Fast Today To Live Tomorrow

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. The name of this blog is EAT today to live tomorrow. AND I know we all love food… however it is important to discuss not only what we eat but also how much… this where fasting comes in.

I feel like this post could go on forever before I even start. Much can be said about fasting but I will keep this as short as I can. Fasting is beneficial to your body, soul, and spirit. I mainly want to talk about the physical right now although I personally mainly fast for the spiritual reasons.

Eating, in and of itself, promotes the aging process. There are numerous studies (it’s so well known that I don’t think there is the need to cite… but look them up) that show eating less promotes longer life and slows down aging. Of course there are numerous things that play into the aging process but fasting is a definite cornerstone.

Also, fasting helps to rid your body of toxins. Digesting food is one of the most (if not the most) energy consuming activities of the body. That is why so many times I talk about improving the digestive ability of your body with regard to certain foods (like sprouting your grains, etc). Fasting frees up energy for the body to heal and rest from the constant influx of foods that need digestion. So you ask, isn’t that what happens during sleep? Yes it is, and our bodies benefit greatly from the extended period of fasting beyond our sleep time.

When fasting your body uses up stored fat for energy. This is beneficial not only if you are trying to lose weight, but the body also stores toxins and previously undigested foods. Fasting helps to rid the body of both. Think of all the fake, artificial, toxic ‘food’ that most Americans put in their mouth and that go through the intestines. This toxic food does not always make it through. Fasting regularly over time helps to bring you back to a state of cleanness and gives you a foundation upon which you can build with much better food choices.

Whenever I have fasted for an extended period of time I definitely see a difference. I have had times where I felt bad for a while and could tell that my body was getting rid of the ‘old stuff’. I have also had fasts where I feel amazing. One time I was surprised because I thought I would be miserable and although I did have a couple moments of extreme hunger I felt great the whole day.

So how often? Well, I think it’s different for everyone. I have heard of several people fasting one day a week every week. Others do a partial day fast. I personally fast at random times throughout the year as it is not mainly for physical benefit as I mentioned earlier.

So how to fast? Well, there are a couple things to remember. I would like to note that I just said “Well,” for both of those last two questions and for some reason I find that amusing. Onward now. It is good to start fasting slowly and come out of it slowly till you know how your body will react.

If you have never fasted before it might be good to try an all liquid fast first, then maybe an all water fast before going to a completely dry fast. Also, when coming out of a fast go slowly. Broths are an excellent way to come out of a fast. Vegetables juices are also good but you are rare if you do that. On that same note, be careful the liquids that you have when fasting. As you know I like high quality food and would tell you that all of your juices should be raw… especially if they are sugary (which you should limit anyway).

Typically when I fast I will do an all water fast and come out of it with some soup or broth. Then after that has sat for a while I have some vegetables then bread then meat. In a slow progression. An extra tip is to chew more than you normally would and that really helps as well. I have only come out of a fast too quickly one time that I can recall. All I remember is eating a bunch and my stomach really hurting and I haven’t made the same mistake again.

Again, I feel like I could keep going but I will end it here. There is a lot of common sense involved in fasting. Of course there are people who distort and pervert something like fasting and they become anorexic. People distort and pervert just about anything good these days. So use some common sense.

Now I feel like writing more on food and common sense… but I won’t… not now anyway.

Have great day.

Tim

Tim is a health researcher and educator based out of Nashville, TN. Connect with him on Instagram @eattodaytolivetomorrow.