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Fasting is anti-aging because it rids your body of toxins, which impair your longevity health. In addition, it helps to control your weight, which is often an aging factor.

Fasting is the most efficient and effective way of detoxification.

What is fasting?

Fasting is voluntary abstinence from food and drink, except water, for an extended period.

Fasting is not starvation which is abstinence continued beyond your body’s nutrient reserves. In other words, starvation may exhaust your body’s stored nutrients to the point of presenting health hazards, while fasting is still "consuming" the nutrient reserves stored in your body. There is a big difference.

Fasting has many therapeutic benefits. Fasting accelerates the self-healing process of your body, thereby enabling your body to recover speedily from any disease. Fasting temporarily stops the continuing work of your digestive system, instrumental in reserving energy for your self-healing. Your body may now utilize the energy for self-healing, which otherwise normally might be expended on secreting digestive enzymes to break down the food for distribution of nutrients throughout your body.

Fasting slows down your aging process by keeping your arteries young (often hardened by cholesterol, fats, inorganic minerals and fibrous tissues). Fasting facilitates the removal of accumulated substances that may damage cell functions, thereby slowing down your aging process and extending your lifespan.

Fasting may alleviate your body pain and rid your body of drug dependence. Remember, longevity is often a drug-free life.

Fasting relieves the burden of not only your digestive tract, but also your liver and kidneys, which have to work extra hard to remove additives and toxins accumulated in your body through improper eating.

Fasting produces powerful detoxifying effects in your body not achievable by any diet, restricted or supplemented.

Fasting decreases your blood pressure by softening your blood vessels.

Fasting activates the immune system in your body.

Fasting removes the cause of any chronic disease you may have by removing the toxins, not just the symptoms, as in the case of medication.

Fasting facilitates you, if you are a smoker, to quit smoking during a fast.

Essentially, there is only one type of fasting: pure water fasting. Juice fasting is not fasting: it is not anti-inflammatory; only pure water fasting is. Vegetable or fruit fasting is not fasting: it is more of a healthful diet. Only pure water fasting is complete and total fasting, which has the capability to break down fat, abnormal cells, plaque, and even tumors. Pure water fasting is the most efficient natural method of detoxification.

How safe is fasting?

Fasting is both natural and safe. Your body system has the capability to fast, and your body has the ability to fast safely. Generally, it takes more than forty days to exhaust all the nutrients stored in your body. That is why in the Bible Jesus fasted for forty days. In general, your body will still have more than adequate reserves of proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins to maintain its normal function during a fast. In fact, during a fast, your body conserves its muscle and lean body tissues.

For centuries, people have practiced fasting all over the world.

Animals instinctively fast when they are sick or wounded. However, humans in similar situations erroneously believe they need to eat to regain strength, thus making them even sicker and weaker.

To prepare for a fast, eat more vegetables and fruits prior to a fast. Reduce the consumption of meat, and refrain from eating any meat the day before a fast.

During a fast, your body naturally increases mucous production to wash away viruses and infected cells. It may even induce a slight fever to activate your immune system. Your body discharges toxins and chemicals through your skin, mucous membranes, liver, and kidneys. Due to hormonal and metabolic changes, you may feel slightly colder. That is natural and normal. Just keep warm to conserve your energy and to facilitate rapid elimination. One common phenomenon is dehydration through excessive loss of water. Drinking more water is recommended during a fast.

You no longer have any bowel movement after the first day. That, too, is normal.

During a fast, you need less sleep than usual. You are fully refreshed with from three to six hours of sleep. A fast is invigorating.

Remember, the more you fast, the less uncomfortable you will feel. Normal functioning of the body will resume upon removal of all causes of functional impairment.

On the first day, you feel pangs of hunger, and a white coating forms on your tongue. On the second day, you begin to feel gradual dissipation of hunger, and there is more white coating on your tongue. On the third day, you may feel complete disappearance of hunger and the clearance of coating on your tongue.

The first three days of a fast are most challenging. However, once the challenge is overcome, you are well on the way to rejuvenation of your entire body. A clear tongue and clean breath are a good indication that the cleansing is more or less complete.

The length of a fast depends very much on an individual. The following is just a general guideline: a one-day fast, as often as required, preferably weekly, for good maintenance; a three-to-four-day fast for general health and well being, several times a year; a two-week fast for complete internal cleansing, every year or so; and a three-week fast (or even longer) for curing a specific disease, under the supervision of a physician

Always consult your physician first if you go on a fast longer than three to four days. Stop the fast immediately if there is significant increase in physical weakness, or drastic drop in blood pressure.

A one-day fast is ideal for maintenance, but may not be too effective for deep cleansing. Regular fasting minimizes the risk of a disabling disease later in life, and is therefore anti-aging..

Copyright (c) 2007 Stephen Lau

About The Author
Stephen Lau, a writer and researcher, has spent years in writing research synopses of doctors and scientists in the United States. For more information on health and wellness, visit: http://www.longevityforyou.com . Mr. Lau has also designed a website on golf tips and information. For more information, go to: http://www.golfingsuccessinfo.com

Many persons kick off a diet or fasting program with huge motivation and determination and, indeed, lose large amounts of weight. But, unfortunately, many end up gaining it all back because they have not addressed the psychological aspect of fitness, weight loss and health.

