Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy or Unhealthy?
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on 2/17/2009
by
ryan | filed in:
Weight Loss
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While many swear against fasting and couple align it with binge eating, some experts claim that fasting has several health benefits and that fasting can increase longevity. Do you think intermittent fasting is healthy or unhealthy?
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Best Answer
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pending
February 17, 2009
5:23 PM
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There are numerous health benefits to fasting. It jump starts a weight loss program; detoxes the body of food impurities, alcohol and drugs (I have a friend who always fasts after a course of antibiotics!); it gives your digestive system a rest; it can help with a body's addiction to substances (not just drugs, btw, even foods like sugars); it calms allergic reactions to both food and airborne allergens; it can clear the skin and speed healing (have you noticed that you simply aren't hungry when you're sick? LISTEN to your body and don't force foods! Animals instinctively know not to eat but too often we're programmed to eat no matter what!)
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Answers
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kettlebell27
February 18, 2009
2:00 AM
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Well, I do fasting as part of a religous practice as a Catholic, and not just during Lent either. On days of weekly Adoration or when we have daily Mass at my local parish on Friday's, I will often fast from breakfast or simply have bread & water only. In my case, its a light meal of buttered toast & coffee. I've also done some bread & water only fasts for 1 day a week. Can't say I saw any major weight loss with it, but overall I do it to save on food & 'give' of my meal to a greater spiritual cause, such as my reservation of eating so much can be given to someone else who is in need elsewhere. I feel on a spiritual sense my regular 'big meal' is going to a homeless person who needs a big meal more than I do.
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Harpreet
February 17, 2009
8:36 PM
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it depends cause where my family comes from they do fasting for like 7 days or even more. Theres rarely anyone that does it in Canada but India pretty much all the women, apparrently its to protect her husband, and so he'll live a long life. I remember one of my relatives telling me that her mom kept a fast for 2 weeks she wasnt even aloud to have any water because it was for the well being of her husband and family.
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pending
February 17, 2009
5:23 PM
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There are numerous health benefits to fasting. It jump starts a weight loss program; detoxes the body of food impurities, alcohol and drugs (I have a friend who always fasts after a course of antibiotics!); it gives your digestive system a rest; it can help with a body's addiction to substances (not just drugs, btw, even foods like sugars); it calms allergic reactions to both food and airborne allergens; it can clear the skin and speed healing (have you noticed that you simply aren't hungry when you're sick? LISTEN to your body and don't force foods! Animals instinctively know not to eat but too often we're programmed to eat no matter what!)
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MarciaKat
February 17, 2009
12:50 PM
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I think it is healthy if done properly.
Many folks do not do it the right way... mostly due to lack of knowledge of how and why.
There are a few forms of fasting.
I like to fast a couple times a month for about 24 hours (dinner to dinner).... sometimes 36 hours (dinner past 2 breakfasts)
There are juice fasts, broth, water.... and you need to know how to do these so you do not get weak or "flush" your system faster than you like.
Some people think of fasting as NO water or anything... that is not true.
In my opinion... people need a healthy purpose to fasting. It is not for weight loss.
It can be to detox a certain area- usually requires an addition of some juice or food concotion.
It can be to give your digestive system a break to catch up...
There are several reasons and techniques.
If a person fasts too long, the wrong way... without knowing how- they can make themselves sick by stirring up too many toxins or by depleting essential nutrients.
I say a well planned, informed fast is healthy
an uninformed, incorrect fast is unhealthy.
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