Benefits and Risks of Fasting

Fasting and Weight Loss

For thousands of years, people have relied on fasting to lose weight, as well as to remove harmful toxins from their bodies. Fasting is the process of not eating solid foods and can be performed for various lengths of time to achieve a desired result. The two main types of fasting are juice fasting and water fasting.

Juice fasting involves eating no solid food and only drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices. This type of fast is the most common, as it allows the person undertaking the fast to still receive nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It is recommended to use only natural, fresh vegetable and fruit juices to complete a juice fast, as juice bought from a store is often pasteurized. The issue with pasteurized juices is that the process they are put through strips them of helpful enzymes. Undertaking a juice fast using juices purchased in a store can still be beneficial, but it is closer to a water fast due to the lack of nutrients.

A water fast involves drinking only water, eating no solid foods and not drinking juice. A water fast is typically completed by people who have prior fasting experience, as it can be a very difficult process to maintain for extended periods of time. Water fasts can cause a person to lose weight very quickly, and many people report healthier skin and digestion after only a few days of water fasting. Fasters claim that the process forces the body to expel harmful toxic material that have built up in tissue and organs and that it also aids in rejuvenating the digestive system due to the stomach not having to work as hard to digest solid foods.

While fasting has a long history of purported success, there are some dangers involved. Fasting can lead to dangerously high or low blood pressure levels and it can also lead to overhydration if water intake is not monitored. Before beginning any fast, it is important to discuss your plan with your doctor and do as much research as possible to avoid potential complications.

While fasting itself is a natural process for weight loss, you may also consider other natural weight loss alternatives. Many natural weight loss supplements can help you lose weight safely as opposed to fasting, which can force you to lose weight at dangerous rates. As well, there are a number of natural supplements that can assist in rejuvenating your mind and body. Using these supplements allows you to still eat the foods you love without having to make potentially dangerous sacrifices.