5. Questions & Answers

How much water or juice should I drink when I fast?

When fasting, you should always slowly sip pure distilled water whenever you are thirsty and drink until you are no longer thirsty. There is no fixed amount to drink or not to drink. You should not force yourself to drink while fasting, nor should you ever deny yourself a drink while going without food. Don't try to "fill up" on water to ease your hunger pains—it won't work.
By the way, if you're drinking juices while fasting, you are not actually fasting. You're on a juice diet. There is nothing seriously wrong with a juice diet, provided that the juices are made and used strictly fresh and that excessive amounts are not taken as a substitute for food. However, to get the benefits of a fast, you have to fast and take only distilled water—not juices.

Most doctors and nutritionists say we should drink 8 glasses of water every day for good health. What do you say to that?

If you eat what most doctors and nutritionists eat, that might be good advice! A typical American diet is high in salt and animal protein—both of these require copious amounts of water to keep the kidneys flushed and the tissues clean. Few people eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables to supply them with adequate fluids. I have no doubt that a diet of hot dogs, potato chips and ice cream would also require the addition of eight glasses of water per day. But if your diet is healthy, if you include high-water content foods, if you don't use salt or animal proteins, then why flood yourself with water? Drink according to thirst, not by some recommendation or the other.

I become thirsty right after I eat, and then when I drink water, I get indigestion. Help!

You become thirsty after you eat only if you eat cooked foods, salted or spiced foods, or concentrated foods (like nuts). First, give up salted foods. You cannot get around this fact: salt-eating will always give you an unnatural thirst.
If you eat cooked or concentrated food, then you must eat a large amount of water-sufficient foods along with them. This usually means a large raw salad. Make sure you drink some water about an hour before you eat. This may help prevent thirst after eating. Of course if you eat a high-water meal of only fresh fruits or raw vegetables, you should never experience that after-meal thirst—or indigestion, for that matter.

I like to make blender drinks. You know, some fruits and nuts and things. Is this an okay beverage?

Blender drinks are not actually drinks—they are meals that you have first run through a blender. If you have chewing problems, poor teeth, or whatever, then this might be an acceptable compromise in your diet. If you must blend your foods, don't "drink" them—eat them. Use a spoon and eat the blended food slowly, chewing each mouthful as well as you can and mix it with your saliva. Gulping down a blender drink is one way to indigestion. Also make sure that the foods you blend together are compatible foods to begin with. Nuts and fruits may not make an ideal combination in a blender drink. As we said, a drink (if it's not water) is either a food or a poison. Blended up drinks are foods—separate meals—which should be eaten by themselves and immediately after preparing them to avoid oxidation and nutrient loss.

What can you say to people when they ask you what you want to drink?

Tell them you want a big glass of "sky-juice"—water in other words. If you are thirsty, drink it. If not, keep it beside you and don't make a big deal out of drinking or not drinking. For many people, drinking is a social activity and an act of hospitality. If you graciously accept a glass of water with no further discussion, then everyone should be quite comfortable.