• Interior
• Windows
• Walls
• Projects
• Buildings

How to fast properly at home: reviews. The whole truth about the benefits and harms of therapeutic fasting

Have different diets or magic pills stopped helping? Extra pounds remain unpleasant ridges on your sides, your stomach sticks out, you don’t want to look in the mirror? Then it’s worth trying one-day fasting, although you need to perceive it as a whole complex, even if it lasts only 1 day. This is the day of fasting itself, and before it you need preparation and the right way out from daily fasting. So, let's look at fasting for 1 day on water or dry: how to do it correctly, reviews and results in this article.

The name justifies itself here. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a one-day fast or 3, 5, even 7 days. “Starvation” itself is defined by the word “hunger.” A person, according to science, can live without food for up to 45 days, these are average results, if there is a source of water. Interestingly, fasting 1 day a week is often practiced now, calling it more of a fasting day. This is a period of complete abstinence from any food. Fasting has several varieties:

Dry (absolute) fasting is considered the most severe type of fasting, when a person not only refuses food, but does not even drink water. Any contact with liquid is excluded: you cannot wash your hands, bathe, wash dishes, or even rinse your mouth. Doctors warn that it is safe to dry fast for no longer than a day. Sometimes even daily dry fasting gives results.

Fasting, on water - a person drinks unlimited amounts of water, without food. It also differs in timing:

1. Short (1-3 days);
2. Average (3-5, 7 days);
3. Long-term (7-15 days);
4. Extreme (21, 28 or 40 days).
5. The last type can only be withstood by experienced for a long time practiced fasting.

Most often, one-day fasting is used. A day is enough for the body to cleanse the internal bins of toxins and unload, but any fasting is a whole complex that requires the correct entry, i.e. preparation. It doesn’t matter whether it’s dry or on water.

Important points

You can’t just get up one day and decide not to eat until tomorrow morning, anxiously awaiting the result. Any, even one-day dry fasting requires preparation and attitude, especially for beginners. Here are the basic rules:

1. Only healthy people who do not have chronic diseases can fast (others must get the consent of their doctor, otherwise the results of fasting may cause harm instead of benefit). Yes, and it is better for healthy people to first consult a doctor, at the same time, a specialist will tell you which method is best to use. After all, fasting is used not only for cleansing, but also for losing weight;
2. For the body, fasting is a great stress, even when it is fasting on water. You can't make it worse with medications. Therefore, only healthy people who do not need to take medications can fast.
3. During fasting, taking any medications, even vitamins, is prohibited;
4. Fasting and water for 1 day is unlikely to give stunning results in terms of weight loss; it is more used for cleansing as a weekly fasting day. Yes, a person can lose up to 1.5 kg of their weight, this is a normal reaction;
5. Before using any fasting method, you should learn more about it, what the benefits and harms are, what will happen inside the body, what contraindications there are, whether it helps against certain diseases (psoriasis, stomach ulcers, etc.);
6. There is a group of people who are prohibited from even one-day therapeutic fasting. It's worth figuring out the list before you start, in case you end up there;
7. The most important points for fasting: correct entry, motivation, correct exit, knowledge of what the procedure gives, careful monitoring of any changes in yourself;
8. During fasting, unpleasant symptoms may appear, although they rarely occur during daily fasting, but sometimes they do. Weakness, dizziness, even nausea or vomiting. You need to know how to deal with this.

Who shouldn't fast at all?

Even daily fasting is prohibited for persons (opinion of an experienced doctor):

• Suffering from severe pathologies of the brain (encephalopathy);
• Elderly (those over 60);
• Those leaving only after serious illnesses (after surgery or long courses);
• Those experiencing exacerbation of diseases (any);
• Who has tumors (any location, any nature);
• Suffering from ischemic heart diseases;
• Diabetics (only with the consent of their doctors);
• Who has thyrotoxicosis;
• Suffering from blood diseases (various leukemias, myeloid leukemias);
• Who has tuberculosis?
• Who is unlikely to benefit from a one-day fast:
• Teenagers - they are actively growing and forming. Any hunger will cause rapid development of exhaustion.
• Nursing, pregnant women;
• Forty-year-old women (hormonal changes).

Who can benefit from fasting?

