Water-fasting

[ExNewMex]

Any of you folks ever went on a water-fast? I am thinking about it, but still uncertain.

Curious about side-effects, volumes of water, how long before real benefits are seen, etc... Is there any particular experience you can offer about how to best approach it and succeed?

This is semi-spiritual, but more health related to lose some weight and clean out the system.

Thanks in advance for any good info.

[Abandon]

I'm sure google will give more advice on this subject than anyone here can.

I did a couple of 6 day fasts, but was advised to drink fruit juice to keep the digestive system moving. Otherwise, I was told, any food in your system gets broken down and all the toxins sucked into the blood stream as your body tries to get nutrients. Most long fasts will involve some kind of soup or rice porridge for this reason.

[medicinebox]

I guess this will be about as helpful as air fasting...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I guess this will be about as helpful as air fasting...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No fat people came out of Auschwitz

[Thaiquila]

I tried this once and relied on books for advice, but in retrospect you really should be monitored by a doctor. It is potentially dangerous, and you have to be very careful about reintroducing food, you have to take that very slow, and start with juices.

My experience is that it was indeed both a physical and spiritual experience. The hunger gets bad for 4 or 5 days and then it goes away. Your tongue gets all disgusting and white. You start having funny thoughts about your ties to the material world.

You become quite weak though still able to basically function if you are otherwise healthy. However, I remember driving around town in that state and thinking it should be illegal. Driving Without Food. It really is an altered state of consciousness.

As far as the weight loss aspect, I would recommend FORGET IT. You will lose massive amounts of weight (I did), but you will also radically reset your metabolism, so that when you start eating again, eating the smallest amount of food will pack it back on, more than ever. I really believe this. You are much better off with more moderate changes in diet and an exercise program.

However, I don't regret doing it one time for the spiritual experience, but wouldn't do it again.

[PeaceBlondie]

I guess this will be about as helpful as air fasting...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No fat people came out of Auschwitz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes indeed, Doctor. Limiting caloric intake causes one to lose weight.

I did several 3-day fasts, alternating with 3 days of moderate eating, drinking only Pepsi or Coke during the fasts. I lost weight (I also exercised a fair amount), had no hunger pains or medical problems at all.

Assuming that your general health is good, I don't think you need a doctor's supervision for any fast shorter than ten days.

Yes, the body's metabolism will adjust (slow down during fasting), and you should re-introduce food very carefully (soup broth, etc.). However, I don't know that resuming your normal diet would cause your body to try to put on a tremendous amount of weight again. I suspect it's more psychological, where your brain thinks you've starved and you over-compensate.

Of course, every human body is unique. But there are some general rules.

Other question: during a fast of, say no more than ten days, is the weight loss primarily related to reduction in stored fat? Isn't that precisely what the fat's there for?

[Gary A]

I have a good friend who is an MD. He gets quite disgusted by all the diets and more disgusted by doctors who make money selling diets. He says your body has a normal (normal for you) rhythm that shouldn't be upset by radical changes in diet. He will tell you that eating healthy, exercising your arms by pushing yourself away from the table and taking long walks is by far the most effective way of losing weight.

[tjansen]

Hello,

By the dates on these posts, I am very late in responding. I am currently on the fifth day of a ten-day strict water fast at my brother's center in Malaysia. In 2005 I did a strict (except for a little lemon juice in my water) water fast also at my brother's center in Malaysia.. Even on a ten-day fast (I just discovered) it can be important to monitor blood sugar, blood pressure, and a few others.

I have been on an all-raw food diet in excess of a year, with one three-week binge on cooked, high fat vegetarian food when I visited the US in May of this year.

I am settled on raw food with no looking back. I am 66 years old and want to thrive into my old age. I am experiencing the best health and fitness I ever have.

I can offer you a lot of information, pros and cons of various natural health procedures and processes from my studies and paid consultations with a top-notch professional health and fitness coach in the US.

I am not in business with this, so I don't charge anything. I just love spreading good information.

If anyone is interested in information or feed back, send me an email or PM.