Fasting: Body Cleansing or Starving Essay -- Health Religion Papers

Fasting: Body Cleansing or Starving The Purpose of Fasting Fasting is a body cleansing procedure during which food is restricted and only liquids are consumed. Strictly water fasts are the most brutal; herbal teas and juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables are consumed during a more liberal fast. Juice fasting is the preferred method amongst many doctors and European fasting clinics, perhaps because it is less harsh than other treatment plans. Today in the Western Hemisphere, many chronic health problems result from bad eating habits. There are a mix of people who are over-nourished, malnourished, or both. We eat chemically altered, high-fat toxic foods that do not provide a sufficient amount of essential vitamins and minerals to our bodies. Clogging of the eliminative systems with excess mucous is thought to sustain congestive diseases. Ineffective digestion and poor nourishment result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. A well-balanced diet can overcome this health crisis. A diet of raw foods and fluids helps cleanse the body, and fasting takes the cleansing a step further. Every fasting method, suited individually to a person’s needs, cleanses toxins from the person’s body. The nutrients in fresh juice provide energy and support to the body while stimulating the detoxification process by clearing waste from its systems. This detoxification process is an important corrective process in our nutritional cycle. We allow our body to breathe and naturally cleanse itself. (Haas) The Ancient Practice of Fasting The history of fasting goes back thousands of years. Many religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Eastern religions used and still use fasting as a healing process for spiritual purifica... ...an Anti-Aging Strategy- Is it Still Safe? Found at www.healthy.net/library/articles/chaitow/fasting.htm. Chaitow, L. Fasting, Mono-diets and Raw Food Days.Found at www.healthy.net/library/books/chaitow/chap13.htm. Haas, E. Fasting. Found at www.healthy.net/hwlibrarybooks/haas/detox/fasting.htm. Kernt, P. et al, ‘Fasting: the history, pathophysiology, and complications" Western Journal of Medicine (1982) 137:379-99 Kjeldsen-Kragh, J. et al, ‘Controlled trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet in Rheumatoid Arthritis’ Lancet (1991) 899-904. NaturalDoc: Fasting and Health Vacations. Found at www.naturaldoc.com/. Protein and Nitrogen Homeostasis. Found at http://medtstgo.ucdavis.edu/endo/lecture/metProNit.htm True, G.N. How Fasting Can Slow You Down. Found at www.netasia.net/users/truehealth/Fasting.htm.