# Fasting



## Catlover4100 (Feb 10, 2009)

I saw a thread about the Mater Cleanse in the Nutrtion and Supplements category, so I thought I'd start kind of a general discussion on fasting. Have you ever done it? What kind? How did it work for you? What are your thoughts on fasting?


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

Why would you want to do this? I fasted for 12 hours one day for a blood test and I thought I was going to die. When I came home, I ate for 3 hours. It was insane. Why would anyone do it for no reason?


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## Catlover4100 (Feb 10, 2009)

PickleNose said:


> Why would you want to do this? I fasted for 12 hours one day for a blood test and I thought I was going to die. When I came home, I ate for 3 hours. It was insane. Why would anyone do it for no reason?


It's supposed to help detox your system and cleanse your colon. I'm not necessarily planning on doing it, I'm just wondering what everyone's experiences are.


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## VanDamMan (Nov 2, 2009)

Reducing your diet by 30% is supposed to make you live longer and healthier. You do absolutely need all your protein and vitamins though. Just not empty calories.


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## zookeeper (Jun 3, 2009)

I have a perfectly good liver to do my detoxing.


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

The only time I've fasted in a non-anorexia-type-state was when I did the 40 Hour Famine. :b 

I don't think I'd do a detox since I have a bad relationship with cutting down foods/fasting in the first place. It'd probably be a little triggering.


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## Cosmin (Mar 16, 2007)

.


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## onelife (Apr 8, 2009)

a good example what fasting is basically eating at a certain time and not eating til a point in the day. The month of Ramadan in Islam, you gotta fast for a month so I gotten use to fasting


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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

Catlover4100 said:


> I saw a thread about the Mater Cleanse in the Nutrtion and Supplements category, so I thought I'd start kind of a general discussion on fasting. Have you ever done it? What kind? How did it work for you? What are your thoughts on fasting?


Yes I've fasted. No more than a day in a week and not generally every week.
I don't drink coffee/tea. Just water and maybe a small amount of juice.

Feel heaps better the next day.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

I try to fast a couple of times per year. The longest I ever went was 4 days. I would never do that again. That's far too long. I usually do about 48 hours now. I find that my craving for sweets is greatly decreased after a fast. It also shrinks up my stomach so I am satisfied with smaller meals. I've never had a weight problem. I do it as a test of willpower. It also makes you appreciate food more.


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## Mello (Oct 1, 2009)

scarpia said:


> It also makes you appreciate food more.


^exactly, the longest I fasted for was one day, but I'm planning on doing it every other day for about 2 weeks to a month. It can have major health benefits.

from Wikipedia:

Research suggests there are major health benefits to caloric restriction. Benefits include a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, insulin resistance, immune disorders, and more generally, the slowing of the aging process and the potential to increase maximum life span. According to Dr. Mark P. Mattson, chief of the laboratory of neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging, fasting every other day (intermittent fasting) shows beneficial effects as strong as those of caloric-restriction diets in mice, and a small study conducted on humans at the University of Illinois indicates the same results. According to The National Academy of Sciences, other health benefits include stress resistance, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced morbidity, and increased life span.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

Mello said:


> ^exactly, the longest I fasted for was one day, but I'm planning on doing it every other day for about 2 weeks to a month. It can have major health benefits.
> 
> from Wikipedia:
> 
> Research suggests there are major health benefits to caloric restriction. Benefits include a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, insulin resistance, immune disorders, and more generally, the slowing of the aging process and the potential to increase maximum life span. According to Dr. Mark P. Mattson, chief of the laboratory of neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging, fasting every other day (intermittent fasting) shows beneficial effects as strong as those of caloric-restriction diets in mice, and a small study conducted on humans at the University of Illinois indicates the same results. According to The National Academy of Sciences, other health benefits include stress resistance, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced morbidity, and increased life span.


