The Process and Benefits of Fasting

[nguyen viet trung]

Fasting is the single greatest natural healing therapy. It is nature's ancient, universal
"remedy" for many problems. Animals instinctively fast when ill. Dietary problems, more common in the Western world than in Third World countries, generate many of the chronic degenerative diseases that include atherosclerosis, hypertension and heart disease, allergies, diabetes, and cancer. Fasting is therapeutic and, more importantly, preventive for many of these conditions and more.
The most stringent form of fasting is taking only water; But more liberally, fasting includes the use of fresh juices made from fruits and vegetables as well as herbal teas. All of these limited diets generate varying degrees of detoxification-that is, elimination of toxins from the body. Juice fasting is commonly used (rather than water alone) as a mild and effective cleansing plan; Fresh juices are easily assimilated and require minimum digestion, while they supply many nutrients and stimulate our body to clear its wastes. Juice fasting is also safer than water fasting, because it supports the body nutritionally while cleansing and probably even produces a better detoxification and quicker recovery.
In a sense, detoxification is an important corrective and rejuvenative process in our cycle of nutrition. It is a time when we allow our cells and organs to breathe out, become current, and restore themselves. We do not necessarily need to fast to experience some cleansing, however. Minor shifts in the diet such as including more fluids, more raw foods, and fewer congesting foods will allow for better detoxification; for a carnivore, for example, a vegetarian or macrobiotic (brown rice) diet will be cleansing and purifying. Fasting is a time-proven remedy. Its use goes back many thousands of years, really to the beginning of life forms. As a healing process and spiritual-religious process, it has continued to be more intelligently applied, we hope, in the last several thousand years.
A way to understand this is that fasting is the elimination of physical, emotional, and mental toxins from our organism, rather than simply cutting down on or stopping food intake. Most of us do not need nearly the amounts (and types) of food we consume.. When we stop and let our stomach remain empty, our body goes into an elimination cycle.
Fasting is a multidimensional experience. Physiologically, refraining from eating minimizes the work done by the digestive organs, including the stomach, intestines, pancreas, gallbladder, and liver. Most important here is that our liver, our body's large production and metabolic factory, can spend more time during fasting cleaning up and creating its many new substances for our use. Breakdown of stored or circulating chemicals is the basic process of detoxification. The blood and lymph also have the opportunity to be cleaned of toxins as all the eliminative functions are enhanced with fasting. Each cell has the opportunity to catch up on its work; with fewer new demands, it can repair itself and dump its waste for the garbage pickup. Most fasters also experience a new vibrancy of their skin and clarity of mind and body.
Fasting increases the process of elimination and the release of toxins from the colon, kidneys and bladder, lungs and sinuses, and skin. This process can generate discharge such as mucus from the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, sinuses, or in the urine. This is helpful to clear out the problems that have arisen from overeating and a sedentary lifestyle. Much of aging and disease results from "biochemical suffocation," where our cells do not get enough oxygen and nutrients or cannot adequately eliminate their wastes. Fasting helps us decrease this suffocation by allowing the cells to eliminate and clear the old products.
Some Benefits of Fasting
Purification More energy
Rejuvenation Better sleep
Revitalization More relaxation
Rest for digestive organs Better attitude
Clearer skin Antiaging effects More clarity, mentallyand emotionally
Improved senses-vision,hearing, taste InspirationCreativity
Reduction of allergies New ideasClearer planning
Weight loss
Drug detoxification Change of habits
Better resistance to disease Diet changes
Spiritual awareness Right use of will
This physiological rest and concentration on cleanup can also generate a number of toxicity symptoms. Hunger is usually present for one or two days and then departs, leaving many people with a surprising feeling of deep abdominal peace;
As far as fasting symptoms, headache is not at all uncommon during the first day or two. Fatigue or irritability may arise at times, as may dizziness or lightheadedness. Our sensitivity is usually increased. The sense of smell is also exaggerated, both positively and negatively; Some people experience insomnia or bad dreams as their body releases poisons during the night. The mind may put up resistance, with doubt or lack of faith or a fear that the fasting is not right. (This can be influenced even more by listening to other people's fears.) Most of these symptoms, however, will occur early if they do appear and are usually transient. The general energy level is usually good during fastings, although there can be ups and downs. After two or three days, as the body goes into a deeper level of dumping wastes, the energy may briefly go down. Between these times, we usually feel cleaner, better, and more alive.
Nutritionally, fasting helps us appreciate the more subtle aspects of diet, since less food and simple flavors become more satisfying. Mentally, fasting improves clarity and attentiveness; emotionally, it may make us more sensitive and aware of feelings. Fasting clearly supports the transformational evolutionary process. With fasting, we can feel empowered to do things we only thought about before. Fasting can precipitate emotional cleansing as well. Attitude and general motivation are usually uplifted with cleansing. Spiritually, juice fasting offers a lesson in self-restraint and control, which help us in many avenues of life.

