3 Day Fast: The Facts About Fasting and Its Effectiveness as a Weight Loss Method

A three-day fast means abstaining from food for a period of three days. Fasting has traditionally been done for emotional and physical benefits. Many religious sects incorporate periods of fasting into their spirituality, while some health experts consider fasting to be therapeutic for the body. Fasting is considered ineffective as a weight loss aid, as any weight lost will be regained when the fast is over.

Facts on Fasting:

People who are in good health should be able to tolerate a 1 to 3 day fast fairly well.

Pregnant and lactating women; people with cancer, diabetes, gout, hypoglycemia, stomach ulcers, liver, kidney or lung disease; or anyone with a compromised immune system should not fast.

During a true fast, only water is consumed. Modified fasts (in which fruit or vegetable juices and herbal teas are consumed) are easier on the body than water-only fasts.

Fasting should be preceded by a two-day period of getting plenty of rest and eating only raw foods.

What to Do During a Fast:

Keep activity to a bare minimum, keep warm, and don't drink iced drinks.

Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water a day. Drink steam-distilled water to help pull toxins from your body as well as to curb your appetite.

Don't drink orange or tomato juice. Dilute other juices (lemon, cabbage, beet, carrot, celery, grape, apple and leafy green vegetable) with steam distilled water.

Benefits of Fasting:

According to Dr. Len Horowitz and Dr. Valerie Saxion, "It is a scientific fact that by fasting three days a month, you heal faster and can extend your life several years. A three day fast helps rid the body of toxins."

Advocates claim that fasting reverses the aging process, alleviates food allergies and rebuilds the immune system. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headache, skin diseases, colds and flu, colon disorders, allergies, obesity and respiratory diseases may also respond to fasting.

Risks of Fasting:

Many people experience weakness, nausea, headaches and depression during a fast. Fasting is considered unsafe by critics because it depletes the body of important nutrients, essential minerals and energy.

Few scientific studies have been done to support the health claims of fasting, and the release of toxins during a fast is yet to be proven. As a weight loss aid, fasting is completely ineffective.

http://www.evitamins.com/healthnotes.asp?ContentID=1066008
http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/HealingTechniques/fasting1.htm
http://www.lightstreamers.com/Horowitz/Article-fasting.html