Please note: This
article is for educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to
fast.
After
missing a few meals, whatever pain(s) the body has disappears
almost entirely, in most cases. Hunger can be slightly
bothersome
during the first day or two of a fast. Then changes in the
body
and emotional or spiritual state start to become more obvious.
Instead of the pain of whatever symptoms, such as sore throat
or
toothache, the body mainly experiences an acceleration of toxic
elimination, and hunger generally abates. The mind, however,
may
be more attached to the thought of food than the body is.
During the pre-fasting symptoms -- the evidence of
illness that may
prompt us to fast -- the discharge of mucus is an unpleasant
inconvenience and irritation. Those symptoms may continue
until
the fast is nearly finished. The urge to stop the symptoms,
whether one is fasting or not, is understandable. However,
even
people's cherished natural treatments, e.g., echinacea, vitamin C and
homeopathic medicine, are stop-gap measures that do not offer a
long-term solution, nor do they always work. Fasting always
takes
effect and means complete rest, and is more of a long-term solution.
But it is not "the solution" because it does not by itself
permanently change, for example, the habitual intake of artery-cloggers
known as cheeseburgers, nor the intake of carbon monoxide and other
toxins from sitting in cars.
source
Question: What's so good about
fasting? How long does it last?
Answer:
Fasting is one of the secrets of long life. Your body, and your
digestive organs in particular, are required to work and work without
any vacation. You know that you require rest from your work or your
school from time to time. In the same way, your digestive system needs
a rest from time to time.
Periodic fasting provides the rest for your digestive system. It allows
your digestive system to recuperate from the rough treatment that you
may have given it by overeating or eating the wrong foods or eating at
the wrong time.
In addition fasting also provides an opportunity to eliminate many
toxins from your body. After fasting, you should take some lemon water
with a bit of salt. This drink helps to flush the digestive system,
eliminating waste material that might otherwise remain in the body if
you didn't fast.
Fasting also helps you to keep a balanced mind inspite of the
attraction of the moon on the fluids of your body. That is why our
fasting system is timed in relation to the moon. The eleventh day after
the new and full moons is the time when this attraction is very strong.
If you fast during this period, then the emptiness of the stomach pulls
down liquids that would otherwise rise up in your body under the
attraction of the moon.
Finally fasting also gives you a chance to save some time and use that
time for spiritual pursuits. In order to eat, you may have to spend
time shopping, cooking, cleaning and of course eating. If you fast, you
can use that time to do meditation, to read or some other valuable
pursuit.
This system of yogic fasting has a duration from sunrise to sunrise.
You begin at sunrise on the fasting day and eat nothing. If your body
is strong you can also refrain from drinking anything. On the next day,
you can break the fast with lemon water, as I have mentioned above, and
then with fruit and other suitable food.
Some people think that fasting is difficult. If you prepare yourself
for fasting it is not difficult. Prepare yourself physically by taking
enough food and also plenty of liquids the day before. Prepare yourself
mentally by deciding the night before fasting: "Tomorrow is fasting
day, and I am not going to eat anything." If you take this mental
determination prior to the fasting day, you will not be hungry during
the fasting day. If you don't make a prior determination, during the
fasting day you will start to think "Maybe I should eat, and fast
another day!" Decide beforehand and you will be able to complete your
fast.
All in all, fasting is one of the best practices for maintaining
physical, mental and spiritual health. I highly recommend it.
source
Stage 1 (Day1-2)
On the first day of fasting, the blood sugar level drops below 70mg/dl.
To restore the blood to the normal glucose level, liver glycogen is
converted to glucose and released into the blood. This reserve is
enough for a half day. The body then reduces the basal metabolic rate
(BMR). The rate of internal chemical activity in resting tissue is
lowered to conserve energy. The heart slows and blood pressure is
reduced. Glycogen s pulled from the muscle causing some weakness. The
first wave of cleansing is usually the worst.
Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily
coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be
the most intense in this period.
