More breakfast again

Breakfast eggs and beans
Lunch  salad with sweetcorn, peppers, olives, cucumber, tomatoes. Carrots and hummus
A small piece of flapjack. Popcorn.
Evening meal, bowl of homemade tomato soup and a bit of last nights left over brown rice and fish.
A couple of dark Ryvitas.
I'm  pretty much onto normal eating now. Tomorrow I'm going to have porridge in the morning. I am going to be continuing a healthy diet including lots of raw veg, brown rice, and fish. Nuts, beans and pulses. Yoghurt and cottage cheese.  I'm sticking to that for at least the next week or two.

A special thanks goes to everyone who donated to Warchild on my behalf.

More breakfast

I've managed to get back onto normal foods quite safely, with no indigestion or any other digestive problems which is good. However after being away from home with only wholemeal bread available at times, attending a birthday party with cake, snacking on nuts whilst at work, eating a few too many dates and grabbing whatever was available at the time I have put on a few pounds in as many days. Because of this it's now time to reign myself in again and get back to the plan. For the next few weeks I will be sticking closely to fruit, veg, brown rice and fish. No more dates, wheat, or birthday cake, I don't care whose birthday it is. Even though I was limited to the one and only vegetarian dish in the place in three different restaurants, there is really no way to know how much salt, fat or sugars there are in foods you didn't make yourself. Luckily I am at home for the next couple of weeks and will be able to totally control my diet again. Slipping up a couple of times during a post fast period out of necessity is fine but to carry on with bad habits is not. This is why fast breaking is such a tricky thing. It's about getting your system working again safely and retaining your health. Although I could have skipped food at times instead of going for expensive restaurant foods with question marks over it, I had kind of agreed to give myself a little leeway because of being in slightly unpredictable circumstances away from home. I have also been weighing myself more regularly so I have been able to keep an eye on my weight every couple of days, this is advisable because adjustments can be made quickly before getting carried away post fast by resting on ones laurels. Even though it is normal to gain weight after a fast no matter what one eats, it is important to stick to the right kind of healthy foods, regular exercise and careful monitoring.

For dinner I made a Madras with brown rice, white fish, curly kale and chick peas,

Fourth and Fifth day breaking the fast

I had to travel this weekend. I packed a salad, with cherry tomatoes, hummus, crispbread, cashews, black olives, and crunchy peanut butter. In London at times in has been difficult to find suitable foods and has required a bit of searching and crossing things off the menu. In the late afternoon I was in Chinatown and ended up spending a lot of money on a very small bowl of beancurd and sweetcorn soup and miniscule plate of crispy seaweed. "You don't want a main course!" said the surprised waitress. I didn't attempt to explain myself. It hit the spot though. In the evening I went to a social club. On the way there I grabbed two apples from a shop. At the club I only drank water. Later on, after a long walk to find a night bus I was ravenously hungry and stopped in a 24 hour Italian cafe at about 2:30 am and had a salad and some penne pasta with plain tomato sauce. I had to stop the restauratuer from piling on too much of the pasta onto the plate. It tasted so good I would go back there again for sure.
For breakfast this morning I had some crunchy cereal with milk which was the only thing readily available at the time. At lunch I ate a peeled carrot that I had in my pocket for a snack. At about 2:30pm I was hungry and found myself in a hotel which only had rich meaty food, but luckily the soup of the day was creamed asparagus and watercress with a wholemeal bread roll. Perfect. In the evening I had wholmeal bread and Marmite because that was all there was at the time, no problem, I really enjoyed it. I ate the last few dates I had left over. I also had a couple of cups of ordinary tea for the first time in at least six weeks. Toast and marmite and tea I love you and I am glad to have you in my life again.
My digestion is good but I am still sticking to small amounts and no full fat cheese or meat, no white bread, no alcohol. So far so good. Even though I've always known about eating small amounts post fast, I still learned the hard way. After one fast a couple of years ago, when I was having an orgasmic food moment I over did it eating seconds and thirds and I ended up with chronic indigestion. Never again.

Third day of breaking the fast

I feel very positive about this whole experience. I have visited the health food shop more in the last two days than I have in the last year. I am interested in healthy food now. The fast has changed me. I want to be healthy and fit. I don't want to fall back into old bad eating habits. I want to keep this good feeling going. The detoxified body has become taut and the feeling of health is palpable. My whole mood is better than before and I am getting stronger and my stamina is increasing. I am enjoying being busy doing chores, learning more guitar and reading. I have had very positive responses from people about this whole thing. We have raised a lot of money for Warchild.

