But I could also see that Dr. Moser was obviously not telling me something.  So I gently pressed her for the rest.  A little shyly, reluctantly, as though she were used to being rebuffed for making such suggestions, Isabelle asked me if I had ever heard of fasting?  “Yes,” I said.  “I had.  Once when I was about twenty and staying at a farm in Missouri, during a bad flu I actually did fast, mainly because I was too sick to take anything but water for nearly one week.”

“Why do you ask?” I demanded.

“If you would fast, you will start feeling really good as soon as the fast is over.” she said.

“Fast?  How long?”

“Some have fasted for a month or even longer,” she said.  Then she observed my crestfallen expression and added, “Even a couple of weeks would make an enormous difference.”

It just so happened that I was in between set-up stages for a new mail-order business I was starting and right then I did have a couple of weeks when I was virtually free of responsibility.  I could also face the idea of not eating for a couple of weeks.  “Okay!” I said somewhat impulsively.  “I could fast for two weeks.  If I start right now maybe even three weeks, depending on how my schedule works out.”

So in short order I was given several small books about fasting to read at home and was mentally preparing myself for several weeks of severe privation, my only sustenance to be water and herb tea without sweetener.  And then came the clinker.

“Have you ever heard of colonics?” she asked sweetly.

“Yes.  Weird practice, akin to anal sex or something?”

“Not at all,” she responded.  “Colonics are essential during fasting or you will have spells when you’ll feel terrible.  Only colonics make water fasting comfortable and safe.”

Then followed some explanation about bowel cleansing (and another little book to take home) and soon I was agreeing to get my body over to her place for a colonic every two or three days during the fasting period, the first colonic scheduled for the next afternoon.  I’ll spare you a detailed description of my first fast with colonics; you’ll read about others shortly.  In the end I withstood the boredom of water fasting for 17 days.  During the fast I had about 7 colonics.  I ended up feeling great, much trimmer, with an enormous rebirth of energy.  And when I resumed eating it turned out to be slightly easier to control my dietary habits and appetites.

Thus began my practice of an annual health-building water fast.  Once a year, at whatever season it seemed propitious, I’d set aside a couple of weeks to heal my body.  While fasting I’d slowly drive myself over to Great Oaks School for colonics every other day.  By the end of my third annual fast in 1981, Isabelle and I had become great friends.  About this same time Isabelle’s relationship with her first husband, Douglas Moser, had disintegrated.  Some months later, Isabelle and I became partners.  And then we married.