The first vital concern is the duration of the fast.  Two eliminatory processes go on simultaneously while fasting.  One is the dissolving and elimination of the excess, toxic or dysfunctional deposits in the body, and second process, the gradual exhaustion of the body’s stored nutritional reserves.  The fasting body first consumes those parts of the body that are unhealthy; eventually these are all gone.  Simultaneously the body uses up stored fat and other reserve nutritional elements.  A well-fed reasonably healthy body usually has enough stored nutrition to fast for quite a bit longer than it takes to “clean house.”

While house cleaning is going on the body uses its reserves to rebuild organs and rejuvenate itself.  Rebuilding starts out very slowly but the repairs increase at an ever-accelerating rate.  The “overhaul” can last only until the body has no more reserves.  Because several weeks of fasting must pass by before the “overhaul” gets going full speed, it is wise to continue fasting as long as possible so as to benefit from as much rejuvenation as possible.

It is best not to end the fast before all toxic or dysfunctional deposits are eliminated, or before the infection is overcome, or before the cause for complaint has been healed.  The fast must be ended when most of the body’s essential-to-life stored nutritional reserves are exhausted.  If the fast goes beyond this point, starvation begins.  Then, fasting-induced organic damage can occur, and death can follow, usually several weeks later.  Almost anyone not immediately close to death has enough stored nutrition to water fast for ten days to two weeks.  Most reasonably healthy people have sufficient reserves to water fast for a month.  Later I will explain how a faster can somewhat resupply their nutritional reserves while continuing to fast, and thus safely extend the fasting period.

The second essential concern has to do with adjusting the intensity of the fast.  Some individuals are so toxic that the waste products released during a fast are too strong, too concentrated or too poisonous for the organs of elimination to handle safely, or to be handled within the willingness of the faster to tolerate the discomforts that toxic releases generate.  The highly-toxic faster may even experience life-threatening symptoms such as violent asthma attacks.  This kind of faster has almost certainly been dangerously ill before the fast began.  Others, though not dangerously sick prior to fasting, may be nearly as toxic and though not in danger of death, they may not be willing to tolerate the degree of discomfort fasting can trigger.  For this reason I recommend that if at all possible, before undertaking a fast the person eat mostly raw foods for two months and clean up all addictions.  This will give the body a chance to detoxify significantly before the water fast is started, and will make water fasting much more comfortable.  Seriously, dangerously ill people should only fast with experienced guidance, so the rapidity of their detoxification process may be adjusted to a lower level if necessary.