Stage 2 (Day 3 to 7)
Fats, composed of transformed fatty acids, are broken down to release
glycerol from the gliceride molecules and are converted to glucose. The
skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. People
with problem-free skin may have a few days of pimples or even a boil. A
pallid complexion is also a sign of waste in the blood. Ketones are
formed by the incomplete oxidation of fates. It is suspected that the
ketones in the blood suppress the appetite by affecting the
food-satiety center in the hypothalamus called the appestat. You may
feel hungry for the first few days of the fast. This effect is
temporary. The desire to eat will disappear. Lack of hunger may last
40-60 days.
The body embraces the fast and the digestive system is able to take a
much-needed rest, focusing all of its energies on cleansing organs and
the lungs are in the process of being repaired. Periodically, the
lymphatic system expels mucoid matter through the nose or throat. The
volume excreted of this yellow-colored mucus can be shocking. The
sinuses go through periods of being clogged, then will totally clear.
The breath is still foul and the tongue coated. Within the intestine,
the colon is being repaired and impacted feces on the intestinal wall
start to loosen and are autolyzed.
Stage 3 (Day 8 to 15)
On the latter part of an extended fast, you can experience enhanced
energy, clear-mindedness and feel better than you have felt since
childhood, On the downside, old injuries may become irritated and
painful. This is a result of the body’s increased ability to heal
during fasting. If you had broken your arm 10 yrs before, there is scar
tissue around the break. At the time of the break, the body’s ability
to heal was directly related to lifestyle. If you lived on a junk food
diet, the body’s natural ability to heal was diminished.
During fasting, the body’s healing process is at optimum efficiency. As
the body scours for dead or damaged tissue, the lymphocytes enter the
older-damaged tissue secreting substances to dissolve the damaged
cells. These substances irritate the nerves in the surrounding region
and cause a reoccurrence of aches from previously injured areas that
may have disappeared years earlier. The pain lasts as the body is
completing the healing process. The muscles may become tight and sore
due to toxin irritation. The legs can be the worst affected as toxins
accumulate in the legs. Cankers are common in this stage due to the
excessive bacteria in the mouth.
Stage 4 (Day 16 to 30)
The body is completely adapted to the fasting process. There is more
energy and clarity of mind. Cleansing periods can be short with many
days of feeling good in between. There are days when the tongue is pink
and the breath is fresh. The healing work of the organs is being
completed. After the detoxification mechanisms have removed the
causative agent or renders it harmless; the body works at maximum
capacity in tissue proliferation to replace damaged tissue. While a
short fast will reduce the symptoms, a longer fast can completely heal.
Homeostatic balance is at optimum levels. The lymphatic system is clean
except for a rare discharge of mucus through the nose or throat. After
day 20, the mind is affected with heightened clarity and emotional
balance. Memory and concentration improve.
Stage 5(Day 30 to ?)
(Breaking the Fast with the genuine return of Natural Hunger) Shelton.
The Breath, which during all or most of the fast has been offensive,
becomes sweet and clean.
The Tongue becomes clean. The thick coating which remained on it
throughout most of the fast vanishes.
The Temperature, which may have been sub-normal or above normal,
returns to exactly normal, where it remains.
The Pulse becomes normal in time and rhythm.
The Skin reactions and other reactions become normal.
The Bad Taste in the mouth ceases.
Salivary Secretion becomes normal.
The Eyes become bright and eye sight improves.
The Excreta loses its odor. The Urine becomes light.
The primary indication that the fast is to be broken is the return of
hunger; all the other indications are secondary. Often one or more of
these secondary signs are absent when hunger returns, but one should
not refrain from breaking the fast when there is an unmistakable demand
for food, merely because the tongue, for example, is not clean.
Inasmuch as all the signs do not invariably appear in each case, do not
hesitate to break the fast when hunger returns.
source
Arguments for fasting
The thin person can and should fast, particularly if weight-gain has
been difficult even when eating has been adequate. In my
experience, fasting rebuilds the body and one attains a clean slate,
making weight-gain finally possible beyond replacing the pounds lost in
the fast.
In today's toxic world, when PCBs and DDT are in breast milk, and all
Americans have one or more forms of plastic or plastic additives in
their urine, one would think that detoxification is vital.
