Hi everyone

So, I am considering a water fast for seven days. In honor of the holiday season and realizing that I dont need to eat as much as I 'think" I do. Any thoughts?

Since I made it through finals, I thought now would be a good time before I have to start studying for my preliminary exam.

I would then after seven days incorporate vegetables into my plan.

I wonder if I can do this and is it healthy to fast? I keep reading mixed things. also, I want to keep working out as well.

Thanks

michelemm Wrote:
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..... also, I want to keep working out as well.

Save your energy for healing. The best fast is an Absolute Fast...where nothing, not even Water, is taken in.
The best fasting forum is at CureZone....Chrisb1 will answer all serious questions......WY

[curezone.com]

Water fasting can be very healing. And doing it without supervision can lead to problems if you don't know what you are doing. I would read up on fasting first, perhaps getting "Fasting Can Save Your Life" by Herbert Shelton, or you can find this online book called The Hygienic System: Fasting and Sun Bathing also by Shelton.

There are some fasting advocates who say that you shouldn't fast unless your body has symptoms, or if you have totally lost your appetite. These folks include the "Nature's Cure" practitioners and a Natural Hygienist named Dr Bernarr Zovluck.

On the other hand, for some people, they water fast even when they don't have symptoms, to heal some old internal damage or injuries.

It might be easier, after you've done your homework, to start with a 2 or 3 day water fast. You can practice the refeeding part, which is the most dangerous part of the fast. With a short 2-3 day fast, you won't be so overwhelmed by hunger when you start to refeed yourself.

Prana Wrote:
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.....It might be easier, after you've done your homework, to start with a 2 or 3 day water fast. You can practice the refeeding part, which is the most dangerous part of the fast.

Refeeding is also the most important part, as well as being the most dangerous part. Anyone can do a 2 or 3 day Water Fast, but not everyone can properly break the Fast, and then incorporate an Optimum Diet. Most go back to old habits from what I'm reading in the CureZone fasting forums......WY
P.S. Fasting can be used for Healing, but it can also be used to break addictions.

Fasting can be very dangerous, especially for those who are already have a poor level of health.

Most of the effects are temporary and thus pretty pointless overall. You don't take care of any of the root problems so once you introduce food most of the symptoms come back.

If you have problems with food allergies, imbalanced gut flora, candida, digestive issues then its better to correct these than to just temporarily fast, which places a massive stress on the body.

People have died from water fasting, so its not something id want to try again when there are safer methods.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]

I don't understand why someone pursuing a natural diet would fast when they have an appetite. If your body is telling you that it's hungry, it's natural to eat. If you have a fever and your body is telling you that it's not hungry, it's natural to fast. Once the appetite returns, you start eating again. Fasting done by healthy people has absolutely nothing to do with health or spirituality. Reaping spiritual rewards requires a lot more than simply not eating for a few days. Most fasters will tell you that religion does nothing for them, yet fasting is steeped in western religion. Treat your body gently. Listen to what it needs. Harshly and suddenly denying it nutrition because your ego needs to accomplish something is not healthy. Health gains, like spiritual gains, come after long periods of consistent practice. No need to try and get it all done in a week.

I've only fasted for 5 days in my whole life (one single fast that drove me to raw). Did not know about raw food before the fast. I got great benefits. For me it was like a door but that does not mean you will see one.

Becareful with figs!!! you can choke!!! danger! To avoid the danger, you should only eat peas. Play safe



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2012 07:08PM by Panchito.

The funny bit is that, by restricting nutrition you actually slow down the bodies detoxification pathways which are reliant on many nutrients to function optimally.

Which is why deficiency or low intake of many nutrients can hinder the bodies detoxification capabilities.

Very short fasting for healthy individuals might be beneficial, but for those who are ill i disagree and find it very potentially dangerous. People have died, so these dangers should be highlighted.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2012 08:37PM by powerlifer.