8:00 exercise

8:30 porridge with yoghurt linseed and honey

10.30 glass of tropical fruit juice

11:30 green salad balsamic vinegar dressing.  Cottage cheese. dates. rye crispbread

12:30pm country soup (last bit left over from yesterday see yesterdays blog for ingedients)

2pm Cycling

3:45pm miso soup drink

5:30pm kale, carrots, onions and gravy with garlic and yeast extract and hemp flour.

6pm dates strawberries

7pm Glass of fruit juice.

I'll have a snack later too but I don't know what yet. I'm going to chill out now and watch The Graduate.

8:35 snack Yoghurt with crushed walnuts, sultanas, honey and cinnamon.

Second day of breaking the fast

7:00am exercise

7:30am small yoghurt linseed and honey

7:45am small bowl of baked beans

Barley cup drink

10:30am green salad with fresh basil and two table spoons of sweetcorn
with french dressing.
Chewing this gave me a jaw ache, from underused muscles.
Just goes to show that if you don't use certain muscles for a month they need building up again.

11am Orange and mango juice 100%
Juice and water helps stop me from wanting to eat and eat.

1pm Lunch country soup mix
containing aduki beans
barley flakes, pearl barley, red split lentils,
green split peas, yellow split peas
marrowfat peas.
to which i added
sweetcorn, garlic, stock, herbs. finely chopped red onion,
half a large red hot chilli pepper and white pepper. fresh basil on top.

 I used to blend the soup but I like and need the chewing.
pudding was a small handful of dates.

3pm Afternoon snack;
hummus with coriander and jalapeno and rye crispbread and white pepper.

barleycup drink

8pm Dinner; bowl of small green salad, country soup
pudding; a few dates.

Midnight snack; 6 strawberries and 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese (gotta use up that tub that I bought)

Hunger is stronger and the days go quicker. I bought a couple of recipe books for vegetarian ideas.
After the soup I feel pretty stuffed. At first I thought I'd eaten too much but after a couple of hours felt better.
Carrying food in my intestines feels a bit odd after so much time on liquids. I don't have as much energy as when I was fasting but at least I'm eating healthy. One thing I forgot to mention when I was fasting was the groaning stomach noises, which was a regular thing, I don't know why I forgot to mention this. Things have quietened down now fortunately.
I don't miss wheat. The green salad with french dressing is amazing to me, a couple of months ago I would never have got a buzz from eating that. This is great, health food is more satisfying than fried chicken wings. Hopefully I can keep on a good diet for as long as possible. I certainly need to keep eating this way for the next two weeks at least. I'm glad I'm not missing bread. I wanted to cut down on wheat. This fast has given me an appreciation of healthy food like I've never had before, even after a twenty one day fast.
Had a late night bowel movement, eureka!

First day of breaking the fast.

"Every fool can fast, but only the wise man knows how to break a fast"

George Bernard  Shaw, writer

A few words on fasting first. Please be aware that I didn't just decide to do a forty day fast over night. This was my thirteenth fast and I have learned about fasting slowly over twenty years. I was originally taught by a yogi and I have read many books on the subject. I started with short fasts of a few days. During the first eight fasts I made mistakes every time. The last few fasts have been fine however and I now consider myself a 'master faster'. I have learned enough on the subject to do it my way now but if you are reading this and you are interested in fasting for goodness sake get some education and experience on the subject before attempting a long fast.

Journal.
I did my exercise at 8 and broke my fast at 9 with yoghurt and linseed. Eating today has been amazing.  I was teaching guitar at lunch time and I felt really hungry afterwards. I was really excited about my tomato soup, which was orgasmic (not organic). I managed to not have a second bowl and I didn't go mad on the dates afterwards. Todays foods which are all good fast breakers are listed below. I'm so into food right now I have my next four meals already planned out, maybe I should calm down a bit. 


How to break a fast properly. Breaking a fast should take a third the amount of time of the fast, so I will be eating carefully and healthily for the next two weeks. The trick is small amounts of easy to digest foods that promote saliva and reactivate the digestive system gently. My fast-breaking foods today are as follows.

