Why Fast?

By Team Beachbody

With the launch of our Fast Start Formula, we've been seeing a lot of discussion on the message boards about fasting, mainly on its effects, benefits, and dangers. Here is a brief overview on fasting, how it can improve your life, and some things to look out for:

Fasting is one of the oldest therapies in medicine and its recorded practice dates back thousands of years. Many doctors of ancient times and many of the oldest healing systems have recommended it as an integral method of healing and prevention. Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, believed fasting enabled the body to heal itself. Paracelsus, another famous healer wrote, "Fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within." Ayurvedic medicine, the world's oldest healing system, has long advocated fasting as a major therapy.

Many chronic conditions have used fasting as an effective treatment, including allergies, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, depression, diabetes, headaches, heart disease, high cholesterol, low blood sugar, digestive disorders, mental illness, and obesity. It is thought to be beneficial as a preventative measure to increase overall health, vitality, and resistance to disease. And, of course, it's also used as a method of mental and spiritual rejuvenation.

The principal is simple. When the intake of food is temporarily stopped, many systems of the body are given a break from the hard work of digestion. The extra energy gives the body the chance to heal and restore itself, plus burning stored calories gets rid of toxic substances stored in the body. Fasting is said to be particularly useful therapy for Americans because of their lifestyle, which subjects them to heavy diets, overeating, and constant exposure to food additives and chemicals. Some alternative practitioners have gone so far as to estimate that the average American is carrying 5-10 pounds of toxic substances in their bodies, for which fasting is the quickest and most effective means of removal.

Many physiological changes occur in the body during fasting. Your body turns to stored fat for energy. However, the brain, which has high fuel requirements, still needs glucose (sugars converted from glycogen). To obtain glucose for the brain, the body finds two sources of fuel - ketosis and muscle. The body does begin to break down muscle tissue during the second day of the fast. But to fuel the brain, the body would need to burn over a pound of muscle a day, so the body has developed another fitness-friendly way to create energy that saves important muscle mass: the protein-sparing process called ketosis. In ketosis, the liver converts stored fat into ketones, which can be used by the brain, muscles, and heart as energy.

By definition, anytime that you don't eat you are fasting; hence the word "breakfast". Most therapeutic fasts last from one day to three weeks. Juice or liquid fasts are not traditional but are now more common because many of the desired results are achieved without as much stress on the body (see Fast Start Formula below). We recommend a fast of one or two days to get the benefits of the discipline without creating havoc with your metabolism. Medical supervision is recommended for any fast over three days. Most alternative medicine practitioners, such as homeopaths, naturopathic doctors, and ayurvedic doctors, can supervise and monitor patients during fasts. But any fast should be entered and exited with care.

To enter a fast, the diet should be gradually lightened over a few days. First, heavy foods such as meats and dairy products should be eliminated for a day or two. Grains, nuts, and beans should then be reduced for several days. The day before a fast, only easily digested foods like fruits, light salads, and soups should be eaten. Likewise, these should be ended gradually also, going from lighter to heavier foods progressively. The diet after a fast should emphasize fresh, wholesome foods. Fasters should particularly take care not to overeat when they complete a fast.

Fasting is not appropriate for everyone and, in some cases, could be harmful. Those with health conditions should always have medical support during fasting. Plenty of water should be consumed by fasters since dehydration can occur. Saunas and sweating therapies are sometimes recommended to assist detoxification, but should be used carefully, if not sparingly. Those fasting should significantly slow down their lifestyles. Taking time off work is helpful, or at least reducing the workload or fasting on a weekend. Fasters should also get plenty of rest. Exercise should be kept light, such as walking and gentle stretching.