which impair your longevity health. In addition, it helps
to control your weight, which is often an aging factor.
Fasting is the most efficient and effective way of
detoxification.
What is fasting?
Fasting is voluntary abstinence from food and drink, except
water, for an extended period.
Fasting is not starvation which is abstinence continued
beyond your body's nutrient reserves. In other words,
starvation may exhaust your body's stored nutrients to the
point of presenting health hazards, while fasting is still
"consuming" the nutrient reserves stored in your body.
There is a big difference.
Fasting has many therapeutic benefits. Fasting accelerates
the self-healing process of your body, thereby enabling
your body to recover speedily from any disease. Fasting
temporarily stops the continuing work of your digestive
system, instrumental in reserving energy for your
self-healing. Your body may now utilize the energy for
self-healing, which otherwise normally might be expended on
secreting digestive enzymes to break down the food for
distribution of nutrients throughout your body.
Fasting slows down your aging process by keeping your
arteries young (often hardened by cholesterol, fats,
inorganic minerals and fibrous tissues). Fasting
facilitates the removal of accumulated substances that may
damage cell functions, thereby slowing down your aging
process and extending your lifespan.
Fasting may alleviate your body pain and rid your body of
drug dependence. Remember, longevity is often a drug-free
life.
Fasting relieves the burden of not only your digestive
tract, but also your liver and kidneys, which have to work
extra hard to remove additives and toxins accumulated in
your body through improper eating.
Fasting produces powerful detoxifying effects in your body
not achievable by any diet, restricted or supplemented.
Fasting decreases your blood pressure by softening your
blood vessels.
Fasting activates the immune system in your body.
Fasting removes the cause of any chronic disease you may
have by removing the toxins, not just the symptoms, as in
the case of medication.
Fasting facilitates you, if you are a smoker, to quit
smoking during a fast.
Essentially, there is only one type of fasting: pure water
fasting. Juice fasting is not fasting: it is not
anti-inflammatory; only pure water fasting is. Vegetable or
fruit fasting is not fasting: it is more of a healthful
diet. Only pure water fasting is complete and total
fasting, which has the capability to break down fat,
abnormal cells, plaque, and even tumors. Pure water fasting
is the most efficient natural method of detoxification.
How safe is fasting?
Fasting is both natural and safe. Your body system has the
capability to fast, and your body has the ability to fast
safely. Generally, it takes more than forty days to exhaust
all the nutrients stored in your body. That is why in the
Bible Jesus fasted for forty days. In general, your body
will still have more than adequate reserves of proteins,
fats, minerals, and vitamins to maintain its normal
function during a fast. In fact, during a fast, your body
conserves its muscle and lean body tissues.
For centuries, people have practiced fasting all over the
world.
Animals instinctively fast when they are sick or wounded.
However, humans in similar situations erroneously believe
they need to eat to regain strength, thus making them even
sicker and weaker.
To prepare for a fast, eat more vegetables and fruits prior
to a fast. Reduce the consumption of meat, and refrain from
eating any meat the day before a fast.
During a fast, your body naturally increases mucous
production to wash away viruses and infected cells. It may
even induce a slight fever to activate your immune system.
Your body discharges toxins and chemicals through your
skin, mucous membranes, liver, and kidneys. Due to hormonal
and metabolic changes, you may feel slightly colder. That
is natural and normal. Just keep warm to conserve your
energy and to facilitate rapid elimination. One common
phenomenon is dehydration through excessive loss of water.
Drinking more water is recommended during a fast.
You no longer have any bowel movement after the first day.
That, too, is normal.
During a fast, you need less sleep than usual. You are
fully refreshed with from three to six hours of sleep. A
fast is invigorating.
Remember, the more you fast, the less uncomfortable you
will feel. Normal functioning of the body will resume upon
removal of all causes of functional impairment.
On the first day, you feel pangs of hunger, and a white
coating forms on your tongue. On the second day, you begin
to feel gradual dissipation of hunger, and there is more
white coating on your tongue. On the third day, you may
feel complete disappearance of hunger and the clearance of
coating on your tongue.
The first three days of a fast are most challenging.
However, once the challenge is overcome, you are well on
the way to rejuvenation of your entire body. A clear tongue
and clean breath are a good indication that the cleansing
is more or less complete.
The length of a fast depends very much on an individual.
The following is just a general guideline: a one-day fast,
as often as required, preferably weekly, for good
maintenance; a three-to-four-
and well being, several times a year; a two-week fast for
complete internal cleansing, every year or so; and a
three-week fast (or even longer) for curing a specific
disease, under the supervision of a physician
Always consult your physician first if you go on a fast
longer than three to four days. Stop the fast immediately
if there is significant increase in physical weakness, or
drastic drop in blood pressure.
A one-day fast is ideal for maintenance, but may not be too
effective for deep cleansing. Regular fasting minimizes
the risk of a disabling disease later in life, and is
therefore anti-aging..
About the Author:
Stephen Lau, a writer and researcher, has spent years in
writing research synopses of doctors and scientists in the
United States. For more information on health and wellness,
visit: http://www.longevit
designed a website on golf tips and information. For more
information, go to: http://www.golfings
