I was wondering what the real scoop is on fasts? I’ve heard it from the two sides. I have heard they are not healthy and slow your metabolism down and I have also heard they are cleansing and good for you every now and then. Does anyone know? Thanks.
fasts are gd and spiritual, and cleansing
they remind you what you don’t need.
but pick a quiet day free of demands, or labour or physical activity.
if you get past the first day , you will be rpetty ravished by the next day but day 2, then day 3 just gets easier and easier.
if you can do a day you can possibly do 5 days or maybe even a week… especially if you do other practices,like asana.
then slowly introduce raw vegetables when you break the fast( supppose like Ramadan) like carrots and celery, and a smoothie. like you wean yourself off food, then back on to it. after a mere 24-48hrs you will actually forget about food altogether and may well forget that you have stopped.
don’t have stress in your life or work when you commit. you’ll soon forget all about food. it’ll stop being a part of your body-clock.
doctors of old i believe used to prescribe fasting more tha now probably as a medicine,and it is healthy. bu do it in a controlled fashion. don’t stress over it or have stress in your life. you could do also a little meditation. that’s what i did.
enjoyed reading your post core
If i get physially ill and loose my appetite, I fast. I was in costa rica summer of 2007, me and two other people got the same sickness within a day of each other, I was over it by day five, they took three weeks.
When fasting I wrote my favorite personal poem. The enegy was very light and a lot of energy. From my experience I see mistakes I made. Using too much energy when fasting. It is like a new shiny toy, so much fun to play with. If in the future I do it again, I will make adjustments and be better off for it.
Fasting may or may not be for you. Of course some will say it is good and some will say it is bad, that is the nature of us humans. Some will hate it and some may be obsessed with it.
From what I have read, quite a bit:) animals fast during certain illnesses. For me it was usaully getting past the third day and no more hunger.
If you [I]can[/I] get to the 2nd morning, if you see what i mean then you can maybe do the week.
Then introduce some small raw vegetables. In a sense it’s like a powerful kriya. and an old folk medicine that has been lost.
The fast-food culture might have something to do with this. Also in the past we had to fast becuase of famine and bad crops.A regular food supply was insecure. we had to go without. \also us humans and the animal kingdom would regularly feast , pig out, and then fast, according to the availability of food , hunter-gathering subsistence, i.e pre-cultivation, before the wider-spread adoption of agriculture around neotlithic times and cultures. Also, cultivators would bury crops in the ground in soil-encased vats(free of oxygen) as insurance against famine-the chinese did this in the ‘middle’ ages.
Here is a fast example- It’s Wednesday tonight----if you can get to Friday morning( that’s like about 36hours ,when you work it out)— then a week is acheivable. By Friday afternoon no effort is required any longer.
And when you do return to food, you will actually be more stronger , when you do get back on the food.
(health-warning-Obviously ill-avised for anorexics or bulimics or those that actually have issues eating, rather than going without,fasting)
They say when return to food your body is greatly strengthened, mentally and physically , ( and spiritually) and it is a great detox,cleaner and kriya for all the organs.
When the belly stops expecting food,like gargling and digesting, continual peristalsis, as i say by friday morning, then a week won’t be difficult becuase you won’t even be thinking about food any more. It’ll have popped out your mind. Your day will be also freed up by not having to puntuate it during the day with food, as we typically do to give it structure and break it up.
Just have a lazy week .And take it easy.
it is medicinally good.
we had to do it in the past, when nature’s harvest was less bountiful.
trust me- you actually forget to eat!
thx
Thank you both so much that is so helpful. I think I will definitly try a fast. I want to finally learn discipline and cleanse and get in touch with my inner self. I think this will help and make my stressors fade into the background. I really appreciate the info and the replies it helped a lot. Have a wonderful evening.
Namaskar.
Fasting is healthy but not for everyone. Talk to your MD first.
From Ayurveda(the science of life) you conclude that fasting is more
recommended for a KAPHA person, less for a PITA person and still less
for a VATA person.
No… fasting is unhealthy, it causes ulcer and metabolic acidosis.
Thank you. As for now I am just bulking up on my fruits and veggies and cutting down on my unhealthy snacking and upping my water factor. Thanks so much for all your responses.
What do you mean by “fast”? Are you asking if going without any food or water is healthy or are you referencing a partial fasting on solids like a juice fast?
I’m fascinated how people can give definitive answers without knowing the nature of the inquiry.
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Fasting can depend a lot on your dosha as well if we look from an ayurvedic perspective. I.E Vatas do best fasting on something simple like kitchadi and Kaphas are great for fasting.
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One should never fast completely if they have low blood sugar or have EVER had an eating disorder.
And no matter where you look…there will be conflicting information.
In my experience, fasting can be very purifying and improves my focus. I have done a couple of vision quests where I fasted - no food or water - for 3 days. At the end I found that the whites of my eyes are pure white. With doing a sweat lodge, I have fasted the day before the sweat, and most of the day of, ending the day with a fast break (or break fast).
I tried fasting one day a week for a while, but could not sustain the discipline. But, I am managing one day a month.
I think that it is important to ‘listen’ to your own body and know its needs. As with any practice, too much of a good thing may be destructive and weakening.
So, when the whites of your eyes are pure white, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, I understand large red blood vessels showing up is generally a sign of local irritation, but is it a sign of restricted circulation when there’s none?
[QUOTE=Techne;19279]So, when the whites of your eyes are pure white, is that a good thing or a bad thing?[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure, but I did feel pretty good. I think, generally, whiter eyes denote heathiness and fewer toxins (I did a search and could not find anything scientific to support that). I suppose if your eyes are very white and is coupled with symtoms like cold hands and feet, anemia, etc. it could suggest problem circulation.
Eat your breakfast alone. Share your lunch with your friend. Give your dinner to your enemy.
Old Proverb
A proverb is a short sentence derived from a long experience.
Miguel Cervantesoak333 – love that proverb. Never heard it before, but that’s good.
My current take on ‘fasting’ (outside of the Lenten season) is that I do much better on a daily basis when I watch the timing and portions of my food and don’t give in to the little boredom/stress pieces of thought that masquerade as, but aren’t, hunger.
It’s not very rigorous, but it’s a good place for me to start.
Thank you all this has helped so much, I really think I’m finally getting my diet in line.
Yea, when I’m sick from toxins in the body (or whatever it is) I stop eating meat and anything that may be intoxicating. Just eat lots of fruit, drink lots of water, etc
i love the idea of fasting but for someone who has eating issues for some years it’s best not advised. So i would advise anyone with addictive tendancies or food issues not to fast, it’s too extreme, and you may end in a mess , damaging yourself even more. It’s also good to check out your constitution cos fasting is detrimental to some people who may be in an unbalanced state. that doesnt mean we cant take a day or a week out where we just eat fruits/steamed vegs or brown rice, juices/soups. lets work with what we’ve got and appealing as it is to fast (with that wonderful light energised feeling after day 2!!) it’s just not the right thing for some people. I guess it’s about understanding where we’re at and being responsible.
How about fasting but using some sort of anabolics to preserve lean body mass?:lol:
fasting is not healthy for your body at all. your body’s metabolism slows down because it doesnt want to use your body’s fat up too fast. then once u start eating again you weight will increase dramatically because of ur slow metabolism.
also causes ulcers.