Body Cleansing Fasts Are Necessary For Your Health And Well-Being
There are many types of body cleansing fasts.
They may help to rid the body of cumulative toxins, but I believe fasting givs your gastrointestinal tract a rest.
Many people fast for a day or so, as part of their religious and spiritual practices. Some fast to “cleanse” their bodies, and others fast as a way to lose weight – quickly.
But, fasting to lose weight can be a hazard to your health.
Some Types Of Body Cleansing Fasts
Water Fast:
This involves water, but no food. Many patients are instructed to do this, up to 24 hours prior to surgery, in order to keep their digestive tracts clear, so there won’t be complications when they’re under anesthesia.
Fruit Juice Fast:
These have been very popular. They usually focus on organic fruit juices. But people can also include vegetables — either raw or cooked in soups. Either way, they’re consuming few calories.
Master Cleanse Fast:
This is basically a water fast with a little bit of sugar (maple syrup) to give a slight energy boost. Dieters are supposed to adhere to this fast for a minimum of 10 days. Every day, they drink six to 12 cups of this sweetened concoction for total calories somewhere between 650 and 1,300 per day.
The ingredients are:
2 tablespoons of lemon juice (8 calories)
2 tablespoons maple syrup (100 calories)
pinch of cayenne pepper (0 cal)
1 cup water (0 cal)
Body cleansing fasts also permit your body's system to turn its energies away from continuous processing of food to cleansing which is does naturally through your kidneys, liver, skin and lungs.
Body cleansing fasts can last from a one-day-fast to three days and even up to ten days, but before you begin any fast lasting more than a day you need to ask yourself..
Is Fasting Healthy?
fasting for several days (assuming your fluid intake is sufficient) is not harmful, but there’s no evidence supporting its benefits.
fasts lasting for more than a week, even with some minimal amount of calories, can damage your health.
your body needs protein. If you don’t eat protein, your body starts to break down your muscle (which is protein) in order to get the necessary amino acids (the building blocks of protein).
if you lack protein, a long-lasting fast can damage your heart, as well as your liver and kidneys, which can decrease in size. Insufficient protein will also impair their functions.
According to Dr. Fernstrom, she says that there is no scientific evidence that fasting detoxes the body. She agrees that our bodies are already pretty self-sufficient.
She also says that even though a fast may give the perception of "cleaning out" your body’s impurities, that’s not what happens.
Some people report that they feel great after fasting, whereas others feel sluggish, tired, achy, and unfocused due to insufficient calories.
Fernstrom says that it’s important to note that these kinds of fasts involve drinking a lot of water and ingesting some salt in order to support the body’s normal salt and water balance.
Many people who are trying to "cleanse" their bodies, will also use colonics, or enemas. Which can be risky to your health, because they can alter your body’s overall salt and water balance. This is also true for herbal tea laxatives.
Insufficient Water Intake Will Cause Dehydration During Body Cleansing Fasts
If you don’t eat and you drink a lot of water, you will urinate frequently. And if you eat few carbohydrates, you’ll also further increase water loss.
But this won’t help you lose weight. You’re only depleting your body of fluids, which may make it seem like you’re actually losing weight. Dehydrating your body can be dangerous.
When you eat few calories, you will lose weight quickly, but that doesn’t mean you will keep it off. As the saying goes: easy off; easy on.
I agree with Dr. Fernstrom who says that fasting to lose weight quickly can put metabolic stress on your body. After fasting for a few days, you risk damaging your body, and losing muscle mass is very unhealthy. You can find out more information at Dr. Fernstrom.
After all this information,
The Choice Is Yours
If you still decide that you want to try body cleansing fasts, the easiest fast is the dailyy fast lasting up to 14 hours. This means that your last meal of the day is at 5 pm and you have breakfast at 7 or 8 am the following morning.
This allows plenty of time for the digestive tract to empty itself, rest and restore itself in order to function well the following day. The natural time for doing body cleansing fasts is during the night when our body tends to slow down and rest.
Unhealthy Eating Patterns
If you are in the habit of having late dinners followed with late-night TV snacks, and rising early in the morning with a heavy breakfast, you are disrespecting your body.
You are forcing your digestive tract to start a new day’s work after having gone through a labored night shift.
With this pattern of eating, you are gradually accumulating internal pollution which dulls your sense of vitality and alertness. In effect, you are setting the stage for a wide variety of illnesses.
Internal Cleansing Is Also Important
If you have not as yet done an internal cleansing, it is so important to do so. It is good to follow a cleansing routine for your body every 6 months or so. Here is a good maintenance program using 100% natural herbal drops. Read about it at
colon cleansing herbs.
We clean our living spaces and change the oil in our vehicles regularly, but we forget a very life-important habit - cleansing your body. We tend to take our body for granted.
Learning To Respect Your Body Is Important
In any case, your breakfast should not be heavy. Your digestive system and metabolism is not geared for assimilating food very early in the morning. Your body is still going through the cleansing process and overburdening it with food is not healthy.
I realize that each person's needs are different. If you have no appetite in the morning, then don’t eat. A large glass of orange juice or a cup of hot milk is sufficient. A light breakfast is all you need.
Then if you have a heavy lunch, eat a light supper preferably by 6 pm to allow your digestive system to break down the food and to rest for fourteen hours for this fast.
Understanding Your Body's Needs
When you plan your meals with an understanding of the mechanics of your digestive system, it is necessary to be aware of your own capacity and limitations.
Once you become aware of your body's needs, then you can provide your nutritional needs and still allow your body enough time for the processes of elimination. When you follow this system, you will have the necessary strength, stamina and health along with a sense of clarity and alertness.
Another one of the body cleansing fasts is the juice fast which I will explain in another segment. You can find more information about nutrition and fasting by Rudolph Ballentine in his book“Diet and Nutrition”.
