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M
I'm not sure about the spiritual aspect to it, but a very interesting discovery of science, is the physiological effects of fasting.
I will abbreviate it allot here, but basically they discovered fasting puts your body into 'repair' mode, and it even increases your intelligence so you can more easily find food (that is what your body thinks).
I will abbreviate it allot here, but basically they discovered fasting puts your body into 'repair' mode, and it even increases your intelligence so you can more easily find food (that is what your body thinks).
D
Hello, that is a good question. The Bible mentions fasting many times, we read in the Old and New Testament where Gods people would fast and pray during times of repentance, mourning, or a longing to be nearer to God. As Christians, it is wonderful to fast from eating for a short period to show God He is above all things, and to give the time you would spend at meal to Him in prayer instead. There are so many verses on fasting you can find by a search, but this verse came to me while I wrote this. Luke 12:23 "The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment." -reminder to store up Heavenly things that last, not Earthly things that can be gone in a moment. Have a wonderful night
K
Before I begin, note that you should always discuss a change in your diet with your doctor- especially if you plan to fast.
A real fast is only water- which is a must, the body cannot survive on just air. The point is that instead of your body using it's energy to digest food, it uses that energy to heal your body and empower your mind. So if you go on a juice fast, a pizza fast lol, all you are doing is dieting, not fasting.
The body takes care of itself during a fast. God made us, we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14. After day three your hunger goes away. Your body stops trying to get food from your stomach and turns to the fat stored in your body. About day five you get incredible energy. I am able to function just fine after day three, even exercise.
I, being as big as I am, lose about 20-25 pounds in a week, then after that about a pound a day. My problem is I eventually turn back to junk food for comfort when I'm stressed out. I think the reason why they called Jesus a glutton, is he had to get meat on His bones in order to endure a forty day fast. Fasting is a great way to kick start your diet and detox your body. After fasting, greasy fatty foods make you want to hurl, and you won't be able to stand cigarettes, so be careful who you are around.
When you end your fast you want to reintroduce your body to food, trust me. You don't want to end a fast with burgers and pizza, your body will say, "Say what? Oh no you didn't!" lol Start off with a mug of half pulp free orange juice and half boiled water and sip it like tea. Do this for a couple hours. Then gradually, at least an hour apart, go from soft foods to solids. Like yogurt, then fruit, then fresh veggies.
Now there are certain people who should NOT fast! Children who are still growing taller, pregnant women, and skinny people who do not have enough fat stored in their body to get through a fast. And you have to be careful because you also lose muscle, and what's the most important muscle you have? Your heart. The longest I ever fasted in one stretch is twelve days. That was too far for me, I started having heart trouble. Fasting for long stretches is unnecessary since you can simply fast again. I don't think you should go more than a week. And if you are new to fasting, take it one step at a time, for you it will be hours not days. And if you ever feel dizzy, light headed, or have a headache, drink some orange juice right away since it will get nourishment to your blood quickly. Have this on hand and adequate water supply before you even start. And if you feel you have to quit, listen to your body.
A real fast is only water- which is a must, the body cannot survive on just air. The point is that instead of your body using it's energy to digest food, it uses that energy to heal your body and empower your mind. So if you go on a juice fast, a pizza fast lol, all you are doing is dieting, not fasting.
The body takes care of itself during a fast. God made us, we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14. After day three your hunger goes away. Your body stops trying to get food from your stomach and turns to the fat stored in your body. About day five you get incredible energy. I am able to function just fine after day three, even exercise.
I, being as big as I am, lose about 20-25 pounds in a week, then after that about a pound a day. My problem is I eventually turn back to junk food for comfort when I'm stressed out. I think the reason why they called Jesus a glutton, is he had to get meat on His bones in order to endure a forty day fast. Fasting is a great way to kick start your diet and detox your body. After fasting, greasy fatty foods make you want to hurl, and you won't be able to stand cigarettes, so be careful who you are around.
When you end your fast you want to reintroduce your body to food, trust me. You don't want to end a fast with burgers and pizza, your body will say, "Say what? Oh no you didn't!" lol Start off with a mug of half pulp free orange juice and half boiled water and sip it like tea. Do this for a couple hours. Then gradually, at least an hour apart, go from soft foods to solids. Like yogurt, then fruit, then fresh veggies.
