Fasting
Snippet from :
The Natural Way – A Family’s Guide To Vibrant Health – Mary-Ann Shearer
“No! Fasting is not confined to religious fanatics, it just happens to be the fastest way to supreme health, well-being and optimum weight levels.
During a fast, the body redirects the energy it would otherwise use for digesting meals and other daily activities, to any problem area in the body. In other words, the body is given an opportunity to focus on cleansing and healing.
Weight loss is also achieved more quickly on a fast as the body burns any excess fat deposits for fuelling its normal functions. (The average weight loss is from half to one kilogram per day.)
People often refer to abstaining from solid foods but drinking juice as a ‘juice fast’. This is, in fact, not a fast as all but a diet. A juice diet to be exact. There is one kind of fast and that is a total abstinence from nourishment of any kind. Even taking in honey or grapefruit juice does not make it a true fast.
True fasting thus means eating nothing at all, drinking only pure water, and resting both physically and mentally. REST IS WHAT A FAST IS ALL ABOUT. A true fast allows the body and mind to rest completely and to redirect energy towards healing and correcting any problems that may exist. Complete rest is vitally important when fasting as it restores the body physically, emotionally and mentally. The ideal setting should be a quiet place away from the family, work, television, radio and the general hustle and bustle of everyday life. The last thing you need on a fast is stress of any description. The mind and body must be in a state of repose.
The benefits of fasting are tremendous. Your general health improves, your skin and eyes glow and you feel as if you’ve had a total ‘overhaul’ or body lift. A properly supervised fast followed by a correct eating programme, is the best and quickest way to glowing health.
A word of caution is needed here. Fasting for more than 2 or 3 days should not be embarked on without the guidance of a health counselor or someone who has both studied and undergone a fast themselves. Do not rush into a fast. It is essential that you are adequately prepared for the fast and properly supervised while fasting. If you are pregnant lactating or on any medication you should be extremely cautious. Fasting is not recommended under these circumstances. If you plan to fast even with the aid of a counselor, read as much as you can on the subject before you begin. Ideally, you should eat only raw foods for as many days before and after as you would be on the fast. In other words, if you are planning a two-day fast, stick to raw foods for two days before you begin, and continue with raw foods for two days after. You don’t just start fasting because you have over-indulged and want to punish yourself. A fast must be planned carefully.
Fasting employed correctly, can result in the body performing miracles. I have seen this not only in myself, but in many other people as well. Take the case of Ingrid, aged twenty-one. Ingrid was diagnosed as having a cyst close to her anus and was told that her only option was surgery. Ingrid chose instead to fast. She started by eating fruit only for a week before the fast (this was to ensure that there was no fermenting , old food in her digestive tract other than fruit) She then embarked on a true fast. By the fifth day, Ingrid reported that her urine and body odour smelt very strongly of Roaccutane. This is a so-called ‘miracle-drug’ that was prescribed for her skin a year previously at an exorbitant cost for a six-month treatment. Ingrid was warned at the time that she should not fall pregnant for at least a year, as the drug could damage the foetus. (Latest research indicates that this period should be 5 years.) All that the drug seemed to achieve was to dehydrate her nasal passages, eyes and skin terribly. Ingrid said that her urine continued to have this odour for a couple more days and that by the eighth day of the fast, the cyst had broken down completely. She then broke her fast drinking fresh juice, and continued to eat fruit and raw vegetables, until she gradually introduced cooked vegetables and carbohydrates. Now, 6 months later, the cyst has not reappeared.
Sandy on the other hand, aged 38, had numerous complaints. She suffered from candida (a type of yeast infection) which resulted in severe digestive problems. Her stomach bloated virtually every time she ate something. (Candida usually results from use of antibiotics, the contraceptive pill and a diet that is high in processed and refined foods.) Even after changing her diet to the Natural Way programme, Sandy still battled with the candida, although there was an improvement in her general health. Encouraged by her doctor, Sandy came to me for a fasting programme. She was able to take time off work and managed to fast, very comfortably I might add, for 16 days. At this stage Sandy felt that she would like to continue her fast, but she needed to get back to work. Sandy had a medical check up, including blood tests, before and after the fast. Before the fast, her doctor said that her liver was not functioning properly, that she could not assimilate or absorb potassium effectively, and that she had the previously mentioned candida problem. After the fast her potassium levels were in the top of the range (from 3.5 m/mol to 4.8 m/mol), her liver was functioning one hundred per cent and the candida problem had cleared up.
