Green Mac and Cheese

I love food.

And while I'm definitely not going to be confused with a great cook, I am not afraid to get creative with my food.

If you know my views on 'Health', you know that I don't really beleive in the idea of healthy foods (within reason).

I'm not a fan of food-like products like most prepackaged foods (or really anything that comes in a box), but when it comes to actually cooking a great meal my goal will always be flavor over function...mostly because I think that all foods have a place in our diet.

Regardless, I love it when I get a chance to get creative and make great tasting food.

Now typically my creativity is extremely simple, but in my never ending quest to create great tasting dishes I occasionally stumble upon something worth sharing, and that some nutrition purists may even consider..gasp..healthy.

Take my Dr. Seuss inspired..Green Mac and Cheese.

What you will need:

• A pot
• Water
  
• some form of pasta (I used Rotini)
• Avocado (I used a full avocado for a serving for two)
• Havarti cheese (about a 1/4 cup grated)
• Butter (teaspoon, just to keep the pasta separated)
• Whole Milk (quick dribble at the end)
• Spring Onions (be liberal with these, they make everything awesome!)
• Dill (to taste)
• Chicken (optional)

Quick an easy instructions

1. Boil some salted water in a pot..when the water is boiling at a roll drop in your pasta..let it cook for 10-12 minutes.
2. Once your pasta is nice and tender, drain it, add some butter, and then throw it back into the pot.
3. Add 1 nicely mushed up Avocado (yes, 'mushed up' is the technical term)
4. Stir like crazy.
5. Add the Havarti, Dill and Spring onions and a little salt and pepper
6. keep on stirring.
7. Add the sliced up chicken (cook it first).
8. pour in a little milk until you get your desired level of creaminess.

and tada - quick and easy, Green Mac and Cheese!

Like I said - It's not going to win any awards, but its fun, simple and tasty!

BP

(Yep, I broke down a took a picture of my food!)

Eat Stop Eat for Sustainability (More reasons to consider Flexible Intermittent Fasting)

Here's an interesting bit of information I found today on ConfectionaryNews.com

According to an article titled "Eat less to use less fossil fuel, researchers suggest" a scientific study out of Cornell University states that the US food industry uses an estimated 19 per cent of the total energy used in the nation.

This includes non-renewable sources of energy like petroleum and natural gas.

The researchers conducting this trial beleive that it is very important that we find ways to lower this fuel consumption.

So here is a great first suggestion - Consumers (that's us) should simply eat less food.

I know this suggestion is one that the 300 billion dollar food industry will fight against tooth and nail, but there is a sick irony to the fact that many of us are currently trying to find ways to lose weight, while at the very same time the average calorie intake in the US is almost 3800 calories per day.

This is easily 1200 and 1500 more calories than the vast majority of us need in order to stay weight stable.

So if we are eating more than we want to, and these extra calories are not only causing us to put on fat, but are also burdening our economy and our environment, isn't it logical that we should start to explore practical ways to cut back on how much we eat? (Eat Stop Eat anyone?)

Here are some other very interesting points from the article-

• A vegetarian diet containing the same amount of calories as the current American Diet (mostly animal products and processed foods) would require 33 per cent less fossil energy.

• On average, food in the US travels 2400 km (1491 miles) before it is consumed by an American. (How can anything that has been on a truck for 24 hours be considered fresh?)
  

The bottom line is that eating less would help our health, our waistlines, our economy and the environment.

If you want to take it one step further, even a moderate cut back on animal products combined with eating local when you can would do a lot to decrease the burden on the environment and the economy.

The argument for NOT eating less is slowly becoming horribly weak.

We know that starvation mode (or famine mode) is a nutrition myth (I explain the science behind this fact in the first episode of the Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio files), and we know that eating less will not cause you to lose muscle (Episode 3).

Not only this, but when it comes to a vast majority of the diseases typically associated with Western Culture, many people (myself included) are starting to point the finger of responsibility squarely at overeating. And not overeating one single nutrient, but just overeating in general.

Here's my last point - Ever wonder why in the mainstream media, eating less in an attempt to lose weight has a certain stigma about it, while exercising for weight loss is completely acceptable?

In other words, the mainstream media is cool with the fact you want to lose weight, they just want you to keep eating as much food as possible.

Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but looking at the simple math, if the food industry is a 300 billion dollar industry, certainly a good portion of that money must go into advertising. And since advertising money is what makes the media industry profitable, it wouldn't really make sense to bite the hand that feeds, now would it?

BP

The Great Starvation Experiment

I'm finally back from my business trip to Minneapolis.

It was a productive trip with good people and good food but it was way too much time away from my family.

Since I was in Minnesota, I figured it was a great opportunity to try and do some site seeing.

Specifically - I wanted to see the actual site of the Great Starvation Experiment conducted by Ancel Keys in 1945 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

This study is a favorite of mine. Mostly because of how misunderstood it is by modern day scientists.

I know it had an abundance of flaws in it's design:

• No Control Group
• Subjects were not blinded
• Researchers were not blinded
• Selection Bias
• Not published in a peer reviewed research Journal
• Even the possibility of 'fish-bowl effect'
  

But, despite these large errors, it is still a very telling story of the quest to better understand human physiology in a day-and-age where this was still a very fledgling science (1945).

Truthfully, this was a very poorly conducted calorie restriction study. However, looking past this we can see that the series of "case studies" that make up this trial are a great example of the effects that famine, captivity, depression and social grouping can have on the human body and probably more importantly, the human psyche.

Most importantly- as stated by Dr. Keys himself, this was not a starvation study, the starvation was only a necessary tool so that they could better study rehabilitation from starvation.

So while crude in it's design and conclusions, it still greatly advanced our understanding of the connection between the human psyche and the human body.

I was not able to make it to the football stadium at the University of Minnesota (the site of the experiment was destroyed but apparently there is still some pieces of the lab in a museum on campus) because my schedule was just too tight, however I did make it the local Barnes and Nobel.

I was able to find a book titled "The Great Starvation Experiment" written by Todd Tucker (not to be confused with Tom Tucker, TV anchor man from 'the Family Guy')

This book was published by the University of Minnesota Press - The same publishing company the published the original Ancel Keys Research.

This book is definitely worth a read - Not necessarily for its scientific accuracy (which is impressive at times) but for it's amazing descriptions of the political and social issues of the times.

I managed to get through this book on my flight home, so it's not a difficult read by any means, but and it is worth recommending on its entertaining value alone.

BP

PS- I'm getting lots of great feedback on the new Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio files! If you are interested in getting an advanced understanding of the science behind the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle, be sure to check out the Eat Stop Eat Advanced package ==> www.EatStopEat.com

Big Eat Stop Eat Announcement

It's my birthday today! It’s true, today I turned the big 3 - 1

A lot has changed for me in the last ten years, and I'm not just talking about growing up and starting a family (after all, most people would argue that I've only actually done ONE of these things).

Some of the biggest changes have been in my approach to nutrition, exercise and my definition of health.

I took some time to compare my approach at 21 to my approach now, and I was shocked at the difference. Surprisingly, one of the biggest differences is that I actually feel better now than I did when I was 21!

I’m just as strong as I was over a decade ago, and I may even be a little leaner. And, I definitely have A LOT more energy.

When I was 21, I worked very hard to keep my body fat down around 14-15% while weighing around 185 pounds.

(at 21 working out was my life...it was almost all I ever thought about - I spent months dieting for this photo...and yes, I'm posing like a bodybuilder wannabe)

Nowadays I’m a little lighter (around 176 pounds), and I’m also a little leaner - usually around 10-11% body fat.

(Brier and I, one week before my 31st b-day...I still love working out, but as you can see, my priorities in life have definitely changed.)

In the last ten years lots of other things in my life have changed for the better.

• I started working in the supplement industry (good),
  

• then I left the industry to pursue graduate research (even better).
  

• I also got married to my high school sweetheart.

• and then was blessed with the birth of my little girl (The best).

Another big difference is that these days I am no longer a slave to food and nutrition.

I know you might think of me as the anti-obsessive compulsive eating guy, but back when I was in my early twenties I used to work very hard at making sure I ate the food I needed to keep my body in top condition (or at least the foods I THOUGHT I needed).

I followed all the standard rules.

• I kept an excel spreadsheet that logged every single piece of food that passed by my lips.

• I ate 275 grams of protein per day,

• I only ate small meals

• no saturated fat,

• lots of green tea,

• no fruit, pasta, bread or dairy,

• Lots of sweet potatoes and wild rice (back when I was 21, carbs were not the enemy!)