• Suffering from high degrees of obesity (although the fasting here is long, 30 days, with the consent and under the supervision of a doctor, of course);
• Global cleansing of the body (fasting for 3, 7 or 10 days);
• A short fast (1-3 days) usually improves health, cleanses the body, and provides good unloading of the entire gastrointestinal tract, which is clogged with unhealthy, sweet and starchy foods, drug residues and other toxins. Fasting once a week, called intermittent fasting, will also be a good help. Then the body quickly gets used to the “day off”, only here it is worth remembering the rules of entry and exit.

Preparation:

First, study more materials about daily fasting. Then choose one specific day when you plan to fast. If this is the first time, experts advise focusing on the weekend. The first 1-2 days are the most difficult for any fasting person and it is unknown what reaction the body will have. For some, it is easier to experience fasting in winter, while for others, on the contrary, in summer. Let there be 1.5-2 weeks for preparation before day X.

Then the “entrance” itself begins: gradually eliminate spicy, fatty foods from your diet, slowly reduce the amount of meat, chicken, eggs. So that the 24-hour fast does not become a complete stress and is more effective, the last week before it will be vegetarian. More cereals, vegetable salads, fruits. Forget about alcohol and carbonated drinks. Usually, if you fast once a week, then preparation takes less time, because... it is periodic. Usually 1-2 days.

If you are planning a dry fast, drink more fluids. Warm, boiled water or distilled, without gas. The evening before day X, devote yourself to an enema - you need to cleanse the intestines. Give yourself a regular salt enema or drink a laxative ( activated carbon) so that the intestines are already cleared in the morning.

Important: Doctors warn that dry fasting for 36 hours is safe only with medical supervision. There are special dispensaries where patients undergo fasting, they are monitored, they talk to them, answering all questions, explaining whether fasting is useful for their particular case. At home, dry fasting for more than 1-2 days is dangerous.

Next, the fasting itself begins in the morning. If it's on the water, then drink it plain water, without sweeteners, but without restrictions, as much as you want. Toxins will go away faster, stagnant masses in the intestines will soften under the influence of water. Any 24-hour fast with water is easier, although supporters of dry fasting believe otherwise. If the fast is dry, that’s it, no contact with liquid, in the morning, without a shower, without brushing your teeth, until the set time is up.

Motivation is extremely important. To live calmly for 24 hours without food and not imagine this time as endless torture, motivate yourself in advance. Imagine the results that therapeutic fasting is extremely useful, the body will be cleansed, the skin will be renewed. Stock up good films, plan your day. You should not overload yourself with physical activity; a day of fasting is of course unlikely to greatly exhaust the body, but you should not increase stress.

Walking yes, yoga yes, nothing more. The main thing is to plan your day so that there is no time left for thoughts. After all, hunger, the desire to eat, to find food will haunt you. The main thing is to take a break. Then time will fly faster. You can’t just wait for the end of the period, you need to maintain a positive attitude, otherwise the body will perceive 24-hour fasting as a test and not a useful thing.

Exit

So, the set time is up, one day of fasting has passed.

Important: The recovery period should be equal to (or better yet twice as long as) the fasting period. If the fast itself lasted a day, recovery for 2 days is beneficial for the body. If 24 hour, dry fasting – 48 full hours on the way out.

The difference between coming out of dry and regular fasting at the beginning. If it’s dry, the way out of a one-day fast is water. The “exit” itself implies the beginning of food consumption. You can’t just pounce on your favorite foods in a hurry to reward yourself for your time of abstinence. Knowing how to fast correctly, it is worth remembering about a healthy way out. Otherwise, all the results of fasting will turn out to be a failure, especially if everything goes once.

So, the beginning of the way out during dry fasting is to slowly, in small sips, empty a glass of boiled but cooled water. Ideal - warm, room temperature. Slowly drink the entire glass. Then come homemade juices diluted with water. Vegetable or fruit, only fruits and vegetables cannot be mixed. Either different vegetables or different fruits. Reviews from knowledgeable people advise not to take citrus fruits, even when fasting is weekly and the body seems to be used to it.

Output diagram:

water – diluted homemade juices – undiluted juices – fruit (vegetable) salads – vegetable soups – main courses, vegetables – porridge (all without spices).

For dry fasting. Do not rush to introduce meat, spicy or smoked foods into your menu; let this diet last longer, then fasting will bring maximum benefit. Sometimes after him people even became vegetarians.

Exit scheme, if fasting is normal, on water:

Diluted homemade juices - undiluted - fruit (or vegetable) salads - vegetable soups, porridge with water - main courses - dairy products - porridge already made with milk.

The first product, not counting water, will be vegetables or fruits. You need to eat in small but frequent sessions, every 2-3 hours. Without feeling full. Don't fill your stomach completely.

