx said:

I'm tired of holding back. I'm letting my true colors shine through.

Anx said:

Why am I not getting these orgnotes?

Anx said:

Move over Dolomite, here comes Erudite.

SureThing said:

It depends on the context.

If these "tricks" are being posted as part of users relating their stories, that's one thing. But if they are actually permitting the exchange of "tips" to maintain this lifestyle, that's another.

I would think, though, that it would be very difficult to police the former.

littlemissG said:

I agree that if the site is trading tips on how to support your disorder then it's counterproductive. Alcoholics don't give advice about sneaking a drink when no one is looking at AA meetings, right? But I'm the person that thinks all smokers should go to hell so what do I know?

Anx said:

God damn boys i thought i was being a bitch with a simple reply but you 2 are going all out you suck asses!

This is the Stephen Hawking of threads! It deserves a free ride on the Vomit Commet, it's just that ground breaking.

mdiver said:

SureThing said:

I think you're right. As much as I think it's bad & wrong, I don't think people shouldn't be allowed to talk about stuff, if they're just hurting themselves.

I think people should be allowed to talk about using heroin if they want. Lord knows we talk about sex, drugs, & alcohol right here on this site.

I praise Prince, and he's contributed to the ringing in my ears.

As Anx said, where do you draw the line?

Yes anorexia is more serious than som of the above issues, and it's disturbing to see people who try to make it okay, but maybe sites like this are actually an opportunity to monitor people who desperately need help.
[Edited 3/1/07 11:27am]