• with lean meats and fresh veggies at every meal.

When I think back to my early twenties, it's obvious that trying to get lean and stay lean was a full time job, and I took my job very seriously. Now don't get me wrong, I liked the way I looked, and all my hard work definitely gave me some great results. But also used to think that this was the ONLY way to get results.

I used to say things like ‘nutrition is my life’ and ‘food is a fuel, nothing more’ (No joking, I actually used to say that food is only a fuel!)

Now I realize that this way of living was completely unnecessary, and actually hurting me.

Now I know there is a better way.

If I compare my approach to health at 21 to my approach now, it amazing how different they have become.

I’ll be honest with you, I still work out almost every single day. But ever since I realized that I didn’t have to worry about eating ‘healthy’ foods anymore it feels like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Living the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle has taught me that there are no weight-loss foods or fattening foods. Best of all, there are NO foods to avoid.

It is an amazing feeling, and a feeling I want to share with you.

And since today is my birthday and I’ll be getting presents all day long (fingers crossed for new stainless steal pots and pans), I figure it is only fair that I gave YOU a present.

It’s only been a little over a year since Eat Stop Eat was published. Yet in this one year I’ve gained even more knowledge that has further solidified my belief that the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle is the very best (and easiest) way to get the body you want while living a great, stress-free lifestyle.

A lot of this information has come from answering questions from people who have read Eat Stop Eat but have wanted to know more.

Usually these are very interesting and thought-provoking questions that forced me to continually go back over the research and really dig out the details.

Answering these questions has broadened my understanding of Eat Stop Eat and how to effectively use it for weight loss and stress free eating. This truly is an ongoing learning process for me and I want you to know everything that I know. I want you to understand it the way I understand it so you can enjoy a life eating all the foods you love and also loving the way your body looks.

That’s why today I’m launching the Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio files.

The Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio Files are a collection of 6 sections detailing the science behind the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle and all the benefits you can expect to enjoy once you start.

These 6 files make up over two hours of in-depth discussion where I do my absolute best to dig even deeper into the science behind Eat Stop Eat. As always, I do my best to put the hard science into terms that are easy to understand.

It’s the perfect way to fast-forward your understanding of the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make sure you will never fall for another diet or fitness fad that ends up costing you money, time, and effort leaving feeling distraught and guilty when it doesn’t produce the results you want.

So here’s the deal, Not only do you get over 2 hours of Audio but you also get the full transcripts from each advanced session AND you get the original Eat Stop Eat e-book.

I've designed the Eat Stop Eat Advanced package for the type of person who simply wants to know more. Who wants to really understand the science behind fasting, resistance training and working out. And since you are this type of person (after all, you're reading my blog), I designed this package for you.

To check out the new advanced package visit www.EatStopEat.com

BP

What is Healthy?

I've come to the conclusion that 'healthy' is not a thing.

It doesn't come in a breakfast cereal, or in a protein bar, or the latest super food.

It is not a measurement like weight or height. There is no scale you can stand on and say "Hey great! I'm 192 healthy's today".

Healthy is not a certain percentage body fat, and it is not an optimal BMI score.

There is no 'Healthy Index' (although I'm sure some PhD student is busy trying to develop one so we can all conform to a certain diet and certain type of living.)

Even the definition of Health is vague. Health can best be defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.

This definition, which was ratified during the first World Health Assembly and has not been modified since 1948.

I spent a fair amount of time really thinking about this definition. At first it didn't make much sense to me. After all, if health is well-being then how the heck do we define 'well-being'.

After really thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that Healthy is a mindset.

I think healthy is the way you approach life. The way you think about what you eat and how you exercise. It is the decisions you make in life and why you make them.

After all, physical fitness has many different incarnations.

An IronMan athlete is definitely fit, so is an NFL running back. Interestingly, neither one could so the the other's job.

No single diet can make you 'healthy' - Even if that diet is Eat Stop Eat ;)

Healthy is definitely NOT being an obsessive compulsive eater. Nor is it doing workouts you hate because some trainer told you that it's the only way to workout, or the only way to lose fat.

The secret to Healthy is NOT working out less and eating more, and believe it or not, working out more and eating less may not always be healthy either (however for most of us, this one is probably a step in the right direction). It really depends on who you are, where you are at, and what you want to accomplish.