Breakfast = yoghurt linseed and honey (small bowl with a table spoon of linseed, teaspoon of honey)

Lunch = tomato soup and a few Finn Crisp rye crispbread pieces* (4 medium tomatoes with stock garlic, herbs and a desert spoon of olive oil added just before eating)
Pudding = 8 dates
Glass of fruit juice
Afternoon snack = Stewed apple puree with cinnamon and honey and a splodge of natural yoghurt(4 small apples, teaspoon of honey)
Dinner = a small salad of green leaves with French dressing then same as lunch with same pudding.
Supper = cottage cheese with cucumber and Finn Crisp rye crispbread (three table spoons of cottage cheese, 4 or 5 crispbreads) with white pepper.
 Yummmmmmmmm
Water should also be taken in between meals.


* I have about  4  Finn Crisp crispbreads (they are small) , but if you have Ryvita two will do.

Recently I had to explain (yet again) the difference between fasting and starving I answered with the following :-

Fasting is a yogic practice done for health. Starving is being deprived of enough nutrients to live. In an overweight person this can take many weeks or months.  People who have less than 5% body fat should not  fast for more than a couple of days as they wouldn't live off their fat but their muscle and eventually thier bone marrow and organs. Fasting causes homeostasis to occur, the body's own self righting healing mechanism, which is good. Starving causes death to occur, which is bad. 

Day 40

I did it! forty days on just liquids. I have mixed feelings today. Firstly I am pleased that I got this far and that I have raised money for Warchild, but I am also slightly apprehensive about breaking the fast. This is for several reasons. The main reason is that the next part is the hardest part. Once one starts eating again the feelings of hunger come flooding back in and it's as if the food will not fully satisfy the feeling. Because food is even more pleasurable than normal it's easy to over indulge. If you have been following this blog or you are interested in fasting then I suggest that you stick with me for the next two weeks because now we come to the important part. I will be sharing with you suitable foods to eat when breaking a fast and I will also mention the ways in which it is so easy to make a mistake. Eating the wrong thing at the wrong time can cause acid stomach, indigestion, constipation, stomach aches and rapid weight gain. None of which I want. I actually could fast for longer because I have enough body fat left to do this, and with the regimen that I wrote down previously it would in fact be safe for me to go another ten days, but I'm not going to. I'm just as happy to start eating tomatoes and apples as I am a vitamin drink. Plus I would really like to go to the toilet properly again, maybe this is too much info bit I really miss a good dump!
The rule of thumb is that it should take a third the amount of time of the fast to break the fast. For me, after a forty day fast, this is two weeks. Two weeks of easy to digest foods that promote saliva and thus activate the now very dormant digestive juices. I will also be sticking to mainly fruit, veg, cottage cheese and yoghurt with some seeds. I will go into more detail about what I'm eating, how often and recipes in the following blogs. I will be avoiding, wheat, meat, hard cheeses, full fat cheese, or any fatty foods as they can cause bad acid. I will also avoid hard to digest pulses like aduki beans or mung beans ( from personal experience) , although regular soup mix with some lentils and split peas is ok. I will not be drinking alcohol or smoking anything. After such a long fasting period spent detoxing it would be a bit silly to throw all the good work away so quickly.
I will miss the extra time that is gained by fasting, no cooking, shopping, or spending money on food. I will also miss the feeling of lightness and clarity that comes from fasting.
I was up early again, did my exercise, had my vitamins. I will add to this blog at the end of the day.

I went shopping for food for tomorrow, just some tomatoes, apples, yoghurt, cottage cheese, rye crispbread, and some herbs and cinnamon to put on the apples, it came to nearly fouteen quid for gods sake! I can see where all my bloody money goes.

Footnote.
For anyone that sponsored me per day, thank you thank you thank you.
Please be aware that the money is helping to save abused children in war torn countries. The reason I mention this is that I have already had one person renege on their pledge, saying they didn't think I would go for forty days. That's fine any amount helps and it's really not about money, it's about saving some poor child from getting beat in the head because they didn't want to take up arms for a despotic dictator.



Please make your donation here just follow the simple instructions Justgiving  please leave your name too so I can thank you personally. You can also see the before and after photos there. Because it takes two weeks to break the fast I may add another photo at the very end if there is any more difference.

For more info about Warchild

Day 39

Not long to go now. I am up early and have gotten into an early morning exercise routine. I do a few yoga sun salutations, and some leg lifts, sit ups, pull ups, press ups and side stretches. I always feel better for having done it.
Yesterday, apparently was supposed to be judgement day, well surprise surprise the world didn't end. Yet another end of the world theory bites the dust. Onwards and upwards.
Only two more days of fasting. Somewhere out there there are some tomatoes with my name written on them.