Fasting is a simple process of self-cleansing. We do not need any special medicines to do it; our body knows how. Provided that we are basically well-nourished, systematic undereating and fasting are likely the most important contributors to health and longevity. Fasting is even more important to balance the autointoxication that results from common dietary and drug indiscretions.

With fasting we can take time to nurture ourselves and rest. Fasting is also like turning off and cleaning a complex and valuable machine so that it will function better and longer. Resting the gastrointestinal tract, letting the cells and tissues repair themselves, and allowing the lymph, blood, and organs to clear out old, defective, or diseased cells and unneeded chemicals all lead to less degeneration and sickness. As healthy cell growth is stimulated, so is our level of vitality, immune function and disease resistance, and our potential for greater longevity.
Malnourished people should definitely not fast, nor should some overweight people who are undernourished. Others who should not fast include people with fatigue resulting from nutrient deficiency, those with chronic degenerative disease of the muscles or bones, or those who are underweight. Diseases associated with clogged or toxic organs respond better to fasting.

How to Fast
In preparation for our first day of fasting, we may want to take a few days to eliminate some foods or habits from our diet. When many self-indulgent habits exist, longer preparations may be indicated. Eliminating alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and sugar if possible is very helpful. Red meats and other animal foods, including milk products and eggs, could be avoided for a day or two before fasting. Many people do well by preparing for their fasts with three or four days of consuming only fruit and vegetable foods. These nourish and slowly detoxify the body so that the actual fasting will be less intense.
The first one-day fast (actually 36 hours, including the nights-from 8 p.m. one night until 8 a.m. the following day) gives us a chance to see what a short fast can be like, to see that it is not so very difficult and does not cause any major distress. Most people will feel a little hungry at times and may experience a few mild symptoms (such as a headache or irritability) by the end of the day. In actuality, the first one and a half or two days are the hardest for most people. Feeling great usually begins around day three, so longer juice fasts are really needed for the grand experience.
A transition plan that can be used before even going on the one-day fast is the one-meal-a-day plan. The one daily meal is usually eaten around 3 p.m. Water, juices, and teas and even some fresh fruit or vegetable snacks can be eaten at other times. People on this plan start to detox slowly, lose some weight, and after a few days feel pretty sound. The chance of any strong symptoms developing, as might occur with fasting, is minimal with this type of transition, and the actual fast, when begun, will be handled more easily, also. The goal, then, is to move into a one-day fast and then a few two- and three-day fasts with one or two days between them when light foods and more raw fruits and vegetables are consumed
A juice fast, which is usually recommended, can be longer and is much easier for most people. The fresh juices of raw fruits and vegetables are what most fasting clinics and practitioners recommend. They provide calories and nutrients on which to function and build new cells, and also provide the inherent enzymes contained in these vital foods. Raw foods are considered the healing force in our diet because they contain active enzymes, which are broken down when foods are cooked.

For the inexperienced faster, it is best to go slowly through the various steps and to avoid being excessive or impatient so that we learn about ourselves in the process. To do this, we need to make a plan and put it into effect, observing or "listening" to our body and even keeping notes in a journal. Get to really know yourself. Then, once we have fasted successfully, we could continue to do one-day fasts weekly or a three-day fast every month if we need them. This helps to reconnect us with a better diet and to remotivate us toward our goal of optimum health.
In a more adventurous mode, many people, even some who have never fasted, begin with a five- to seven-day or even longer fast on fresh juices. People planning these longer fasts, especially inexperienced fasters who have been eating a random diet, should spend a period about equal in length to the planned fast preparing for it. During this preparatory period we can follow some of the previous suggestions, such as eliminating sugar and refined foods, fatty foods, chemicals, and drugs from the diet and reducing consumption of meats and other acid-forming foods, and then moving into several days of consuming primarily fruits and vegetables and more fluids. This will lead into an easier and more energizing fast.
For any cleansing period, it is essential to plan times to meditate, exercise, get fresh air and sunshine, clear our intestines, get jacuzzi ro shower massages, take baths, clean our house, brush our skin, and more. With less shopping, food preparation, and eating time, we have more hours in the day to take care of ourselves in other ways

Master CLeanser

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces spring water
Mix and drink 8-12 glasses a day. Eat or drink nothing else except water, laxative herb tea, and peppermint or chamomile tea.
Fresh fruit or vegetable juices diluted with an equal amount of water will also provide a good cleansing. Some vegetable choices are carrots, celery, beets, and lots of greens. Soup broths can also be used.