Healthy is finding a way of eating and a way of exercising that you love, that causes you no stress, that doesn't make you injured or sick, and that gives you a body that looks the way you want it to and can do the things you want it to do.

When it comes to being healthy I think the key is finding a balance between doing the things you love and the things you need to do.

I don't believe in fat-loss workouts. I feel best in the gym when I am trying to build muscle. I like my reps low and my rests long. When I do this I actually enjoy my workouts.

I love walking. Yep long slow boring cardio. I don't do it for fat loss, I do it because it helps clear my mind. Walking makes me feel healthy, so I do it.

So here's the point of all this - If your current lifestyle (nutrition program or exercise program) is not giving you the results you want in a way that is enjoyable then it is failing you. It is not healthy.

If you are eating something or doing something you hate, and are only doing it because someone told you it was healthy, maybe it is time to replace it with something you truly enjoy.

It is possible to find a style of eating and exercising that will make you feel healthy, you just have to find it.

BP

Are you Embarrassed by What you Eat?

Here's an interesting email I received this morning:

Hi Brad,

I have a story I need to share with you-

I was at the grocery store this morning when I noticed the lady in front of me was buying a bag of Oreo cookies and a carton of half and half cream. I thought nothing of it, but she must have noticed me looking at her items because she looked up at me with a weird guilty look on her face and quickly remarked that she was having friends over that evening.

I couldn't get over the fact that this woman had such an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame around eating something that is perceived as 'not good for her' that she felt then need to justify it to a complete stranger. What kind of world are we living in where we are embarrassed about the food we eat?

Ali

If you want a perfect example of the horrible effects of obsessive compulsive eating, then look no further than this email. We should not feel guilty about our food choices. We should be able to enjoy the foods you eat without the fear of being judged. However, this is easier said then done. It is very difficult to prevent the ridiculous social pressure of 'eating healthy' from ruining the experience of eating.

If you are trying to lose weight, a lifetime of skinless chicken breasts and steamed broccoli is not the answer. Simply find a way to eat less, but still eat the foods you love.

BP

PS - Eat Stop Eat is only 80 pages long, but it could easily be over 200 pages. All I would need to do is add in 10 pages that list 'Good Food choices' and 'Bad Food choices', 50 pages on the supplements you should take and 100 pages of recipes showing you how to change normal foods into healthy foods.

Luckily I don't need to do this because weight loss (just like the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle) can be incredibly effective while still being incredibly simple. And, effective nutrition advice does NOT have to include promoting obsessive compulsive eating.

Artificial Colors to Come with a Warning

Just another reason to demand quality from the foods you choose to eat...

The European Parliament has adopted a legislative package that will see products containing any of six artificial colours labelled with a health warning for children.

Foods containing tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124) and allura red (E129), will have to be labelled "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children".

The scary thing is not that foods with these colorants now carry a warning, it's that these colors have been in our foods for decades.

If the ingredients in a food do not sound like things you would normally find in a kitchen, do not eat that food...it is becoming clear that this may be the best way to make good food choices.

BP

The Price of Eat Stop Eat

About a week a go I received an email from someone who had just bought Eat Stop Eat and was a little unimpressed by the 29.95 dollar price tag.

I knew that once this person had read Eat Stop Eat they would see the value in the book.

Judging by the last email I received, I think I was right...

I tip my hat to you and apologize big time for griping about the price of your book in eBook form.

So as I'm prying egg off my face, and frying up a bit of crow, let me say THANK YOU. Finally, somebody that tells the truth logically, without gimmicks and additional monthly charges or add-ons.

I'm a Registered Nurse and I didn't know this stuff! But I do know how the money-making eat-more marketing machine works and you've just pulled the plug on them! Congratulations!

Eat Stop Eat has worked quickly for me and I feel great. Your book is well worth the price...plus.

I'll keep you posted on my weight loss and health improvement. I've got about 30 pounds to go!
Frances

P.S. Also, just to give you an idea of some of the current trends, as I was searching "lose belly fat" I found a tea that cost over $59 a month; Weight Watchers, for the full-blown online service is $60 a month; and any number of "pills" cost $60 to $80 a month.