Thanks. That's good information. I've seen lots of research on the caloric restriction. I had not heard about the every other day result. I had seen lots of stories about Roy Walford who was doing the restictive calorie diet himself. I'm not sure how much it helped him. He died at age 79 from ALS.

I did it myself years ago very seriously - my 4 day fast. I was very very thin. I tried to lower my core body tepmerature with cold showers too. I gave those up, but I still fast one in a while.


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## Laidiemoon (Aug 27, 2009)

I've done the master cleanse numerous times for a total length of ten days each. The lemonade concoction is actually really tasty and you can drink it as often as you need throughout the day to retain your energy. Some people even still exercise while doing it. I'm a food lover, so it really tests my willpower and determination to not eat. In a way, I get a "high" from transcending the strong urges for food I get. It also causes me to dig deep emotionally and stare all of my issues straight in the face. It can be a time of great self-discovery. It is very spiritual if you let it be. Your mind gains greater clarity as well.

You also realize how much of your life is focused around the act of eating. Suddenly, you have WAY more time on your hands then usual. By the 9th or 10th day, I feel light and energetic and almost like I could keep fasting for much longer, but the lure of solid food is pretty much way too tempting to resist by then. Last time I lost 10 pounds in 10 days and tummy was flat as a washboard. But of course that is only temporary after I dig into a few hamburgers. Haha.

Last time I did it over memorial day weekend and had to endure a party that involved lots of yummy bbq and martinis. That was BRUTAL. But I did it!


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## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

Mello said:


> ^exactly, the longest I fasted for was one day, but I'm planning on doing it every other day for about 2 weeks to a month. It can have major health benefits.
> 
> from Wikipedia:
> 
> Research suggests there are major health benefits to caloric restriction. Benefits include a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, insulin resistance, immune disorders, and more generally, the slowing of the aging process and the potential to increase maximum life span. According to Dr. Mark P. Mattson, chief of the laboratory of neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging, fasting every other day (intermittent fasting) shows beneficial effects as strong as those of caloric-restriction diets in mice, and a small study conducted on humans at the University of Illinois indicates the same results. According to The National Academy of Sciences, other health benefits include stress resistance, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced morbidity, and increased life span.


 from that same source


> Severe calorie restriction may result in starvation, unless metabolism is also slowed by some means. The concept of a reduced calorie diet should not be confused with anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders. If such a pattern is repeated for prolonged periods of severe caloric restriction, the body may burn lean tissue (including but not limited to muscle and collagen) along with its remaining fat reserves.[20]. The combination of starvation and the associated lethargy and decreased physical activity can result in muscular atrophy which leads to lower quality of life.[21][22]
> Beyond using lean tissue as energy source, the presence of catabolic hormones, such as cortisol, and lack of anabolic ones, such as insulin, disrupts protein synthesis, amino acid uptake and weakens the immune system.





> Another objection to CR as an advisable lifestyle for humans is the claim that the physiological mechanisms that determine longevity are very complex, and that the effect would be small to negligible in our species.


i never understood fasting, or extreme forms of dieting, for health reasons. just eat healthy and you dont have to resort to extreme measures.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

I've fasted on only water for just under a week before - an extreme version of the master cleanse if you like. As Laidiemoon mentioned the spiritual aspect of the experience can be very uplifting if you're able to channel it - I can see now why so many religions incorporate it. 

And I also can agree on the having more time thing lol, when you don't go through preparing and eating food 3-4 times a day you find yourself having a crazy amount of time on your hands. 

But saying all this I would probably only recommend fasting once or twice a year with good lifestyle and dietary habits on top of it. You've got to allow your body to build up some reserves firstly - and secondly fasting should really only be thought of as a way of clearing the junk out the system and giving you solid foundations on which to build. By itself, it cannot do much more.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

nubly said:


> i never understood fasting, or extreme forms of dieting, for health reasons. just eat healthy and you dont have to resort to extreme measures.


It's because I'm afraid of getting old and withering away. I want to put that off for as long as I can.