In this article, we will discuss "How Our Brains Work," specifically as it relates to keeping the weight off for good through re-programming subconscious belief systems. This way the mind supports begins to support your progress rather than sabotage it.

As I have said in other articles, most diets do not produce long-lasting results because they are often seen as temporary rather than permanent changes in lifestyle and eating habits. The key phrase here is "permanent change." That is what this article aims to help you accomplish.

I spent years in that see-saw of losing weight, gaining weight, losing weight, gaining it back; ad infinitum. Let me tell you, being trapped in this type of vicious cycle - as the years go by and by and by - is extremely crushing and disheartening. It affects the individual physically, mentally and emotionally to the point of hopelessness and total despair.

That is why, after so much trial and failure, I have concluded that my thinking is by far one of the most important elements to successful weight loss. All the fasting in the world will not produce enduring results if my thinking and self-image remain based on negativity and defeatist belief systems.

Beyond Positive Thought

Positive thought is far from being a new concept. Nor is imagining or visualization. A movie came out recently called The Secret which talked in-depth about this process. It is very interesting and offers good information and motivation.

In short, the premise is that keeping a sharp mental image of what you wish to accomplish can in fact attract the desired result into your life. Now believe me, I am not one to simply bring up a nice little tool I learned and offer it as a frothy solution or panacea.

What we will be looking at here is a combination of techniques that saved me from 15 years of obesity, suicidal behavior, self-loathing and total hopelessness and isolation. So we will dabble into a variety of topics and issues so that, you too, can effect powerful changes in your life as they relate to food, eating, as well as physical and emotional health!

Visualization is one of those tools that, through consistent and stubborn practice, have helped me to break very destructive thinking patterns. For example, take some time and visualize yourself in that particular dress or pant size you want to get into.

Spend some time daily perfecting this mental image - preferably at night before going to bed. One technique that worked very nicely was to put-up pictures around the house of myself when I was younger and thinner.

Magazine Decapitation

Other times I would browse through magazines and cut out pictures of sleek and fit male bodies. I then cut out my head from some other picture in my family album and paste it to the fit body image from the magazine. He, He. This actually is very powerful.

I was a chronic food relapser, and just looking at my face in the thin body from the magazine kept me from binging on many occasions. Try it! Paste the pictures in locations such as, the bathroom mirror, the nightstand or desk right next to your bed ( so it is the last thing you see at night and the first image you intake upon awakening), and - of course, the refrigerator door.

Every morning when you get up look at the photos and tell yourself: "This is me. This is how I want to look physically. I can do this." Build a collage of fit persons taking part in a variety of athletic and recreational activities. Then stick your head into the bodies!

Self Talk

One book that made a huge impact on my life was Shad Helmstetter’s "What To Say When You Talk To Yourself."
It taught me that I actually have the ability to re-program my subconscious mind and give it direct and to-the-point instructions to support the changes I want to make in my life. I must admit that at first I thought this to be very silly. I am a born skeptic. But pain eventually made me humble and I became willing to try it with an open mind. The results were life-changing.

This is what you can do: *Go to the pharmacy and purchase a package of flashcards. *Fill at least 20 of them with positive affirmations about your weight, health and image. *Write in the present tense so that your mind absorbs the statement as a done deal and not a pie-in-the-sky wish distant in the future.

Here are some examples:

*It is now always easy for me to control my appetite at all times. *It is now always easy for me to say no to _____. (fill it in with your specific trigger foods). Mine was pizza and donuts. Oh, gosh! He-He. *I now lose weight easily and effortlessly at all times. *I now always have supernatural will power to achieve all of my goals at all times. *It is now always easy for me to keep the weight off and I always and easily resist all temptation.

Evaluate the different areas of your life that you wish to change, and form statements directly related to them. These can include self-esteem, spirituality, lifestyle etc… for example:

*I now and always feel great about who I am and am constantly filled with intoxicating passion for life at all times. (Self-Esteem) *I always receive powerful spiritual guidance and discernment to overcome all problems at all times. (Spiritual) *I always am filled with energy and motivation to live and love to be outdoors and active at all times. *It is now easy for me to talk to others and I always feel great about myself in every situation.

You can, of course, add your own. . Once you have them ready, pull them out in the morning in a quiet place and read them to yourself out loud. Allow each word to enter into your mind and imagine the message penetrating into the center of your soul. If you receive negative feedback like: "Yeah, right! Poppycock!" just let the thought pass and continue.

The mind must eventually adhere to the directions you give it! If you practice a specific religion, end the session with the prayer of your choice and whatever other inspirational reading you are accustomed to reading. Repeat the process during the day when the mind starts to fill you with opposing thoughts. Culminate the day by doing a final reading immediately before going to bed. Make sure that the very last message your brain receives is a positive one.

