The four major components of healthy living:
True North Health Center was founded in 1984 by Drs. Alan Goldhamer and Jennifer Marano, is now the largest facility in the world that specializes in medically supervised water-only fasting.
These programs are presented in the form of audio and videotapes, lectures, demonstrations, question and answer sessions, and individual consultations. Meals are prepared from fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the Center's own organic gardens whenever possible.
Many people have great difficulty making these diet and lifestyle changes and find themselves caught in a "pleasure trap." We have found that a properly conducted fast can help some people to more efficiently make these desirable changes and escape the "pleasure trap." Changes that might take months or years to accomplish may take place more rapidly when a fast is utilized.
Participants in our program have experienced the normalization of body weight, blood pressure, and circulation. In addition, their doctors have noted that elevations in blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, liver enzymes, and inflammation markers are often rapidly corrected.
Fasting can be an intense and sometimes unpleasant experience, but it can also be highly effective.
Relative contraindications to prolonged fasting include pregnancy, extreme weakness, inadequate nutrient reserves, some kidney problems, cardiac instability, the use of certain medications, and some types of cancer.
Diet — what and how we eat;
Environment — how we select and modify our surroundings;
Activity — how we exercise, rest, and sleep; and
Psychology — how we view ourselves and interact with others.
Environment — how we select and modify our surroundings;
Activity — how we exercise, rest, and sleep; and
Psychology — how we view ourselves and interact with others.
True North Health Center was founded in 1984 by Drs. Alan Goldhamer and Jennifer Marano, is now the largest facility in the world that specializes in medically supervised water-only fasting.
Water Fasting
A Program of Education
The long-term health benefits of fasting are often dependent on dietary and lifestyle modifications. In order to facilitate these changes we offer educational programs dealing with diet, exercise, proper body use, stress management, sleep, and psychology.These programs are presented in the form of audio and videotapes, lectures, demonstrations, question and answer sessions, and individual consultations. Meals are prepared from fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the Center's own organic gardens whenever possible.
How Long Should You Fast?
The body's response to fasting can help participants determine the optimum fasting duration. Fasts typically continue for 5 to 40 days. The idea is to fast as briefly as possible, but as long as necessary, to accomplish your desired goals.Ending the Fast
When participants decide to end their fast, they are encouraged to gradually reintroduce food into their diet. This re-feeding process reinforces good dietary habits and typically requires a period of no less than one-half the length of the fast. If you have fasted for 10 days, it will take you another 5 days of gradually reintroducing healthy diet to the body. On the 16th day after your water fast program, your body is properly tuned to health again.Why Undergo
a Fast?
The Results of Poor Lifestyle
In the past, many health problems were associated with nutritional deficiencies. We believe that today a majority of health problems are associated with dietary excess in general, and excesses of animal fat and animal protein in particular, as well as the use of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and refined food products. Adopting a health-promoting diet and lifestyle may reduce the need for some traditional medical treatments.Many people have great difficulty making these diet and lifestyle changes and find themselves caught in a "pleasure trap." We have found that a properly conducted fast can help some people to more efficiently make these desirable changes and escape the "pleasure trap." Changes that might take months or years to accomplish may take place more rapidly when a fast is utilized.
Participants in our program have experienced the normalization of body weight, blood pressure, and circulation. In addition, their doctors have noted that elevations in blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, liver enzymes, and inflammation markers are often rapidly corrected.
What Is Fasting?
Fasting is defined as the complete abstinence from all substances except pure water, in an environment of complete rest. Rest must be encouraged since even moderate activity can significantly increase the metabolism, altering optimum adaptation to the fasting state. To maximize the benefits of fasting, unnecessary mobilization of nutrient reserves must be avoided.The Fasting Process
Prior to beginning our fasting program, all participants must have a physical examination with one of our affiliated doctors. In addition, certain laboratory testing may be required and/or reviewed. Fasting is not appropriate for everyone.Fasting can be an intense and sometimes unpleasant experience, but it can also be highly effective.
Relative contraindications to prolonged fasting include pregnancy, extreme weakness, inadequate nutrient reserves, some kidney problems, cardiac instability, the use of certain medications, and some types of cancer.
The Results of Fasting
Fasting is a powerful and effective tool in a comprehensive program designed to promote the restoration and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. Fasting can help people get on (or back on) track to healthful living. Fasting is not a cure; it is a process that may facilitate the body's own healing mechanisms. It is a gift to an overburdened body. It can be extremely effective at creating an internal environment where the body can do what it does best - cleanse and heal itself.Who Benefits from Fasting?
There is nothing that is more effective than fasting when it comes to treating the consequences of dietary excess. Not every condition will respond to fasting. Genetic disorders and certain types of kidney disease, for example, may not respond. But many of the most common causes of premature death and disability respond, and often spectacularly.
Who benefits from fasting? The following are six of the most common conditions that respond well.
