Animals intuitively know to refrain from food when they are sick. But sometimes we miss the obvious, that our food decisions dramatically impact our health. As Hippocrates said,
“Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness.”
—Hippocrates, M.D., 460–377 BC, Father of Western Medicine
Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough study described as “remarkable”.
Starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection.
It could help the elderly whose immune system becomes less effective as they age, making it harder for them to fight off even common diseases.
It gives the ‘OK’ for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system,” said Prof Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and the Biological Sciences at the University of California.
“And the good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting.
“Now, if you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or ageing, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system.”
Prolonged fasting forces the body to use stores of glucose and fat but also breaks down a significant portion of white blood cells.
During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells.
In trials humans were asked to regularly fast between two and four days over a six-month period.
Scientists found that prolonged fasting also reduced the enzyme PKA, which is linked to ageing and a hormone which increases cancer risk and tumor growth.
“We could not predict that prolonged fasting would have such a remarkable effect in promoting stem cell-based regeneration of the hematopoietic system,” added Prof Longo.
The researchers say fasting “flips a regenerative switch” which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system.
A water fast is where one abstains from food for multiple days in a row, is suited for someone with chronic ailments or illness. Water fasting is certainly not a new concept or some type of ‘fad’ diet. Almost all the great spiritual leaders including Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed and Gandhi practiced fasting.
Water fasting means water only. No food. No juice. No vitamin supplements. Starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection.
If someone is extremely toxic from a typical Standard American Diet and they have never done any type of detox before, then they are NOT a safe candidate for water fasting. They would need to do a lot of gentle cleansing first, build up their mineral and vitamin reserve and ensure an alkaline pH at the very least. Juice fasting would be a better option for a slower, gentler detox.
Intermittent fasting is ideal for those looking to loose weight and improve overall health. Intermittent fasting a form of fasting that involves shortening the time during the day that you’re physically eating food, specifically protein and carbohydrate-containing foods. By limiting the time frame in which you’re consuming foods, you’re essentially limiting the time you engage the digestive system.
The digestive system uses most of the body’s energy. When you stop eating that energy goes to cleansing and healing the body.
Intermittent fasting can support weight loss efforts, and energy levels. It improves blood lipid profiles (that is, your LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol), triglycerides levels, chronic infectious states, digestive disorders, and so much more.
A juice fast is a great way to de-stress your digestive system, detox and saturate your body with condensed nutrients. Organic home-made extracts contain all the living enzymes for cell energy, the anti-oxidants to fight cancer, the compounds to detoxify your body, and all the minerals and vitamins to build you into the vibrant, healthy person you want to be. The answer to just about every disease and ailment known to man.
Juice fasting is great for de-stressing and cleaning the digestive system. It is good for weight loss, reducing the appetite and during times of illness. It is a good short term fast to saturate your cells with nutrients and alkalize the body.
How Long Should I Fast? Fasting could mean skipping two meals a day to a few days, weeks or longer. A supervised medical fast could last for months. The length of time you fast is determined by your reason for fasting, your health and what you are trying to accomplish.
In the above study 3 days (72 hours) is what produced the amazing results of regenerating the immune system.
Cleansing Reactions When you fast, you are directing the body to takes it’s energy inward. It can then start cleansing and healing itself. There are many different cleansing reactions that can occur during a fast as the body releases toxins into the blood.
Headaches
- During a cleanse, your body is probably experiencing some form of mild withdrawal. It could be caffeine deprivation, lack of sugar, cigarette withdrawal or something else, but one of the first signs of withdrawal is a headache. Don’t despair; the headache will pass, and if you stick with it, so will your addiction.
- Headaches that occur during fasting can be caused by stagnant intestines. In this case, enemas are a speedy recovery. I recommend a daily water or coffee enema or colonic during the cleanse to help the body minimize cleansing reactions.
Fatigue
- Although cleanses are designed to increase energy in the long run, fatigue is a common side effect of cleansing. If you’re doing a juice or water fast, your body is being deprived of vitamins and minerals that it needs to function. A little deprivation won’t kill you, but withholding essential nutrients for a long time will have a negative effect on your body. During a juice fast, try adding some spirulina powder (made from algae) to your juices. It’s full of protein that will help prevent fatigue or weakness.
Urination
- Increased urination is absolutely nothing to worry about. On a typical cleanse, you’ll be drinking water and juices constantly, to clean out your body and keep yourself from fainting. Obviously, your trips to the bathroom will be frequent. Just make sure that your schedule is accommodating.
Intense Hunger
- This side-effect is common during the first few days of a cleanse that eliminates solid food. Drink fruit or vegetable juices fortified with spirulina to help tone down the hunger.
Nausea
- Feeling sick is another common effect of withdrawal. It is especially likely if you are addicted to caffeine or cigarettes. In addition, you may experience nausea at the end of a cleanse, if you reintroduce solid foods into your diet too quickly.
Resting, saunas, massages and dry skin brushing also helps during a fast. It’s good to be in an environment where the body can have some exposure to sunlight and fresh air every day. Being close to nature is best.
The path to good health is so simple. Trust that the body knows how to heal and repair itself. Feed it well, think positive thoughts, bring love into your heart, and cleanse and detoxify your body and you will begin to feel a superior state of health and well-being that you never even knew existed!
Not Everyone Can Fast On Their Own Not everyone should fast. Listen to your intuition as you consider short, medium, or long fasts. Those who are nutritionally deprived, experiencing severe physical debilitation, diabetics and those on medications should work with a qualified health practitioner to guide and monitor them during any kind of fast.
You have the power to heal yourself, it is your birthright. And it is my mission to help you learn the many ways available to you.