Is Fasting Right For You?

We all hear about fasting once in a while, right? Usually it’s for a religious purpose, in observance of a special day or time. But the truth is people fast for non-religious reasons as well. It has been used as a weight loss tool, a way to detoxify your body, and it is also something we may do when we are sick.

Fasting for Weight Loss

The idea behind fasting to lose weight is pretty obvious. If you don’t eat/drink any calories you'll lose weight. Sounds simple no? It’s not as easy as it sounds. After being deprived of food for a while (anywhere from a few hours to a few days) you will likely experience harsh symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and lack of concentration. This is usually when you’ll go back to eating normally, as the symptoms become too much to bear. To make matters worse, once you do return to eating, your metabolism has likely slowed down from lack of anything to digest and metabolize.

If you do manage to endure the symptoms, you may succumb to binge eating. Avoid the urge to do so at all costs. After a fast, no matter the length, begin by eating a small portion of (healthy) food. A small plate of vegetables, a small bowl of cereal, or half a sandwich are some good ideas. You want to kick start your metabolism again while not binging.

Some interesting facts to consider :

• Most doctors agree the human body can survive an average of eight weeks without food, provided the person is in good health and has adequate water.
• Not eating food will cause the body’s metabolism to slow down greatly.
• When fasting, the body consumes leftover carbohydrates as a first source of energy, then fat, then protein.
• Not eating food causes symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and lack of concentration. These are annoying but pass with time.
• Fasting can cause death in people with medical conditions such as diabetes. If you have any health conditions, always discuss things with your health professional first.
• Most of the weight you lose during a fast is water weight.
• However, if you fast for a prolonged period of time you will most certainly see fat loss as the body feeds on itself.

Fasting for Detoxification

We live in a society full of toxins. There are toxins in the air, in your food, even in water. Your body naturally cleanses itself with help from the liver, lungs, colon, kidneys, and skin every day. However, modern preservatives, pollution of the air and water, and unnatural food products such as Aspartame have seemed to “overwhelm” our body’s defense mechanism. It is claimed that because of this many diseases have evolved, cancer being one example.

Many fast for detoxification because they believe by abstaining from food they give their body the time to “catch up” with such toxins. Another reason (related to losing weight above) that fasting is believed work for detoxification is that fat cells are a great place for the body to store toxins. Therefore, calling upon these fat cells when the body needs them for energy forces them into the blood stream, where the body may properly eliminate the toxins.

Does it actually help to detoxify your body? There is no concrete proof that is does, only testimonials from people that have tried it. You might look some of them up online to see for yourself before making any decisions.

More interesting things to consider :

• We fast every single day, during sleep. This is when our body is in “recovery mode,” and food is not involved.
• When we are sick we often fast without realizing it.
• Animals fast when they are sick or injured.
• Exercise, teas, and juice fasts are different ways to detoxify naturally.

Methods of Fasting

There are quite a few ways that a person can fast. The main objective of any fast, however, is that one abstains from alcohol, artificial sugar, processed food, excess salt, high calorie foods, and anything not natural that contains toxins. A popular method is called the Master Clense, which involves only drinking a mixture of fresh lemon juice, Grade B Maple Syrup, and cayenne pepper with water for the duration of the fast. There are juice fasts that use fresh fruit and vegetable juice (usually through a juicing machine), water fasts, and some food fasts that may include light organic soups and organic fruits/veggies. The main requirement is that you are eating low calorie foods that contain no toxins and are natural.

There are those who stand by a water-only fast. This is probably the hardest one, as it provides no nutrients or calories to the body. But again, the body is believed to able to survive for up to eight weeks with only water.

Lemon (and all citrus for that matter) has been known for their antioxidant properties, as they contain high amounts of Vitamin C. Cayenne pepper is also known for its cleansing properties, which is why many people also support the Master Cleanse fast. It’s up to you to decide what’s best for your own body.