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

The point I am trying to make in this article is: Do not start fasting or dieting and go through all of the detox and hunger pains, yet allowing the mind to just sit idly. In other words, dieting and/or fasting while continuing to feed your mind with negativity will lead you back to where you started which is: weight gain.

Make sure that, while fasting and/or dieting, you also are fasting from negativity and giving your mind a constant feeding of powerful thoughts that go against whatever mental blockages you find have always led you to gain all the weight back.

In psychology, the "Bombshell Theory" says that If nothing changes, nothing changes. So the message I want to drive to you with all the force I can muster is that: You can fast for 100 days and emerge clean, thin and feeling great.

But if there are no inner changes in the way you think and believe, then it is very likely that the mind will sabotage your progress and take you back to where you started, or worse. Please, dear reader, do not take this message lightly. If you were anything like me, then you are reading this article because you have health and fitness goals that are important to you.

I learned many years ago that "Freedom Carries Sacrifice." Fasting and a proper diet are huge parts of the process. But to maintain the freedom gained through these positive changes, it is imperative to directly and forcefully address those internal voices that attempt to destroy your dreams.

Robert Dave Johnston is editor and webmaster of Fitness Through Fasting.com - where you will find a growing number of fasting-related articles and topics to assist you achieve your weight loss, detoxification and health-improvement goals through juice and water fasting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Dave_Johnston

Hunger exists to keep us alive, but it also can morph into a destructive force that could lead us to deforming obesity and even an early grave.

One question people who are interested in fasting and weight loss always ask me is whether or not appetite suppressants work. This has led me to research much on hunger and weight loss. The question is: How can I master hunger and not gain back all the weight I lose through fasting and dieting?

Some of my findings are outlined in this article and I hope it will give you hope and motivation to follow your goals and never give up.

Not a Panacea

Appetite suppressants can be "somewhat" helpful when fasting - but from experience I can tell you that they are NOT a panacea or fix all to the natural hunger pains when fasting or dieting. The only one that I would feel comfortable recommending is Hoodia because it is made from a plant. I would suggest that you use Hoodia, but NOT any other product that has chemicals of any kind or even caffeine - or other stimulant.

Powdered Hoodia has been the one that has helped me the most by "calming" the hunger. You can go online and Google "powdered Hoodia" and you will find an ample selection to choose from. What I do is put a tablespoon of the Hoodia in a cup — usually in the afternoon — and mix it with some water and a squeeze of lemon.

It tastes quite bad, but this approach is the one that I have found produces the best appetite suppression. I also use decaffeinated green tea and seltzer water with lemon to calm hunger. This combination has carried me through 7,14,21,30 and even 40 and 60-day water and juice fasts. It works like a charm. Something about the hot liquid hitting my belly, the Hoodia, and then the effervescence of the seltzer.

Hunger Flagellation?

Do not look at the hunger pains you go through when fasting and dieting as a punishment, or even as a torture to be endured (even though it certainly can feel that way). Instead, welcome the hunger pains as the clear and indivisible sign that your body is working overtime to overcome the very toxicity that you want to get rid of.

The toxicity - or the worst of it at least - hides in between your fat cells. So the only way for the body to deep clean itself is to dig into these cells. The process actually releases these toxins directly into your bloodstream, which in turn can cause pretty violent hunger pains, as well as headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, diarrhea and fever.

These symptoms - as well as the hunger pains - usually go away completely between the fifth and tenth day of water fasting. From then on, many persons feel as if they could go on fasting indefinitely. Confront your hunger face-to-face and realize that this very hunger is the one that will lead you back to your old ways if you do not learn to master it.

A Demanding Child

Many persons feel that it is bad to feel hunger and that any sign of it has to be addressed immediately. Learn to ignore it. Learn to live with it. Now please, I am not saying here that you should starve yourself in an anorexic way. What I am saying is that the belly can be like a demanding child who insists on getting what he wants, when he wants it or else it throws a tantrum.

Discipline it and you find freedom. Try to constantly suppress it and sooner or later it will blindside you and lead you back to where you started. The fasting and dieting process, especially when you are new, is one that can take months and even years. In my case, I fasted on and off for an entire year.

I would fast for 21 days, eat for about two weeks, then fast for another month, eat for 14 days, fast another month etc. IT is about forming life-long "discipline muscles" that will allow you to assume control of your stomach, instead of the other way around. Many persons fast once, break the fast, and within a short period gain all the weight back, and then some.

Toe-to-Toe

The only way to keep that from happening is by facing the hunger directly and becoming "comfortable" with it, to the point where appetite suppressant, or no appetite suppressant, you have the ability to choose what you are going to put in my body.

The real "breakthrough" is mastering hunger in the long-term and being able to say NO - regardless of how hard and loud my stomach yelled for that particular food that I know harms me. This is true freedom, and it is my sincere desire that you find it and experience health and wellness in every area of your life!

At Fitness Through Fasting.com - you will find a growing number of fasting-related articles and topics to assist you achieve your weight loss, detoxification and health-improvement goals through juice and water fasting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Dave_Johnston