1. Obesity is primarily the result of addiction to the artificial stimulation of dopamine in the brain by the consumption of chemicals added to our foods, including oil, sugar, salt and dairy products. The answer to obesity is to adopt a health-promoting diet derived exclusively from whole natural foods including fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds and the variable addition of minimally processed, non-glutinous grains and beans. When fully implemented, in conjunction with adequate sleep and activity, predictable, consistent weight loss will occur that averages 1.5-2 pounds per week for women and 2-3 pounds per week for men.
If your goal is to lose excess fat and you have trouble adopting a health-promoting program, a period of fasting may be of benefit. The protected environment of a fasting center provides a focused opportunity for intense education and the social support needed to escape the addictive forces of the dietary pleasure trap. The fasting experience functions like rebooting a corrupted computer. After fasting, whole natural food is once again appealing, making adopting a health-promoting diet more achievable.
If your goal is to lose weight and escape the pleasure trap of processed foods, a period of fasting from a few days to a few weeks may be beneficial.
2. The dietary pleasure trap is insidious, and the con-sequences of poor dietary choices go beyond obesity. Overstimulation by artificially concentrated calories can confuse normal satiety signals resulting in persistent overeating. Over time, this results in the degenerative diseases of dietary excess including high blood pressure and the resulting cardiovascular disease.
For people who have fallen into the dietary pleasure trap and developed high blood pressure, medically supervised water-only fasting has been shown to be a safe and effective means of normalizing blood pressure and reversing cardiovascular disease. In a study conducted at the TrueNorth Health Center in conjunction with Cornell University Professor T.Colin Campbell, the use of fasting for 2-4 weeks in patients with stage 3 hypertension resulted in reductions of systolic blood pressure of over 60 mm/Hg. This is the largest effect size of any study published to date. At the TrueNorth Health Center we routinely see patients normalize their blood pressure and eliminate the need for medications.
If your goal is to normalize elevated blood pressure and reverse cardiovascular disease, a period of medically supervised fasting may be beneficial.
3. Diabetes is a condition that is increasing in epidemic proportions. Largely the consequence of dietary excess, the resulting alteration of physiological functions such as high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance results in a cascade of consequences including blindness from retinal damage, heart attacks and stroke, reduced healing capacity, nerve damage, impotence, gangrene, etc. Fasting, along with a health-promoting diet and exercise program, can dramatically increase insulin sensitivity and bring blood sugar levels under control.
If your goal is to normalize blood sugar levels and avoid or eliminate the need for medications and their consequences, a period of fasting may prove beneficial. Most patients with Type 2 diabetes are capable of achieving normal blood sugar levels without the need for medications.
4. Drug addiction has become the norm. Nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and a plethora of prescription and recreational drugs dominate the lives of the majority of people living in industrialized society. The supportive environment of a fasting center can be helpful in getting safely through withdrawal symptoms and more effectively establishing healthy habits while eliminating the perceived need for addictive substances.
If your goal is to escape addiction and live a life free of dependence on health-compromising chemicals, a period of fasting may prove to be beneficial.
5. Autoimmune disorders including Arthritis, Lupus, Colitis, Crohn’s disease, Asthma, Eczema, Psoriasis, and environmental allergies are becoming more common and more debilitating. One possible contributing factor to the aggravation of autoimmune disease involves gut leakage. The absorption of antigenic substances into the blood stream as a result of increased gut permeability appears to be a factor in the aggravation of these conditions. Fasting can help to normalize gut permeability and ease the transition to a health promoting, low inflammatory diet. Many of our patients are able to effectively manage the symptoms of autoimmune disorders, thus eliminating the need for medication.
If your goal is to eliminate the problems associated with autoimmune disorders, a period of medically supervised fasting may be an important component in a comprehensive program designed to save the quality and quantity of your life.
6. Exhaustion, both physical and emotional, has become increasingly common in our fast-paced lives. Feelings of fatigue and depression can compromise the quality of your life. Reliance on artificial stimulants compounds the problem. The lack of adequate sleep and exercise and poor dietary and lifestyle choices work together to interfere with the ability of many people to enjoy their life or fulfill their potential. Fasting can give your body and your mind a complete rest.
If your goal is to “recharge” your system, fasting may help you accomplish your goals.
When properly utilized, fasting can be a powerful tool in helping your body do what it does best…heal itself. It is the answer to a surprising number of questions.
Who benefits from fasting? The following are six of the most common conditions that respond well.
1. Obesity is primarily the result of addiction to the artificial stimulation of dopamine in the brain by the consumption of chemicals added to our foods, including oil, sugar, salt and dairy products. The answer to obesity is to adopt a health-promoting diet derived exclusively from whole natural foods including fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds and the variable addition of minimally processed, non-glutinous grains and beans. When fully implemented, in conjunction with adequate sleep and activity, predictable, consistent weight loss will occur that averages 1.5-2 pounds per week for women and 2-3 pounds per week for men.
