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FASTING YOUR WAY TO HEALTH
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
An
age old therapy for cleansing the body is fasting.
This article will deal with the many aspects of
fasting and how it benefits the total body.
I began fasting a number
of years ago when I first began studying natural healing.
I started off slow with a one-day-a-week fast and
over time worked up to a ten-day fast once a year.
The first day or two, I found it amazing how much
time I spent thinking about food. I
also was amazed at how much my energy level changed as my
body released toxins that had built up over time.
What is fasting?
How does one begin to fast and what are the
guidelines and potential benefits?
Fasting is the abstinence of sold food for a period of
time.
There are many types of fasts -
water, fresh juice or mono food, either fruit or vegetable.
The length of time (one-day, three-day, one-week,
ten-day) of a fast has different
effects on the body. It is very
interesting how the body deals with food.
The moment we stop putting food into our body, the
elimination process begins.
During a
fast, the elimination process continues without solid food
being eaten thus giving the body the opportunity to do deep
tissue cleansing since fluids are the best way to release
toxins.
Let’s look at some of the
benefits of fasting:
·
Saves time: Hours a day are spent in
working to pay for food, shopping, preparing, eating and
cleaning up.
·
Rest: Gives your digestive system a break from processing
food.
·
Increases Energy: The energy spent in
digesting food is directed to other functions of healing,
mainly immune functions, cellular growth and
detoxing.
·
Spiritual Uplifting: Help us to center
more on other matters. Many spiritual
teachers use fasting as a form of detaching from the
physical world.
·
Cleansing: Reduction in toxins that the
liver has to process due to low input of toxins.
·
Weight Loss: Helps the body to burn fat
calories for needed energy.
·
Healing: Can speed up healing by
helping to balance the body.
·
Breaks Addictions: Increases will
power; works well for smokers and coffee drinkers.
Before you decide to fast,
it is important that you understand what may occur during
your fast. A one-day fast is pretty
easy and most people do not experience any negative
symptoms.
However, for longer fasts, be
aware that you may feel the following:
dizziness, mild heart palpitations, weakness, light
headedness, tiredness, forgetfulness,
mild nausea, a bad taste in your mouth and a gnawing
or empty feeling in your stomach. These
are signs of too many toxins being released and that the
cleansing process needs to be slowed down.
Fasting is not recommended
during pregnancy, for infants or young children unless
under supervision, during deficiency conditions or after
one has been exposed to toxic pesticides, herbicides or fat
soluble toxins. People suffering from
diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart conditions or other major
degenerative disease should use caution when fasting for
more than three days. Be sure to
consult with your health care practitioner.
The following guidelines are
meant to guide you through a fast, but adjustments can be
made depending on what you experience while fasting.
A one-day-a-week fast is a good way to start the
cleansing process in preparation for longer fasts.
A three-day fast helps rid the body of toxins and
cleanses the blood. A five-day fast
begins the healing process and rebuilds the immune system.
A ten-day fast can help fight off illness and slow
degenerative disease processes.
To prepare for a fast, eat
more raw vegetables and fruits, eliminate animal and dairy
foods, and reduce flour products for at least two days
before beginning. While fasting, drink
at least eight glasses (8-ounce) of distilled water a day.
Fresh juices can be used, but do not mix vegetable
or fruit in the same day.
At least two
glasses of fresh juice a day should be consumed.
If using canned or frozen
juice, dilute it in half with water and avoid juices with
additives or sweeteners. Herbal teas
are acceptable during a fast. I
recommend mild detoxing teas
like red clover, alfalfa, peppermint and red raspberry.
Using the juice of fresh lemons in water is also
good for releasing of toxins from the liver.
If using a mono fruit during a
fast, apples, grapes and/or watermelon are very
cleansing and will keep your energy level up.
Breaking a fast is as
equally important as starting a fast.
Do not begin by eating heavily processed foods.
It is important to eat lightly steamed vegetables
and raw salads for the first day or two.
Slowly add back whole grains, flour products, animal
foods and dairy. Avoid starchy
vegetables, like potatoes. Since the
stomach shrinks and digestive juices may be reduced during
a fast, small portions and eating more frequently are
recommended.
A fast is a time for you to
reflect, rest and allow your
body to restore balance.
Your
experience with fasting will let you know the state of
health of your body. In our modern day
society, we are subjected to numerous poisons from our
external environment.
The amount of
accumulation is based on what you have been subjected to
over your lifetime. Fasting is a good
way to eliminate these toxins, but don’t be in a hurry.
What has taken years to accumulate will take some
time to be eliminated. Be patient.
There are numerous books on
fasting. The following are some of my
favorites:
·
Rational Fasting
by Arnold
Ehret
·
The Miracle Of Fasting
by Paul Bragg
·
How To Stay Slim, Healthy And Young With Juice Fasting
by Paavo
Airola
·
Juice Fasting And Detoxification
by Steve
Meyerowitz
·
Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management
by Bernard Jensen
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