So if someone has a run of the mill flu or food poisoning and they have absolutely no appetite for 24 hours, instead of fasting for those 24 hours you think they should force themselves to eat? If my body is telling me it doesn't want food, i.e. I'm nauseous, I've never seen any benefit to consuming much more than lemon water. If I can't eat for longer than around 24 hours, I'm definitely going to seek emergency help.

powerlifer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The funny bit is that, by restricting nutrition
> you actually slow down the bodies detoxification
> pathways which are reliant on many nutrients to
> function optimally.
>
> Which is why deficiency or low intake of many
> nutrients can hinder the bodies detoxification
> capabilities.
>
> Very short fasting for healthy individuals might
> be beneficial, but for those who are ill i
> disagree and find it very potentially dangerous.
> People have died, so these dangers should be
> highlighted.
>
> [www.natuhealth.co.uk]

Fasting is definitely not for everybody. But for some, like myself, I have had excellent results. I've done over 20 2-3 day water fasts, a 10 day and a 12 day. The reason some religious people fast is because without sugar in the blood after a few days of fasting, the mind really slows down, and the internal mind chatter can disappear for long periods of time. When the mind is silent, one becomes more conscious and aware.

While fasting can make symptoms disappear, unless permanent healthful lifestyle changes are made, the symptoms will come back.

One of the negative aspects of fasting is after the fast, there can be a tendency to eat more than is comfortable, and eat more than can be digested, as the flora is very weak after a fast. Here is a place that probiotics can really speed up the digestion process.

I must have missed your post HH, i am in full agreement in the case of the flu or food poisoning. Its often natural to fast in these cases and is usually short duration.

Pre-meditated water fasting for 30 days in individuals with chronic health conditions is a different matter however, which is what i was trying to highlight the dangers of.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]

HH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So if someone has a run of the mill flu or food
> poisoning and they have absolutely no appetite for
> 24 hours, instead of fasting for those 24 hours
> you think they should force themselves to eat? If
> my body is telling me it doesn't want food, i.e.
> I'm nauseous, I've never seen any benefit to
> consuming much more than lemon water. If I can't
> eat for longer than around 24 hours, I'm
> definitely going to seek emergency help.
>
> powerlifer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The funny bit is that, by restricting nutrition
> > you actually slow down the bodies
> detoxification
> > pathways which are reliant on many nutrients to
> > function optimally.
> >
> > Which is why deficiency or low intake of many
> > nutrients can hinder the bodies detoxification
> > capabilities.
> >
> > Very short fasting for healthy individuals
> might
> > be beneficial, but for those who are ill i
> > disagree and find it very potentially
> dangerous.
> > People have died, so these dangers should be
> > highlighted.
> >
> > [www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/24/2012 09:59AM by powerlifer.

I guess I will see how my body feels and respect that. I am not fasting right now so I must want to eat.

Truthfully, I think the idea of eating is overrated and social events are completely surrounded by eating and food.

Thank you for your thoughts on the fasting ,but I dont think it will be happening anytime soon.

I feel that eating for enjoyment or social occasions is overrated. There are a lot more fulfilling experiences that people can bond over. I tend to see eating as something practical like filling my car's gas tank.

michelemm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess I will see how my body feels and respect
> that. I am not fasting right now so I must want to
> eat.
>
> Truthfully, I think the idea of eating is
> overrated and social events are completely
> surrounded by eating and food.
>
> Thank you for your thoughts on the fasting ,but I
> dont think it will be happening anytime soon.

+1.


powerlifer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I must have missed your post HH, i am in full
> agreement in the case of the flu or food
> poisoning. Its often natural to fast in these
> cases and is usually short duration.
>
> Pre-meditated water fasting for 30 days in
> individuals with chronic health conditions is a
> different matter however, which is what i was
> trying to highlight the dangers of.
>
> [www.natuhealth.co.uk]
>
> HH Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So if someone has a run of the mill flu or food
> > poisoning and they have absolutely no appetite
> for
> > 24 hours, instead of fasting for those 24 hours
> > you think they should force themselves to eat?
> If
> > my body is telling me it doesn't want food,
> i.e.
> > I'm nauseous, I've never seen any benefit to
> > consuming much more than lemon water. If I
> can't
> > eat for longer than around 24 hours, I'm
> > definitely going to seek emergency help.
> >
> > powerlifer Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The funny bit is that, by restricting
> nutrition
> > > you actually slow down the bodies
> > detoxification
> > > pathways which are reliant on many nutrients
> to
> > > function optimally.
> > >
> > > Which is why deficiency or low intake of many
> > > nutrients can hinder the bodies
> detoxification
> > > capabilities.
> > >
> > > Very short fasting for healthy individuals
> > might
> > > be beneficial, but for those who are ill i
> > > disagree and find it very potentially
> > dangerous.
> > > People have died, so these dangers should be
> > > highlighted.
> > >
> > > [www.natuhealth.co.uk]

Hi Michele,

I am responding to your original post. What you propose sounds good provided you have water fasted before safely for shorter periods of time. Seven days would be a little long for an initial fast if you haven't done 2 or 3 day fasts previously.