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## Little Willow (Oct 26, 2008)

I fast for 30 hours twice a year (once in August and once in October) for religious reasons, and I have every year since I was 13. I tend to get really shaky and grouchy towards the end of the day. I DON'T recommend fasting to lose weight. It's really bad for you. Also, if you fast for a day, keep in mind that your stomach will not handle harsh foods. Stick to toast/bread, soup, plain pasta or something else plain and light.


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## contranigma (Jun 24, 2009)

I do not think that it has been proven that caloric restriction increases human life spans. But I did see a guy on some TV show who was eating small meals, but healthy meals. He was very thin but he was fifty something and his face seriously looked about thirty.

Sometimes I fast unintentionally. A lot of the time I don't feel hungry so I could probably comfortably get through a day with just eating breakfast. That is probably because my days can be very inactive. 

When I had a surgery I had to fast from the night before until the following day like noonish. When the anesthesiologist was trying to put an IV in me, she was having trouble finding a vein she said because they were shrunken from the fasting. If blood vessels constrict when you fast wouldn't that cause high blood pressure, which could be unhealthy right?


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## VeggieGirl (Dec 11, 2009)

I don't think its wrong, if you can do it....but most peoples bodies will not go through with this easily.
I tried the master cleanse myself and my god its hard, yes its ment to get better but hey thats if you can get through the first days.


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## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin (Nov 28, 2009)

I don't think fasting could be of benefit to any human, we have evolved into a species that is continually expending energy and this is why we need to eat little and often. We are not Crocodiles! Starving yourself of nutrients for any length of time is extremely unhealthy, If you want to detox, drink lots of water and green tea, and eat a healthy balanced diet, STARVING YOURSELF = BAD IDEA.


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

I've noticed that if you clean out all crap food you start to feel really good after a couple of days. Probably a better way of detoxifying imo.


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## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

Catlover4100 said:


> It's supposed to help detox your system and cleanse your colon. I'm not necessarily planning on doing it, I'm just wondering what everyone's experiences are.


Detox your system specifically of what? Free radicals? Your body is well equipped to neutralize them (unless you have rare genetic defects). Besides, antioxidants in food also help. 
What other toxins do these master cleanse programs clean? Do they ever specify exactly which toxins and exactly how they help the body rid of each? Like for example they could list mercury as a toxin and then say that their product contains some agent which chelates mercury so that it is easier for the body to remove. This would make their claims more credible but so far I have yet to see any products that give specific information on how they work.
In short, master cleanses = gimmicks.


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## MattFoley (Dec 5, 2009)

i messed around with intermitant fasting for a week or so last year. I was doing a bunch of research at the time regarding the effects of fasting. I came accross a few studies that supported the idea that its effective for, to put it simply, growing new brain cells. And without getting technical, it's believed that a hindered ability to grow new cells is on of the root causes of depression and possibly anxiety. 

I've researched this a lot and I actually kind of want to go into med school and study all this stuff.

The most conclusive studies so far of the actuall effects of fasting on the body are from the Muslim? holiday ramadon. durring the month of Ramadon theyre supposed to fast every day from sunrise to sunset. There have been a bunch of studies examining the effects of that intermitant fasting on blood levels of various substances. Stuff like cholesterol, triglycerides etc. I think overall they found no real benefit as far as those blood markers.

Anyways, for some reason I'm really drawn to all these medical studies.


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## cmr (Apr 8, 2010)

Today me and my mom are starting on the intermittent fasting lifestyle. 12PM is going to be our start and end time. Today we ate breakfast before noon and are going to fast until noon tomorrow, then eat normally til noon of the day after that and on and on.

I've been researching it and it seems like a great way to live. There are tons of health benefits and it cleans out your system. 

I hope I can make it.


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## alie (Jun 9, 2010)

PickleNose said:


> Why would you want to do this? I fasted for 12 hours one day for a blood test and I thought I was going to die. When I came home, I ate for 3 hours. It was insane. Why would anyone do it for no reason?