However, fasting is so unknown and ignored that I know of no
before/after studies that have measured how much less a body's
petrochemical contamination is after a thorough fast. One
therefore must base progress or improved safety "by feel," and how much
more immunity to disease, such as colds, may be clearly obtained by
fasting. Fortunately, benefits such as immunity are
substantial
and noticeable.
Other benefits of fasting include improving erectile
function.
Generally, one does not feel like engaging in sex during a fast, but it
is possible and pleasurable. The big point here is the future
reward that helps make the fast worthwhile, if improved erections are
desired. (Or take some Viagra and keep treating your body
like a
machine.) Another noticeable benefit from a fast is the
improved
retaining of one's urine longer and more comfortably.
During a fast, just sleeping is a sheer pleasure. This
particular
feeling cannot be achieved by any other means, such as drugs or alcohol
or sex. It's fortuitous I'm on a little fast right now as I
write; because I had forgotten the special sweetness of sleeping that
can happen in a fast. Sometimes this pleasurable feeling is
only
upon waking up in the morning. The feeling can be absent
or
fleeting if one is not ready to eat. If the fast has done all
its
detoxification — through all one's cells, it seems — then the ecstasy
of awakening is long lasting and strong, causing one to bound out of
bed in joy. Some of us take longer to reach certain points in
the
fast, and a full-cycle fast can take longer depending on age, toxicity
and weight.
During the fast and one's slowed pace, a peaceful though somewhat
melancholy vibe usually takes over. Worries fall away and one
relaxes while the mind lets go. Thoughts don't stop; one does
daydream, but stress is less. This feeling is meditative and
deep, and may be hard to achieve or impossible to imagine without the
fast. One's usual eating state — while having the typical,
modern, chronically high toxin level — seems to block the mind and spirit from becoming one with nature and the universe. Being
on a
short fast as I write this, I marvel at the more peaceful feeling I am
enjoying. Slowing down our often frantic and usually busy day
is
vital for health and reflection. We evolved in a calmer,
natural
state, with a slower pace, than today's industrial and technological
lifestyle. Primitive people worked less than people of cultures of the
Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.
Many people want to be more spiritual and have a spiritual experience,
in addition to being healthy. But many such people refuse to
try
the fasting route. Their interest in meditation and spirituality translates mainly to sitting, while their whole body is still
distracted by the work of digestion (even between meals, the body is
not cleansed of food and waste for long). They read, go on
quests
at retreats, and sing the praises of calming the mind to "tune into"
the universe without workaday distractions. This is sincere
but
lacking in the most ready experience of total mind & body
meditation: fasting with just water. Communion with nature
and
one's own soul are easy and constant with fasting, lasting for days,
but this sure-fire meditation is rejected or avoided simply because of
one's culture and our mind's conditioned rules of habitual
eating.
People are much more likely to take various mind-altering drugs for
some instant Nirvana or cheap high than to try a fast. If
they do
later fast, the drug residues just have to come out, making the
elimination phase of the fast that much longer.
People preach about meditation and spirituality, but for various
reasons have never tried a fast except perhaps to go on a juice diet
for a few days. Jesus reportedly fasted 40 days, but he was
less
unusual in his time and place than such a faster in the U.S. and many
countries today. I know he must have gotten a lot out of his
fast, an idea that anti-fasters of the Christian sects would also swear
by as an article of faith — even though they never fast, as if Western
medicine and the god of science take precedence over Jesus's ways and
teachings.
Some downsides of the fast
In my lifetime of fasting and witnessing others fast, I have never seen
an adverse reaction to fasting; I have only seen mistakes upon eating
before one is ready, or eating too much too soon, or eating too
richly. The main consequences of those common pitfalls are
(1)
usually a sudden dissipation of the finished fast's nirvana-like
pleasure of feeling alive, and (2) the immediate loss of the renewed
taste-buds' new-found thrill after the fast. Self-control is
difficult, so a knowledgeable companion or care-giver is very helpful.
