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.
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.
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