With that in mind and the baloney they sell, I hope you blow them out of the water and become a multi-millionaire...if you're not already one.

A great pick me up to start the day!

BP

PS- Just so you know, While Eat Stop Eat is becoming very poplular, 'multi-millionaire' is a little far away ;)

So you think you know bread?

My Cottage Butcher has put in an oven and has started making fresh bread daily.

My favorite so far is the Sour Dough. Which is a very timely admission since new research from the University of Guelph tells us that Sour Dough may be the best choice of bread when it comes to your health.

(Some fresh butter and some locally produced honey and this becomes a perfect snack)

In yet another example of how we can pretty much get research to tell us whatever we want it to, research from Guelph has found that Sour Dough is better than white bread which is better than whole wheat and whole wheat with added barley.

Yep that's right - whole wheat performed the worst...go figure.

So here is my take - Food is food, let's stop obsessing over it. In an insane attempt to label some foods healthy and some food not-healthy we continually come to quick scientific conclusions that get blown out of proportion by the media, become "common knowledge" and then eventually gets disproved.

The result of this is consistently frustration and confusion over what and how we should eat, and an ever increasing trend towards obsessive compulsive eating.

Eat the foods you enjoy, just don't eat too much, and try to eat with as much variety as possible..and try the sour dough, its delicious.

BP

For more information (but not the actual study) follow this link ==> http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/07/sourdough_bread.html

The butcher, the baker, the candle stick maker

It's cottage time again, which means I'm hiding out up in Northern Ontario.

I'm spending my days playing with my wife and daughter (she's only one, but man does she love the water), and I'm spending my evenings working on some very exciting new Eat Stop Eat projects.

During the day I have a great routine. I get up early and make breakfast for the family. After breakfast we head into town for groceries.

I love small towns and small town businesses so when we go into town we head straight to the local baker and the local butcher (sorry, no candle stick maker).

Thanks to Eat Stop Eat, I'm no longer afraid of eating carbs, which is perfect because summer wouldn't be the same without fresh baked scones from Don's Bakery.

(Get there early, or they'll be gone)

After we get some scones (and maybe some muffins), we head down the street to the butcher.

I love my butcher (aptly named "The Cottage Butcher"). Any place where you can walk in after being away for the winter and not only do they remember you, they remember your daughter's name is a great place to support.

(Pea-meal bacon, some sirloin, and maybe some lamb)

After groceries we head back to the cottage and spend the day at the dock. At some point during the day I'll get a workout in out-doors using my blast straps and weighted vest.

Then it's back into town for our daily ice cream.

It is a simple routine that is based on eating the foods I like with the people I love.

Now here is my cottage-life realization: I think cravings are artificial. They are a product of advertising.

Maybe a better description is that cravings are a behavior that is learned through convenience and repeat exposures.

I have often wondered, if my all time favorite dessert is creme brule, then how come this isn't what I crave when I get cravings? Why don't I drive the streets late at night, trying to find a restaurant that has great creme brule?

As fun as this sounds, this is just not something that I have ever had the desire to do.

When I am at cottage I am at least an hour away from a Tim Horton's. And if you read my blog then you know that I have issues with Tim Horton's Coffee and Tim Horton's donuts.

These are my major craving weaknesses.

But when I'm up north, no cravings. Not one.

Again, I believe this is because a) there are no Tim Horton's around and b) I have not seen any Tim Horton's commercials or signs for over a week.

The next time you have a craving, think about what you are actually craving. Is it one of your favorite all time treats, or is it something close by that is convenient?

BP

Exercises to Burn Fat

Yesterday was Canada day, a national holiday in Canada celebrated by BBQs, backyard parties and fireworks.

I love Canada day. I even went as far as to turn my Blackberry OFF for the day (which is a HUGE accomplishment for me!)

Even though I was able to turn off my Blackberry, I wasn't able to let go of my most valuable sidekick...my notepad.

Yep, I keep a notepad on me at all times (Moleskin is my brand of choice).

Call me old fashioned, but when ideas spring into my head, nothing makes them more real, more concrete than actually writing them down (typing them out just doesn't do it).

(A perfect combination for a great summer's day)

I took an hour during the day when my little girl was playing in the pool with her grandparents to go through my notebook and read through many of the old notes I have written down this year.

