I have done various fasts in the past, but I will never fast again after having two bad experiences with the last two fasts. I hope it works for you Nancy, but I think if you start out in a very depleted state, a fast can be harmful. I think you really need to be taking it easy during the fast and for at least two to three weeks afterwards.
The last two fasts I did were for 3 to 4 days. The last fast was a juice fast and I eased into it and out of it and did not work during the fast. The previous fast before that, I didn't take it easy so much. Anyways, two weeks after both of these fasts, I ended up with severe back muscle spasms and it literally took me about 6 months to get better. There were a couple of years between the fasts. I think fasting is a very personal thing. It works for some people and not for others, like me. Since I have been working with an acupuncturist, it makes sense to me that fasting would not be good for me because of my particular bodily deficiences.
There are ways to detox the body without fasting, using herbs and a clean diet. I personally think the
SCD intro diet is pretty good if you need to give your digestive system a break, but don't want to deny your body of nutrients and calories (I didn't eat the dairy or honey). I did this twice over the summer, and it cleared my diarrhea up temporarily. Or, I think just cutting out sugar, alcohol, stimulants, preservatives, and only eating home cooked meals with whole organic foods is a good way to clean your body out.
Claire