LOL...Aside from having to undergo a medical evaluation for your blood, I think some are motivated for aesthetic reasons.


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## outcast2000 (Sep 26, 2010)

Yes, I have done it (fasting). Water fasting to be exact. A lot of it. Don't ask me why 
because the reasons are wrong and it is forced more than wanted. All I wanted to say 
about it is this, it isn't impossible. And I mean that. Trust me I know. 2-3 weeks with 
vitamins and water. No food. I don't believe anyone who says they can't diet or lose 
weight. The body can do it you just need mental focus. The most important thing is to 
make sure you are in a physical condition to BEGIN WITH. You need reserves so your 
body has something to use for fuel. If you don't start right, you can't end right. You will 
feel good after it's over and hopefully whatever you were trying to accomplish, you did.


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## candiedsky (Aug 7, 2011)

People saying that fasting is stupid or a form of starvation are a bunch of uninformed blockheads, who have either never tried fasting or tried it and failed because of impatience or lack of knowledge.
Starvation is NOT fasting - starvation is when the body has lost all energy reserves in the body (fat storage), and thus begins to absorb energy, 'eat' the body's own muscle and tissue. It deteriorates every cell of the body through breaking down the body itself... in other words, starvation happens when your body eats itself! 
Fasting, when done correctly, cleans out excess toxins and built up waste. Once the person has reached the point of 'cleanliness' and has gotten BACK to truly balanced systems, they should stop. 
Under normal circumstances in a perfectly healthy world, the human body would eliminate all the bad stuff that enters through food and environmental factors. But have you looked at ingredients lately? Really toxic trash like trans fats, artificial this and that, food colouring... it's an overload to the body, and it's put in everything by the boatload. The liver, pancreas, kidneys - they need a break every now and then from the garbage in typical diets. 
After fasting, people need to take great care to eat slowly, and take probiotics to get the good bacteria back into the intestinal tracts. Lots of doctors prescribe fasts to patients... there's a reason it dates back to thousands of years ago. I did the master cleanse for 11 days and only stopped because I ran out of money to buy maple syrup. I have no complaints. It was the most thrilling and wonderful 11 days of my life! When circumstances are right again, I plan to fast for even longer, working my way up to the 40 days of fasting. For me, a 'healthy, balanced diet' is not something that is automatic. Fasting is awesome, and is very much like a 'reset' button. IMO I'd much rather abstain from food for a week than have to take some medication for the rest of my life with a grocery list of side effects.


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## SupaDupaFly (Sep 1, 2011)

I fasted last year cause of religous reasons..I only lasted 3 days...I felt like **** ,weak,half dead and wanted to throw up.


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## SupaDupaFly (Sep 1, 2011)

by the way fasting is not good...Only if your doing it for religous believes. If your only doing it for cosmetic reasons. There's much better ways to. cause not only you'll lose energy you'll start to lose muscle tissue. Your body is built to survive. If it DOES NOT receive the necessary nutrients and calories, it will go into catabolic state. which means your body will start to use muscle tissue as energy and keeps as much fat as possible. If you really want to cleanse your body. Workout,drink alot of water and stop eating junk food.


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## sas111 (Oct 20, 2010)

Quite often actually, it seems to help with my anxiety (at least while i'm on the fast). I'm planning on fasting once again tomorrow. 
Music will be my best friend during this, since with fasting you tend to get real lethargic. You have to prepare for the fast a few days before or else it will be much harder to accomplish. 
I do believe that fasting can be healthy, it gives the body a break.


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## 8vessels (Aug 26, 2011)

i fast every few weeks. usually abstain from water as well during it. normally i dont go beyond 24 hrs, but i have done 36 and even 48 hrs before for special occasions. i find it flushes my system. key though is to still work out through it, like exercise or at least be active every 6 or so hours. 

i know with boxers wen they weigh in they wont eat or have water, they might drink some coffee tho and do 3 workouts per day... just how it has to be sometimes to make weight. 

its good not to overdo it since can make u a bit anemic. for me, after i fast i always try to make my way back into food slowly, like eat light chicken soup, steamed veggies and the like. then once im back into it i can eat heartier meals.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

Stop acting like 13 year old teenage girls and grow up. 