Fasting, as can be seen from these case studies, is to be taken seriously and should not be undertaken on a whim. Although fasting for one day a week or once a month is easily achieved and gives the digestive tract a good rest, anything longer should be supervised by an experienced consultant. The duration of your fast depends on your general state of health, fat reserves and whoever is supervising you. There have been cases where severely obese people have fasted for up to 3 months, and then there are frequently cases where individuals should not fast for more than a day or 2 at most.
Fasting for a day or 2 before changing your diet is also a good way to kick-start you into a correct eating programme. This way you make a clean start and somehow after a fast, all that fresh raw food tastes so good. It is also one of the quickest ways I know to stop smoking. I have yet to discover anyone who can fast and still smoke at the same time. Your body is also able to rid itself of the toxins from smoking far more quickly on a fast, and once the fast is broken there is no craving or hankering after the taste of tobacco.”
“….What happens when you fast is that toxins and waste products begin to pour from the system at a very rapid rate.”
“…To recap, fast is a wonderfully quick and efficient way to regain health, lose weight and give your body a rest.”
Well there you go - very interesting stuff. It worked and is still working for me today.
The best to way to know for sure is to try it out for yourself. Try it once and I promise you, when you see the results you will be convinced. It’s all about results. I was tired of all the gimmicks, medicines, quick fixes. And I’m sure you are too. You want answers, right? You want results with no side effects, right? You and I want health and healing in our bodies with no side effects and no high hospital and doctor’s bills. Let me tell you, your body is a powerful weapon that is totally capable of healing itself. Just give it the right stuff (the right food, exercise, good rest) and you will stand in awe of what a powerful machine you possess. Even doctors will tell you, no medicine or drug actually heals you, they are simply aids that aid the body in healing itself.
It was very hard for me to get into fasting. I would start and then not finish because I would get so hungry that it would make me miserable. But I did not allow that to make me feel guilty or inadequate and start quitting. I simply told myself that I would do better next time. So the next time I tried fasting, I failed miserably again. But I did not allow the feelings of guilt get a hold of me and make me quit. I kept trying and trying. I failed many, many times trying to fast for just one day. But each time I tried and failed, I got stronger. My mind grew stronger. I was able to resist the temptation to eat. I would start and then by 10am I could not go on. Then the next time I made it to 12pm in the afternoon and the next time I tried I made it to 2pm. Then I tried again and my fast lasted until 3.30pm. You see I was getting better. I was getting stronger. Why? Because I kept practicing. I was persistent. I did not give up. I did not allow the guilty thoughts and feelings get hold of me. Yes, I did feel guilty. I felt guilt many times for not being able to make it through the day without eating. I felt disappointed. But I quickly realized what I was doing and what was happening. I made myself not feel guilty by changing my thoughts and telling myself that I WILL do better next time around. And guess what? I did do better the next time. Each time I tried fasting I got better and made it past the previous milestones.
Now I can fast for 1 day at the drop of a coin. It’s no problem for me anymore. Why? Because I practiced and practiced. You are no different to me. If I can do it you can do it. So GO FOR IT! Keep trying and trying until you do it. If you fail, it’s fine. Try again! And if you fail AGAIN. Try AGAIN. And if you fail again. Just try again. Do what it takes until you pass and fast for 1 day and then try 2 days and so on. But NEVER GIVE UP! Don’t ALLOW yourself to get discouraged. Don’t ALLOW yourself to feel guilty. Listen, you will feel guilty. You will feel discouraged. But recognize those thoughts and feelings and then stop them dead in their tracks. Have the guilty thoughts, feel discouraged for a few minutes and then STOP! I’m NOT saying you must DENY how you feel. But don’t feel guilty and discouraged for the rest of the week or for the rest of the day for that matter. Don’t dwell on those guilty thoughts and feelings of discouragement. Feel them and them let them GO! The sooner you let them go the better. ;-) Eat something and tell yourself: ”I will do better next time. I’m getting stronger. I can’t do this overnight. But I will do it soon enough. I just have to do better next time. And I WILL do better next time.” Now hold onto those thoughts. Feel good. And hold onto those good feelings. Hold onto the assurance that you will do better next time. Now move on and have a great day and week! Send me an email if you need encouragement or some help. I will help you get started on your way to Supreme Health.
Craig Geswindt.
