Many persons I talk to want to fast, but believe that unless they do so for three, seven or more days - then it is pointless to do it at all. Well, I am here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.
Water Fasting for even ONE day can help you start receiving the benefits of this life-saving practice - as well as give you tangible experience as to how your body reacts while you abstain from solid food. Water fasting can do wonders for your digestive system.
Repose
To be sure, the digestive system is very grateful when it is given an opportunity to repose from the often never-ending process of digestion. When given this break, the body is able to shift its focus to healing other organs and areas that may be ill - not to mention the massive intestinal cleansing that fasting facilitates.
One-day water fasting done in a methodical and regular manner provides the kind of rest that can dramatically help your digestive system and overall health. One-day fasting can help you lose weight in a sustainable way. This method is safe because you do not have to embark in any grueling exercise regimes, or take any type of medication to receive the weight loss and detoxification benefits.
Water fasting for a full 24-hour cycle once a week or once every two weeks is definitely the way to go if you are new to this practice. Try it out once and the success will increase your self confidence and often lead you to venture out to longer periods of fasting.
Such was the case with me.
Proper Fasting
Here is a method of doing one day water fasts: *Decide on a particular day for that 24-hour cycle do not eat any solid food.*When hunger strikes, drink a large glass of water. *You can start, say, by eating your last meal at 8PM and then going to bed, fasting the entire following day, and breaking the fast at 8PM that evening. Successful fasting has three stages: preparation, the actual fast, and breaking the fast. Each one of these stages is important.
Preparing to Fast
It is very important that you prepare yourself both mentally and physically before a fast or you will find it difficult to go one day without food. The mental preparation is simple, but very important. Do this: *The night before the fast make a firm resolution that you will not eat no matter how much hunger strikes. *Taking a firm stand helps you stick to your decision. *Firm determination will give you strength when you are tempted to give up.
Physical preparation is also very important. The day before you fast, prepare your body by eating a normal amount of food. * Do not by any means overeat thinking that you are storing food for the fast. This will cause very uncomfortable cramps and the hunger pains will more than likely be stronger than they would otherwise.
The Fasting Day
During the fasting period, it is best to limit yourself to light physical tasks and to concentrate as much as possible on introspection and spirituality. Use this fasting period constructively. Meditate on scriptures, pray or read inspirational books - spend some time taking stock of where you are in life, and what are some of the areas that you would like to improve.
These can be spiritual, mental, physical, social and even financial. It is often helpful to write a list of issues you would like to resolve and then use the time of fasting praying and meditating to receive inspiration and guidance. *If you are unable to take this "time out" because of an active work or family schedule, then go about your business but maintain an "internal" attitude of prayer, meditation and contemplation.
The way I accomplish this is by not allowing time to consume my thoughts but, rather, I make it a point to go from moment to moment - focusing only on what I am doing one second, one minute at a time. You will be surprise just how often we go about our day-to-day
activities thinking only of the future or obsessing over the past. This negates the present moment and can keep us in a state of confusion, stress and restlessness.
Breaking the Fast
Benefits of fasting can be truly enjoyed only if you break the fast in the right manner. Do not do like I did at first and break a period of fasting with a full-course meal. You can get stomach cramps and, in some cases, become seriously ill. On the morning or evening following the fast, break it by either drinking water with lime or grape juice diluted with water.
Drinking lemon juice with a pinch of salt helps flush out toxins from your digestive system. Wait approximately four hours and then have some soup or light salad with lime. Please - NO heavy dressings at this point! Four hours after that you can have a light meal of poultry, salad and maybe steamed vegetables or brown rice.
The next day you can resume your regular eating habits. Of course, the period of fasting hopefully will give you time to meditate on how you have been eating. It is important to realize that fasting only to return to destructive eating will limit the benefits. After you break the fast, make a resolution that you will start to move away from destructive eating.
This is not done in a day, and you may stumble much - but no matter what, keep going and never give up! Periodic fasting such as the one described here is definitely one of the elements of a balanced and sustainable weight loss program.
24-Hour Water Fasting For Weight Loss & Detoxification
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.
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