Fasting

[ghost of miles]

I'm thinking about fasting (for general health purposes). Has anybody here ever done it, and if so, for how long? Any advice, things to watch out for, best approaches, etc.? Having never done it before, I probably won't try to go more than three days at first.

[GA Russell]

How much do you intend to eat per day?

[Guy Berger]

I'm thinking about fasting (for general health purposes).

Is fasting supposed to be healthy???????

Guy

[ghost of miles]

I'm thinking about fasting (for general health purposes).

Is fasting supposed to be healthy???????

Guy

According to Taoist principles of health, yes. Has to do with purging the system of toxins... a lot of what I've read so far in Taoist health tracts makes sense to me, but I thought I'd tap the vast resource of wisdom & experience that is Organissimo (no sarcasm intended!) to find out what others might have to say on the subject.

[ghost of miles]

How much do you intend to eat per day?

Not much, but as little as possible for a beginner. And I don't think I'll go beyond three days. Some people recommend taking certain supplements to aid the fast or lessen the uncomfortable aspects of its impact, but that's an area that seems rife for chicanery...another reason I'm wondering aloud here about the subject.

[GA Russell]

Ghost, I now usually eat only one meal a day. I consume a lot of rice. Buy it by the 50 lb. bag. I often eat black beans with the rice. Tonight I had lobster newburg with the rice. You get the picture.

I find it very filling, yet I'm sure my food intake is much lower than it was when I started a couple of years ago. I have lost fifty pounds.

I'm not a vegetarian. Sometimes I have hamburgers. But most days are meatless.

You might want to look at a book called Macrobiotics.

[catesta]

I honestly thoght this thread was titled "farting".

On that subject I have much experience.

Fasting on the other hand, I can't offer any serious help.

I did try a two day fast one time drinking nothing but water and a vegatable juice. It was pure hell and I gave in before I reached the 48 hours.

[Joe G]

I've done 24-hour fasts in the past. I drank plenty of water, some tea, and had some almonds, which help to carry toxins out of the body. You could also do a little rice or bread. Though I don't look it, I am a bit of a glutton. At some point during the fast, I would always have strong cravings for food - I could TASTE it! And not junk food, either, like really good mediterranian or something. It can teach you a lot about yourself, even if you're not religiously inclined. There was usually a heightened awareness that went along with it.

Just recently I fasted for a blood draw; went from dinner the night before through the end of the following work day. The nurse, a woman in her mid twenties, could hardly believe it. She actually asked me if I was insane! I didn't think it was that big of a deal.

[kinuta]

Fasting doesn't sound like a fun way to spend time.

Before surgery one would have no choice but I have doubts about the benefits of voluntarily doing without nourishment..

Quite a lot of people I met in India were regular fasters but I suspect they were fasting because of lack of money.

Edited January 26, 2006 by kinuta

[BERIGAN]

Ghost, I really don't think that's such a hot idea. Does Dick Gregory look healthy to you???

Seriously, years and years ago I took a nutrition class, and I know that there were problems once you went past 24 hours without food, some of which are addressed in the article below...I know you aren't doing this for weight loss reasons, but it still explains what happens to the body. It doesn't mention it here, but I recall there being some problem with the prduction of fluids your eyes need when fasting....Maren??? Docs on the board???

http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/article_id,5957

Edited January 26, 2006 by BERIGAN

[Randy Twizzle]

I have no real experience at heavy duty fasting, but once during a hectic day at work I missed lunch, it made me really cranky.

[.:.impossible]

I've never formally fasted, but I have done a couple of 30 and 45 day detox diets with my wife. Very, erm, cleansing.

[Jazzmoose]

Sorry, but for me, this thread has "crackpot science" written all over it. My recommendation would be to just reread Berigan's post. (And how many times are you going to hear me say that? )

[Alexander]

Read Kafka's "The Hunger Artist" before embarking on any fast...

[Free For All]

Sorry, but for me, this thread has "crackpot science" written all over it.

I think it's a valid practice, but shouldn't necessarily be done "on a whim" by just anyone. It frequently is done in conjunction with other dietary considerations/practices, and you might want to consult some kind of experienced specialist in the area (notwithstanding the experts here ). Perhaps starting in smaller increments of time before committing to the longer duration.

Joe's post seems to make more sense to me.

[BeBop]

Mainly Ramadan experience for me, though, in my younger days, I often did two-day fasts in connection with sleep deprivation in as part of athletic training.

From a health standpoint - based on the things I've read lately - the trend seems to be toward reduced caloric intake over a lifetime, as opposed to fasting for brief periods. I'm not suggesting that I have any scientific expertise here.

[Use3D]

Hah, I often go two or three days or so without food easily. I don't even think about it. I've done this since I was a teenager. I have a fear of eating too much, which is stupid but I've always been like that.

[montg]

My only experience with fasting is in connection with Lent and that's twice a year for 24 hrs. I find it to be pretty rough going. I certainly feel more sympathetic toward those in poverty who regularly go hungry.

I guess I would see the benefits of fasting to be more spiritual than physical/health, though three days seems excessive to me.

[Dennis_M]

I tried fasting once, but I got hungry in four hours, so I gave it up.

Really, everything carried to extremes is unlikely to be good for you. Your body needs nutrients, if in less quantity than many of us indulge in: and this idea of ‘cleansing the body of toxins is ridiculous. Just eat healthy foods and you won’t have to worry about toxins. Everybody talks about food additives and cancer, but the facts are that the frequency of most cancers has gone down in the last 50 years. Stomach cancer is a great example. It has decreased by 66% over the last 50 years. This is widely attributed to food preservatives—the very chemicals that most health food gurus eschew.