Now there are certain people who should NOT fast! Children who are still growing taller, pregnant women, and skinny people who do not have enough fat stored in their body to get through a fast. And you have to be careful because you also lose muscle, and what's the most important muscle you have? Your heart. The longest I ever fasted in one stretch is twelve days. That was too far for me, I started having heart trouble. Fasting for long stretches is unnecessary since you can simply fast again. I don't think you should go more than a week. And if you are new to fasting, take it one step at a time, for you it will be hours not days. And if you ever feel dizzy, light headed, or have a headache, drink some orange juice right away since it will get nourishment to your blood quickly. Have this on hand and adequate water supply before you even start. And if you feel you have to quit, listen to your body.
K
I've actually begun fasting since today.
Before I considered doing it, I needed a very good reason, or more. Plus researching articles on fasting, such as here, here and here, so that I know whatI am getting myself into. And what I could expect to experience, though I won't expect things, that's not even my goal. I have my personal reasons for fasting, but mainly for wanting to grow closer to the Lord, to love Him like I have never loved Him before. And just get intensely intimate with Him. And how long I'll fast, I don't know, but I pray the Holy Spirit will work through me, telling me when it is enough.
I also try to abstain myself from anything that will distract me, such as television, or the Internet when I don't need it. Except when it is needed for Christian-related stuff, like visiting this place...
Before I considered doing it, I needed a very good reason, or more. Plus researching articles on fasting, such as here, here and here, so that I know whatI am getting myself into. And what I could expect to experience, though I won't expect things, that's not even my goal. I have my personal reasons for fasting, but mainly for wanting to grow closer to the Lord, to love Him like I have never loved Him before. And just get intensely intimate with Him. And how long I'll fast, I don't know, but I pray the Holy Spirit will work through me, telling me when it is enough.
I also try to abstain myself from anything that will distract me, such as television, or the Internet when I don't need it. Except when it is needed for Christian-related stuff, like visiting this place...
i fasted for many years for three days every month, now that i am older, it seems to effect me in a worse way. So i don't do it near as much as i did back in my earlier days.
Fasting is anything that you love and are willing to give up for a specific amount of time. For example a person who watches TV every single day, and loves it, and would never dream of giving it up, that one would do good to fast from TV for a period of Time. Fasting things that you love is a way to give to Jesus. That person above who loves to watch TV everyday, could say in prayer, Jesus for You, i will give up what i love, i will give up TV for a three days.
Now fasting from all food, and only drinking water, is the BEST way to fast. This is the fast that i would do in every fast that i have ever done.
Fasting from all food for a minimum of three days, is beneficial in several ways. It cleans out your system from poisons. inevitably on the third day i would get a nasty taste in my mouth, found out that by the third day, the body expels poisons from your system, it is the poisons that i am tasting in my mouth on the third day.
The first few times i fasted by the second day i was sick as can be. But after those first few fasts, i now no longer get sick as i did before.
The first day of my fast, was pretty easy, i would just get hungry and that was it. The second day of my fast, my body would go into high alert, it realizes it is not getting in food, and will start to growl at you, to "FEED ME" it can be very painful. This is the bodies way of telling you it needs food, The first few times i was dry heaving, nauseated, dizzy, and felt like i was going to die, Family was telling me to eat, to go to the Hospital and the such, i told them all, that i vowed to God that i would fast for three days, and even if it kills me, that is what i am going to do.
Always the third day, i feel GREAT. my body, once it realizes NO FOOD is coming, will then go into eating the stored fat in my body, and my body would only take what it absolutely needed, no more, no less the PERFECT amount. Always on the third day, my mind could think clearly, my mind was sharper, smarter even. This is the reason throughout the Bible people fasted when they had a tough decision to make, by the third day, you are thinking more clearly to make better decisions. Not to mention the clearer the mind, the more able it is to receive Spiritual guidance. And if you meditate and pray during your fast, all the more able it is to receive Spiritual guidance.
i would like to tell you about an article i read one time, i think it was Discover Magazine, or OMNI magazine, or i may have seen it on a 20/20 show, i can't recall (if i fasted, by the third day i probably could recall where it is from) But here is the gist of it.
