| Fasting for Health and Fitness | Hot Conversation |
I am in my 17th day of fasting (water); something I have done in the past to stop colin problems. Has anyone else used fasting after age 60 to reduce weight, increase fitness and rest the digestive system? I am under the care of a Chinese Medicine Doctor.
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ReginaLove, that is SO great to hear! As for soy, it may help with menopause symptoms -- it it controversial. The best way to use soy is in the form of whole fermented soy foods (miso, tempeh, tamari and natto). Non-fermented soy foods such as soy mi
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Sounds very interesting.
Spike, you are awesome! Love your perspective, thanks for sharing.I will turn 53 in 6 weeks and still break out.
May I also assume that your skin is still quite oily and shows no or very few wrinkles? If so...
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!
1) Your skin doesn't look like beat-up luggage now, and probably never wi
17 days without food???? No way I could do it…
Seriously. I’d be ready to chew off my own arm right about now. :-/
But to each his/her own!
I was going crazy when I had to fast for one day, prior to a colonoscopy!
I really believe in the value of fasting. But I don’t fast well. The max fast I might consider with any serious intent might be 3 days, and that would have to be altered. I think you might be able to achieve the same result without such extreme measures. However………let us know more about it, and why you started and how your doing, and unexpected benefits and if it was well reserached.
I have fasted since 1976. I fasted to stop colitis of the colon. The first time I read everything I could on fasting during my fast. My family all died of cancer, I feared colon cancer and fasting has been proven to kill many types of cancer.
The absolutely vital part is to be mentally prepared to begin a fast, you must know that you are in control of your body and the outcome is for health; spiritual effects may also occur. Ending the fast is the most important part of fasting.
It’s odd, but after the first three days there is almost no hunger from the stomach area. Your “mind” is hungry, food smells good, but no hunger “pains” are occurring, no gurgling, nothing like that. Our bodies are simply amazing as they take the time to detoxify from years of abuse with chemicals (preservatives, pesticides, etc.).
During a fast the person can mix plain organic greens, like chard or kale, beat to death in lots and lots water if weakness occurs and sip on that, but the absence of all food is the best practice. That allows the body gets to back into balance all on it’s own. With pure water no chemicals of any kind are interfering with the internal cleanse that is taking place. Just 3 days is the best practice, but medical science says 30-75 days is still safe for most people. What is exciting to me is that as we age fasting has been shown to improve the memory (Mattson, M. P. (2000). Neuroprotective signaling and the aging brain: take away my food and let me run. Brain Research, 886(1-2), 47-53).
Have you ever read a book called Intuitive Eating? I bought it years ago and back in the day when I was under the care of a natureopath physcian. I would think in ending a fast I would eat intuitively what my body needed.
I know I am seriously out of whack at the moment, and might consider a fast again, very soon.
I know you feel no hunger after the 3 day, I’ve experienced that.
I’ve also experienced getting almost high……….during a fast.
I’m going to look for that book; thank you.
I think the “high” might come partly from feeling in control of your body during a fast instead of feeling a victim of food cravings (and the resulting wide hips). I don’t know. But today is the 12th of February and I have not eaten since January 24th. I’ve lost nearly 22 pounds and I feel great unless I physically move really fast when I get slightly dizzy. I still do all my normal housework, ride my horse, do academic writing, care for 6 dogs and work in my garden. I find growing my own food also very empowering, and during this fast, somehow comforting too.
Is your water purified I hear that is very important.. I am sure it is.How do you feel when you go that long I have done 3 days and that is my limit my body can go without food They say the Hatians survived because they were use to going days without any food and water
My water is only purified since I live in Central Mexico where I am doing university research. Since we humans are 98% water, I cannot imagine surviving without water intake, but I cannot imagine holding my breathe under water for 120 seconds either, but some cultures can.
17 days? Wow, i wish i could do just 2. Although when i am sick with asthma i do not want any food or anything else for that matter. When i was in my 30′s i would fast for one day every week. I should do that again. I would be too weak to work if i did it any longer than that.
What would happen if one is on multiple prescription drugs?
You cannot water fast if you are ingesting any chemicals: Rx, toothpaste even topical additives such as skin creme or natural hormones. You can go on a juice fast (fruit or veggie) IF your doctor or other medical practioner is monitoring you. Rx is based on weight and “normal” activities. Fasting is NOT a “normal” activity.
Thanks for confirming…I rather figured.
I fasted a total of 23 days, I went from 171 to 147 (I am 5’8″ tall) before I began eating again. As I moved into eating, exercising, and taking vitamins I re-read Dr. Diana Schwarzbein’s books and her newest ones too. I read Susan Somers, Julian Michaels, Jon Gabriel and Caroline Sutherlund’s books too. Each of them addressed balancing food, exercise and rest for life-long overall healing and lasting health.
Today I am eating a LOT of food, more protein than I have eaten in many years and staying at 146 pounds, a size 7. I am the same size I was at age 15 and yet I am 63. The feeling of being healthy while also being slender and not hungry is amazing. The authors I mentioned encourage eating often, eating a lot of protein, making sure your hormones are making your metabolism function correctly and staying in overall balance. Dr. Diana Schwarzbein is my favorite.
i cannot eat so much animal products like red meat, even chicken after a while i feel that i am ready to fly. Any other suggestions for protein? I try to do garbanzo bean soup and being hispanic beans are a part of my life. But how many beans do i have to eat in order to make up my protein daily percentage? Tomorrow i return to work after a one week’s cruise of eating whatever i wanted. The girls in the office are doing weight watchers and counting points vs. calories. I will join that crusade. I will also start my exercise regimen.
I was a vegetarian for 35 years. After the last fast I began eating fish, turkey and chicken. My doctor suggests that I eat a lot of fish, easy to find where I live in Mexico. She explained to me that I was “starving” for fish oil (my fish oil caplets were not enough) and proteins even though I was nearly eating my weight in tofu (it felt like). Tofu is a bean, but it’s really hard to get enough protein from beans; even garbanzo, my personal favorites. She has me add sunflower seed, sesame seed, chia seed and flaxseed as a topping to things I am eating; keeping them right on the table in glass jars to add anytime. Seeds have a lot of cheap and easy to store protein and minerals too. Also, low fat cottage cheese is an outstanding source of protein without lots of calories. My doctor is also a woman over 50 and she explained to me that eating enough of the right foods to stay healthy is very hard and a life-long challenge that is worth the effort. I agree with her.
i agree as well. I do believe that we have to keep moving otherwise the bones become rusty.