Day 38

Usual intake of fruit juice and water etc. I've slimmed right down. I like being lighter. I felt a bit hungry in the evening. I also felt quite relaxed all day. I spent the afternoon soldering guitar electrics and fixing an old valve amp.

Day 37

Slept well. I thought I would make a bit more effort today so I did some exercise when I got up. This should increase my energy. It's better than sitting around on a computer or watching old Hammer horror films all day like I was yesterday. Here follows my fasting regimen.

Daily intake:- 1 Vitamin drink (vitamin powder mixed  in fruit juice) , 4 large  glasses of 100% fruit juice, 4-5 large glasses of water, 2 small cups of fermented yeast drink, 1 Cod liver oil capsule, 2 caps of Floradix calcium supplement. 1-3 cups of Nettle tea or Barley cup (no milk allowed)

You can live on this but you are going to lose weight every day, basically because there is a very tiny  amount or no carbs, fats and proteins in there, although there are lots of nutrients it is not enough to sustain somebody who has less than 5% body fat. There is also a very low amount of calories.



This is a sponsored fast for Warchild   please sponsor me here http://www.justgiving.com/james-pinchbeck

Day 36

I feel quite tired today. Only four more days. Like a marathon runner who is nearing the finish line, It's the sight of the tape that is keeping me going now. I really really want those four tomatoes that I am going to make into a soup.
 So many things in life are misunderstood as important, and so many seemingly unimportant things are overlooked that are monumental.

Day 35

Getting used to this. Only five more days. I'm going to miss not spending money on food for myself. I can't even think of what I would like to eat again. This is the first time that has happened during a fast, probably because I've nearly doubled my old record of twenty one days. I'm in new territory now.

Day 34

Had a busy day teaching a couple of students. Then later was busy again being a dad, also working on the computer. I get loads done. Cooking for my daughter wasn't too bad. I also did some proper exercise tonight, with push ups and sit ups. Played lots of guitar too. Steady energy burn all day. Six days to go.

Day 33

Had a busy day. I felt rough in the early afternoon though. I did the D.E* which has helped a lot. I don't think I've lost much weight lately, that has slowed right down. I went for a power march up a high hill and did a few press ups. I felt ecstatic about 20 minutes after. I think I might start to like this exercise thing.
I had a lot of going backwards and forwards with my internet business, probably because I'm not quite as sharp as normal, I'm not sure.
Daily intake so far is . Vitamin drink, Floradix (changed from vitamin to calcium/magnesium formula), water, 100% fruit juice (always) and a cod liver oil capsule. One more week of this. I'm not missing food that much any more although when I went past the chippy I was thinking about enjoying some fish and chips some day down the line. I'm very happy with my own company lately, glad I've had no visitors today. Tomorrow is a busy teaching day. Tonight I'm going to chill and watch Beverly Hills Cop.

Day 32

Up early as usual. I'm getting used to cooking for Ruby and not eating. I had the usual vitamin drink, water and fruit juice today. I did some exercise, yoga and climbing around the adventure playground with Ruby. I'm glad I kept going and didn't stop at 30 days. I can feel myself becoming more empowered by this. I am physically fine and I feel good.
If you are doing a fast and you have learned how to do it properly, understand the process, have read good books on fasting and have become in tune with your own body, there is one piece of advice you must adhere to and that is 'don't listen to laymen's advice'. I have heard all sorts of rubbish about fasting, had negative comments, bad advice and encountered plain ignorance of the subject. Some of the uninformed comments I have had have included, 'You look bad', 'It's unsafe', 'You shouldn't go for that long', and  'I couldn't fast because I love food too much'. These are all very unhelpful comments and serve no useful purpose at all. I can't blame people for not knowing about the subject though.
It is perfectly safe to drink fruit juice, vitamins and water for  the amount of time it takes to lose excess body fat. You will not have any negative effects. People sometimes get fasting confused with starving. But starving is when one doesn't eat anything and has less than five percent body fat, this would be bad and all sorts of negative effects would start to be experienced.
Fasting is the best way to get in tune with the body, and I definitely feel that happening. I feel good, and I am looking healthy.

