Archive for November, 2008

Types of Fasting

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There are many different types of fasting. To begin we have:

1. Juice Fasting
2. Spiritual Fasting
3. Fasting To Lose Weight
4. Colon Cleansing Fasting
5. Liver Cleansing Fasting
6. Detoxification Fasting
7. Water Fasting

And the list goes on……

I have not actually done all of the various types of fasting. However, reading about the many benefits of various types of fasting to the body (and spirit) and how it is actually a cornerstone of healing (the natural way), has opened my mind to it. No wonder even some of the world’s great spiritual leaders have taken to the different types of fasting.

Whatever types of fasting or frequency you choose to engage in, those who have journeyed down that path recommend starting slowly, and building up as you progress. Extra care is important because you would not want to jeopardize your health, even for the sake of rapid weight loss. Even if there are studies pointing out that human beings can live up to two-and-a-half months without food, most health care professionals do not recommend fasting that long. Fasting, as distinct from dieting, means that while the body subsists without food, it will systematically cleanse itself of everything except vital tissue.

When we talk about types of fasting, there is what is known as a total fast and partial fast. The different types of fasting may also be categorized by the type of food or liquids involved. There is the intense water fast, and the popular juice fast. Another type, which limits food intake to raw vegetables, fruits and salads also lead to less calorie consumption. Whatever types of fasting you set your heart and mind to, what is important is that it is not imposed on the body or forced just to adhere to external custom.

Liver Cleanse And It’s Benefits

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The liver plays many important and complex functions. It manufactures vital body chemicals like bile, converts food into stored energy, and filters toxic substances, including alcohol, from the blood. Yet despite its many benefits to us, we end up abusing our own liver.

When the liver dysfunctions and heaps the stress on all other body systems, it signals something you may have neglected doing – getting a liver cleanse. When the liver gets burdened by overconsumption of fast foods, constant exposure to harmful chemicals like mosquito spray, aerosol cleaners, or tobacco smoke, alcohol consumption; certain medical conditions like diabetes, high triglycerides and obesity; and even high dosages of herbal solutions, a liver cleanse is in order.

To get down to flushing the toxins and getting a complete liver cleanse, the liver-impaired can contain the damage and try to regenerate new liver cells with a balanced diet. Get enough proteins, go for fiber and the good fats (omega 3 and 6), and load up on mineral-rich organic fruits and vegetables. Prior to your liver cleanse, consult your doctor, who can help allay your fears on the repercussions of a sluggish liver, be it weight gain, overfatigue and a variety of illnesses. You need to set aside time for a thorough liver cleansing.  In consulting a doctor who can expertly guide you in your liver cleanse, you may as well inquire on the benefits of (and why it may be useful to have at hand) some olive oil, a fresh grapefruit, some Epsom salt, a few capsules of L-ornithine, and milk thistle extract which helps block or remove toxins harmful to liver cells. Choose a quality brand of milk thistle capsules, to be taken in increasing dosage (again, as consulted with your doctor) once you’ve completed the liver cleanse.

Juice Fasting Recipes

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For some people, losing weight can be a tall order. When bodies have become accustomed to eating high-calorie, high-fat foods and sugary beverages, turning to nutritious alternatives like fruits – and juice fasting recipes derived from them, can be a bit difficult. There are weight-challenged individuals, though, who are determined to overcome a slow metabolism and take the path to wellness. They include the super foods as part of their daily meals, and gladly try out juice fasting recipes. In so doing, they supercharge their health, and experience rapid weight loss, too.

Generally, dieters and non-dieters alike may experience the benefits of fasting. After all, fruits can give a huge energy boost, in their raw state or as part of juice fasting recipes. The body can have its fill of naturally-occurring vitamins, minerals and plant phytochemicals found in fruits through some delightfully refreshing juice fasting recipes. From among numerous juice fasting recipes, one that packs a wallop is the carrot cleanser juice that combines large carrots (about four), a stalk of celery, some spinach, an apple, plus some lemon juice. The carrots provide the body the essential enzymes, vitamins and minerals, spinach & apple deliver powerful antioxidant properties, while celery contains vitamin C and compounds that can prevent damage from free radicals.

Other juice fasting recipes make use of lycopene-rich tomatoes and anthocyanidin-laden cranberries. When on a cleansing fast, three tomatoes may be combined with half a piece of red or green pepper, a pinch of freshly ground pepper, a few teaspoonfuls of onion powder and garlic powder, a celery stock, and an apple. To help eliminate toxic build-up in the kidneys & bladder, or prostate gland, two apples combined with 1 and one-fourth cups of cranberries can be a real healing tonic.

The Benefits Of Fasting

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If you have been feeling bloated, off-kilter, constipated or irritable lately, then it may be time to have an overall cleanse and let your body reap the many benefits of fasting. Fasting entails voluntarily withholding food in order to relieve physical discomforts or illness. People can trace most bodily ills to impure blood brought about by improper digestive functioning.

If the foods we consume are not digested well, they tend to create stress on, or obstruct, internal mechanisms. The benefits of fasting have yet to be reaped in such instances. As we age, the more we need to take something to fight oxidative stress and counteract years of poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyles. There are numerous informational materials on wellness and the benefits of fasting, but few really buckle down to adopting or realizing them. Antioxidant and colon-cleansing foods may now be seen everywhere, but few actually pay attention to or consume them. At some point, people require an overall body cleanse to deal with the progressive accumulation of nonfunctional matter emanating from unbalanced diet. To help cleanse away toxins and impurities in the body, health-conscious people are nowadays opting to discover the manifold benefits of fasting.

More than losing unwanted pounds, a fuller, healthier, longer life is but one of the many benefits of fasting. Fasting not only helps people prevent a variety of illnesses, but also gives the body time to rest and renew itself. Other benefits of fasting include better quality sleep, healthier skin, teeth and gums, reduced anxiety & tension as well as headaches, stabilization of blood pressure and bowel movements. Other benefits of fasting go beyond the physical realm. It simply makes sense that when one is physically fit, there tends to be greater self-confidence and a happier, more positive outlook for life.