My First Fasting Experience Was 13 Years Ago

Speaking of which, my first fasting experience was 13 years ago. For a magazine feature, I underwent a 5-night, 6-day course at a fasting facility called "Hippocrates Sanatorium." For three days, the menu consisted of carrot juice (3 carrots and 1 apple made one serving) to supply vitamins and minerals, along with ginger tea with brown sugar, pickled plums, and a plain miso soup in between. Then, over two days, we gradually transitioned back to regular meals.

The program is run by Dr. Ishihara, who is well-known for his fasting theories. His premise is that excessive food intake suppresses the body's elimination processes, leading to various illnesses. Fasting, according to his theory, helps to expel waste products that remain due to overeating and enhances the body's natural healing abilities.

The theory behind drinking carrot juice during the fast is that it provides essential nutrients like the vitamins and minerals from carrots without burdening the digestive organs. This might be why I was able to complete the fast without dropping out due to extreme difficulty.

What Surprised Me About Fasting

The first thing that surprised me was that the morning after my first day's dinner of just carrot juice, my sclera (the whites of my eyes) had turned white. "Wow! After just one fast?!" I still remember that clearly. The next morning, I was even more astonished to see my skin had become lighter, and my eyes were sparkling.

The primary goal of fasting isn't to lose weight, but rather to give the internal organs and digestive system a rest from the constant work of processing solid food. It allows the energy normally used for digestion to be redirected to cell and nerve repair. It also facilitates the elimination of toxins accumulated in the body. These effects manifested as whiter eyes, brighter pupils, and clearer skin.

I Tried a Simple Juice Cleanse Again

After that, I'd forgotten about fasting for a while, butas I wrote in my August 2012 article, I decided to try it myself for the first time, hoping to aid in wound healing. The results were similar to what I experienced at the facility. Since then, I've incorporated a two-day fast using vegetable and fruit juices after periods of overindulgence, such as at the beginning of the New Year or the end of summer, or before advertising shoots.

However, I thought, "I didn't overeat much this New Year, so maybe I don't need to," when suddenly, I received cold-pressed juices from John Masters Organics Tokyo's Inner Beauty Bar and Live Juice as gifts. That's when I thought, "I really should do it!"

And the timing was spring. During winter, the body tends to store energy, leading to a buildup of fat and waste. Spring is when the body's elimination processes naturally ramp up. This means fasting during this period can be even more effective. But a two-day "complete fast" is still quite challenging... so I opted for a simpler fasting method.

First, in the morning, I ate my usual two types of seasonal fruits. For lunch, I had a smoothie made with shungiku and coriander grown in my garden, plus apple, cabbage, and a little lemon juice. For dinner, it was apple and carrot juice. The next morning, I started with a komatsuna and apple smoothie, followed by a salad for lunch, gradually returning to normal meals to finish.

This level of fasting is manageable without feeling overwhelmed, and while gradually returning to normal food is crucial after any fast, a little care is all that's needed. From now on, I plan to use this simple method whenever I've overindulged or feel slightly unwell, aiming to maintain a body free of accumulated waste. Oh, and the fact that even this simple fast (more of a "cleanse," perhaps, than a true fast) left my skin feeling smooth and supple the next morning was a big motivator for me (laughs).

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