| Did you ever skip a meal
because you were too busy or too tired to eat? Going without food or drink is considered
fasting and can be beneficial to your health. People often confuse fasting with
starvation, or think of it as a religious ritual. Through the ages, people have
traditionally fasted for spiritual enlightenment, and while some still do, many people
fast today to lose weight and to detoxify the body. There are different types of fasts that produce a variety of results. Here
are a few:
Juice Fast
Raw or fresh juice, replaces solid foods from the diet for a day
or two. Combined with ample amounts of water, fruit and vegetable juices pick up harmful
toxins and carry them out of the body. Raw juices contain vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, enzymes, and fiber.
Vegetables are the building blocks of life, responsible for
strong healthy muscles, tissue, glands, and organs. But they are bulkier, and break down
more slowly in the body than fruit; so most people do not eat all the vegetables, they
need for optimum health. When you drink vegetable juice, your body absorbs the food
immediately. Think of juicing as a vegetable compactor. Twelve ounces of carrot juice is
the equivalent of two and a half pounds of carrots. And a reasonable length of time for a
juice fast is one day up to a couple of weeks.
Water Fast
Water fasting is also known as the no-calorie diet. On this
fast, you refrain from all food, and drink only water. Although water fasting may not hurt
you for a day or so, it is not recommended for long periods. Water fasting is hard on the
body because the body will release stored-up toxins without supplying the nutrients needed
to detoxify them.
Liquid Fast
For centuries chicken soup and fruit juice have been recommended
for sickness. They work because they are light on the body without the harsh task of
processing regular food. Liquid fasts might include herbal teas, broths and simple
fruit-vegetable juice combinations.
Carbohydrate Fast
Fasting from carbohydrates is a great way to lose weight and
lower blood pressure. Here you drink plenty of fluids, and eat protein, but skip pastas,
potatoes, French fries, chips, and sweets.
- Fasting gives your digestive system a much-needed break. Fasting clears out
the congestion in your organs and cells and helps them work more efficiently. As a result,
your cardiovascular system picks up speed, and your liver gets some rest from detoxifying
all those chemicals and preservatives found in fast food diets. Even your immune system
gets a break from the many food allergens and foreign substances it constantly fights.
- Fasting is a good way to get rid of unhealthy food cravings. If you want to
transition away from meat, eggs, dairy, coffee, alcohol or cigarettes, fasting can help
you dramatically. Salty and sugary foods can be addictive, and within two or three days,
fasting will clear your taste buds, so you no longer need that salty or sugary
stimulation.
- Generally healthy people can fast for a day or two with no danger, however,
you should check with your doctor if you are pregnant, or if you are on medication since
fasting can alter the potency of a prescription.
- You can still exercise when you fast, make sure to drink lots of fluid to
prevent dehydration.
- You shouldn't feel faint or weak if you only fast for a day or two. If you
become lightheaded or dizzy eat a little something and end your fast.
Angela Oberer © 2008, Oberer is the author of the "Be Well Series". You can send your questions and
comments to her at:
Angela@WordsofWellness.com
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