How to fast for yourself, without daily restrictions? First, remember the entry-exit scheme, then gradually develop your own, which is more suitable for you. And carefully monitor your condition every time. The body will let you know when something goes wrong. Hunger strikes are certainly not a very pleasant thing, but they are hardly fatal. Healthy people you need to give yourself rest for your gastrointestinal tract. You can do fasting once as an experiment and if the benefits are obvious, if you wish, turn it into periodic fasting.

IN lately It is widely believed that fasting for one day once a week can help cleanse the body and even reduce the body. It is believed that such abstinence from food can help treat diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis and other autoimmune problems, as well as get rid of excess weight. Is this really true?

Although this practice has been around for many years, and some doctors advocate one-day fasting, the benefits and harms of such restrictions are controversial. What is causing the controversy?

Pros: cleansing the body

Proponents of this system argue that many toxic substances accumulate in the body over many years, but the body has little opportunity to focus on cleaning them out. Refusing food one day a week promotes this process: the absence of food allows the internal organs to use their limited energy to remove accumulated waste. This is explained by the fact that usually the body’s functionality is only sufficient to process incoming food, and in its absence, opportunities arise to perform other functions.

"Rejuvenation"

A one-day fast, the benefit of which is to cleanse the internal organs, can also rejuvenate. It is believed that you can "change" your biological age by removing toxins from your body. During a one-day fast, previously accumulated chemicals, nitrates and pharmaceuticals that are consumed regularly. These toxins interfere with mental and physical performance, make you look older, and cause harm to your body.

One-day fasting: rules and consequences

A healthy lifestyle should start with daily exercise, proper nutrition and weekly one-day fasting. This cleansing of the body will give you a lot of energy and vigor and, as already mentioned, even slightly rejuvenate you. Proponents of this system claim that while your skin will look better, you will lose overweight, think more clearly and live longer.

A person begins to especially appreciate food when he abstains from it for some time. When one-day fasting is practiced, a feeling of hunger sets in, and the assessment of food consumed is seriously changed. The stomach, as well as our consciousness, is programmed from an early age to eat three times a day, regardless of whether enough calories are burned or whether there is true hunger or not. One-day fasting allows you to learn to distinguish the true need for food from a programmed habit. If you practice this “diet” weekly, the stomach will shrink to its natural size, and further overeating will become difficult.

The importance of drinking water

The previously mentioned toxins and inorganic (insoluble) minerals that enter the body through consumed fluids and food enter the bloodstream and are distributed to all organs. Therefore, during a one-day fast, it is important to drink only purified distilled water. It does not contain inorganic minerals or chemicals, unlike drinking tap water or even purified with special filters.

When drinking undistilled or unpurified water, the body begins to accumulate inert inorganic substances that it cannot absorb. Hard, calcified compounds begin to replace synovial fluid in the joints, which can cause discomfort and pain when moving.

Psychological theory

Another theory in favor of one-day fasting is explained by a psychological factor. All diets used today are generally not very effective because people tend to focus on the value of consuming whole foods instead of focusing on healing and cleansing the body. Reconsidering some values ​​can have much more positive results as the body can begin to heal itself. The meaning of the whole concept can be expressed in one short phrase: “Less is more.” When a person feels unwell, he goes to the doctor, listens to negative information and then takes medications that contain toxins. If you tune yourself into a positive mood and imagine in detail the mechanism of self-purification, it can lead to good results. The one-day treatment, which is reported positively by supporters of alternative medicine, is often also called a system for curing various diseases.

Proponents of fasting also claim that the practice of fasting days can effectively eliminate serious health problems - from arthritis and colitis to heart disease and depression. Some practitioners of alternative medicine report that improving diet coupled with fasting one day a week helps reduce the symptoms of lupus, arthritis, and chronic skin conditions (psoriasis and eczema). There is also an opinion that such a nutritional system helps improve the condition of people suffering from ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

However, all of the above arguments are given by supporters of alternative medicine, to which the attitude is ambiguous. In any case, everyone must decide for themselves which methods of healing seem acceptable to them.

If you decide to do a one-day water fast

The rules will be quite simple, but must be followed. Don't overeat the day before your fasting day. On the contrary, reduce your diet and lighten it. Eat lighter, cleaner foods (preferably organic): fruits, vegetables, nuts, nut butters and sprouted grains. If you love meat, try to limit your consumption in the previous days and eat it in the first half of the day. After lunch, foods that are easily digestible are recommended. For example, leafy greens, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Drink plenty of water (preferably distilled or purified) and avoid alcohol or caffeinated drinks.

