slowing digestion and slowing the detoxification are two different things. slowing digestion processes are just involving stomach gasses, the release of hormones that signal the hunger feeling and salivation.

As for distilled water, it's considered dead water. You use it in a fast becasue it's void of minerals and active cells. You want to control exactly what you put in your body.

As for better ways to detoxify, hel yea there are ton's. If you are serious about detoxification, I would go to a homeopath, or naturapath doctor or nurse, and systematically detoxify your liver, kidneys and digestive track properly. Including things like having colonics and a gallbladder cleanse.