I have done about a dozen fasts over the past 3 years (only about once every three months to allow the body to recovery). My longest fast is 12 days, though I hope to exceed that this January. I started short, 2 or 3 days. And when I got to 5 days, I ordered a complete blood panel (without a doctor's order) from Direct Labs.com [www.directlabs.com]. I evaluated the values particularly for potassium (electrolytes are the major concern while on a fast though not the only one) using guidance from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Book Fasting and Eating for Health (chapters 9 and 10). [www.amazon.com] In later fasts, I also consulted with Dr. Michael Klaper's DVD Fasting - Safe and Effective Use of an Ancient Healing Therapy. [www.amazon.com] Michael works for True Health North in Santa Rosa California where you can have MD supervised extended fasts if needed.

The one thing that needs to be said that is of paramount importance if you decide to go for a 7 day fast (I don't advise it if you haven't fasted before), the main risk is injury from fainting. Around Day 6 or Day 7, you will become increasingly vulnerable to the blood pooling in your lower body leaving your brain and make you light headed. To counteract this, avoid showers and hot baths using sponge bathing. Heat will exacerbate the effect. Also try to avoid standing in one place without moving. Motion will help to keep the blood evenly distributed. Finally, if you feel like you are about to faint, to counteract it, try to find a place you can lie on your back (briefly) and pull your feet toward your rear. This will quickly redistribute the blood to your brain and alleviate the light headedness. Best. Paul



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2012 05:45PM by pborst.

btw, the latter advice is from Klapper's video. I've always just sat down when I felt light headed and in 5 or 10 minutes was ready to go. His way would get me right faster but a bit more embarrasing. Maybe a public park or a bench. Moving about helps a lot.

Looking forward to the day when people view fasting with as much faith as they do bloodletting, both of which cause one to feel faint. Oxygen deprivation, blood loss, dehydration, etc. these are all things that cause one to faint or to feel faint. Not one of them is considered healthy, yet feeling faint from sustained nutrient deprivation is supposed to open the pathways to optimal health? Lowering the metabolism to a crawl will bring you in touch with your spirtuality? Is anything which brings a person to the point of fainting "healthy?" Very, very questionable health advice in this thread. IMO, the belief that we must suffer to heal is an unfortunate product of Judeo-Christian brainwashing that is deeply ingrained in many people.

If someone living in the modern world wants to fast, I would suggest fasting from the internet, tv, driving, or many other modern things that are passed off as conveniences but which actually enslave us. Absolutely nothing cleanses the soul like a nice, sustained fast where you completely avoid tv and the internet. The only thing that's positive about nutrient fasts is that those of us who have done it will at least be somewhat psychologically prepared if and when food shortages occur.

Many of the fasting problems can be avoided by taking implants (suppositories) of wheat grass juice. Try 8 oz held for an hour or more, one to three times a day. A huge amount of nutrition can be absorbed by the large intestine, preventing starvation trauma. It also cleans out toxins when expelled and kills parasites.

Start your fast as a pure water fast and if problems develop add in grass juice instead of ending the fast. It is also an excellent way to end a water fast, to ease the transition to a full live food diet.

My purpose of fasting is to introduce a raw lifestyle again. I have not been true to this and it makes me very frustrated in someways.

I think this will help me move forward in a heathier holistic way.

I think if anyone has a history of eating disorders especially with anorexia , or bulemia, there can be a real fuzzy fine line and a slippery slope between fasting (because you think its good for you) and starving (because that is what the crazy mind is telling you to do) .

Personally I would suggest against any unsupervised fast, if someone has a history of eating disorders.

