Safe fasting?

I want to go on a three day to weeklong fast, but I'm totally oblivious to the science to it, and how to do it correctly. I don't want to pull an anorexia thing.

Any suggestions on how to fast in a healthy manner? I need something easy and that will help me control cravings. I feel like I've been over-eating like a jackass lately. I need a good cycle, dammit.


Thanks!

Do you want to fast to lose weight, or is it for religious purposes?

*I know that many in the medical profession believe that a sensible diet and eating in moderation and exercising* is preferable to fasting, starving yourself, diet pills or fad diets to lose weight*. *Happily I don't have a weight problem but I do eat sensibly and get some exercise.
Hope that helps you a little. Good luck!!!!!

I think fasting is a great way to cleanse & heal the body (as well as the mind & soul!). Since your posting on the diet area of the boards, I'll assume its for your body.

A safe way to fast is to do a juice fast... meaning have a couple to a few glasses of the juice of your choice during your fasting days, as well as water. What happens during these days is your giving your body a rest... all the parts that are focused on processing food through your body get to take a break and regenerate themselves, which is a good thing. This according to a doctor named Don Colbert.

I was listening to a christian talk show once and one woman, for faith purposes, did a juice fast for 40 days (yikes!!). She had a number of great physical effects along with spiritual effects. She claimed never to have felt better in her life!

Good luck to you!

I am not trained in the medical sciences, but I do not believe that fasting could possibly be good for one's body. A several-day juice fast might be cleansing, but fasting for extended periods of time is just dangerous. The body needs essential nutrients on a daily basis, and reacts poorly when deprived of them. There's a good reason that we feel like crap when we fast.

If someone wants to fast, it's her body and her decision, but I would never recommend it to anyone.

Elissa

Hi all,

Well fasting was my eating disorder behavior of choice many years ago when I was insane about food & before I did my 12 step work. I did not do it in a healthy way. What I did do was pretty bizarre.

Bottom line, I lost a lot of weight very fast but my hair started failing out, my skin went nuts AND I reset my metabolism so that when I started eating I regained the weight very quickly. All in all, not a good thing, at least in my experience.

Best wishes,
Karen

There is at least one semi-prominant MD who believes in the benefits of fasting: Joel Fuhrman.

He fasted himself as a young man (at Dr. Shelton's clinic) to over-come some health problems that were interferring with his skating. He won a bronze in the World Championship Pairs Figureskating after that.

He now recommends a good diet more that fasting, but he has supervised fasts of over 40 days.

On the religious side, a friend showed me a fascinating book about religious fasting back in the late 70's but I don't recall the exact title.

If you feel like 'crap' when you fast,then you're not doing it right.

Thanks everyone!

No, it's not for religious purposes. The only time I fast for religion is giving up something on Lent, and during Holy Week. But come Easter...PIG OUT!

Lol

Anyways, yes, it's for bodily purposes, but I think I was just on a gargantuan binge week. I've gotten myself under control again, and I'm doing well.

Juice fast, eh? Sounds intriging.

But has anyone ever tried the week-long lemon water cleansing fast? Apparently, you're supposed to have nothing but lemon water for 2 days, then you move onto fruit and lemon water, then fruits, veggies and lemon water on day four, then eventually, you get to a whole meal, then a day's worth of eating on the last day.

Tea rocks, so I might try it.

I haven't tried that myself. I sometimes have low blood sugar problems so I've developed a fruit fast. Fruit is very cleansing and may even speed * detoxifying. The easiest way for me is start after lunch the first day skipping dinner and continuing the next day up until dinner. Dinner on the 2nd day should be very light as to not sabotage the progress you've made. I usually have a pint of fresh veggie juice followed by a salad and either a cooked vegetable or a thick slice of whole-grain bread.

Ya know, if you fasted just once a week that would equal 4 days a month. I've lost several pounds a month doing this but I always eat fruit during it.

*If you detox too fast, you may feel pretty crummy feel a while, e.g. headaches, tummy troubles, dizziness.

Hope this helps... Good luck whatever you try!

well if you are going to do that then maybe you should still have liquids.. definitely water... go on a solids fast lol