Water Fasting - A Good Thing Or Not?

I used to believe that regular water fasting was a very healthful practice. In fact I went on two ten day water fasts so that I could improve my health and balance my hormones and my weight.

Well just like any other 'quick fix' option, it appeared to work in the short term, but certainly did me no favors in the long term.

I found both fasts to be incredibly difficult to complete, I was extremely ill with nausea and severe acid reflux during both fasts. I also suffered with vomiting early in the fasts.

I lost a fair bit of weight with each water fast and was encouraged to think, by what I read, that I would be able to keep it off. This wasn't the case.

The weight started to come back immediately as I started eating again

I broke both fasts correctly eating half an orange every two hours on the first day, a little more orange every four hours on the second day, three mono juicy fruit meals on the third day and adding some salad instead of fruit for the evening meal on the fourth day.

In spite of this, the weight came back with a vengeance. Each day the scale crept up a few pounds. Sure, this was the water weight coming back on, but it showed that what I had lost was almost ALL water weight, as it came back on so fast.

My skin did look great and glowing, but I could certainly have achieved that from a few days of mono dieting.

While I broke my fasts correctly and ate well for the first few days, I struggled with intense cravings and a feeling of insatiable hunger.

So it was only a matter of time before I tucked into cooked vegan foods like there was no tomorrow, and the guilt, stress and disordered emotions that followed as I packed on more weight than I had carried pre-fast, I would not wish on anyone.

I also suffered such fatigue post fast that I could barely walk up a hill, so vigorous exercise was out of the question.

When I had fully recovered, roughly three weeks after my second fast, I began exercising vigorously again and began the slow road to getting rid of the excess fat that had been gained as a result of my lowered metabolic rate and the bingeing after my water fasts.

Nevertheless, I didn't doubt that water fasting was a good thing to do. Almost every advocate for natural health believes that regular fasting is the most natural, the most restorative, the most healthful thing you can do. In spite of my experiences, I still believed it must have been worth it, my body must have done some amazing internal cleansing, and I must be much healthier than before.

These days I think differently. I read a wonderful article written by Michelle Aslan of Frugivore Lifestyle. Her article: Fasting: A Dangerous Game contains her highly unique perspective on water fasting. I strongly encourage you to read this.

Michelle considers fasting to be exerting the ego over the body. She considers it to be a quick fix solution no different from pills or surgery, and one that has ramifications on a physical and emotional level that can effect you for years.

Considering that the bodies demands for food on a fast are extremely powerful, it is definitely a case of ego over body when you decide to deny yourself food.

Fasting Has Been Called 'Nature's Surgery' and just like any surgery, it may be highly necessary under certain conditions

Just like any kind of surgery, fasting should not be undertaken lightly. There are many stories of miracles that occur during fasting, where very serious, life threatening illnesses are completely healed.

However, these stories come from fasting clinics where people fast under the supervision of skilled fasting practitioners. Dr Douglas Graham has a fasting retreat and, if I was ever diagnosed with a serious illness, I would certainly consider an extended fast under his guidance. However, I would have to have a serious health condition before I would consider fasting again.

In the natural health movement however, it seems almost everyone is going on fasts left right and center, because they want to 'cleanse', because they ate a heavy meal last night and feel bad about it, or because they want to lose some weight. This cycle of fasting just leads to more disorder, and the creation of more of the conditions that led them to fast in the first place.

There are no quick fixes when it comes to achieving a healthy body. A low fat raw vegan diet with plenty of rest, sunshine and exercise on on ongoing basis will provide you with abundant health and ideal weight - but this is not something that can be rushed.