I don't want to spend a whole lot of time redacting the science behind fasting. I trust you all can google that up yourselves. But I do want to tell you a little bit about my experiences with fasting thus far.
It's been about 18 months since I stumbled on this health protocol. I've done everything from smoothie, juice, raw, intermittent and water fasts. I can honestly say I've experienced benefits with all of them. But there was one time after this past Easter where my body felt awful the days following a fast. The jury is still out on whether that may have been due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies or because I was simply experiencing a new layer of detoxification. Since I was not being supervised, I decided not to find out which one it was, and thus ate whatever I felt like my body needed to feel better. Fish, meat, bread..stuff I don't eat with a lot of regularity, but whatever had highly absorbable Vitamin B12, Iron and Omega Fatty Acids in it. It worked.
But fasting, when done properly and at the right time for your body and mind, has so many benefits that I can't even begin to describe. Besides detoxification (which is crazy amazing--and sometimes unpleasant--to watch your body purge junk through various orifices) and weight loss, there is an acute mental clarity and contentment that I've experienced, along with energy level increases. In short, I often feel awesome and better able to handle life stressors during fasts. Of course, when I began my first smoothie fast two summers ago, I was not in good spirits for the first three days. All of the detox symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, moodiness, cravings, and halitosis were new to me. But since then, my mind and body have adapted somewhat to the process, along with now eating a LOT better than I used to, so I don't suffer as intensely from those unpleasant detox symptoms. Though, I will say it seems I often break out into cold sores on my lips when fasting, so there must be years of dormant, assuaged viruses that were not killed off with antibiotics that I used to take. They (the viruses) are, essentially, now getting starved to death out of my body. And that's good.
One of the things I am trying to learn how to do better is re-feeding. Meaning, how to break a fast slowly and in a way that doesn't cause me to binge in moments of weakness. I give myself a pass if it's fruits or veggies, but not only does binging harm the whole process of self control and eating right, but it can make people sick since the stomach often shrinks during a fast and is especially sensitive to large amounts of food. So it's important to re-feed the body slowly. Yup, still working on that.
Intermittent fasting is a neat little "reset" button when I'm in need of a quick cleanse. Whether it's a 36 hour water fast (which is as long as I will go unsupervised) or a shortened eating window during the day (like from 11am-5pm), intermittent fasting has helped me after attending one too many potlucks. It also helps boosts human growth hormone (HGH) which is the anti-aging hormone. Hence, why I look like a five year old. Paaaahh-ha-ha. But seriously, my skin is smoother and often times gets noticed.
Final thoughts: I'll be interested to see how my perspective evolves over time as I continue to learn how to fast. Hopefully this is helpful for anyone who is curious about what one person has experienced so far. My conclusions? Trust your body. Be sure your mind and support systems are on board when you start a fast. Don't push yourself too far. Fasting is not about meeting a particular number of days without food, but letting your body show you what it can do to heal, what it needs nutritionally and when. For some that's a couple of hours, for others a couple of weeks. Learn the differences between emotional hunger and true physical hunger. I still am, and will probably continue to for a loooooong time. Overall, fasting can be healing, perhaps alleviate unnecessary medical bills, and lead to better quality of life and longevity.
Okay. That's it for now. All the best.
Oh yeah...as always, this post is not meant to diagnose, treat illnesses or be considered medical advice. Always check with your physician before trying a fasting regime.
It's been about 18 months since I stumbled on this health protocol. I've done everything from smoothie, juice, raw, intermittent and water fasts. I can honestly say I've experienced benefits with all of them. But there was one time after this past Easter where my body felt awful the days following a fast. The jury is still out on whether that may have been due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies or because I was simply experiencing a new layer of detoxification. Since I was not being supervised, I decided not to find out which one it was, and thus ate whatever I felt like my body needed to feel better. Fish, meat, bread..stuff I don't eat with a lot of regularity, but whatever had highly absorbable Vitamin B12, Iron and Omega Fatty Acids in it. It worked.
But fasting, when done properly and at the right time for your body and mind, has so many benefits that I can't even begin to describe. Besides detoxification (which is crazy amazing--and sometimes unpleasant--to watch your body purge junk through various orifices) and weight loss, there is an acute mental clarity and contentment that I've experienced, along with energy level increases. In short, I often feel awesome and better able to handle life stressors during fasts. Of course, when I began my first smoothie fast two summers ago, I was not in good spirits for the first three days. All of the detox symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, moodiness, cravings, and halitosis were new to me. But since then, my mind and body have adapted somewhat to the process, along with now eating a LOT better than I used to, so I don't suffer as intensely from those unpleasant detox symptoms. Though, I will say it seems I often break out into cold sores on my lips when fasting, so there must be years of dormant, assuaged viruses that were not killed off with antibiotics that I used to take. They (the viruses) are, essentially, now getting starved to death out of my body. And that's good.
One of the things I am trying to learn how to do better is re-feeding. Meaning, how to break a fast slowly and in a way that doesn't cause me to binge in moments of weakness. I give myself a pass if it's fruits or veggies, but not only does binging harm the whole process of self control and eating right, but it can make people sick since the stomach often shrinks during a fast and is especially sensitive to large amounts of food. So it's important to re-feed the body slowly. Yup, still working on that.
Intermittent fasting is a neat little "reset" button when I'm in need of a quick cleanse. Whether it's a 36 hour water fast (which is as long as I will go unsupervised) or a shortened eating window during the day (like from 11am-5pm), intermittent fasting has helped me after attending one too many potlucks. It also helps boosts human growth hormone (HGH) which is the anti-aging hormone. Hence, why I look like a five year old. Paaaahh-ha-ha. But seriously, my skin is smoother and often times gets noticed.
Final thoughts: I'll be interested to see how my perspective evolves over time as I continue to learn how to fast. Hopefully this is helpful for anyone who is curious about what one person has experienced so far. My conclusions? Trust your body. Be sure your mind and support systems are on board when you start a fast. Don't push yourself too far. Fasting is not about meeting a particular number of days without food, but letting your body show you what it can do to heal, what it needs nutritionally and when. For some that's a couple of hours, for others a couple of weeks. Learn the differences between emotional hunger and true physical hunger. I still am, and will probably continue to for a loooooong time. Overall, fasting can be healing, perhaps alleviate unnecessary medical bills, and lead to better quality of life and longevity.
Okay. That's it for now. All the best.
Oh yeah...as always, this post is not meant to diagnose, treat illnesses or be considered medical advice. Always check with your physician before trying a fasting regime.
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