A special light, purifying soup is offered below:
Rejuvenation Ration

3 cups spring water
1 Tablespoon ginger root, chopped
1-2 Tablespoons miso paste (soybean based soup served in japanese restaurants)
1-2 stalks green onion, chopped
cilantro, to taste, chopped
1-2 pinches cayenne pepper (bá»™t á»›t)
2 teaspoons olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
Boil water. Add ginger root. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in miso paste to taste. Turn off fire. Then add green onion, some cilantro, cayenne, olive oil, lemon juice. Remove from burner and cover to steep for 10 minutes. May vary ingredient portions to satisfy flavors. Enjoy.
Breaking a fast
It is important to make a gradual transition into a regular diet, rather than just going out to dinner after a week-long fast. Breaking a fast must be planned and done slowly and carefully to prevent creating symptoms and sickness. It is suggested that we take several days, or half of our total cleansing time, to move back into our diet, which is hopefully a newly planned, more healthful diet. Our digestion has been at rest, so we need to go slowly and chew our foods very well
With juice fasting, it is easier to make the transition back into foods. A raw or cooked low-starch vegetable, such as spinach or other greens, can be used. A little fermented cabbage helps to stimulate the digestive function. A laxative-type meal, such as grapes, cherries, or soaked or stewed prunes, can also be used to initiate eating, as it is important to keep the bowels moving.. Some people may do a saltwater flush (drinking a quart of water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt dissolved in it) before their first day of food. (nước chanh muối is ideal – Vh)
However you make the transition, go slowly, chew well, and do not overeat or mix too many foods at a meal.
Coming back into foods is a crucial time for learning individual responses or reactions to them. You may even wish to keep notes, following such areas as energy level, intestinal function, sleep patterns, and food desires.
Other Aspects of Healthy Fasting

· Fresh air-plenty is needed to support cleansing and oxygenation of the cells and tissues.
· Sunshine-also needed to revitalize our body; avoid excessive exposure.
· Water-bathing is very important to cleanse the skin at least once daily. Steam saunas are also good for giving warmth as well as supporting detoxification.
· Exercise-very important to support the cleansing process. It helps to relax the body, clear wastes, and prevent toxicity symptoms. Walking, bicycling, swimming, or other usual exercises can usually be done during a fast
· No drugs-none should be used during fasts except mandatory prescription drugs. Particularly, avoidance of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine is wise.
· Vitamin supplements-. Some supplemental fiber, such as psyllium husks, can be part of a colon detox program. Occasionally, some mineral support, especially potassium, calcium, and magnesium, or vitamin C will be suggested, usually in powdered or liquid forms. Some people even use amino acid powders and other vitamin powders with some benefit during cleanses.
· Colon cleansing-an essential part of healthy fasting. Some form of bowel stimulation is recommended. Colonic irrigations with water are the most thorough. These can be done at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the fast. Otherwise, it is suggested that enemas be used at least every other day if these are the primary colon cleansing.
· The saltwater flush, or internal bath - A solution of 2 teaspoons of sea salt is dissolved in a quart of warm purified water (not distilled) and is drunk first thing in the morning on alternate days throughout the fast to flush the entire intestinal tract, an advantage of this cleansing formula. (chanh muối – Vh)
· Work and be creative - make plans for your life. Staying busy is helpful in keeping our mind away from food. We also need time for ourselves. Most fasters experience greater work energy and more creativity and, naturally, find lots to do.
· Cleanup - a motto during fasting. As we clean our body, we want to clean our room, desk, office, closet, and home-just like "spring cleaning." It clearly brings us into harmony with the cleansing process of nutritionàng
· Joining others in fasting can generate strong bonds and provide an added spiritual lift. It opens up new supportive relationships. It will also provide support if we feel down or want to quit.
· Avoid the negative influence of others who may not understand or support us. We need to listen to our own inner guidance and not to others' limitations, but we also need to maintain awareness and insight into any problems should they arise. Being in contact with other fasters will provide us with the positive support we need.
· The economy of fasting allows us to save time, money, and future health care costs.
· Meditation and relaxation are also an important aspect of fasting to help attune us to deeper levels of ourselves and clear the stresses that we have carried with us. Spiritual practices through our own means, if possible, will affirm our positive attitude toward ourselves and life in general. This supports our meditation and relaxation and provides us with the inner fuel to carry on our life with purpose and passion.
Conclusion
Fasting can easily become a way of life and an effective dietary practice. Through newly gained clarity, we can go from symptom cleansing to prevention fasting. Ideally, we should fast at specific times to treat symptoms and/or to enhance our vitality and spiritual practice. Otherwise, we should support ourselves regularly with a balanced, wholesome diet. We all need to return to the cycle of a daily fast of 12-14 hours overnight until our morning "break-fast," and then find our own natural pattern of food consumption. This usually means one main meal and two lighter ones. Through awareness and experience, we can find our individual nutritional needs and listen to that inner nutritionist, our body.
Choosing healthful foods, chewing well, and maintaining good colon function minimize our need for fasting. However, if we do get out of balance, we can employ the oldest treatment known to us, the instinctive therapy for many illnesses, nature's doctor and knifeless surgeon, the great therapist and tool for preventing disease - fasting!
Excerpts from http://www.althealth.co.uk/services/inf ... sting1.php