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Fasting
Let me start off by saying that I'm not religious. I don't fast for fitness or because I believe some god is smiling on me because I starve myself, but I made a promise to myself this year. I have spent much of the last three years in what most people call the third world. I have seen people that don't have the luxury of every day. Now that I am back in the U.S. I have decided that I will fast ever day from May 10 to May 13 to remember how fortunate I am to live in a country where things like eating are taken for granted. I just want to know if there are any serious health risks. I start tomorrow, any motivation or advice from people who fast for any reason is greatly appreciated.
“It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”
-Mother Teresa
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Although I don't fast anymore, I used to go on a cleansing fast once a year, right after my annual checkup with the doctor. It's extremely important to make sure you're healthy and have no medical problems first.
I've fasted several times, between 4-11 days and stayed healthy following some simple guidelines. Some fasts with only water and other times with juices. I've found the "juice fasting" to be the most pleasant as it gave me more energy.
Here are the guidelines I used:
1) Always dilute your juices 50/50 with water as some juices can be rather "acidy" and may upset your stomach since no solid foods are being taken.
2) Stick with juices that are milder, gentler and less acidic to the digestive system such as apple, cranberry and grape juices.
3) Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily to help "flush" out your system and keep your kidneys healthy.
4) When you're ready to end your fast and get back to solid foods...do so very carefully. You don't want to overload your system too quickly.
I "break" my fast by eating a soft (non-acidic) fruit such as a pear or banana and only eat fruits that day. The next day I gradually add vegetables and bread. On day 3, I add protein gradually.
If done safely, a fast can be very "cleansing" to the digestive system...also giving it a rest!
Good luck and stay healthy!
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There are no long-lasting effects of fasting for three days. As the person below me said, be sure that you drink a ton of water. If you don't, you risk dehydration, which is very serious. It's cool that you're doing that. It would be nice if you could get a few friends to do it with you. Just be careful and make sure you drink water.
Darby(:
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i think that's great just make sure that when you are fasting that you drink PLENTY of water if you don't you could get seriously dehydrated. a lot of the water you get is from food so you need to make up for that.
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