“Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as ‘remarkable’.” — Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system, study finds.
Harper’s had a great article on fasting a few years ago it’s not online at the moment but here’s a PDF of it. It’s also common in yoga and folks trying to live longer. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but perhaps will at some point this year — I like the idea of doing something by doing nothing.
I’m a big fan of intermittent fasting. I find that I have more energy and can concentrate for longer when I don’t eat breakfast for example. If you’re looking for additional resources, this guide from Precision Nutrition is hard to beat:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting
We’re also fasting when sleeping too, that’s one of the reasons why good night of sleep is extremely important 🙂
Ha ha ha.. funny but well said. I never really thought of it as so. Imagine going to sleep after a really hectic day and still aware of a more hectic day… does that kind of sleep also mean fasting?
Most major religion practices fasting in some way. For muslims, there are obligatory ramadhan fasting for a month every year. There is optional monday and thursday fasting. And there’s even more optional fasting once in two days.
While I’m not that devoted to fasting except for the obligatory one, I saw my older sister did the optional monday and thursday fasting when she was in a point of her life which she supposed to be really angry due to some circumstances. Interestingly, fasting calmed her down.
I fast and it feels great. and with amazing health benefits too. But the trick i use in passing time is to get really busy, ‘cos if you’re not?, you will feel hungry and that ends the fasting 😉
I can highly recommend this book about fasting. It’s a classic and has accompanied me several times, already in my teenage years, trying to get rid of some allergies.
Don’t underestimate fasting. It’s an ‘inside job’ … with the right attitude (and maybe the will to change some unhealthy eating habits … like to much sugar, coffee, meat, alcohol, nicotin, etc.) it could be an amazing healing process.
Take 10 days off, start with some days of acid base balance food (spinach, potatoes, brocoli, carrots, zucchini, dried figs, raisins, almonds, pears, apples, bananas, mangoes, lentils, wild rice … mostly things in the table of this link / blue area left side (like the new color scheme of your side 🙂 ) OR here’s a PDF from anohter source ) for a smooth detoxing and combine 5 days of fasting with hiking or yoga (not running as a fasting starter). Take at least 3 days to get used to ‘normal’ food again.
That’s very important if you don’t want get colics.
Spring time is great for that and lent is coming … Good luck!