In our last newsletter I
mentioned some recent research that showed that fasting only
intermittently (just one or two days per week) demonstrated significant protection against brain-related diseases.
My husband has been putting it to the test for the past three weeks by
fasting on Tuesdays and Thursdays and found that by week three the
ability to go a day without food becomes easier and easier (he feels he can actually go consecutive days fairly easily but isn't depriving himself on the days off). Actually, he
starts the day with a protein smoothie and just ensures it (and
anything else he may nibble on during the day included) stays under 500 Calories in total. He's
only three weeks in so we can't report on the state of his brain *laugh*
but he definitely feels more alert, is thinking with more clarity and is
also much more patient and calm - which is nice for the whole family :-)
A nice side benefit is the savings! Imagine if you cut out food two out of seven days a week and didn't go overboard on the other days. You would be saving almost 30% of your weekly food budget! The average Australian household spent $204 per week on food and non-alcoholic beverages in 2010 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics). 30% of that would equate to almost $3,200 per year!
Here is a piece that Anand wrote on fasting a little while ago.
The Buddha did it, so did Jesus, Socrates and Hippocrates - your express path to health and peace of mind
I was never that keen on fasting - in fact I avoided it as it
sounded too much like some ascetic torture. Eventually as I read more
and more about fasting's regenerative effects on the body, mind and
spirit I decided to give it a go. I have to admit I did not enjoy my
first few experiences, however, the benefits were undeniable - my skin
glowed, eyes shined, wounds healed in express time and I experienced a
deep connection to my source, despite being physically very
uncomfortable during even a short 3 day fast. Since then I have found
fasting has become much easier and more enjoyable and at the first sign
of any cold or digestive trouble I just stop eating and sure enough
within a day or 2 all symptoms are gone.
Simply put, digesting food is energy intensive and when we stop
eating that energy becomes available for cleaning and repairing tissues,
organs and cells throughout our body. The mind and heart also seem to
become more attuned to the non-physical spiritual aspects of oneself.
Fasting is highly effective for treating a wide variety of conditions including:
• high blood pressure,
• asthma,
• allergies,
• chronic headaches,
• inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease),
• irritable bowel syndrome,
• adult onset diabetes,
• heart disease,
• degenerative arthritis,
• rheumatoid arthritis,
• psoriasis,
• eczema,
• acne,
• uterine fibroids,
• benign tumours, and
• systemic lupus erythematosus.
But don't wait until you have one of these conditions! We recommend
fasting for maintenance and rejuvenation 2 to 4 times a year even if
you are in peak health.
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