If you wanna look healthy, eat a nutritionally balanced diet, and get your *** off the couch once in a while. 

Come on, it's no rocket-science.:roll


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

It's not good for you in any way and doesn't 'cleanse' you of anything.

Do you even know what fasting does to your metabolism? It definitely doesn't 'give the body a break' at all.

Going without food is bad enough, but seeing people promoting avoiding water as well is just scary. Are you trying to kill yourselves?


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## CourtneyB (Jul 31, 2010)

Fasting is extremely unhealthy. It actually does the opposite of what the last few proponents of it suggest.:no


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## outcast2000 (Sep 26, 2010)

*water fasting*

The truth is right here, if you have never fasted, you don't know what you are talking about. It is that simple. If you have, then you have an idea of what it can do for your body and it's ability to help you truly lose weight. The excess body fat is the first to go, believe me. After that your body will start to turn muscle mass into useable protein. While this isn't necessarily a good thing, you will get it back when you resume a normal diet. There have been reports of water fasts for many weeks without any physical damage, although it isn't easy to function without any extra energy.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

It might make you lose weight, but it doesn't 'cleanse' you at all, in fact quite the opposite seeing as it will almost certainly destroy your kidneys if you do it for long enough (relying on muscle breakdown for protein and ketosis for energy = rhabdomyolysis exacerbated by ketoacidosis = bye bye kidneys). This should be obvious to anybody who has a very basic knowledge of metabolism. Every patient with diabetes has to be at least aware of ketoacidosis.

We eat food for a reason; the ability to starve ourselves for long periods of time is just a survival mechanism, it's not the optimal way to function.


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## outcast2000 (Sep 26, 2010)

*kidney breakdown*

You may be right, you may be wrong. It sounds as if you think this is the case, because I have an inkling that you have never tried it. It isn't something that should be done to try and cleanse your body, the simple fact is that if you have no garbage going in through your pie hole you have no garbage coming out of your other one.


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## outcast2000 (Sep 26, 2010)

*final post about water fasting*

A water fast is a sustained abstinence from food and juices etc. It means a prolonged diet of water (and vitamins for health) only, nothing else. And for a period of time which I believe is longer than a couple of days. As in many days, even weeks. I DON'T recommend this to ANYONE. It is only a subject for discussion. It doesn't mean that everyone should try it. One last thing, if you haven't ever done it, don't comment about it, you just don't know what you are talking about.


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## getsomeair (Feb 1, 2013)

I'm water fasting right now. I'm halfway through day 3.

I mean, why not? I have the time, no purpose in life, no hope for the future and constant demons plaguing my mind.

I have lost weight. I'm not too concerned about "health risks" because I do have a death wish, although I don't believe there are any as long as you don't do it until you starve or get so underweight that you can't fight infections. And also I'm vegetarian so I don't buy into the general "Blah humans have evolved so and so" crap talk. 

Nothing for busy people with lives. One reason for me doing this is to make my brain tired so the negativity doesn't stick around as much and brings me down. I'm hardly less productive like this. Well, possibly less creative. 

Whether or not it has any real spiritual benefits as some claim, I don't know. I'll definitely write about it if it happens.


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## mps625 (Jul 25, 2007)

*My experience with fasting*

I have been doing intermittent fasting now for about two weeks. I skip one or two meals a day depending on how I'm feeling and what I have planned for the day.

After an initial stage where I felt really weak when I fasted, I now feel more relaxed, focused and have more drive when I'm fasting vs when I'm not.

It feels like my body turns off all unnecessary components when I have to accomplish something, which includes my anxiety, so going up and talking to someone becomes a very simple task.

The effect also bleeds into the times I do eat, so my anxiety in general has been reduced.


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