Think Fasting

Hello Tommy,
My name is Eric I am very aware of the benefits of fasting, I have completed a 40 day water fast in 2006 at a fasting center in Koh Samui, Thailand. I was totally out of shape when I arrived, I ended up losing 73 pounds in those 40 days, and started eating better, after 6 months I had only put 16 pounds back on. Some people will come on here and say what I was doing was starving myself, however it was quite different, I did it for spiritual reasons, and I had plenty of fat reserves, each pound of body fat is worth about 3500 calories, and you do not enter a state of starvation until your reserves are depleted. remarkably I had bowel movements all the way up to the 40th day. I realize that 40 days is quite extreme, and not recommended for most people, but I have found that the first 48 hours are the toughest, it is usually not until after about the 3rd full day that your hunger goes away, which is how long it takes the body to stop seeking the sugars, and starts metabolizing the fat as Ketone, which the body uses exactly the same way as sugar for energy. I don't recommend doing a long fast for weight loss, but if you are interested in detoxing the body it is the way to go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia

Wow, Rosa. I don't want to blatantly offend you;
but I would recommend you polish your research
skills.
Wikipedia is a very credible source, especially in
detailed pages such as the "fasting" page.
It clearly states that the topic needs more credible
references--
but that statement was posted in June of 2008.
Based on the vast, detailed and excellently
cited information there (no fewer than 41 references
from medical studies, books and various written
accounts), you should well-believe Wiki's "fasting"
page presents very credible information. In fact,
I would surmise that page has been so developed
and scrutinized over the last 24 months, the statement
about credible references simply needs to be removed.
Maybe I'll do that this afternoon.
I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks Tommy-- But Wikipedia is not a credible source, especially when it clearly states that that particular topic needs more credible references.

I appreciate your effort to explain fasting and its benefits but I won't waste your time...once a week is just one too many times to fast for me.

Here is the seminal work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting
As I indicated, there are doctors going
opposite directions; but the bulk of
the research seems to point to fasting
being very good for you.
I direct readers to "References" 2 thru 7,
with #7 being especially informative
for Rosa.

Opinions from doctors vary to the degree of opposites. Two prestigious doctors could give you diametrically opposing opinions regarding fasting-- which one are you going to follow ?
In 2002, three EXCELLENT MEDICAL DOCTORS from John Hopkins University (one of the very best hospitals in the world) suddenly died. All three doctors were young and very, very healthy. Their names were Frederick J. Montz, David A. Nagey, and Jeffrey A. Williams. If they didn't know how to take care of themselves, how might their opinions have affected those seeking their authoritative knowledge ?
I hope you will do your research; but I doubt you will. Your opinion seems die-cast. You're young and healthy, and feel bulletproof. Like Susan, perhaps you see your diet and lifestyle as your impenetrable defense. But what have you eaten ? Fish with mercury ? Vegetables with pesticides and fertilizers ? Chicken with hormones ? Grains with mouse droppings ? Doritos with MSG ? Coffee ? There's always something to scrape, eh ? Even your circulatory system needs a periodic cleanse.
Fasting is older than history. Just because you CAN eat three squares a day doesn't mean you always SHOULD, year after year.

Like Susan, I'm not sure how I feel about fasting. 24 hours or not, it sure affects the metabolism and a lot of people who have fasted intentionally have most likely done it to lose weight for a wedding. I would have to extensively research the benefits of fasting in order for someone to actually get me to do this.

For someone who naturally tries to eat healthy and stay regular, I don't see the need for it. For someone who is a bad eater and possibly overweight, this could turn into an experiment gone bad and end up as an eating disorder because they will read this and think (It's good for me, I'll fast once a week) then spiral from there...

I'm interested to know if you are a doctor? Fasting once a week by no means sounds like something that can be good for someone to practice.

When I water fast this way
things come out that didn't before.
I assume those things were stuck.
I see the dirt leave, and feel clean.
This is only my personal experience.

Thanks, Susan.

I would say most people don't eat like you.
So for those who may or may not have
"several pounds of undigested food in their
bodies," a water fast with vegetable wadding
is just what they need (IMHO).