It was a study on Fasting, and the subjects were monks, i think Tibetan Monks, these fast all the time. They hooks up brain measuring instruments to these monks and recorded them for each day. The first day, all the measurements were normal brain wave activities. The second day all the measurements were LOW, that is to say they were actually DUMBER, Which i can fully relate too, on the second day i could not hold a thought straight, i could think about was food, and the pain i was feeling because i was not eating any food. The Third Day, all the measurements were off the charts. Brain wave activity was extremely high, way above normal. Hence the reason you can think more clearly.
Fasting is good for you. Despite what doctors say.
Oh and if you are thinking about starting to fast, and never have done it before, i recommend baby steps. Fast for one day, then a week from that fast for a day and half or two days. Do that for a while, then eventually get to 3 days. i know someone who will always eat vegetables for two days prior to the a 3 day fast.
Oh also another tip, don't drink so much water thinking that it will fill you up, for me it only made me sicker. drink moderately. i found what helped me, is when my stomach would start to turn, i would only drink a gulp of water, it would settle down a bit, only to realize it was only water then start turning again.
Hope this helps.
^i^ Responding to OP
Fasting is anything that you love and are willing to give up for a specific amount of time. For example a person who watches TV every single day, and loves it, and would never dream of giving it up, that one would do good to fast from TV for a period of Time. Fasting things that you love is a way to give to Jesus. That person above who loves to watch TV everyday, could say in prayer, Jesus for You, i will give up what i love, i will give up TV for a three days.
Now fasting from all food, and only drinking water, is the BEST way to fast. This is the fast that i would do in every fast that i have ever done.
Fasting from all food for a minimum of three days, is beneficial in several ways. It cleans out your system from poisons. inevitably on the third day i would get a nasty taste in my mouth, found out that by the third day, the body expels poisons from your system, it is the poisons that i am tasting in my mouth on the third day.
The first few times i fasted by the second day i was sick as can be. But after those first few fasts, i now no longer get sick as i did before.
The first day of my fast, was pretty easy, i would just get hungry and that was it. The second day of my fast, my body would go into high alert, it realizes it is not getting in food, and will start to growl at you, to "FEED ME" it can be very painful. This is the bodies way of telling you it needs food, The first few times i was dry heaving, nauseated, dizzy, and felt like i was going to die, Family was telling me to eat, to go to the Hospital and the such, i told them all, that i vowed to God that i would fast for three days, and even if it kills me, that is what i am going to do.
Always the third day, i feel GREAT. my body, once it realizes NO FOOD is coming, will then go into eating the stored fat in my body, and my body would only take what it absolutely needed, no more, no less the PERFECT amount. Always on the third day, my mind could think clearly, my mind was sharper, smarter even. This is the reason throughout the Bible people fasted when they had a tough decision to make, by the third day, you are thinking more clearly to make better decisions. Not to mention the clearer the mind, the more able it is to receive Spiritual guidance. And if you meditate and pray during your fast, all the more able it is to receive Spiritual guidance.
i would like to tell you about an article i read one time, i think it was Discover Magazine, or OMNI magazine, or i may have seen it on a 20/20 show, i can't recall (if i fasted, by the third day i probably could recall where it is from) But here is the gist of it.
It was a study on Fasting, and the subjects were monks, i think Tibetan Monks, these fast all the time. They hooks up brain measuring instruments to these monks and recorded them for each day. The first day, all the measurements were normal brain wave activities. The second day all the measurements were LOW, that is to say they were actually DUMBER, Which i can fully relate too, on the second day i could not hold a thought straight, i could think about was food, and the pain i was feeling because i was not eating any food. The Third Day, all the measurements were off the charts. Brain wave activity was extremely high, way above normal. Hence the reason you can think more clearly.
Fasting is good for you. Despite what doctors say.
Oh and if you are thinking about starting to fast, and never have done it before, i recommend baby steps. Fast for one day, then a week from that fast for a day and half or two days. Do that for a while, then eventually get to 3 days. i know someone who will always eat vegetables for two days prior to the a 3 day fast.
Oh also another tip, don't drink so much water thinking that it will fill you up, for me it only made me sicker. drink moderately. i found what helped me, is when my stomach would start to turn, i would only drink a gulp of water, it would settle down a bit, only to realize it was only water then start turning again.
Hope this helps.
^i^ Responding to OP
K
I wanted to mention that I know that Jesus says not to let others know if you are fasting if it is for prayer purposes, with the intention of being seen and admired by mankind, but I think it's ok to talk about if it is for weight-loss purposes. God knows our intentions. Fasting is a health regiment.