One particular note that stuck out to me was from a lecture I attended for physicians that was headlined by Dr. Stuart Philips from McMaster University.

Amongst my notes I found the following quote scribbled down:

"It is remarkably hard to increase exercise and decrease body weight."

which when translated to normal non-PhD talk means:

"It is really hard to lose weight by simply increasing the amount of exercise that you do."

How true.

Believe it or not, most research trials examining the weight loss caused by very low calories diets, found that adding exercise did little to increase weight loss.

The diets seemed to do all the work.

Take for instance the research conducted by Donnelly et al. that was published in 1991.

69 obese women were put on an extreme 520 Calorie per diet.

These women were then divided into 4 groups

Group 1 did not exercise
Group 2 did endurance exercise for 60 minutes 4 days per week.
Group 3 did strength training 4 days per week
Group 4 did strength training AND endurance exercises 4 days per week

At the end of the 90 days research trial all 4 groups lost a mind blowing amount of bodyweight, averaging over 40 pounds of weight loss!

(Once again proving that anyone who says “It is impossible to lose weight by dramatically reducing your calories.” has absolutely NO IDEA what they are talking about!)

The interesting finding was that there were no differences between the four groups in terms of the amount of weight or body fat that was lost.

This is despite the massive amounts of exercising that group 4 was doing every single week!

This conclusion has been found over and over again in published research.

Donnelly et al. did a second trial that was published in 1993 showing that weight training could increase muscle size while women followed an 800 calorie per day diet, but it could not increase weight or fat loss.

Similar results were found by Kraemer in 1997, Bryner in 1999 and Janssen in 2002, just to name few examples.

The truth is that if you have your diet in order and are following a diet program that allows you to decrease your caloric intake it will cause you to lose weight.

Adding 'calorie burning exercises' does not seem to increase this weight loss, but adding strength training can preserve or even help increase the size of your muscles while you are dieting.

So if you are one of those people who spends countless hours in the gym, pushing themselves as hard as they can but are not seeing results, maybe its time to change your approach.

Eat for fat loss, workout to preserve (or even increase) the size of your muscles.

You can easily accomplish this by following the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle of Flexible Intermittent Fasting and strength training.

If you spend your energy in the right places, weight loss can be easy.

BP

PS- While all of these research papers used extremely low calorie diets and showed impressive weight loss, you absolutely do not need to be this restrictive.

I would never recommend this type of low calorie diet, especially since simply fasting once or twice a week can cause great fat loss, while still allowing you to live a normal live and enjoying great tasting food.

After all, a great diet is all about quality of life while dieting ;)

Fasting for Detox

Today I'm doing a pure fast.

What's a pure fast you ask?

Well, I have received a number of emails asking my opinion on various detox diets. Since my area of expertise is definitely NOT in the area of detoxification, I took the weekend to review some of the literature.

I wasn't able to find any support for consuming massive amounts of fiber, lemon juice, or weird spices and their ability to 'detox' your body. In fact, what I've found suggests that (depending on how you describe 'detox') the best detox diet possible is, you guessed it, fasting.

If you are trying to detoxify your body then you one of the best things you can do is simply give your body sometime without any food, allowing your own repair systems some free-time to get their work done.

A typical Eat Stop Eat style 24 hour fast will already give you some great detox benefits.

However, I'm going to go once step further and say that a pure fast is the absolute best detox diet. Especially if you think beyond the traditional GI cleanse and think about an actually total body cleanse, including the removal and repair of damaged proteins, lipids, and other cellular structures from your body (a process that kicks into high gear when you are fasting).

A pure fast is where you only drink water, tea and black coffee during your fast. No diet pop, No artificial sweeteners in your tea and coffee and no gum.

So if you really want to be strict about it, you can take an Eat Stop Eat fast and every once in a while turn it into a pure fast where you can fast without food or additives like artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners.

This allows your body ample time to remove and replace damaged tissues and cells without having to deal with the digestion of any new foods, or possible complications that might occur due to chemicals like aspartame*.

*note: I didn't find any conclusive evidence that aspartame negatively effects the detox effects of a fast, I'm simply suggesting the 'why chance it approach'

I don't think you need to be this strict with your fasting all the time. So since I am currently fasting about once every five days, I'm going to make every other fast a pure fast just to try it out.

I'll let you now how it goes.

BP