Hello Everyone,

I want to thank all of you for the wealth of information in this forum. It has helped me tremendously.

This may be a long post so Ill try and be as concise as possible.

I grew up eating really healthy as a kid (thanks to my mom) and was even a vegetarian for a few years when I made the connection that eating "chicken" was indeed the same as eating an actual chicken. This worried my mom who snuck ground beef into my pasta sauce every once in awhile after my doctor stressed the importance of protein for a growing child.

When I reached my early teen years I started eating terrible - typical American Diet with very little fruit or veggies and lots of meats and cheese and white bread.

I of course developed facial Acne at around the age of 15 or sixteen which has been persistent until this very day (I am now 22). At around the age of 19 I started trying to figure out why I was still breaking out as I was told I should have grown out of it by this age. Thus began my interest in holistic health.

I was on long term tetracycline for the Acne two times - first for close to a year and then after for about 6 months after that. I believe this horrible decision, along with a poor diet, has lead to most of my health problems today.

I started eating more fruits and vegetables, ate whole wheat instead of white bread, low fat, lean meats, etc. in an attempt to clear my skin. This diet did not help and I continued to search for the answer.

I began to learn more about the symptoms of toxicity and realized this must be what was the cause of acne. I had dark circles under my eyes, a coated tongue, and facial acne. I was anxious (not sure if this was due to the Acne exclusively or another underlying cause - almost like a chicken and egg argument) and I felt like I was getting less and less intelligent is certain ways - I just didn't have the quick, clear mind I had when I was younger.

I tried a variety of holistic methods (mainly diet oriented) and such to no avail. I visited an osteopathic doctor who ran a variety of tests and determined that I had mercury toxicity as well as poor gut immunity and a sluggish liver.

He determined from a stool test that I had very little (almost zero) good bacteria and about 8-9 strains of bad bacteria including candida in my gut. He wanted to start me on an aggressive chelation protocol but I did some research and realized how careful one must be with heavy metal chelation.

I opted to get a second opinion and visited a naturopath who suggested I hold off on chelation until I removed my 4 Amalgam fillings. So I had them removed in a safe way (rubber dam, suction, etc.) in two separate sessions, each session followed by intravenous vitamin C drips to counter any potential damage from the procedure. I remember getting a bad head cold immediately after the second procedure anyway.

Shortly after I moved from Los Angeles to the Santa Cruz Mountains and began eating exclusively locally grown organic food and veggies (except when I would eat out, which was not too often and still usually healthy). I continued to exercise almost daily and would sit in the dry sauna an hour a day for three days a week). This has been the extent of my chelation to this day as I am still researching the topic to determine the safest and most effective way to proceed.

I first read about fating a few months ago but never wanted to try it due to the wight loss - I am already naturally skinny and had worked hard in the gym to add a good amount of lean muscle mass to my frame. This changed 5 days ago now when I started my first water-fast (and first fast of any kind). I had recently experienced another bad breakout and I was determined to fix my health problems once and for all.

So I started on Tuesday by preparing with a day of eating only two green smoothies. I have since had only water and today is my fifth day. It has been a great experience to realize how often I would eat out of boredom, routine, or social cues which I wrongfully labeled "hunger." I have lost about 12 pounds in the last five days but It doesn't seem like I have lost much muscle mass at all (which is great).

I have done small amounts of exercise (yoga, walking, etc.) but have basically been trying to rest as much as possible. I read Shelton's book that everyone always refers to here and found it very fascinating.

The first day of the fast was actually quiet easy, it felt great to give my body a break and not having to worry about eating or cooking. The second and third days were much harder and I kept feeling "hunger" which I soon realized was boredom and withdrawals for food.

It was my mom's birthday on friday and my dad's on saturday, so my discipline was truly tested during their respective birthday celebrations, the latter including lots of wine and cake. However, I was able to overcome my urge to indulge. It seemed much harder for my guests (who seemed very uncomfortable by the fact that I was fasting which I attributed to a stomach ache) than for me, actually.

My symptoms so far were a terrible headache on the second night and all throughout the third day (I almost never get headaches), a fresh breakout on my face (which was distinctly different than my usual breakouts), terrible Body Odor , green/yellow/brown mucus discharge from my throat and nose, and yellowing of the eyes.

The first few days I looked like death - even my mom, who usually tells me I look great even when I don't, admitted to this. I told her what I was doing and she was very understanding. I am very lucky to have someone to vent to about these problems who understands and sympathizes with me - it has made my fast much easier.

The last two days (4 and 5) I have felt great! The headache has gone away. My eyes are stating to lose the yellow color. My Body Odor is less severe, but still present.

My skin is also starting to clear up, slowly but surely. My forehead, which usually had every single pore either clogged or filled with a blackhead, it starting to smooth out. The skin on my nose and under the eyes which is usually filled with blackheads is starting to clear as well. Breakouts seem to heal slightly faster.

There are still dark circles under my eyes, my tongue is still coated, and my breath is still rank.

I am planning on finishing my fast on day 7. The reason for this is because I don't want to push my first fast too long and because I am performing with my band in about a week and I don't want to look too scrawny. I want to have at least a few days of light eating to gain a few pounds back.

Shelton also mentioned that after 7 days, the digestive tract is completely sterile. I want to make sure that my gut ecosystem is healed as I believe this is one of my main problems (which probably started from the Antibiotics and the poor diet).

Because of this, I was thinking about ending my fast with a small serving of organic sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is essentially predigested, contains beneficial bacteria, and also stimulates the release of bile. To me, this seems to be a perfect choice for my situation but I have not heard of anyone ending a fast this way. Would it be safe?

I have realized that many of my problems are at least partially due to lifestyle/hygiene problems. I also started the following when I started fasting:

1. Sleeping and waking early instead of late
2. Getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine
3. Meditating
4. Positive thinking/stress management

I would also like to learn more about food combining as I believe this may also be of major benefit for me. I will be starting a new diet, but I feel as if it is very difficult to determine what to eat. What would be the ideal diet for my goals?

I plan on limiting my meat consumption to once every couple of days (organic of course) and focusing more on fresh fruits and vegetables. I will be cutting grains and bread completely and avoiding beer, wine, and alcohol. I will also eat mainly raw food and little cooked food.

Thank you so much if you have read this far and I would love to hear your feedback and advice. I also would love to hear any stories on fasting and acne that you may know of.

Health and vitality to all!