Im with HH , I dont really see any particular reason to not feed your body nutrients unless you are sick

in my opinion

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Michelle, what about starting with juices for 24-36 hours? Wouldn't that be enough of a jumpstart without having to go without any nourishment?

HH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looking forward to the day when people view
> fasting with as much faith as they do
> bloodletting, both of which cause one to feel
> faint. Oxygen deprivation, blood loss,
> dehydration, etc. these are all things that cause
> one to faint or to feel faint. Not one of them is
> considered healthy, yet feeling faint from
> sustained nutrient deprivation is supposed to open
> the pathways to optimal health? Lowering the
> metabolism to a crawl will bring you in touch with
> your spirtuality? Is anything which brings a
> person to the point of fainting "healthy?" Very,
> very questionable health advice in this thread.
> IMO, the belief that we must suffer to heal is an
> unfortunate product of Judeo-Christian
> brainwashing that is deeply ingrained in many
> people.
>
> If someone living in the modern world wants to
> fast, I would suggest fasting from the internet,
> tv, driving, or many other modern things that are
> passed off as conveniences but which actually
> enslave us. Absolutely nothing cleanses the soul
> like a nice, sustained fast where you completely
> avoid tv and the internet. The only thing that's
> positive about nutrient fasts is that those of us
> who have done it will at least be somewhat
> psychologically prepared if and when food
> shortages occur.

Have you ever fasted? Read Fuhrman's book? I cured my high blood pressure with it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with leeches or blood letting. Any treatment has risks and frankly for my hypertension, fasting was natural, more effective, and was less risky and less expensive. It's been used successfully to detoxify patients in Japan exposed to PCBs. And though there is no profit in it, it's a time venerated and very healthy treatment. Don't knock it until you have tried it. [www.vegsource.com] [www.vegsource.com] I think the only questionable advice in this thread is coming from people who have appear to have never tried fasting, don't understand its therapeutic power or both.

Paul



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2012 12:24AM by pborst.

Michele,

I would say take your time. Take advantage of the resources on the thread, weigh the risks and benefits and proceed as you see fit. I don't think fasting is risky or needs to be with some care just like any endeavor. There are risks for not fasting too. That's the funny about risk, it can be moved, shifted, managed but never eliminated. And often you trade one risk for another. But fasting is a bargain. I would listen to those who have done it and understand, not me per se but Fuhrman and Klaper both Board certified MDs, not quacks. Read Furhman's story. See what he accomplished. Fasting remains an important part of his board.

HH, ever read "The Miracle of Fasting" by Paul Bragg?

HH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looking forward to the day when people view
> fasting with as much faith as they do
> bloodletting, both of which cause one to feel
> faint. Oxygen deprivation, blood loss,
> dehydration, etc. these are all things that cause
> one to faint or to feel faint. Not one of them is
> considered healthy, yet feeling faint from
> sustained nutrient deprivation is supposed to open
> the pathways to optimal health? Lowering the
> metabolism to a crawl will bring you in touch with
> your spirtuality? Is anything which brings a
> person to the point of fainting "healthy?" Very,
> very questionable health advice in this thread.
> IMO, the belief that we must suffer to heal is an
> unfortunate product of Judeo-Christian
> brainwashing that is deeply ingrained in many
> people.
>
> If someone living in the modern world wants to
> fast, I would suggest fasting from the internet,
> tv, driving, or many other modern things that are
> passed off as conveniences but which actually
> enslave us. Absolutely nothing cleanses the soul
> like a nice, sustained fast where you completely
> avoid tv and the internet. The only thing that's
> positive about nutrient fasts is that those of us
> who have done it will at least be somewhat
> psychologically prepared if and when food
> shortages occur.

btw, not that it matters, but I'm an Humanist, just one who goes with what works. Paul



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2012 12:54AM by pborst.

Fasting is definitely not for everybody. But I have seen a lot of chronic symptoms on people I know disappear from fasting. Fasting sure beats getting surgery/chemo/raditation (IMHO) to heal these chronic issues. It is important however to have permanent hygienic lifestyle changes in place after the fast or symptoms will return.

