Fasting

I know this is supposed to be a blog about eating, but I thought I'd talk about not eating for once. Talking to a beautiful girl about Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar where Muslims fast -- and refrain from certain other activities -- from sunrise to sunset) reminded me that fasting is an important part of life for many raw foodists and others as part of a healthy lifestyle.

To start, what is fasting? Well it's not just about not eating -- it's about not eating for at least about 24 hours (or at least about 16 hours). At that point your body begins efficiently using carbohydrate stores in the body for energy. If you fast for long enough without break, your body will begin using protein stores for energy. At this point fasting actually morphs into starvation -- a transition that obviously should be avoided.

I don't pretend to really understand the meaning of Ramadan, but one aspect of the holy month is certainly related to purification and cleansing. So is the act of fasting for non-religious reasons. One argument is that humans were never meant to eat as much and as consistently as we do. There were always periods of time under almost any conditions globally that humans went periods of time without eating. The human body would use these times to eliminate and neutralize toxins, and rejuvenate. Rejuvenation and healing during fasting may seem counter-intuitive. We think of food as energy and therefore as the best thing for the body when it needs to be fighting disease, healing itself, etc. But the fact is that digestion is a very energy intensive process and takes a lot of the body's focus (just think of your post-lunch afternoon slump). When people are sick, controlled fasting can be the greatest cure as it allows your body to focus all of its energy on the problem. But regardless of your health, fasting diverts digestive energy towards the immune system, and many believe cell rejuvenation is facilitated and expedited. This could also explain why fasting is attributed to a slowing of "aging" and extended life expectancy. When fasting is incorporated into one's lifestyle, people experience a reduction in their metabolic rate, more efficient protein production, improved immune functioning, and increased growth and other hormone production. This attribute is what many "detox diets" have seized upon. Indeed, studies on mammals and other creatures (particularly earthworms) have shown that life expectancy increases with fasting -- so long as fasting is controlled and does not involve malnutrition. One study on worms showed that controlled fasting allowed an isolated worm to outlive its relatives by 19 generations -- which is the equivalent of a human living between 600 and 700 years. The same worms exhibited much more prolonged youthful traits as well -- whatever exactly that means for a worm.

Fasting also causes the body to use fat stores, etc. that may be holding certain unnatural environmental chemicals. Burning those stores releases the chemicals and allows them to pass through the body. This is one reason that water should never be avoided and it helps the body flush itself of toxins (same idea after a massage when muscles release toxins and drinking water is critical). Overall, fasting is a cleansing process. The body cleanses itself in every manner -- waste, blood, and on a cellular level if maintained long enough. "Juice fasts" are often utilized to aid in this function.

Many degenerative diseases have been shown to decrease with fasting. Tumors, for instance, begin a process of self-destruction during extended fasts. Some holistic practitioners also swear by fasting as a way to help aid with diabetes and a variety of other health problems. Can't hurt to try.

But it goes without saying that fasting should be done carefully and always in a controlled manner. Just as Muslims made exceptions to fasting (such as for travel), non-religious fasting should be done in moderation, and you should not exert a lot of energy during periods of fasting (such as sports, etc.). Depending on how long you fast, you should ease back into eating. Raw foods and a vegan diet are the best way to begin, adding heavier foods and animal products later on.

Interestingly, I'll just add that fasting has been attributed to a higher spiritual awareness. Perhaps this is why Muslims are encouraged to fast during their holiest month, and perhaps why agnostic raw foodists I know are nearly addicted to controlled fasting as a slowing down of their life and a time for reflection. Sadly I have to admit I've barely ever attempted fasting. But this has motivated me to try and work it into my life a bit :)