Day 31

I am so curious about this forty day fasting period. Obviously this is the number that is encoded into the bible in the story of Jesus in the wilderness, but the other times that forty has cropped up was in some literature I read about overcoming addictions. I do believe I am addicted to certain foods and I want to fix it. I don't want to list those foods right now, forgive me, I'll get into that later. Physically I feel good, my body looks almost there but not quite, and today I look much better than yesterday. I'm not talking about a subjective view of personal appearance, but of the amount of excess fat.
Forty days is my new goal. I want to fix myself. I also will, on breaking the fast, stick to things like tomato soup, or veg soup for the first week. There are other foods for breaking a fast, I'll go through those later too. During a fast one builds up a little bit of water weight, and on breaking the fast one loses weight for the first few days, I've taken this into account also.

Once again to anybody who is sponsoring me per day, thankyou, this money will save the lives of children who are currently residing in hell.

This is a sponsored fast for Warchild http://www.warchild.org.uk/

Day 30

I did it! I managed 30 days which was my original goal. I'm going to see tomorrow if I should break my fast or carry on for a bit. I'm tempted to try for forty but I'm also missing food like crazy. Today was ok but I did feel like eating , I guess it's getting near that time, who am I kidding, I always feel like eating. I'll know better tomorrow. If I do break the fast stick with the blog because breaking a fast is the hardest bit and I will be sharing info about the best foods to go for at that time.

Day 29

Blogger seems to have deleted my day 29 post. I don't know why. The site was down for a long time also. I'm trying to remember what happened yesterday. I remember I felt a bit clogged up, I performed the D.E.*, which kept me going back to the loo at various times all day. I also felt tired. I did some exercise, not much. I played my Martin guitar pretty much most of the day. I was up in the field on a hill and got chased by a herd of bulls, that was fun.
I think I may have mentioned sexual negation for men during a fast. I myself, from previous fasting experience, have decided not to engage in any form of sexual release. I did it in a long fast last time, and the very next day was told by two people that I looked ill. I also felt more hungry afterwards and tired. For women the rule is different, they may have sex but during their period they would most likely need a supplement. Floradix iron formula would be good.

Day 28

Four weeks into this fast. I'm only two days away from my original goal of thirty days.  Today I feel a bit tired. I have also noticed a change. I feel very relaxed, and I also feel very light. I'm still slightly over weight though, and have enough fat reserves to keep going. I have been shipping Ebay sales today, and I also did some guitar repair. I had to reassure a friend earlier but according to my doctors book. I am not harming myself at all, quite the opposite. There seems to be a slightly irrational fear of starvation in some people. Fasting is not starving, especially with the fruit juice, herb drinks and excess body fat. I would not carry on fasting if I had 5% body fat, that would be very ill advised. I'm still in two minds about ending at thirty days or carrying on for forty. Forty is the magic number. It takes 40 days to absolutely purge any unwanted substances from the body, forty days to be over any addiction. I believe the story of the forty day fast comes from this. I am also very curious to see the full effect of a forty day fast but on the other hand I miss food real bad and would be happy to have achieved my goal of thirty. Anyhow I don't want to jump the gun when I'm still only twenty eight days in.

Day 27

I slept heavy last night, for seven hours, it took me a while to properly wake up at 7am to get ruby off to school with an egg muffin (gulp!). I think I was too arrogant yesterday with my "I figured out how to do it" comment. Treating myself to a Supermalt "health drink" and lime and soda drinks at work were probably a slightly sugary mistake. My thinking was that they would give me a boost for working but straight water would have done just as well. So that's the end of those drinks for me, I'll stick to the juice, miso, and lots of water for the last part of the fast, and the cap full of Floradix, keep it very simple. I am also leaving out the vitamin drink that I got from the health food shop because  it appears to have some suspicious ingredients and with the Floradix vitamins, and also because I don't have to travel or do any heavy work for a while, I don't think I need it.
I have acquired a new guitar, a beautiful  Martin D35 so I have been having a good time strumming it and sticking my nose in the sound hole and taking lungfuls of the smell of ceder from the internal edge bracing, my favourite smell and it is another smell that feels like sustenance, along with pinches of rosemary or lavender grabbed from bushes at the side of the pathways and gardens around the town. I think I like ceder so much because it is at once attractive a slightly repellent, as road tar is.
 I have to teach guitar today so hopefully my brain will work ok, it seems to be doing ok.
I'm only three days away from my original thirty day goal so I must keep going even though making roast potato, veg sausage, and baked beans for Ruby last night was making me want to end it all right now (I mean the fast!). It ain't easy.

