'Project Runway' Personality Santino Rice Under Fire for Encouraging 111-Day Fast

Remember Santino Rice? The Project Runway season 2 contestant with elegant, sweet designs and a [...]

Remember Santino Rice? The Project Runway season 2 contestant with elegant, sweet designs and a not-so-sweet attitude who we loved to hate/hated to love? If you've been under the impression that his days since the show have been filled only with RuPaul's Drag Race appearances and working on his spot-on Tim Gunn impressions, there's something you should know. The reality star announced via Twitter his intention to fast for 111 days.

While Santino Rice was already a proud vegan and proponent of gluten-free and raw diets, this latest turn is even more extreme. Rice announced that he would only be consuming water and organic, cold-pressed fruit juices for just over three months. He encouraged his fans to do the same, saying "I hope to inspire others to give it a try for as many days as they can..." and advocated that "just 3 days will reset your immune system!"

His followers, however, were quick to point out that this might not be the best advice. "Kids will read that and take it wrong and end up in hospital by not eating!" worried one Twitter user who was among the first to respond to this seemingly psuedo-scientific advice. Santino engaged with some fans who were concerned, attempting to reassure them that a raw juice diet would provide all the nutrients he needed to stay healthy.

"...I'm getting an over-abundance of micro nutrients through leafy green juice," he tweeted. Several fans who professed to struggle with autoimmune diseases tweeted back at him asking for guidance, whereupon Santino continued to advocate for an extreme cleanse to "reset" the immune system. He also insisted that "abstaining from solid food allows your body to heal itself" and cited the many cultures around the world that engage in ritual fasting, though his own fast seems to be more about health than spirituality.

While this certainly seems ill-advised — contrary to popular belief, a normally functioning body will "detox" itself and doesn't need to be "reset" — Santino has since tweeted again, indicating he's already on day 99. If this is true, it seems he's somehow getting all the nutrients he needs from making fresh juices at home — we just hope there won't be any negative effects of such a prolonged "cleanse".

Though we don't advocate anyone taking on such an extreme diet change without first consulting with a medical professional, it does seem that Santino has found a way to make it work.

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