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Recently, there has been renewed interest in fasting, with studies showing the scientific benefits of fasting especially around weight loss. In this article, we aim to explore the benefits and precautions of fasting, tips on fasting and how to know if it is suitable for your needs.
BENEFITS
Historically, ancient cultures and tribes participated in periods of voluntary fasting for the purposes of cleansing, detoxification and purification. Some of the specific key benefits arising from fasting, which are scientifically supported and reported subjectively, include the following:
Allows the body to catchup on digestion and elimination
Allows the body to invest more energy into structural repair and general healing
Provides a rest for digestive organs
Can starve parasites and fungus
Allows for a deeper meditation
Provides mental clarity
Weight loss
HOW TO FAST
Fasting protocols can vary in the numbers of hours, or days, that you fast for, and what you can and cannot consume during those hours. The most common and effective types of fasts promoted today are:
Mini Fast – is a type of Intermittent Fasting where you fast anywhere from 12 to 24
Longer Fast – where you fast from 24 to 72 hours
Extended Fast– where you fast for greater than 72 hours (recommended to consult a doctor before participating)
While fasting you may wish to consume the following:
Water: Adequate amounts of water will assist in the detoxification process and help manage hunger pangs. You may wish to add a little squeeze of orange or carrot juice in water to help stabilise blood sugar levels.
Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea or any other organic tea may assist with fasting.
Fruit and/or vegetable juice: Please proceed with caution as this may disrupt blood sugar levels, causing a stress response in the body, which can have a myriad of unwanted side effects. This can be monitored through testing devices or merely by the intensity of hunger pangs.
Bone broth: This provides excellent support to the digestive system and helps build the musculoskeletal system. But similarly to fruit and/or vegetable juices, bone broth may disrupt blood sugar levels (normally to a lesser extent).
PRECAUTIONS
There are some precautions to consider while fasting. Fasting can place a significant load on the liver as the body undertakes a more pronounced detoxification process. It will yield best results in people with a healthy lifestyle and adequate nutrition on board so that the liver and detoxification pathways are not overloaded with toxins.
Purposely skipping meals/fasting can send stress signals to the nervous system, which can result in many side effects such as headaches, light-headedness and fatigue. If you experience any adverse symptoms, it is advised to cease the fast. It is best to perform fasting in a non-stressed state so that you may appropriately activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the ‘rest and digest’ part of the nervous system) in order to experience many of the benefits discussed. It is advised to generally slow down in life and be careful with physical activity during fasting periods.
If anyone is considering fasting while being overweight, it is best to do this with a positive intention such as “I am enjoying a deep detox” as opposed to adverse thoughts of “I need to lose weight”. Thoughts can have a very powerful effect on the body and by imprinting the latter comment into one’s subconscious, this thought pattern may limit someone from having the body shape they desire, or succeeding in following their chosen fasting protocol.
NOTE: Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are not advised to participate in fasting. Also, certain medications and supplements are best taken with food, so if these need to be taken regularly you may need to consult with a doctor.
IS FASTING FOR YOU?
When considering the above, the challenge is whether you should fast and for how long. This is a decision that would ideally be made byintuitively being in touch with your body’s needs as opposed to relying on pure intellect. Just because a certain type of fast works for your next-door neighbour, doesn’t mean it is right for you.
One very useful tool to provide feedback of what your body needs is Muscle Testing. This can help you determine whether fasting may be beneficial to you, and if so, how long should you fast for and what quantity of liquids/foods are best consumed by you specifically during a fast.
If you decide to engage in regular fasting, it would be best to objectively measure your results. This can be done with scales that specifically measure body fat and muscle mass, laboratory testing and many other technologies (depending on the goal of fasting). If you decide to practise fasting as part of your regular routine, I hope you enjoy the many benefits and above all, always remember to listen to your body!
References
Fung, J. (2016) The Complete Guide to Fasting, Victory Belt Publishing, Las Vegas
https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn201332
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