Day 26

I slept for 7 hours, my usual amount, at last. Had my vitamin drink and caught a train back to Devon. I missed my usual rituals of, bagel at Waterloo, and tea and shortbread on the train. I also absent mindedly started thinking about Sunday roasts, bad idea.
I had spent quite a lot of time explaining about fasting to people during my time in London, which is good and everybody is positive about it and interested. Although one lady was insistent on battling and arguing that it was wrong to fast. I tried to explain a little but I couldn't actually get a word in so I gave up. Our culture is so based around food, as are many others, and fasting, to some, is little known about or even unheard of. Yet for many others fasting is a long known about form of preventative medicine, if done correctly. However I do think that after 14 fasts I have pretty much figured out the best way for me to do it, which is varying days on water and juice for the first couple of weeks, then adding a vitamin drink after three weeks, and the occasional miso (the one without any added ingredients).
 Today I have to cook again for my daughter. I am nearing my original goal of 30 days so I must stand firm. Even though I was intending to do a 40 day fast next spring I am tempted to go for it this week. I'm still in two minds, I certainly could afford to lose another stone easy. I'll just have to see how I feel in 4 days.
Just a note for anybody who sponsored me per day and was expecting me to do only 10 days or so, please remember that the money you pledge goes to stop innocent young children from being seriously abused in war torn countries where there is lawlessness and despair, your money WILL help.

This is a sponsored fast for Warchild. http://www.warchild.org.uk/
please donate per day at the end or make a one off payment to Warchild via my Just Giving page http://www.justgiving.com/james-pinchbeck

Day 25

Even though I flopped into bed at one o'clock pretty tired out from the long trek back to Kennington I was still up at 6 as right as rain. Did some yoga stretches, and made a vitamin drink and had some miso in hot water. I have so much more steady energy  reserves than when I am eating. I'm almost tempted to stay this way.
The weight doesn't drop off as quick as you would think by this time although my legs are noticebly skinnier, when I cross them it feels different, they kind of fit together better, more snug and compact. I still have fat round the middle though, I guess I was very over weight to start with. I want to slim right down and then go onto fruit veg, brown rice and lean meat, eat little and often to trick my body out of storing fat, which it will do once I get back onto proper food again. It's amazing how quick I dehydrate and rehydrate.
I have to work today, lugging equipment, doing sound engineering and maybe have a jam, but I feel really confident that I can handle it with ease. It's so nice to be able to chat to people for ages and keep up a good mood and energy. You know how it is when you are talking or someone is talking to you and you just start to feel tired, maybe you don't, this doesn't happen as much to me at the moment.
I was thinking earlier in the fast that even though I couldn't eat I needed to find something other than juice and tea for sustinance, I just sat with that idea and waited to see if something came up other than food. I felt that kissing a girl on the lips would be sustinance. Just the thought of it seemed to give me a little bit of a boost and I was hoping, in the spirit of science, that I could test my theory to see if a snog is indeed as fulfilling as food. Luckily I had the opportunity to find that out last night, and I must say that it is.

Day 24

Up early. Had a vitamin drink. Last night I was cycling up and down the Thames on one of those Barlcays bikes. I watched the sunset over the houses of parliament. I had a good day, met up with a friend and watched my old buddy Joe Wright's new film Hanna, which was violent and sick but very entertaining.
Then I took a long tube ride up to Harrow to meet Malcolm Bruce and watch Kofi Baker play a drum solo which reminded me of the fireworks at Ally Pally*. It was a long day with lots of walking and talking, but what I noticed is that I just don't get tired.  Today I treated my self to a couple of Supermalts, which although claims to be a health drink is actually very sugary, what the hey, I deserve it.



*Alexandra Palace.

Day 23

I've got a few minutes before I have to catch the train. Good news today (warning if you are squeamish skip the next paragraph).
My body has shown me the sign that I am pretty much completely detoxed. I performed the D.E* clear water went in and then clear water came out, this indicates a highly detoxed state.
I'm carrying on with water, fruit juice (100%), herb tea and my vitamins. See here for good vitamins http://www.naturesplus.com/default_flash.asp
I am going to make sure I take my vitamins and juice before I work. I don't feel weak though, I feel strong.

Onwards and upwards.