If your goal is to lose excess fat and you have trouble adopting a health-promoting program, a period of fasting may be of benefit. The protected environment of a fasting center provides a focused opportunity for intense education and the social support needed to escape the addictive forces of the dietary pleasure trap. The fasting experience functions like rebooting a corrupted computer. After fasting, whole natural food is once again appealing, making adopting a health-promoting diet more achievable.
If your goal is to lose weight and escape the pleasure trap of processed foods, a period of fasting from a few days to a few weeks may be beneficial.
2. The dietary pleasure trap is insidious, and the con-sequences of poor dietary choices go beyond obesity. Overstimulation by artificially concentrated calories can confuse normal satiety signals resulting in persistent overeating. Over time, this results in the degenerative diseases of dietary excess including high blood pressure and the resulting cardiovascular disease.
For people who have fallen into the dietary pleasure trap and developed high blood pressure, medically supervised water-only fasting has been shown to be a safe and effective means of normalizing blood pressure and reversing cardiovascular disease. In a study conducted at the TrueNorth Health Center in conjunction with Cornell University Professor T.Colin Campbell, the use of fasting for 2-4 weeks in patients with stage 3 hypertension resulted in reductions of systolic blood pressure of over 60 mm/Hg. This is the largest effect size of any study published to date. At the TrueNorth Health Center we routinely see patients normalize their blood pressure and eliminate the need for medications.
If your goal is to normalize elevated blood pressure and reverse cardiovascular disease, a period of medically supervised fasting may be beneficial.
3. Diabetes is a condition that is increasing in epidemic proportions. Largely the consequence of dietary excess, the resulting alteration of physiological functions such as high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance results in a cascade of consequences including blindness from retinal damage, heart attacks and stroke, reduced healing capacity, nerve damage, impotence, gangrene, etc. Fasting, along with a health-promoting diet and exercise program, can dramatically increase insulin sensitivity and bring blood sugar levels under control.
If your goal is to normalize blood sugar levels and avoid or eliminate the need for medications and their consequences, a period of fasting may prove beneficial. Most patients with Type 2 diabetes are capable of achieving normal blood sugar levels without the need for medications.
4. Drug addiction has become the norm. Nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and a plethora of prescription and recreational drugs dominate the lives of the majority of people living in industrialized society. The supportive environment of a fasting center can be helpful in getting safely through withdrawal symptoms and more effectively establishing healthy habits while eliminating the perceived need for addictive substances.
If your goal is to escape addiction and live a life free of dependence on health-compromising chemicals, a period of fasting may prove to be beneficial.
5. Autoimmune disorders including Arthritis, Lupus, Colitis, Crohn’s disease, Asthma, Eczema, Psoriasis, and environmental allergies are becoming more common and more debilitating. One possible contributing factor to the aggravation of autoimmune disease involves gut leakage. The absorption of antigenic substances into the blood stream as a result of increased gut permeability appears to be a factor in the aggravation of these conditions. Fasting can help to normalize gut permeability and ease the transition to a health promoting, low inflammatory diet. Many of our patients are able to effectively manage the symptoms of autoimmune disorders, thus eliminating the need for medication.
If your goal is to eliminate the problems associated with autoimmune disorders, a period of medically supervised fasting may be an important component in a comprehensive program designed to save the quality and quantity of your life.
6. Exhaustion, both physical and emotional, has become increasingly common in our fast-paced lives. Feelings of fatigue and depression can compromise the quality of your life. Reliance on artificial stimulants compounds the problem. The lack of adequate sleep and exercise and poor dietary and lifestyle choices work together to interfere with the ability of many people to enjoy their life or fulfill their potential. Fasting can give your body and your mind a complete rest.
If your goal is to “recharge” your system, fasting may help you accomplish your goals.
When properly utilized, fasting can be a powerful tool in helping your body do what it does best…heal itself. It is the answer to a surprising number of questions.
Fasting Research
The doctors of chiropractic and medicine affiliated with TrueNorth Health Education Center have been conducting ongoing scientific research involving the use of fasting and a health promoting diet and lifestyle program in the treatment of numerous clinical conditions including High Blood Pressure and Diabetes. In June of 2001, our 12-year study, completed in conjunction with our colleagues at Cornell University, was published in the scientific, peer-reviewed and indexed, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. This paper, entitled Medically Supervised Water-only Fasting in the Treatment of Hypertension, detailed our outstanding results in the treatment of 174 consecutive program participants presenting with high blood pressure. Read the study about Fasting as a Treatment of Hypertension .
Our study demonstrated the remarkable effectiveness of water-only fasting in the treatment of the leading contributing cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. A second study evaluating the effectiveness of fasting in the treatment of borderline high blood pressure was accepted for publication and appeared in the October 2002 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Read the study about Fasting as a Treatment of Borderline Hypertension.
Our study demonstrated the remarkable effectiveness of water-only fasting in the treatment of the leading contributing cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. A second study evaluating the effectiveness of fasting in the treatment of borderline high blood pressure was accepted for publication and appeared in the October 2002 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Read the study about Fasting as a Treatment of Borderline Hypertension.
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