The essence of a one-day fast is to not eat for 24 hours since your last meal, while drinking plenty of water.

Arguments against: possible health risks

However, most medical experts agree on one thing: giving up food is not a healthy tool for weight loss and cleansing the body. One-day fasting, the benefits and harms of which have been studied for many years, slows down metabolism. This means that later, eating even less food will promote fat storage.

One-day fasting also carries other health risks. Not eating during the day is rarely a problem if the person is healthy. However, this can be very dangerous if the daily diet is not healthy and balanced, or if there are problems with the liver or kidneys. In addition, fasting can cause some disturbances in the functioning of the immune system.

Psychological problem

In addition, a weekly refusal of food for a day distracts people from real actions aimed at cleansing the body and fighting excess weight. A person stops thinking about the fact that on an ongoing basis it is necessary to consume less fat, increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet, drinking clean water and limiting oneself in coffee and sweet drinks, desserts, and so on. The belief that a one-day fast will cleanse the body and get rid of problems is false and is not conducive to the formation of healthy habits. First of all, you need to reconsider your regular diet, and also start walking 30 minutes a day and sleeping more.

Undesirable accompanying methods that one-day fasting entails

Harm can also be caused by other methods, which are often combined with cleansing fasting. These procedures carry their own risks.

Refusal of food is sometimes accompanied by enemas to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract, and this can be very dangerous, doctors say. There is a lot in the intestines beneficial bacteria. When a person changes this balance, dysbiosis can begin to develop.

According to medical researchers, there is no scientific evidence that fasting will occur. This scheme has no biological basis, because the internal organs perform the necessary functions on their own. Thus, the liver is a natural detox center, the lungs, large intestine, kidneys, lymph nodes and skin also have certain functions that help get rid of toxins.

Medical indications

However, there are also medical indications for one-day fasting. For example, abstaining from food is necessary for 24 hours before surgery.

Fasting is also required to get accurate results on some medical tests. Thus, a short-term refusal to eat is indicated before taking tests for cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Final conclusions

Thus, fasting is not recommended for everyone. Absolutely healthy people, as well as patients who cannot be helped by official medicine, can practice four fasting days a month - weekly. However, this can only contribute to improving well-being if such fasting days are combined with good nutrition before and after it. It goes without saying that exiting a one-day fast should also be smooth and careful.

In addition, there are groups of people for whom it is extremely undesirable to follow such therapeutic diets. These include:

• Pregnant women.
• Suffering from anorexia or experiencing regular malnutrition.
• Having manifestations of cardiac arrhythmias.
• Patients with liver or kidney failure.

Modern medical experts are engaged in a constant debate with representatives of alternative medicine - supporters starvation treatment. A complete refusal of food, even for a short period of time, can greatly change, and often not in better side, everyone's work functional systems human body.

The other extreme, very popular in the last few decades, is complete avoidance of foods containing starch(bread, potatoes, rice, etc.), refined sugar, protein, phosphorus (meat, fish, eggs, baked and fried foods), alcohol. Followers of this type of nutrition encourage eating only foods of plant origin (vegetables, fruits, berries) and drinks made from them (freshly squeezed juices, compotes).

There are many pros and cons to both types of nutrition. Let us dwell in more detail on treatment with hunger or therapeutic fasting, which, fortunately, in reality bears little resemblance to the desire to starve out all the ailments in the body.

Therapeutic fasting able to cure many diseases or bring significant relief to the patient. Medicine and witchcraft (this is what it was customary to call alternative medicine for many centuries, based mainly on the experience of some representatives of the people who know how to use the sick) knows many examples of treatment by hunger, subsequently leading to complete or partial recovery.

Of course, first of all, such diseases of the gastrointestinal tract which are caused obese, severe physical labor, sedentary lifestyle. Such diseases include gastritis with low or normal acidity, stomach and duodenal ulcers(in the initial stages), cholecystitis, intestinal disorder.

There are known cases where people were cured by starvation. anemia, hypertension, angina pectoris and even colds.

The prospect of starvation frightens many people. This, believe me, is a normal reaction of the body, which lives largely by consuming a certain amount of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and mineral salts.

But the treatment by hunger is completely does not mean a complete abstinence from food and complete exhaustion of the body threatening in the near future. If you approach therapeutic fasting seriously (be sure to consult with your doctor), then serious consequences, and they are quite real, can be safely avoided.