* dreaded enema

Day 22

I beat my old record of 21 days. 22 days of water fruit juice and herb tea. I'm getting used to it now. I might as well stick with it until I am the right body weight to size/height ratio or B.M.I. (check yours here http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ )
 . There are times when I have felt quite low, but this is because of food addiction. I believe I have nearly overcome food addiction and I am moving into a normal state. I think that when I start eating I won't be so greedy as before when i have broken a fast. Gobbling down carbs for the high. I am less craving bad food. I am looking forward to vegetables, and nuts.
Today I was fairly active, cycling and walking. I also did some work on the computer and did some of those little jobs that normally get put off. I have had a slight headache at times, but this is because of dehydration, which happens really quick in a fast such as this. Drinking a pint of water fixes it quick too. Tomorrow I travel to London to play music and do some sound engineering. I'll miss my ritual of tea and shortcake on the train though I also will not be drinking alcohol :-(
 I'll be taking some fruit juice and vitamins with me. I think there is one of those giant scales at Exeter I'll get weighed there, I was over 16.5 stone at the start of this (borderline obese according to th B.M.I rankings) , it will be interesting to see what I am now, although I can tell I'm still over the recommended B.M.I.
That's it for now. I'll post again on Monday when I'll be back in Devon to teach guitar and be a dad again.

Day 21

Hurray for me I've equalled my own previous fasting record of 21 days. I'm up at 4:30 in the morning typing this, listening to blues. I've got enough body fat for another couple of weeks though I reckon, sorry to anyone who sponsored me a pound a day and expected they would be giving me a tenner, your loss is Warchild's gain.
Thanks to Warchild people are becoming more aware of the abuse of children in war torn countries. This kind of crap has to be stopped so thanks to all my sponsors, you rock.
Three weeks fasting is officially therapeutic fasting and according to my doctor's book I need a good vitamin supplement. I went to the health shop and tried to fathom the rows and rows of bottles and packets and ended up with a natural vitamin powder that dissolves in water.It seems to contain a lot of essential vitamins and minerals. This is designed to keep the body working properly as the stored nutrients in the body get used up. Fruit juice and b vit drinks are good but they do not give you things like calcium magnesium and loads of other nutrients that stop you getting health problems. I can burn my own body fat for energy but with these health supplements as well I'm probably healthier than I've been since the last 21 day fast a year ago. The vitamin drink doesn't taste that great though, it looks weird too, kind of dirty green but it will give me the boost I need as I have to work this week, doing physical things and dealing with people. When you get depleted of nutrients it can be easy to feel moody and impatient so any help I can get is good. That aside, I'd rather be eating a salmon and cream cheese bagel!

Sponsor me here http://www.justgiving.com/james-pinchbeck

Warchild official http://www.warchild.org.uk/

Day 20

I had a day of just water today, almost like a fast within a fast. My energy wasn't high as a result but I had woken up in the night with acid in my throat so I thought better cut the fruit juice a bit. I can see weight loss is going well, normally it is best to have scales to keep tabs on your weight whilst fasting. Felt snoozy during the day but I managed to keep awake all day and work on the computer. Fasting is a good thing for people who work sat down a lot I think.

Day 19

It's a bit chilly today. Did the yoga sun salutation this morning. I am trying to do this every morning.  I had a cycle about. I'll have to go and collect wood for the burner soon. I've upped my water intake a bit. I've got an internal conversation going on about ending the fast. One side of me wants to move right into therapeutic fasting so that I totally clean my body and kill any disease that may be hidden in me and the other side of me that just wants to eat. I still have more than enough body fat and I want to lose any excess baggage. Toxins are stored in fat so having an extra layer of fat that you don't need means that the body is holding onto possible years of dodgy chemicals and harmful free radicals. It's taking a good amount of willpower to keep going though. I am sleeping heavier and snoozing in the afternoon, or trying not to. I'm taking it fairly easy by spending time working on the computer.

Day 18

I feel like it's getting harder to keep going. Maybe because I've had to cook a lot for others the last few days. One drag was that I dreamed I started eating a digestive biscuit but then I remembered I was fasting and spat it out, damn I could have had that!.
My weight loss has slowed right down, another reason to break the fast really carefully. It is easy to put on a ton of weight after a fast as the body thinks it should store fat. The body understands frequency more than amount of food. After a fast it's best to eat small amounts quite often and stick to non fattening foods. I'll go through some good foods to go for at the end.
I've been sticking to fruit juice, miso and just water. Mainly fruit juice and water.  Trips to the loo are fairly frequent with so much liquids.
One good thing, only 3 more days to equal my old record of 21 days. I really want to beat it. See you tomorrow.