Fasting has become vogue again. People talking about intermittent fasting and all the health benefits. I have written a few blogs on that topic, but we just simply cannot ignore the real power behind fasting. Fasting, or voluntarily giving up something for a period of time, has a real power to it. There is some real influence that your conscious mind can yield against forces aligned against you by electing, choosing to overcome your natural desires for a period of time. Fasting is definitely a powerful tool, that modern society has made all about weight loss. That is not at all what it accomplishes. Fasting allows you to overcome self, and the primal impulses that control you. Fasting puts you back in control.
Fasting gives you power, power over things that are out of your control. It clears your mind and soul of debris getting in your way. You are able to remove yourself from the barriers that are holding you back and see life from a different perspective. You focus on what is important, critical and have less dark emotion tear at your soul.
Now fasting is also viewed as a spiritual tool, and perhaps rightfully so. Many of great spiritual leaders have had long term fasts as their call to action, quest in the wilderness, or silent protest. Now contemplating a 40 day fast would seem pretty overwhelming, and perhaps more of a commitment then you are willing or even should make. So what is an effective fast?
Couple of points that I have learned along the way. These maybe applicable only to me, but throwing a few out there for what it might help. I think the minimum fast is one day. The best fast is a fast without food for a period of time. I think water is acceptable, and I would recommend tap water. The absence of food will not cause the average healthy person any health problems, but the loss of electrolytes will. Your body absolutely needs sodium, potassium, magnesium and a few other trace minerals for basic cellular function to happen. Now do not worry, your body has a lot of this in reserve, but I would recommend drinking water and water with trace minerals in it is a good idea as well. So the minimum effective fast is probably going without food from the Dinner the night before, skipping two full meals and then resume eating again at the next Dinner time.
I would recommend writing down thoughts in a journal, spending time in contemplation, prayer or meditation during the process. Try to clear your plate of any requirements and do not spend your time doing trigger events, like watching shows, sports, or any other lazy activity. Light jogging or walking is a good idea as well. Now I have discovered, over a process of time, that 72 hours is the ideal fast for me. That is 3 days without food, drinking plenty of foods. If you have become a caffeine addict, you may want to spend a few weeks reducing your caffeine consumption before attempting a fast. Caffeine headaches can be brutal, and consuming caffeine is not really fasting. However, if you absolutely cannot live without it, then find a way to consume caffeine that does not include sugar and limit your supply to something in the morning and nothing else.
72 hours, btw, is the duration that the average human will store glycogen in muscle tissue. After fasting for this long, your body will deplete this store and you will run out of temporary, quickly dissolved sources of energy. Your body will be forced to use reserves. The Ketosis fad right now is all about this, keeping your body in a constant state where it is burning fat as the primary energy source. The basic theory is that when you have the body in a fat optimized state (ketosis) then when it needs more, it will turn to fat. There have been studies that have shown that a person in this optimized state will burn fat and get energy from fat faster than a person whose primary energy source is digested sugar, or other quick sources of energy.
This length of time will cause the body to clean out, or detoxify. So I recommend staying at home and do not plan any long excursions. Frequent trips to the restroom are part of the process. I note that the better you get at this, the less that becomes an issue. However, first timers, beware. For me, 72 hours is a test, a crucible, and really causes your mind to focus on the core and critical things in life. It is definitely freedom from dependency on primal urges, and when you are done a single Brussel sprout will seem like divine manna from heaven.
Introduce food slowly, sticking with broth or something of that nature. Test foods in small quantities to feel how they effect you. I learned that spinach is not so good for me during one of my fasts. After 72 hours, I ate a bowl of spinach and about an hour later felt really sick. Turns out that spinach has a toxin in it that naturally occurs and my body does not like that too much. I can eat it, but in large quantities effects me negatively. Some foods, I have learned actually cause me to get a buzzed feeling, which is interesting. Sunflower seeds for example.
Anyway, that is my normal fasting period. Everyone will be different. I do not recommend long term fasts until you really study it out and have confidence in your medical condition.
Guy Reams
