why fast?

well… there are a variety of reasons… but primarily for the health/ wellness benefits…as well as the exercise of will power. I’ve never not eaten before so I consider it a personal challenge. Regarding the health benefits- considering my body has continually been ingesting chemicals nonstop as well as toxins the past 22 years, I think doing a cleanse is definitely called for.

Also– I’m not totally fasting. i’m doing the lemon cleanse (http://www.falconblanco.com/health/cleansing/lemoncleanse.htm)

I’ve read a variety of reasons to fast. one is health– when your body is deprived of calories it begins to conserve any energy it can by excreting anything that would hinder this… which includes flushing toxins as well as dead and sick cells. After about the third day your body enters ketosis, which is when it starts breaking down fat… which is where many toxins and toxic residue resides. I eat healthy and workout and don’t have too much fat on me. but during ketosis when fat is being broken down many of the toxins are excreted.umm…. theres more… hmm..
I hear that its spiritual as well… so much of our day, consciously and unconsciously, is spent thinking about food, getting or preparing it, and after the third day this hunger disappears and apparently a certain clarity comes over you. You feel rejuvenated, your energy levels stabilize. while your heart rate is lower and you feel a little more mellow, you don’t have the ups and downs. hm…. also the sheer fact of overcoming the first 1-3 days of not eating and willing yourself to overcome that obstacle is refreshing (after the third day hunger dissipates). its exercising a hidden and deep will.
I also read its good emotionally… hormonally your stablize… especially since toxins are flushed.
I’ve also read research and peer review studies that it increases your longevity. I’m sure there are other benefits I missed but this is just a few of my reasons.

Also- I think there are safe fasts and unsafe fasts. I researched a bunch from the plain water diet to the juice diet– and its important to do preparation before hand with your diet and health. The lemon cleanse is a happy medium that apparently effectively cleanses your system while providing you with the nutrients you need to function.

also- its not like a fast like this is by any means starving your body. A pound of fat provides 3,200 calories. The average american burns less than 2,000 a day. the great majority of people have at least 12% bf… or at least 10 pounds to spare.

3 thoughts on “why fast?”

  1. i have always wanted to do this master cleanse for the health benefits. i don’t care to lose weight or any of that i just want to be cleaned out. i want to do this with my boyfriend who has recently become keen on being much healthier in the last six months or so. problem is, i have an eating disordered history so if my mother found out i was doing this she’d blame it on anorexia and not allow it.

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  2. You make an interesting point, however here is some food for thought. Although fat may provide you with 3200 calories, your body is deprived of essential nutrients that allow your cells to complete the necessary tasks. For example calcium is an essential nutrient not only for bone density/strength, but also for muscle contraction (actin and myosin will contract if ATP and calcium are present.) Even if you were to take vitamins absorption is minimal because vitamins, ignoring other interations, basically “piggy back” on the nutrients you are already consuming in terms of absorption. from my understanding after speaking with a general practitioner your body will burn off it’s nutrients including protein before fat. In addition, a fast can not stabilize your hormones. Hormones are regulated neurologically through the hypothalamus, in order to affect your hormones yo would need to introduce chemical processes, that food doesn’t offer, the only i can think of at the moment is endorphins.
    I hope this is short term (several days) so that it doesn’t do too much damage. I believe that the starving feeling you get from not eating in the first 3 days is due to your body becoming hypoglycemic due to the lack of routine in receiving nutrients and complex carbohydrates. Hypoglycemia is caused by spikes in blood sugar levels. The the two main ingredients of the cleanse you are doing, other than water since it has no nutritional value, is lemon and maple syrup in which a majority of their calories are from sugars, simple sugars at that. This will cause you to feel the symptoms of hypoglycemia throughout the day and if done long enough can be lasting.
    A healthier alternative if you would like to detox is to eat a vegetarian or even better a vegan diet. And if you wanted to take it a step further a raw vegan diet. That way you can still be consuming some nutrients and antioxidants.
    I didn’t mean for this to go on so long or so in depth, but I hope that it gives you another perspective to think about. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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