Replied by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 11/27/2012

I would suggest a few things. Look into the Body Ecology Diet which helps heal the gut and eliminate candida which could also be at the root of your problems... All three, leaky gut, arthritis and psoriasis. Try eating some fermented foods which are highly suggested on the body ecology diet as well. They are excellent at getting probiotics into the gut to help re-populate the good bacterias which can help heal your body in all three areas as well. And just for your knowledge, it could be candida at the root of all of these too.

Enzymes on an empty stomach can also help with arthritis. It's important they're taken on an empty stomach otherwise, they'll just help digest the food. Someone also suggested bone broths. I make these throughout the winter and drink them daily as they are very healing to the body and restorative to the stomach. Here is a recipe:

http://thenourishingcook.com/beef-stock-anyone/

Anyway, hope this info helps. Lisa

Replied by Sp (Wb, New Jersey, Usa) on 11/27/2012

And by all means add probiotics to your life on a daily basis from now on. And make sure you get enough of them. Also try enzymes to help with digestion. Just don't take enzymes and probiotics together as the enzymes will digest the probiotics. Take them separately at different times during the day, or - enzymes before the meal and probiotics after the meal. Other helpful things to try are the elimination diet (standard to determine food allergies and sensitivities), Ted's alkalizing formula, and detoxing supplements and strategies.

Extra toxins come out through your skin when other organs of elimination aren't working properly or your system is overwhelmed.

You need to ask yourself what caused the leaky gut? A year of antibiotics or a lifetime of eating a food that you have a hidden intolerance to or something else? It's hard to determine. But definitely look into food allergies/intolerances so you can heal and not keep contributing to the condition. Hope this helps.

Replied by Peto (Brazil) on 11/27/2012

Replied by Alegreviajero (Nha Trang, Vietnam) on 12/04/2012

Some ten years ago, after reading a book on this particular subject, very impressed with such an amazing possibility, I decided to do it. And I did it about ten times over the years. I always choose the month of October of each year to do it, November 2nd being my birthday! What a reward! Once, I did it for three whole weeks.

In some part of Europe like Switzerland, it is a very well known healthiness therapy. Some people would go all the way up the Alps for a week or more as much as three weeks just to do it with the assistance of a medical team and inhale fresh air! But one could safely do it at home and save thousands of dollars.

Ask yourself, what is the prime reason to want to do this water fasting? It boils down to just a very smart and easily understandable motive: To kill! Yes, to kill in their entrenchment all your enemies. To put it simply, your enemies are all those quiet diseases hiding comfortably in your fat reserve we all have. Way of speaking: you go to your doctor one day and he tells you that you have cancer. You did not "catch" that cancer the night before. Right? It was there, latent, for quite some times. The body fat being stagnant, what a nice, cozy, warm place for illnesses to hide, to "live in peace" to develop and wait until it is almost too late for you to react on time. This water fasting will simply make that nasty fat melt away (being the only fuel left for your body to feed on) along with all your hypocrite enemies, but only if it is done properly, safely and with the right kind of attitude. If you think of this as a "diet", just don't do it. Look for a diet.

One word of caution before undertaking this therapy: If you have any major health problem, check first with your doctor. (Good chance he won't understand your "crazy" decision, but at least you will get an honest advice) Yet curious, he might want to see you a few times during your "irrational" fasting.

Just for the record: A personal friend of mine, back in Canada, was, one day, "prescribed" this "no-choice-therapy". He was then way overweighed and he had very high blood pressure. One day he collapsed like in a blackout, he couldn't even stand on his feet any longer; he was taken to the hospital by ambulance on a stretcher; the doctor told him he had but one chance to recover: to go to a special US clinic he knew about, to undertake a strict water fasting. He was very fortunate this doctor knew about this. For how long did he go on water? My friend endured a strict 30-day water fasting under meticulous medical supervision. At the end of this ordeal he was totally as "resurrected"! That was an extreme case.

To do this water fasting on your own, there are some very important rules to respect:

1. How long will it be in your case: You have to do it for at least one week, two is better. Two weeks is what most people will be able to do without too much difficulty. Throughout this exercise, you will need to listen carefully to your body like you never did before whenever it tells you to stop, you stop, even if it is just a few days. There is no finish line, no heroes and no medal. It is over when you know it is over.

2. How to get mentally ready: Plan long enough ahead of time to be at home possibly with someone around or at least easily reachable. Plan this short free home vacation: no work but relaxation, reading, watching TV, doing computer stuff- anything to keep your mind busy with something, away from food! The deprivation of food will definitely make you feel sleepy (like lacking fuel). You will need to shift to neutral, to rest and sleep more. It is also essential, however, to do some exercises: like going for a walk, or biking, or swimming, etc. , anything but about the neighborhood.

3. The preceding week, in preparation for day one, get on a low diet; eat as little as possible: fruits yogurts, no alcohol, etc. It is an essential part of the mental training. If you "stuff" yourself just before, you will have a bad start.

4. Very important: You will need to buy a hot water bag to give yourself enemas every day FROM DAY ONE. You simply cannot do it without this unpleasant morning drill (You don't want to do this before going to bed! ). It is simple to understand why: The moment you stop eating, nothing is pushing down on what's left in your intestines. Water alone won't do it (urine goes another way). If you wait for something to happen all by itself, it won't, and the foodstuff in decomposition, left inside, will transform into dejection and start poisoning you. Believe me, you don't want that to happen. Get that enema bag before day one!

5. Water, water, plenty of water: this will be your only intake for some time. If you have to buy some, do it in advance, just to get this of your mind. However, after the first week, you will start feeling "full" with just a glass of water or two. That is because your stomach will react to deprivation of food by shrinking!

6. Don't worry about starvation: Something strange will happen. If your mental preparation was done peacefully, from the very first day, you will never feel hunger. Not one little bit. Your stomach, starting to reduce in size, there will be less and less sensation of emptiness. You will even some time start wondering why. You will also start counting the days behind, not believing how long you've been without any food. You will feel amazed. One thing "terrible" though will happen: the strong longing for tasting something, anything tasty to put on your tongue. Your tongue will turn to ugly colors (Maybe it is its way of expressing its frustration! ) You will need to brush it. No food also means any medication (unless you have to- in which case question yourself about starting this), not even toothpaste: only salty water. Your nose will become like the muzzle of a dog, so to speak, languishing and sniffing the kitchen aromas as far as the third house on either side. I call this the consolation price. Enjoy it!

7. Finally, as the last target day approaches, don't get yourself carry away by the size of what your "first meal" will be. Your stomach, especially after two weeks of fasting, is now the size of your fist! Something like a simple yogurt to start with should be enough to bring tears of joy to your eyes, Go slowly, close your eyes and enjoy heaven. You are now reborn!

The tittle of that book I have read in French was: "Fasting, healing and celebration of the body and mind, " by the famous Professor Lejeune. This is exactly how you will feel like: regenerated inside out!

Again: Don't think of this therapy as a diet to lose weight. Losing a lot of weight will be your reward, not the purpose.

Bon courage!

Replied by Bradshad (North Providence, Rhode Island) on 12/04/2012