Body, Soul, and Spirit: the Benefits of Fasting

There is ѕсiеntifiс rеѕеаrсh thаt proves intеrmittеnt fаѕting hаѕ mаnу health bеnеfitѕ.

Actually, there is a lot to discuss when it comes to good fasting behavior and why is it so good for our health.

How can you use the Pyramid of Fasting to lighten the load that each food is producing in your body?

What are the physical, spiritual, and mental benefits of Intermittent Fasting?

In this article I am going to explain to you the whole process of fasting and the benefits that come with it.

Here’s my take on the physical benefits of fasting, from the infographic:

• Experts advise using fasting as an anti-depressive cure⁷. You can replace depression medication with fasting. This not only will help you face the problems you have in life, but it will also improve memory and mood. New neurons will be born and they will make new, strengthened neural connections. In scientific terms, we call this higher level of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). 
• One study⁸ shows that intermittent fasting (IF) can help people with limited mental abilities. IF regimens can ameliorate and attenuate Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases and strokes⁹.
• Want more evidence? They even discovered that fasting can help in epilepsy treatment¹⁰, and reduce symptoms of ADHD¹¹.

Let me know in the comments your fasting experience.

When you fast, the cells switch from metabolizing glucose, or sugar, to burning fatty acids, or ketones:

After 12 hours of fasting you get into the low sugar mode.
Body uses fat as primary energy source.
Liver produces ketones from fatty acids. Ketones are the only fuel produced by your organism alone.
Now the brain and red blood cells use ketones for their energy.
Your body cleans itself through the entire process.

Your body uses three sources of energy: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Of these three, fat gives you double the energy. So, burning 10 grams of fat will give you twice as many calories as same amount of proteins or carbs. 
But fat is almost sugar neutral. 
Fat is the nutrient that has the least effect on blood sugar fluctuation over time:

The quickest way to gain fuel is to consume carbohydrates. Complex carbs, such as starches, need to be further broken-down during digestion.

Protein requires insulin for metabolism, as do carbohydrate and fat, but has minimal effects on blood glucose levels. 

All carbs are transformed into sugar, except from fibers. For this reason, white bread and white rice are high glycemic.

There are multiple types of fat:

Saturated fats are the most common. You found them in chicken meat, beef, lamb, and pork, and also in butter, milk, and cheese.
Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are both polyunsaturated fats. Their molecule contains more than one unsaturated carbon bond. Those oils are liquid at room temperature. Food with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids include fish, while some seeds and nuts are high in omega-6. You should strive to stick with the ideal omega-3/omega-6 ratio which is 1:1.
The most common source of monosaturated fat (omega-9) is avocado.

Abstinence from certain or all foods is what we call intermittent fasting. You can restrict your intake for a few hours up to a few days at a time and resume a normal diet later.

It's fashionable to say, "I am fasting," especially in today's world. Beyond its health and lifestyle benefits, intermittent fasting help you in other ways.

By having a dedicated time when you abstain from food, you strengthen your will. Unlike traditional diets, intermittent fasting is not about what you eat, but about when you (don't) eat.

The easy way to fast is to skip breakfast or lunch or dinner. Or you can start by doing this:

Finish your last meal at 6 P.M., so at 8 P.M. your body switches to "ready for bed" mode. The circadian rhythms for processing energy go down.

Now, at about 4:00-5:00 A.M, growth hormone, adrenaline etc. - all get pumped up. Early in the morning, you're basically activating yourself for the day.

This means, you are already ready and energized, so the need for food is only psychological. You can skip your hunger and have your first meal at 12 P.M.

Why does this matter?
By doing this you are following an 18/6 fasting protocol.
Doing such an intermittent fast means that you are eating within a 6-hour window and fasting for 18 hours. This is really a good thing for your physical and spiritual health.

More eating arrangements:
12:12 (Fast for 12 hours and eat within a 12-hour window) - the easiest type of intermittent fasting.
15:9 (Fast for 15 hours and eat within a 9-hour window).
16:8 (Fast for 16 hours and eat within a 8-hour window).

Also you can try OMAD (One Meal a Day) or 2MAD.

Now I want to hear from you:

What breaks your fast?

