When you hear that someone you know is fasting, do you imagine agonizing hunger pangs? Dizziness? Fatigue? If so, you really need to learn what fasting is all about because when it’s done right, fasting can actually be an enjoyable experience!

People fast for a variety of reasons, and more people are getting in on this phenomenon because the health benefits are almost immediate. If you are looking for a straight forward way to cleanse your body and boost your energy, then fasting might be a good way for you to do it.

People are amazed at how great they feel afterwards, and often, people who fast do so at least once, twice, or even four times each year as part of their commitment to health.

Fasting Basics

Not quite sure what fasting is? Let’s make it really simple. The idea is to abstain from food or specific foods for a certain period of time.

During this time, you will consume only water (or some other liquid such as fresh juice) so that your body stays healthy and can eliminate toxins quickly. Fasting is quite healthy and natural because it allows your body to clean itself out.

Many people don’t think that they can survive on just liquids, but did you know that the human body can go for more than 40 days on water alone without suffering any deficiencies?

Our bodies are amazing and they are designed to withstand regular periods of famine. Fasters would argue that when we go through the process of fasting, we allow our bodies to function as they would in nature: with times of feast (ah… Christmas dinner), and times of famine.

The process of fasting allows for your body to stop putting so much energy into the digestion process so it can work on cleansing the toxins out of the body.

Some of these toxins have been accumulating in our bodies since birth, and every day we are putting more of them in our bodies through the food that we eat. Here are common toxins in the body:

• Mercury
• Lead
• Pesticides
• Preservatives
• Chemical Pollutants
• Artificial Flavors

The fasting process is different for everyone. Often times, the first and second days are a bit rougher than the others because there will be many toxins that are entering the bloodstream and pushed out of the body through your sweat, urine, and breath.

On the third day of a fast, most people lose the desire to eat, and the rest of the process is relatively simple. Many people find that their stress levels decrease, headaches go away, joints start feeling better, and the muscle aches and pains are non-existent.

When you are fasting, you will need to spend a lot of time resting. Again, you want to conserve your energy so your body can use that energy to clean itself.

Fasting is done by different people for different reasons. Some people simply want to feel better, others do it as part of their religious beliefs, and others still do it because a doctor has advised that it may be a good idea. The process is unbelievably effective for people of all ages with all sorts of different medical and health problems. So give it a try, and put the power of fasting to work for you!