# Fasting



## areagan (Jul 8, 2008)

Has anyone here ever tried fasting? If so, how long did you fast for?


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

I've been considering doing so.. but I don't have the courage yet.. lol


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

Why would you want to fast?


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## areagan (Jul 8, 2008)

kikachuck said:


> Why would you want to fast?


For health reasons.


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## dullard (Aug 4, 2008)

I'm sort of curious, for what health reasons would you have to fast?


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

dullard said:


> I'm sort of curious, for what health reasons would you have to fast?


Exactly my question, what would those be?


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

Basically, it's like rebooting your computer when it's not working well. It does the same to the body. Also good for ridding candida and other toxins. 

There's a spiritual element to fasting. I believe in the notion that humans only know happiness through suffering and so do many religions. Thus, starving yourself, an intense form of suffering, is focus to help you re-tune your perspective on your life. Such as your priorities, goals, ambition, personal needs, etc...

For that reason alone, I want to try it. Maybe it'll help me focus on studying more and spending less time researching supplements


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## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

eating healthy sounds more of a - well a healthier way than fasting


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

Beggiatoa said:


> Basically, it's like rebooting your computer when it's not working well. It does the same to the body. Also good for ridding candida and other toxins.
> 
> There's a spiritual element to fasting. I believe in the notion that humans only know happiness through suffering and so do many religions. Thus, starving yourself, an intense form of suffering, is focus to help you re-tune your perspective on your life. Such as your priorities, goals, ambition, personal needs, etc...
> 
> For that reason alone, I want to try it. Maybe it'll help me focus on studying more and spending less time researching supplements


I understand the spiritual part of it, but that "rebooting" thing sounds a little infomersialish to me...


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## areagan (Jul 8, 2008)

Fasting detoxifies the body.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

It's difficult to cope with the idea of simply not eating for a while!


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## striker (Jun 20, 2008)

I did a 10 day lemon fast. 
- Usually your body is busy taking care of daily chores like digestion etc
- when you fast, your giving your digestion rest. Then the body starts cleaning itself.

I wouldn't recommend a long fast if your body type is thin/small. if so, Fasting will increase your nervousness.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

I'm starting my fast today, Wednesday. I'm aiming for 3 days although 4 days is ideal. I will eat not food, only water. However, I will supplements like a mofo. with mostly minerals, antioxidants, Diatomaceous EArth (to clean my GI), and lots of teas with no sugar. I'll try to avoid things that will add calories like amino acids. Although I might take a little Taurine to increase Bile flow.

I might also take Vinegar (which has claimed health benefits) and a good probiotic. 

I didn't plan on it. I simply woke up today, it's almost Noon so I figured it's as good a day as any to start.

Wish me luck!


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

Update: At around 6 Pm today on my first day, I felt horrible. I had to eat something. It was more than just hunger pangs...I felt terrible Nausea, headache and overall malaise. Sigh...

I guess the idea was more glorious than the act. I'll try again tomorrow.


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## Ally (Jan 12, 2007)

^Good luck with your fast Beggiatoa. You can do it. The first few days are always the hardest.


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## person86 (Aug 10, 2006)

Can anyone cite some real medical literature that shows that fasting "detoxifies" the body in any meaningful/positive way? I am curious. I've never heard of this fasting thing outside of random people just sort of claiming that it's good for you...


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

I googled fasting and came up with lots of info. Even some stuff I did not know. Now, it was proven with a study (sorry no link goodness) that fasting everyother day actually extends life. This makes some sense, as in ye good old days, before agriculture, there seldomly was enough food for 3 square meals a day, every day. People would tend to go days without food. How can I say this, when the body is in starvation mode, it builds new proteins in the body that protect DNA and cells better. This extends life.


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## butterflypas274 (Aug 30, 2008)

If you are suffering from a food allergy that you are unaware of fasting should make this apparent when the food is taken away. It would be a discipline effort to slowly introduce the foods that you are used to back into your diet and then note to see how you feel.


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## PsychicPirateHobbit (May 14, 2008)

I've done water fasting before. I was really weak, got pretty dizzy and light headed at times, and on the morning of the third day I was extremely nauseous and it was pretty hard for me to have any actual coherent thoughts. I think that different people have different experiences though.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

I fasted for half a day and I felt the same way. But this is your body tricking you. The body doesn't want to give up it's fat stores, so it makes you feel like hell prior to, to get you to it. Actually, once you pass this stage after day 2 or 3, people say the generally feel ok. I've heard some people have fasted for 30 days. Maybe this explains why they can tolerate it so long.


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## Traeynne (Mar 2, 2008)

i fasted for exactly 24 hours, about three weeks ago. I did it for spiritual reasons, but there are other reasons why i'll do it in the future. I normally want to eat all the time, but after fasting, i had fewer cravings for the next week or so at least. I felt like a junkie going cold turkey (ha ha cliche) that's how much i indulge all the time. I felt very refreshed afterwards, though. I also like the feeling of control (NOT in an anorexia way!!), as I recognized the seperation between mind and body, if that makes sense at all.


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## Ally (Jan 12, 2007)

I've fasted for 30 days before. It wasn't terribly strict or anything because it was a liquid fast. It was definitly an amazing feeling though. I felt sick the first few days but after that it got incredibly easy for me. I love the feeling of fasting. There's definitly nothing like it.


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## areagan (Jul 8, 2008)

When I go on a water-only fast I always feel terrible even after the first few days. It actually gets even worse for me after the first few days. Last year I went on a water-only fast for 6 1/2 days and it got worse and worse but then on the 6th day it did not get any worse and I figured that it was the worst it was going to get so I just ended it after 6 1/2 days. I definitely could have gone a lot longer though.

Right now I am simply just doing a partial fast to cure myself of my social anxiety and ADD/autism. The partial fast that I am on consists of small white beans, TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein), flaxseed, frozen asparagus and california valencia oranges. I am also taking two different supplements: Focus Smart and Bone Up. The only beverage I drink is water.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

I see some of the posters above are still in their teens. I would advice against fasting. Already, most of stick to an American diet deficient in everything and fasting would reduce nutrient intake by a lot. So...I don't know...if you're still growing, it might not be a good idea to fast. Maybe there's research out there that says otherwise but I haven't seen it.


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## Fanciful Unicorn (Jul 19, 2007)

Longest fast: 4 days

Fasting for _actual_ spiritual reasons is cool, I plan on doing that 
when I have a less stressful environment.

Fasting for weightloss is just ignorant.


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## Ally (Jan 12, 2007)

^ Don't mind my asking, but, how exactly is fasting for weightloss ignorant?


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