Water has almost no calories, so, it has little effect of your intake of energy. It takes only 15 minutes to be digested.
Water is the only thing permissible to eat when you fast and don’t want to break your fast. But tea (2Kcal) and coffee (2Kcal) are also safe to consume under some circumstances. Anything above 50 Kcal will also break your intermittent fasting.

As a rule of thumb, 1 day of dry fasting equals 3 days of water fasting. This is because if you do not stay hydrated then your body will alarm other mechanisms. Your organs need to work harder and so you gain more quickly the fasting result.

Minerals in water

Won’t I become nutrient deficient if I am water-fasting?

No. Pick the right type of water. It is called mineralized water. Or look for the water label. Water has all necessary minerals for your body: calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, copper, potassium, and others. Look for the water label to see adequate amounts contained.

Here I will give you a few tips on what therapeutic fasting is and who can practice it. First, one principle: Anything that is done wrong or without any recommendations from a specialist can be harmful for your health. This is also valid for fasting.

As Hippocrates said:

We can use fasting as a way of healing - and it works physically, psychically, and spiritually. There are numerous testimonies from people who healed through fasting. Listen to the Apostle who said: “Whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12, 10).

Therapeutic fasting process

As Dr. Michael Klaper said: everyone can do a three-day water fast at home. It’s a lovely reset.

But therapeutic fasting is not simple.

Below, we have tried to explain the process of a 40-day water-only fasting protocol:

From Day 3, your insulin level goes down and you start metabolizing fat tissues. Ketones come into the bloodstream and will suppress hunger.

On Day 4 the energy that's used to digest your food is freed up. This is why you feel light and energetic. A sensation of hunger pangs may come.

But why is so important not to start this journey alone? Because being in a supportive environment really helps a lot. Watch this video.

Somewhere in Day 4 to Day 10, you will feel the difference of having other people (even a dietician) who know about what you are doing. Just being together in the same spirit with someone else really helps.

A 40-day fasting protocol is not for everyone.
You might think you will starve to death. Some people would be better off with a different approach then long-term fasting.

No matter of what diseases you are suffering you can feel a change for the better. You can even start to get twinges of pain on and off. You learn that now, this moment, right now is the only one that matters...

Don't forget to thank God if you manage to arrive on Day 20. It is the middle of a journey of huge blessing for you, a source of healing. Again, do not go alone on it.

Be very careful to start the re-feeding process by eating food that is easily digested.

Many people used long-term water only fasting to heal from various sickness. Fasting: The Movie, a documentary, shows a woman healed of a never-ending headache. She went down to the True North Health Center. The pain had been reduced progressively. Finally, on Day 41, she had had a whole day without pain for the first time in 16 years.

After she had ended the 40-Day fasting protocol, she asked Dr. Goldhamer to continue. But it was too soon. She needed to rebuild her nutritional reserves.

Well, the length of the fast does matter. When fasting 40 days, it will take at least six months to rebuild your nutritional reserves.

She had tried all alternatives, everything that traditional western medicine had to offer. That's why her witness is important.

What’s the bottom line?

Prolonged fasting can be done safely at a fasting clinic.

Medically Supervised Fasting Clinics

If you live in the U.S., my advice is to call to one of the medically supervised fasting clinics available. On this map are a few, but their number is increasing.

Click on the specific center to find what supervised fasting facilities they offer:

Some of those centers requires a Non-Refundable Deposit: $260 to $500 per person. Many are offering services like daily doctor visits and consultations. Laboratory tests and evaluations are also included. You may be eligible to have some fees reimbursed by health insurance or Medicare.

TrueNorth Health Center is one of the popular fasting clinics in the U.S.. Single room prices vary from $149 to $369/night. Double rooms costs start at $139/night each with the most expensive being $219/night each.

Fasting Escape Retreat Center is offering educational programs. You have meals before and after the fast, and Internet access. Accommodation and medical supervision here will cost you $199/night (single) or $159/night (double)..

Dr. Cinque's Health Retreat Rates are from $130/day - private room and $120/day - shared room (must come together).

Balance for Life Retreats Florida slogan is Cleanse Your Mind Body & Spirit. Their offer includes Whole Foods Plant-Based Menu, Juice Cleansing and liquid-only fasting. Prices vary depending on the length of stay. 6 Nights Single of Water Fasting ~ $516/night.13 Nights Double of Water Fasting ~ $415/night.

