Fasting
Posted by blueheeler on Jul 10, 2008 · Member since Jan 2008 · 169 posts
Has anyone here fasted? If so, what was it for? What was your experience? How long? Did you feel a difference afterwords? Any details are appreciated.
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I agree. I feel I am due for a fast now. I personally like doing the "unto the ninth hour fast" any time I feel bloated or just blah....which is; avoiding solid food until 3:00pm, then eating a light snack (fruit, vegs, or whole gr bread or crackers, the a balanced veg meal at 6;00pm. Between dinner and 3:00pm of the next day only water, tea or juice are consumed.
Not eating is probably the oldest and most universal food related healing method. Animals instinctively stop eating when they don't feel well. Humans are animals...the practice of fasting acknowledges that we are a self-healing organism. Forcing someone that is ill and has no appetite to eat to keep up his strength overlooks that fact that digestion uses up strength. Often the available strength is better used for healing the illness than for digestion.
Sometimes not eating is as important as eating.
and remember most everyone fasts everyday between your evening meal or snack and their morning meal (break-fast) 12 hours - which allows the body enough time to cleanse the waste products of metabolism. It also promotes the release of hormones that activate the immune system.
Also a note about the detox symptoms, they will generally disappear around the fourth day if your prior diet was a pretty good one , that is if you have them.
I agree. I feel I am due for a fast now. I personally like doing the "unto the ninth hour fast" any time I feel bloated or just blah....which is; avoiding solid food until 3:00pm, then eating a light snack (fruit, vegs, or whole gr bread or crackers, the a balanced veg meal at 6;00pm. Between dinner and 3:00pm of the next day only water, tea or juice are consumed.
You have some good points, THHF. I am interested in the "ninth hour" fast. Sounds like something I could handle. Is there a link or book where I can get more info?
I agree. I feel I am due for a fast now. I personally like doing the "unto the ninth hour fast" any time I feel bloated or just blah....which is; avoiding solid food until 3:00pm, then eating a light snack (fruit, vegs, or whole gr bread or crackers, the a balanced veg meal at 6;00pm. Between dinner and 3:00pm of the next day only water, tea or juice are consumed.
You have some good points, THHF. I am interested in the "ninth hour" fast. Sounds like something I could handle. Is there a link or book where I can get more info?
I read about the "ninth hour fast" in Annemarie Colbin's book "Food and Healing." It's an older(80's) book but you could probably still find it. "The Self-Healing Cookbook" by Kristina Turner has some good information also, but not about that particular fast...just healthy fasting and practices in general....although it does have recipes it has more information than recipes. Very macrobiotic. A lot of Muchio Kushi books will have good info as well but again, not about that particular fast. Annemarie Colbin's book is the only place I have seen it...
Basically do as I said in the previous post...have your evening meal consist of whole (no processed foods at all) organic when ever possible, foods. Even the bread or crackers for your snack are whole and homemade or a bakery that you completely trust to be pure whole ingredients. You can stay on this type of fast as long as you feel comfortable and well...unless you start to lose weight...if it is not healthy for you to do so.
Thanks, thhf! I will search for that book(actually both of them) I love stuff like that so it would be good for my collection.
eta: Sweet. I found an updated version on Amazon for 1.09 used...
i am basically incapable of fasting. the longest i've gone without solid food is 3 days, and that was because of a serious emotional trauma i was having at the time (ie, not for health reasons, obviously). but if i go for like 6 hours without eating, i feel like i'm going to die. it's pretty pathetic, actually. maybe if i had a juicer, i would be able to do a juice fast. but no frigging way would i fast on store bought juice. i don't even drink it in regular life. i have always wanted to try, especially as a smoker... maybe it would help me quit.
but fuzzy tongues?! i dunno haha...
Don't feel bad. I can't fast either. I've considered it several times, and have tried a couple of times but couldn't too and am resigned to the fact that I'll strengthen my bodies natural detoxifers (sweat, liver, colon, etc.) by exercising and eating foods with lots of antioxidants and drinking lots of water. I always have a clean tongue, which is both a sign of health and um...cleanliness.
There really isn't any proof, other than people's anectdotals about fasting that it really detoxifies or does any good. But enough people report such positive things about it, I don't think it does any harm, in fact I think it does them good. It's just not for me.
Once a week I like to eat just raw fruits and vegetables and drink tons of water, it's like a weekly cleaning and energy boost, makes you feel great. The longest I'd ever do a juice fast is probably a week, but I have friends who swear by it
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