The Fasting Diet: A Practical Five-Day Program for Increased Energy, Greater Stamina, and a Clearer Mind

I did the fasting diet under Dr. Bailey?s supervision in 1992 while in Portland, Oregon. The results were positive and I have since done the fast many times on my own, unsupervised. I don't know if I would have the courage and confidence to do a fast from reading a book without personal guidance. However, I can say that the book includes all the information I received under the supervised fast, and much more. I will not do this fast solely to lose weight. Rather, the fast helps me to re-evaluate my long-term relationship to food which gets me on the path to better nutrition and healthy weight loss. By eliminating food that is high in calories yet empty nutritionally, I am able to ?re-set? my eating habits. After the fast, I eat far less food that is higher in nutrition (i.e., only the food my body really needs). I am more balanced emotionally and think more clearly after doing this fast. I think this book provides good information and I recommend it without reservation.

This books does an extremely good job of laying out the many facets of fasting. The two-star rater who claimed that water fasting is the only way to go is quite ignorant on a number of counts (Besides, I don't think he even read the book). 1) Water fasting MUST be medically supervized very closely; juice fasting is much less risky in terms of preventing potentially fatal electrolyte imbalance. 2) His "experience" is himself, alone (he also points out that he prepared for his extended water fast experience by using the juice fast...hmmm); Dr. Bailey has supervized thousands of fasters and has reversed many conditions believed to be incurable (sure, water fasting can potentially do the same, but why take greater risks...especially when a series of consecutive fasts are needed to produce the desired results). 3) fasting is NOT a good way to lose weight; you CAN lose weight, but it's not a substitute for rational lifestyle changes. 4) juice fasting is much better tolerated by the average person -I have my several-times-a-day aerobics and yoga instructor patients report that they have ample energy to continue their regular teaching routines; in fact, it's very common of people to claim they feel better and have MORE energy than they normally do while on the juice fast. 5) this list can go on and on. I don't want to completely "knock" water fasting. It can be useful with the correct execution -i.e. preceeded by a juice fast AND medically supervised. I do not, however, believe that you should go buy a book by some self-proclaimed expert whom religiously swears that water fasts are the best; my experience, the experiences of my patients and the experiences of Dr. Baileys patients have proven otherwise.Thaddeus Jacobs, ND, LAcCo-founder, Santa Barbara Center for Natural Medicine

This is a great book!I followed the fasting advice and found it easy yet highly effective. The author covers all aspects of fasting including physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. This is one of the best books on fasting on the market.