Rules for therapeutic fasting

There are several essential starvation conditions:

• Keep your body warm, that is, avoid hypothermia.
• Avoid strong ones physical activity, which require significant energy expenditure.
• Alternate any stress (from physical to mental) with rest, that is, follow a clear and strict daily routine, compiled specifically for this period.
• Drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid per day.

If these simple requirements are met, the forced “hunger strike” will really be treatment, not self-torture.

Symptoms that occur during fasting treatment

It is impossible not to mention those symptoms that frighten many people, forcing them to abandon the treatment they have begun with starvation.

Many patients consider the most “scary” and painful part of this whole procedure acute feeling of hunger. But everyone forgets that a person experiences this painful sensation only for the first 2-3 days, then appears feeling of lightness throughout the body, all senses are heightened, the person begins think faster.

The feeling of hunger may occur again on the 5-6th day of therapeutic fasting. But this feeling is now easier to overcome. Later comes the feeling of some food aversions at one glance or mention of her. This sensation gradually passes after the end of fasting, and the person returns to normal appetite.

The first days of fasting may be accompanied by some unpleasant sensations(bad taste in the mouth, coating on the tongue, bad breath, etc.), which disappear after the end of treatment.

Maybe pulse quicken up to 120-140 beats per minute or, conversely, drop to 40. It also happens nausea, dizziness, weakness. All these unpleasant symptoms gradually disappear as soon as the body gets used to a new form of existence - short-term fasting. Of course, people who are emaciated and weakened by illness should not resort to prolonged fasting if they want to achieve favorable results. But for an old disease, sometimes there is no other cure other than a long “hunger strike.”

Transition from fasting to normal eating and the way of life should be gradual. Otherwise, not only will all your efforts be negated by one heavy lunch or dinner, but it will also cause irreparable harm to your body. You need to be very careful when introducing food (especially protein) into your daily diet. It is better to start with very small portions of food, gradually increasing the amount eaten to normal sizes. Of course, if you were obese before fasting and could not control your appetite, we do not encourage you to return to your previous lifestyle. When we talk about a normal, usual amount of food, we meant the diet of a person leading a healthy lifestyle in all respects.

Now it's worth mentioning duration of healthy fasting. It depends on many factors, ranging from the age of the patient and ending with the severity of his disease. Let’s make a reservation right away, categorically Fasting is not recommended for teenagers, whose body is actively being rebuilt, and hunger can cause serious harm to a young growing body.

Starve prohibited for pregnant and lactating women, since they “nourish” not only their body, but also the baby. Prohibitions on therapeutic fasting also exist for some categories of patients (for example, duodenal ulcer requiring surgery, or serious endocrine disorders), but these prohibitions come from the attending physician after a thorough examination.

Therapeutic fasting can last from 3-5 days to one and a half months. Short-term fasting is recommended for people engaged in heavy physical labor. Short-term “hunger strikes” are good because they can be repeated at intervals of 2 to 4 weeks, after achieving the required results. Many people tend to think that long-term fasting gives more noticeable results. This is not always true. As a rule, the body more severely affected by the disease requires a longer fast, but in suitable conditions, under the supervision of an experienced doctor and with the assistance of the fasting person himself.

The effect of therapeutic fasting

Therapeutic fasting has an effect on the body cleansing effect: all redox processes occur 2-3 times faster. From the body waste products are removed, the release from which was hampered by his overload with the endless digestion of more and more new food. Digestion requires a huge amount of energy, which means the load on the heart, liver, kidneys, skin and other organs increases.

Starvation relieves stress from all organs, as a result, they have to overcome less resistance in order to “pump” more blood to flush the body internally. Reduced load Helps the liver and heart recover and strengthen their function.

Preparation for therapeutic fasting for diseases of the digestive system

The question arises, how to start therapeutic fasting? If your consultations with a doctor and the results of the examination allow you to start fasting, then start by prepare your body for this treatment method. Here the already well-known to you will come to the rescue again kefir.

If you are suffering gastrointestinal disease, then we recommend 3-5 day diet, the basis of which should be weak (one-day) or medium (two-day) kefir. We suggest using the following dietary menu.