For our friends living outside the U.S., here is a list of clinics from all over the world:

Buchinger Wilhelmi offers many therapy packages. The cheapest single room here costs 3.340 € for 10 days of fasting. Included are compulsory initial and final medical consultations and relaxation programs.

ASK A DOCTOR BEFORE COMBINING DRUGS & FASTING! It can be lethal.
Be very careful when taking insulin or metformin.

This chapter provides advice for a healthy lifestyle, backed up by ancient wisdom.

 

The Pyramid of Fasting

The Pyramid of Fasting provides guidance for your physical and psychic load when consuming different types of food.

The inspiration for the Pyramid of Fasting comes from Eastern Orthodoxy.

The Pyramid of Fasting describes the load that each food is producing in our body. At the universal level we include water.

The next level is Plant-Based Foods, except oil and wine. This includes grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and even honey. Not any kind of oil.
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

The tertiary level of the pyramid describes the situation when we add wine and oil to our meal.

The forth level is fish. Finally, comes dairy products and meat.

If you want to “lighten your physical load,” meat should be the first thing to go, or at least to be eaten in moderation.

What makes a healthy lifestyle?

There are many well-known factors:

First: Make sleep a priority.

Nowadays people are not getting enough hours of sleep, and those are of poor quality. As Arianna Huffington proves in her book: The Sleep Revolution, lack of sleep is like being drunk.

Second: Most people in big cities are missing good air quality. Try to open your windows every morning for 15 minutes and take a deep breath. Freshen up the indoor air and oxygenate your brain.

Again, drink enough water to stay hydrated.

Finally, practice sport daily:

How can I overcome addictions with fasting?

First, fasting is not a diet, it is a way of life. It is not so important what you eat, but how you eat. Start by abstaining from food during certain periods. If you do not snack every time, you are on the good path. Then slowly but surely try not to partake of meat and diary on Wednesdays and Fridays.
This is similar with 5:2 diet. If you do this you will be in communion with 200 million people who follow the Orthodox fasting rule.

This little step can help you with your addiction and to overcome bad habits. You can personalize even more your own fasting diet: if you are a chocolate eater, do one month of no-sugar fasting. You have the ability to improve your discipline.

What things are you doing wrong? Try to improve in those areas of your life. You can overcome your addiction, if you really want to. Porn addiction can be defeated (nofap). Quit smoking, give up sugar, and overcome bad habits.

How to break the bad habits?

Below is my improved version of the progressive extremism technique step by step:

1. Pick something that you know you want to stop. Eating, in this case, if food is the behavior we're trying to change. The criterion is to pick something that you can give up without too much trouble.
2. Set specific time and space when it is valid. For example: You must be at home (=space) between 6 P.M. and 12 P.M. (=18:6 intermittent fasting).
3. Give it up for the rest of your life when you meet conditions from step 2. Example: when you are at home you will never eat from 6 P.M. to 12 P.M. (18:6).

I tried specific progressive extremism and even I was surprised how easy it was to stick to the hours.

Want to know how to stop overeating? First, you can give to the poor what remains over. Second, try to stop eating while still hungry - before your last or penultimate sip. Think of this: you are full and want more... Then repeat in your mind: finish, finish, finish!

Third: Slow down and enjoy your food! It takes about 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. So, chew, chew, and chew some more. Count to 30-40-50-60 bites if you need to. Practice chewing until your jaw is tired³⁸.

”Drink your food and chew your water” - Ancient Chinese Taoism proverb. This means chew your food in mouth until it becomes liquid. You can incorporate as much of your saliva with your food to mix the amylase and to begin the process of digestion.

When you do drink water chew that as well to clean your mouth before you swallow.

Do not focus on what you eat, but on how you eat. Leave the table feeling good in your soul, even if all you ate was a baloney sandwich!

Eat at a table, without distractions like the television. Savor a meal, pay attention to tastes and textures, and appreciate each mindful bite.

What are the benefits of eating slowly?

