Tips For Fasting Success

I receive a lot of emails from people who wish to lose weight and improve their health through fasting but are unsure of how to prepare or what to expect. Or they are convinced that fasting is what they want to do, but do not have support of friends and/or family members. Worse yet, here are many who want to fast but their physician is against it.

I can relate to all of these scenarios. And I certainly am not here to refute what your doctor has told you to do or not to do. However, there is one thing that I have found to be true and that is: "nobody knows your body more than you do."

If you are more than twenty pounds overweight, then you may be in danger of heart disease, diabetes and other conditions. These are serious conditions that can cripple anyone's life quality. Obesity can, in truth, make life a living hell. Is that what you want your life to be for another decade, another year, another month.... another day? I don't think so.

Therefore, while I encourage you to listen to the concerns about fasting by those close to you, in the end it must be your decision. After all, it is your life and your body. While doing a 40-day water fast may not be in your immediate scope, fasting for 8, 12 or 24 hours at a time is attainable by nearly everyone and can still produce positive results.

Find a fasting plan that fits what you're trying to achieve. Give yourself "reachable" goals. If you are new to fasting, suddenly wanting to do a 30-day water fast may be too much. Do not set yourself up for frustration.

As I said, some traditional medicine physicians are against fasting... period. If this is the case with yours, ask him or her if you could at least fast for short periods of time. Intermittent fasts can be as short as eight hours in length. Let the doctor know that you are not using fasting as a "crash diet," but as part of a total transformation in your eating habits. If, in the end, your doctor still says you ought not to fast, then don't! Ask him or her to explain the reasons why fasting is off limits.

Another option is to visit a holistic medicine practitioner and receive a second opinion. There are many excellent MD's that specialize in holistic medicine. I find that the best treatment is one that includes both traditional and holistic methods. And fasting is by far one of the most powerful health-improvement methods that I know.

There are a few items you need to invest in to get the most from any fasting plan. First, you should purchase a juicer rather than choosing from juices at the supermarket. Fresh, rather than pasteurized juice, is definitely the way to go.

Sometimes they're hard to locate, but if you can buy organically-grown fruits and vegetables, that would be optimum. If you are going to do a water fast, I strongly encourage you to drink the best quality of water that you can. Shop for a good water filter. If you can afford it, my choice is ionized water. But anything is better than tap water. If you cannot afford a filter, at the very least boil the tap water prior to drinking it.

Decaffeinated green tea is a great supplement to fasting because it will give you a pep of energy and help soothe hunger. While it's okay and even suggested to exercise during your fast, it should be limited to non-stressful or low aerobic movements. Walking or stretching exercises are best during the fast - but take it easy. If you don't feel like exerting yourself - don't.

Fasting is different for everybody. Some people are energized and others feel foggy. So it is important that you do not overdo it. Keep a fasting journal and write on it as often as possible while you are fasting. Make sure to include the time, date and "fasting day" that you're in on each post. Fasting opens doors to the spirit, so it is very likely that while journaling you will have moments of insight and inspiration. You will NOT want to miss out on that. Frequent journaling while fasting is definitely a must.

Moreover, make sure that you prepare for breaking the fast at least one week before the date arrives. Breaking a fast is the most important part of the process. If you are unprepared, hunger could very well lead you to overeat which, in turn, can use great discomfort and serious intestinal damage. You can Google the term "breaking a fast" and come up with excellent resources to help you.

When the fast is over, be aware that your body has just experienced a major restorative and regenerating experience. Steer clear of foods high in carbohydrates, sugars, additives, alcohol, sodas and whole milk (opt for low-fat or fat-free).

Fasting should be the first step you take in developing a healthier lifestyle. When you learn how to fast in a safe manner, you'll end the fast with feelings of self-esteem and satisfaction. Most importantly, fasting should be an instrument that will lead you to make permanent eating-habit changes.

By Robert Dave Johnston
Read Ayurveda Health Benefits of Fasting

Can Fasting Help Me Lose Weight?

One way to lose weight is to just stop eating. It sounds simple, but in reality you have to know what you are doing to get any long term weight loss benefits from fasting. Let's look at the weakness and strengths of fasting for weight loss.

One way to lose weight is to just stop eating. It sounds simple, but in reality you have to know what you are doing to get any long term weight loss benefits from fasting. Let's look at the weakness and strengths of fasting for weight loss.

Like most forms of dieting, fasting can be used to bring about dramatic but temporary reductions of weight. You can go on a long fast, taking nothing but juice or eating grapes or taking some other low calorie meal substitute for several weeks, and while you are on the fast you will certainly lose weight. However, during the fast you may not be able to carry on your normal social interactions. It's not so easy to sit around sipping carrot juice while the rest of your family is eating a normal meal.

Another problem with long fasting is that your body requires vital nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein) and your favorite juice may not contain them. Long fasting without proper medical supervision can be dangerous.

Finally, a major problem with this kind of fasting is that once you stop fasting and resume eating your normal diet, you are likely to gain back all the weight that you have lost during your crash weight loss fast.

So, does fasting have any place in a weight loss plan? Yes it does. Periodic fasting is one of the secrets of a long and healthy life. Our body's digestive organs require a rest from time to time,just as we require days off from work. One-day fasting done in a methodical and regular manner provides the kind of rest that helps our digestive system, aids in the elimination of toxins from our body, and, yes, also helps us to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.

How to do proper fasting

Here is a method of doing one day fasts: taking no food and (if your body is strong) no water in a period from the sunrise of one day to the sunrise of the next day.

Successful fasting has three stages: preparation, the actual fast, and breaking the fast. Each one of these stages is important.

Preparation: If you are not prepared both mentally and physically you will find it difficult to go one day without food. The mental preparation is simple, but very important. The night before the fast you have to take a firm determination that tomorrow you are going to fast, that you are not going to eat any food. If you fix your mind in advance then you will not start deliberating during the fasting day whether you should continue or not to continue. If you are undecided or waffling you can always find a hundred reasons why you should start eating.

Physical preparation is also important. The day before you fast you should eat a normal amount of food and take a good amount of liquids (especially if you are going to be fasting without taking any liquids). If you miss some meals on the day before fasting, then you may start feeling hungry during the fasting period. If you do not take enough liquids, especially during the night before the fast, then you will feel uncomfortable when you are fasting.

If you are physically and mentally prepared you will not feel very hungry while you are fasting. Once you decide to fast, your hunger just "shuts off" for the fasting period. This sounds hard to believe, but if you do it a few times you will see that it is true.

The actual fasting day:
It is best to do light physical tasks and concentrate more on intellectual and spiritual work during the fasting period. It is not a good idea to spend your time thinking about what you are going to eat tomorrow! If you have prepared yourself properly this shouldn't be a problem and you can use the time that you gain by not eating to do some constructive things that you normally don't get time to do.

Breaking the Fast:
One of the benefits of fasting is that it helps to eliminate toxins from the body. However, you can only get this benefit if you break your fast correctly. On the morning following the fasting day, take two glasses of lemon water. Put the juice of have of a lemon in one glass and add a bit of salt. (The drink should taste both lemony and salty). After some time, you can eat your breakfast. The lemon water will help you to flush your digestive system with a strong bowel movement and many toxins will be eliminated.

One day fasts like this can be done twice a month. This kind of fasting will give rest to your digestive organs, help eliminate toxins, build your will power and strength of mind. On top of this, the overall reduction in calories that you get from going two days without food each month, will definitely be one of the elements of a balanced and sustainable weight loss program.

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