Fasting Journal : Fasting Center International

A COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SENIOR, 21, ENDS LONGTIME BINGE DRINKING, FOOD ADDICTIONS & BEING OVERWEIGHT DURING HIS 50-DAY PROGRAM!

      [NOTE: According to the JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH, vol. 47, p. 57, 9/98: "Binge Drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row at one sitting for males, and four or more in a row for females," adding that "43% of college students say they are binge drinkers, and 21% say they binge frequently. . . .Binge drinking in high school, especially among males, is strongly predictive of binge drinking in college."
      In ALCOHOL PRACTICES, POLICIES AND POTENTIALS OF AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, L. Eigan notes that: "Each year, college students spend $5.5 billion on alcohol (mostly beer). This is more than they spend on books, soda, coffee, juice and milk, combined. On a typical campus, the average amount a student spends annually on alcohol is $466."
      The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) points out the obvious: "Students who binge drink are more likely to damage property, have trouble with authorities, miss classes, have hangovers, and experience injuries, than those who do not." Adds Eigan: "80% of students who live on college campuses, but who do not binge drink, report that they have experienced at least one second-hand effect of binge drinking, such as being the victim of an assault or an unwanted sexual advance, having property vandalized, or having sleep or study interrupted."
      NIAAA studies show that: "Fraternity and sorority members drink more, and drink more frequently than their peers, and accept, as normal, high levels of alcohol consumption and associated problems." Longer tem, Eigan concludes: "As many as 360,000 of America's 12 million undergraduates will ultimately die from alcohol-related causes. This is more than the total number who will be awarded advanced degrees."
      Below, then, is the story of how a senior, 21, at one of our world's finest institutions of higher learning--Columbia University in New York City, where he's finishing two bachelor degrees and will seek two master's degrees--finally faced up to and addressed the cumulative destructiveness of his longtime binge drinking, food addictions and being overweight. With the support of his fellow Columbia senior and girlfriend, 21, they both completed FCI's MOST popular, TOTAL Detoxification Program--50 days, at their ages, with only 40 days of actual juice-fasting. In his own words, here is the story of James Christie.]:

      "I am a 21-year-old college student. There was nothing abnormal about my health, before I started the fast. I smoked and drank just like many other college students. I binge-drank weekly, usually, blacking out many times. It was something of a mark of honor among my peers that I could drink that much. By all accounts, I was an average college student.

      "I realized about two years ago that this behavior would eventually destroy me; if not now, in the near future. There is no way that I could reach my goals of continuing my education--through two bachelor and two master degrees--while drinking and eating the S.A.D. [Standard American Diet]. So, two years ago (my sophomore year), I found fasting.com and immediately knew that I had found something of immense value. Unfortunately, I hadn't the resources to do a fast at that time, nor did I have the resolve. But, since then, I have been researching proper dietary requirements, all the while continuing to destroy myself.

      "Fast-forward to March of this year. I was 190 lbs. at 5' 9", up from 165 at my peak athletic fitness in high school, on the same size frame. I was really out of shape, and was looking into the black abyss of a growing alcohol addiction. However, I was growing really tired of waking up hungover, or tired even when I hadn't gone drinking the night before. It was then that I decided I had to make a full stop, and was in a perfect position to do so.

      "I had moral support from my girlfriend (who ended up doing the fast with me), enough money in the bank, and (most importantly) the knowledge that I could finish the fast. In fact, there was never a doubt in my mind that iI could finish the fast, and that it was the best thing for me at the time. So, I decided to do the fast, and started 12 days later.

      "Once on the Program, I started feeling better almost immediately. Without the influx of alcohol and bad food, I was waking up feeling better, plus staying alert throughout the day. I was hungry only through the transitioning-in days and two-to-three days of the fast [the normal period required for the brain's appestat mechanism to stop clicking in appetite/hunger]. After that, my stomach rumblings did not alert me to hunger, but rather to healing. I began to get in touch with my body again--I knew when I was truly thirsty, tired, upset, and so on.

      "As for the daily routine, it became just that. I had no problem getting up earlier to make my juice for the day and everything else for the morning. Every now and again, I read through the handbook from FCI, and found that many of the things Dennis [Paulson, Founder/Director] writes were corroborated by things I had read elsewhere in my search for the perfect diet. . .things that really make sense, when you look at them from outside the current dietary propaganda put forth by the U.S. government and food industry.

      "I was often amazed at my progressing health throughout the fast. My weight countinued to drop until the last day of actual fasting, totalling a 40-lb. reduction. At one point, I noticed that my walk home from school--normally an annoying, 20-minute walk--passed unnoticed. I also found myself no longer getting hungup on things which I had no control over. As a result, any stress that entered my life didn't stay with me.

      "I've said that waking up became easier, but more importantly, so did going to sleep. Each night, I would read before bed, turn off my lamp, and lay down. Instead of tossing and turning for 20 minutes, I fell asleep before I had a chance to think how long I'd been tossing and turning. All in all, the stress that I normally accepted as part of my life--which kept me awake at night, kept my face in pimples, and my clarity at a minimum --vanished. . .to a degree I thought possible only through meditation.

      "By the end of the fast, I wasn't craving all the junk food I thought I would be after 40 days of not eating. When I finally ate again, I really enjoyed the taste, appreciating all aspects of the food, instead of just cramming it down and hoping it didn't taste too bad. I have now decided to continue improving my health by eating right, and avoiding the S.A.D. and alcohol, as much as possible. The greatest part is how easy that decision was to make, and how easy it will be to follow through.

      "Already, I've started on my new path. I've stocked up on more veggies and fruits for my meals. I've also decided to avoid meat during the week, only having small amounts on the weekends. I bought myself some dried apples and cashews as snack food, instead of cookies and chips. I even got some tempeh to try. I'm so excited to get into this new, healthier lifestyle.

      "I told my family about my weight loss (I hadn't told them about the fast, at all) and they were pretty amazed and happy for me. I can't say I'm anxious to return to fasting, but I know I will some day. I'm confident that I've set myself in the correct direction. It's like I told my Mom tonight in response to her statement that I didn't need to fast to lose weight: 'This fast made me stop drinking, which I needed; made me stop eating bad foods, which I needed, and allowed me to see my food addictions for what they were--addictions!'

      "In other words, this fast was exactly what I needed, at exactly the right time. Fortunately, this will happen to others, too, and they will join us in better health. It gave me the ability to see that good can happen that will save humanity. Thus, everyone who fasts is doing good for humanity. Know, Dennis, that what you and FCI do improves the lives of many more than those who complete your fasting program. Thank you, James Christie."

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Any questions, email or phone FCI. Email: FastMaster@fasting.com; phone: 818-590-2536 (know that the best time to catch Founder/Director Dennis Paulson, himself, with the least interruption, is between 10-4, California time). For the Fasting Center International home page, click here: www.fasting.com