1. It gives your body time to recognize that you are full³⁹.
2. Helps you eat less⁴⁰⁴¹.
3. The more you masticate, the more you expose food to the anti-bacterial enzyme (lysozyme)⁴².
4. Saliva, which is alkaline may help neutralize any acid that refluxes from the stomach⁴³.
5. It helps to lubricate the food, allowing for less stress on your esophagus⁴⁴.
6. Decreases the risk of food poisoning.
7. It can encourage good oral health.

The best way to quit addiction is prevention.

Fasting is for those who have courage and vision of mind. And it helps also in marriage. It is like a castle for couples and like a brilliant ornament for woman, because a husband lives in harmony with his wife when he sees her fasting. A wife doesn't fall apart with jealousy and happily accepts the husband she sees fasting.((St. Basil the Great’s First Homily on Fasting))

Fasting fits very well at all ages.

Children who fast have fewer weight-related health and medical problems. There is a lot of info out there about how can kids do intermittent fasting. It is a great instrument to find the root cause of why of all their problems occur. I encourage children over the age of 7 to begin fasting.

Fasting is an instructor of youth, because it teaches discipline. It helps to gain control of those things that are indeed within our control but that we so often allow to control us.

Fasting is an adornment for the old. The benefits of fasting apply to elderly persons that take part in it.

For every 1g of carbs, you hold 3.7 - 4g of water

We do not recommend skipping bread completely.
Why does this matter?

Because two slices of whole, homemade (real) bread/day has many benefits for your brain.

What are you losing when not eating bread? Mineral salts. Calcium, magnesium, potassium. Chlorine, sulfur, silicon, zinc, manganese, cobalt, copper, iodine, arsenic, phosphorus. Amidon. Vitamins: A, B, E, K, D, PP. Ferments, diastases, antioxidants, vegetable pigments, phytohormones, glycosides, alkaloids, tannins.

Spirulina & Chlorella Provide More Protein than Red Meat

There is no vitamin or protein that you find in meat which cannot be found in natural, herbal sources.
You might be wondering:

How to completely replace meat in your diet, without missing proteins? You can add one teaspoon of spirulina and/or chlorella to each meal. This will give you four grams of protein per teaspoon. Both spirulina and chlorella contain all of the essential amino acids you need.

But here’s the kicker:

Chlorella bio is the best vegan B12 source.
This vitamin is almost only present in animal foods. Algae are the building block of a genuine vegan B12 supply.
We recommend powder over tablets. Always buy bio/organic chlorella.

ORGANIC ON A BUDGET

Fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues. Organic label matters most for:

Apple Strawberry Grape Celery Peach

Spinach Bell-pepper Nectarine Cucumber Cherry-tomato

Snap-pea Potato Hot-pepper Blueberry Lettuce

Fruits and vegetables with the lowest pesticide residues.
Safe not to buy organic:

Avocado Pineapple Cabbage Sweet-pea Onion

Asparagus Mango Kiwi Eggplant Grapefruit

Cantaloupe Cauliflower Sweet-potato Melon Watermelon

All foods have a pH value and are either acid-forming, alkaline-forming or have neutral pH. ((The ultimate acid-alkaline food and drink chart))

Here are 5 psychological benefits of fasting. That includes also mental benefits. And they’re backed by science.

• Fasting heightens the enjoyment of foods.
• You understand that food is fuel.
• You have more free time by spending less time eating.
• A meal is more gratifying after a fast.
• Water-fasting for 16 hours before deplaning prevents jet lag⁴⁵.

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting

• Strengthens willpower, helping to achieve your goals
• Helps with self-discipline
• Cools anger
• Great control over your thoughts
• Tempers the body’s sexual impulses
• Helps with building of confidence
• Frees from passions, lust, vanity, lies, envy, pride, and hypocrisy
• Nourishes the soul, feeds the mind
• Destroys a guilty conscience
• Repels temptation
• Calms the senses
• The heart is humbled

Intermittent fasting is not just a proven way to heal from various illnesses but also a great way to be a better person, both physically and spiritually. Receive fasting into your home as a habit. You can observe Lent.

Another aspect about fasting is that it is compulsory when it comes to blood tests. You want your blood test to look good, so make sure that you are not influencing your results. Have at least eight hours of fasting before your blood test. Do not exercise and do not drink coffee, chew gum, or anything like that.

Now I’d like to hear from you:

What you think about fasting, and how good is or was for you?

Or maybe you have unanswered questions.

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below.

 

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