Right that reminds of a couple of years ago when i had slipped in the bathtub and got a terrible strain in my wrist that further travelled up my arm to my elbow then into my shoulder. For nearly 10months I could barely lift my little 5lb dog with my right arm my joints were so inflamed, then I got a terrible flu between xmas and new years and for 5 days I couldnt eat a thing and for 3 days had a horrible fever .. after that 5 days my arm was completely fine ..

i always wondered if it was the 5 days of not eating or the fever that set about the healing

Anyhoo besides the point but just made me think about it..

As Michelle has said her purpose to the fast is to reboot and start into rawfoods from a fresh start .. which seems to me like trying to hammer a nail into the wall with a screwdriver .. wrong tool for the job lol

again just my opinion

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2012 03:29AM by Jgunn.

Jodi

Sounds like you are saying the not eating for the five days was a good thing for your arm.

Yes, I think the fasting would help me reboot but not sure if I am ready for it.

Today seems like a long day and I am trying to just eat fruits and veggies with no nuts and no fish and no eggs... ugh.. kind of tough right now.

I am thinking fasting would help me to stop and think before I eat out of emotion as well. I am very guilty of this, I know it about me.

Thanks for the feedback on fasting. I think I will take it one day at a time and see how I do. Seriously, tonight I had 3 pears for dinner... I didnt want to give into eating meat so I chose to eat the fruit. Felt a little guilty about too much sugar, but I think it was a wise choice, all things considered. However, I do not plan on making this a habit!! I feel better with not that many carbs

do other people seem to experience eating alot of fruit in the initial phase of raw? I also did two hours at the gym this am so this might make me hungrier as well.

Salad for lunch, lots of greens.

actually my first reaction was thinking it was the fever that broke arm pain .. as i had fasted before with no relief from that perticular ailment

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

We have to look further at fasting to understand why it sometimes works for X condition or problem. There is a massive mystical side to fasting and alot of it is based on the often flawed detoxification theory.

So when i see raw guru's recommending water fasting for conditions such as adrenal insufficiency it is very worrying. Adrenal insufficiency is not a health condition that you can cleanse or detox your way out of. Infact you will likely kill yourself trying. Not to mention how dangerous water fasting would be for an individual with adrenal insufficiency because most with AI tend to have electrolyte imbalances or low electrolytes and blood sugar regulation problems.

So back to why fasting sometimes works or is recommended. Well the number one reason for fasting still seems to be in regards to weight loss. Fasting can be very appealing to many in this regard, but i wouldn't class it as a safe or healthy method of weight loss. Eating healthy and a little consistent exercise have to be the foundations of any sustainable healthy weight loss program.

The next reason fasting is so often recommended is to cure whatever health problem. You will see fasting recommended for every health condition under the sun, with little logical reason or evidence to back up why. So lets look why water fasting often temporarily helps or cures symptoms.

Food allergies have to be the most common reason, many don't realize that mild food sensitivities are often at the root of their chronic health problems. So when you avoid common problematic allergens such as gluten or casein such as in the case of water fasting, then skin problems, digestive ailments often typically reduce or clear up temporarily. This is not the water fasting curing anything, this is just because you are avoiding intake of food allergens that are problematic to yourself. Food allergens can cause high blood pressure because adrenaline is released in part to help counter the allergen, this constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure temporarily.

Another common reason why fasting often temporarily helps is digestive disorders, which are still steadily on the increase. Conditions such as IBS, leaky gut, candida and other gut flora imbalances, low stomach acid, carbohydrate intolerance and bile insufficiency all cause a number of annoying symptoms after eating such as bloating, gas, indigestion, sluggishness, mild fatigue etc. So again if you are someone with bile insufficiency and you are temporarily avoiding fatty foods whilst fasting, it is little wonder symptoms are temporarily reduced. But 9/10 these symptoms all come back once you start re-eating.

So the trade off is often pointless, temporary and at a very high risk that it makes little sense to fast from a health point of view.

The last reason for fasting is often a spiritual one and im not going to touch that as im not greatly spiritual myself. I don't feel restricting food for long periods of time to be a spiritual or a healthy thing to do and can again be rather dangerous.

If you do intend to fast then seek professional advice and listen to your body over anyone else. So many times ive seen people complain of severe migraines whilst water or juice fasting which is a common symptom of blood sugar issues and far too often negative symptoms of fasting get panned off as DETOX by someone half way around the globe over a computer.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2012 10:26AM by powerlifer.