Water fasting
Water fasting is the act of taking in nothing but water. No other substances, for a duration of time. It has been a primary means of healing for thousands of years and is also a means of spiritual growth in many religions. The primary ambition behind water fasting is to allow the body a period of physiological rest. Giving it an valuable opportunity to cleanse itself.
A great deal of the bodies energy is directed to digestion. When one embarks on a water fast they allow their digestive system a much needed break, and in turn this digestive energy is redirected to other processes in the body. Specifically, the process of detoxification. This is where the healing power of fasting comes into play.
Over the years we are taking in chemicals/toxins from every direction. From what we eat, what we put on our skin, what we clean with, prescription medications, the air we breath, and the water we drink. These are just a few. But many of these toxic sources are the daily routines many people. And that means the bodies healing processes are weighed down in its need to deal with these disturbances in a safe and timely manner.
Rarely is our body given the rest time to catch up on this toxic load and cleanse itself. But if we were to the stop the intake of these toxins, and increase the energy used for healing we can reverse the downward spiral of our health. This can be achieved through the redirection of digestive energy to detoxification and giving your body the physiological rest it needs. A typical amount of time to notice significant change in an individual’s health is around 10 days. With longer fasts used for even greater healings reaching up to 40 days. The longer the fast the more profound the results. But for some a shorter fast is more highly recommended.
This may seem very extreme to someone growing up in western culture. The idea of skipping breakfast for most of us is taboo enough. Let alone the idea of days without a meal. And although you may have been preached at by nutritionists and health professionals from every portal of information that going any extended period without food intake is detrimental to health, this is simply not true. This is, unless you’ve very specific pre-existing health conditions (Such as Insulun dependent type I diabetics). It is Quite the opposite actually. Do some research and examine the facts for yourself.
Sickness is said to be the result of two things. Lack of nutrition, or toxins accumulating within the body. In our modern world there are few of us who are malnourished. So When you see things from this perspective you begin to see how water fasting is a key in accelerating the healing of almost all health sickness. Whether minor sickness or disease. If it isn’t caused by malnutrition, which is not very likely, it is caused by toxic build up.
This is why water fasting is so incredibly helpful. This highly increased method of detoxification allows you to flush these contaminates out of the body at a very hastened pace. A pace that would be unfeasible while the digestive system and other processes used to make food accessible by the body are in use. Thus, the benefits of water fasting are seen, and very quickly at that.
You may be thinking to yourself that it is impossible to go for days not eating without feeling tortured and deprived. The beauty of this is that we are living within a body of infinite intelligence. It knows what to do under all circumstances and it adapts. If it did not, we would all be 6 feet under due to the toxins coming at us from all angles in our modern, chemical filled lives. It is about the 3rd day of a fast that a complete halt in hunger is recorded. When the body enters into a state of ketosis, switching from one fuel source to another, and the body begins to feed on its dead, dying, and diseased cells, and toxic fat stores. And doing so in a manner that preserves it’s healthful tissues.
Why water fast?
To some it has been touted as the ‘fountain of youth’, healing minor health issues or life threatening diseases. While to others it is a simply seen as a method of loosing the unwanted fat stores in our bodies. And though I don’t advocate water fasting specifically for the latter, it is a fairly motivating side effect of the detoxification process. To say the least.
If you are a person who is not of good health, and there are very few who are, then water fasting would benefit you immensely. This key to radiant health, this “fountain of youth” requires nothing from you but your commitment. No poisonous medications or diet guidelines to follow. There is something for everyone in water fasting. Whether you have skin conditions, chronic diseases, or simply toxic fat build up, an extended water fast # a water fast greater than 5 days# will be of great use to you.
So many healings have been recorded through the act of fasting. Up to a 90 percent success rate has been shown in lowering high blood pressure. One of the number one cures for obesity. Highly effective in healing cardiovascular disease and congestive heart failure. The improvement and often permanent reversal of Type II diabetes. Healing poor immune function. Conditions of the skin. Even shrinking tumors and aiding in the reversal of cancer.
Water fasting and weight loss
For the majority of us, the fat cells in our bodies are riddled with toxins. And as long as they remain there they will be contributing to a wide arrange of health problems. A large misconception is that Fat is created only due to the intake of too much food. More calories in than out. Overeating. This is only partially true. In fact, Fat is a wonderful mechanism used by the body to control the toxic flow within. When we intake large amounts toxins on a daily basis through unhealthful diet or chemicals, our body can’t process these in a safe manner. This is the case when we take them in faster than they can be removed through natural means. And this is when fat is created within the body.
If our bodies did not create these storage bins for the poisons coming in, our body and its organs could be damaged severely. We must view this as a healthy process within the body rather than condemning it. And Though the creation of fat as storage is not the only means our body has for protecting itself from toxins until it has the means to deal with them, it is one of the most important. You can see this in the raising levels of obesity around the world as the level of chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis are increased. Especially in the food we eat.
Weight loss during a fast is not only because of your bodies use of fat as fuel, but also because of this accelerated pace of detoxification. All the chemicals, toxins, and other harmful substances are being removed throughout each cell, including your fat cells. Therefor your body can afford to burn up the storage of fat much quicker because you no longer need them as a safety deposit for harmful chemicals.
Because of the above reasons, significant weight loss is recorded during a water fast.. A large amount of water weight is lost in the beginning of a fast. But fast loss continues after this initial drop, Averaging 1\2-2 pounds daily. Usually, the more fat stores you have the more quickly you loose. Some largely overewight individuals record up to 20 pounds a week. This is another observation of the bodies intelligent mechanisms. It is aware that the more excess fat it has the quicker it can release it before it enters a state of starvation.
But Don’t think that this means you are starving yourself. The definition of starvation is the body feeding on its vital tissues. This cannot happen if the body has readily available fat stores and dead, dying, or diseased cells to feed on. This is where many people become confused on the matter of fasting specifically for weight loss. The body cannot be starved if you have fat stores that can be consumed. The body runs healthfully in a state of ketosis just as it does off of glucose. It is simply a different means of obtaining necessary energy.
Who shouldn’t fast?
Though fasting can benefit just about everyone, there are a few minor exceptions. These people should consult a health practitioner before undergoing a fast of any kind. These people include those who are under the age of 18, because they are still growing and forming physiologically. Pregnant or nursing mothers because their detoxification could upset the childs growth and expose them to their toxins. Type I diabetics dependent on insulin. Those with cirrhosis of the liver or kidney failure. Alcoholics. And those with Issues of the thyroid. Those who are suffering specific irreversible illnesses like AIDS, tuberculosis or other infectious diseases should not undergo water fasts, As well as people suffering diseases caused by malnutrition such as severe anemia.