One friend who took it upon herself to fast 26 days, after I described
my experiences, endured a significant hair loss after the fast had
ended several days before, but it all grew back. I do not
know
exactly how the fast was conducted or what constituted the resumption
of eating. This event was worrisome to the woman, because she
was
unprepared for it. It was rare enough that I had never heard
of
it. She was glad she fasted anyway, as she had spent years
handling chemicals as a painter and she wanted to detoxify.
Early symptoms of poor health or low immunity, such as a runny nose,
are messages from the body to our conscious minds that there is an
imbalance with our bodies, and that there needs to be rest and our
intake altered. During the fast, elimination of mucus can
start
to increase or decrease, but the consistency of the mucus gets more
concentrated. The smell and taste of the discharge, and the
odor
of the breath and urine, get stronger. The strongest
elimination
is that of vomiting, after which one feels much better.
Drinking water throughout is important, although may not be as pleasant
as when we have just eaten a large salty meal. The middle
portion
of the fast is characterized by heavy elimination, and vomiting can be
nightly two or three nights in a row. The mind and facial
expression of the faster in this period are sometimes sad, bored, and
possibly impatient. Nevertheless, healing is proceeding
regardless and rapidly during this phase, and the fast should not be
broken at this point. When the body has eliminated most of
its
toxins, the original "dis-ease" is gone, and pain-relief is usually
complete, but the fast continues its final cleansing of the body's
toxins. Hunger may start to return slightly, and the tendency
is
for one to want to terminate the fast to shake off the boredom, enjoy
normality once again, and taste those fabulous foods one has
missed.
However, a white/yellow-coated tongue and listless behavior indicate
that the fast should not be broken at such a time, despite the
excellent detoxification that has been taking place. Letting
the
fast continue is important for maximum healing, as is complete
rest. No vitamins or herbal teas should be taken to interrupt
the
fast (activating the digestive system and distracting the heart from
sending the maximum amount of healing-blood to the rest of the
body).
Walking in the garden is fine, but stress such as business calls is
counter-indicated. The body can take some stress if there is
no
purpose to the walk other than to shake off some boredom and to behold
the wonder of nature. Nature, and life itself, by the middle
of
the fast, have taken over the mind and spirit, and one's full
contemplation of nature and indoor surroundings is
inescapable.
Time has slowed down in the fast, which may be a consequence of the
meditative state achieved by the complete rest and the desire to see
the end of the fast. The memory of foods becomes almost
overpowering. Paradoxically, the yearning for food and to
indulge
in taste sensations at this stage are an indication the fast is not
complete. One needs to return to the novel or to quietly talk
with a friend or family member. Great rewards come when
detoxification is complete and the body and spirit feel better than
ever.
An alternative to the fast that seems to detoxify is the Master
Cleanse: a drink one makes of water, lemon juice, grade B maple syrup,
and cayenne. A "salt water flush" is done once a
day. The
Master Cleanse calls for certain preparations and quantities of the
ingredients. Judging from the white tongue during the Master
Cleanse, that clears up after several days, and the need to rest most
of the time, the Master Cleanse may be just right for many of
us.
It appears to be a way to keep up a semblance of a normal schedule,
because calories are available to deal with some work or
schooling. Somehow, though, the water-only fast would be much
preferable for its simplicity, purity and faster results — and perhaps
for the meditative benefit. The ingredients of the Master
Cleanse
comprise a strange diet, one must admit. It may be harder to
refuse substantial food when one is on a very restrictive diet and the
body is in an eating/digestion mode. But if people are
opposed to
fasting, or cannot obtain the privacy and support they deserve, they
should perhaps try the Master Cleanse.
One should not advise fasting unless a competent and qualified helper
is on hand to assist, as one needs guidance and support. It
can't
be overstated that one's stress must be minimized during and just after
the fast. (I have had heart-rate unpleasantness from trying
to do
too many things in succession right after a 15 day fast, causing me to
have to suddenly lie down and stop my activity for a half an
hour.)
The person's age and size has everything to do with how long one can
fast, so it is important not to assume a young, thin person can go many
days. A truly healthy person needs a truly short fast.
source
Related Articles:
Dr Emoto: The Miracle of
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Raw Food Diet
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Edible
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