• First breakfast:
  • a glass of weak (medium) kefir.
• Lunch:
  • a piece of cereal pudding or 2-3 pieces of savory cookies (can be replaced with white wheat breadcrumbs).
• Dinner:
  • a glass of weak (medium) kefir;
  • cottage cheese or cabbage casserole (preferably unsweetened).
• Afternoon snack:
  • 1/2 cup of weak (medium) kefir (can be replaced with still mineral water).
• Dinner:
  • a glass of weak (medium) kefir;
  • a small amount of raw or scalded vegetables (but not in the form of salad).
• Before bed, as a last resort, you can drink 1/2 cup of weak (medium) kefir.

This diet will help empty the intestines a little and prepare the body for fasting, having previously provided a significant amount of necessary nutrients. In addition to kefir preparation, we recommend frequent visits to fresh air , since the sun promotes the formation of certain types of nutrients on the skin (in particular vitamins D) and helps the body in the process of cleansing toxins (through the pores of the skin).

Only after completing preliminary preparation can you begin fasting - for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.

Preparation for therapeutic fasting for various diseases

In other cases, preparation for therapeutic fasting can be based on a fruit and vegetable (vegetarian) diet.

First breakfast:

• a glass of freshly squeezed vegetable (carrot, pumpkin juice);
• 2-3 pieces of savory cookies.

Lunch:

• a glass of citrus juice (orange, lemon, grapefruit juice);
• soft-boiled egg;
• a small sandwich with feta cheese or low-fat cheese.

Dinner:

• a glass of vegetable “tea” (carrot or beetroot) or weak vegetable broth with croutons;
• oatmeal cooked in water with a small amount of salt.

Afternoon snack:

• 1-2 apples or pears (can be replaced with 200 g of strawberries, wild strawberries, raspberries or black currants).

Dinner:

• a glass of purified (filtered) chlorinated or mineral water;
• a small amount of vegetable or fruit salad dressed with olive oil.

After 2-3 days vegetarian diet can be treated by fasting anemia, diseases of the cardiovascular system, night illnesses, colds etc.

The essence of therapeutic fasting

Therapeutic fasting involves complete abstinence from food, but not from liquids, without which the body risks dehydration. The amount of fluid you drink per day during therapeutic fasting may vary from 1 to 2 l. A completely logical question arises: what can you drink? Some healers - representatives of alternative medicine offer drink lightly carbonated mineral water. Others insist on regular tap water, which has undergone additional purification through special filters, which are presented in a wide range by domestic and foreign industry. Followers of Slavic witchcraft recommend lactic acid products in limited quantities (primarily yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk).

The choice of drinks suitable for therapeutic fasting depends on the disease with which the patient will have to measure his strength. If we are talking about cholelithiasis, intestinal colic, gastritis, cholecystitis, then you can safely choose between mineral water(necessarily still or lightly carbonated) and kefir. If you are suffering chronic form of lemon or grapefruit juice, alternating juices with slightly warmed mineral water. The total amount of water and juices for colds can reach 2 l to remove as much “painful moisture” from the body through the pores of the skin as possible.

For diseases of the cardiovascular system It is best to drink chlorinated water that has been passed through a special filter. water. Some cardiovascular and kidney diseases are characterized by swelling of the limbs. In such cases, it is recommended to drink filtered water mixed with honey(at the rate of 1 tsp per 200 ml of warm water).

As already mentioned, the timing of therapeutic fasting must be discussed with the attending physician and it is advisable to carry out therapeutic fasting under his direct supervision.

The dangers of self-medication with hunger

I would like to immediately warn you against self-medication by fasting. Despite its apparent simplicity, therapeutic fasting is quite dangerous procedure, since the consequences and the course of therapeutic fasting itself can be disastrous if you undertake it without consulting a doctor, without undergoing a special examination, without finding out the diagnosis with the maximum degree of probability.

Nowadays you can purchase a wide variety of literature of a dubious “medical” nature, which offers treatment without the help and advice (consultation) of an experienced medical specialist, supposedly using the knowledge of ancient healers and shamans. You should not easily believe everything that modern pseudo-medical books write. It is better to rely on the laboratory research-tested achievements of modern medicine, which, by the way, has never disdained the advice and recipes that have come down to us from our great-great-grandmothers.

Therapeutic fasting refers to a method of alternative medicine, which consists of voluntarily refusing food, and sometimes water, with further light meals for a specific period of time. The method is based on the idea of ​​the existence of toxins in the body. According to it, and as a result of the absence of food coming from outside, the digestive organs and other systems associated with them go into the so-called restoration (cleansing) mode.

The method can be complete with unlimited water consumption, absolute, combined. In the absolute variant, a person abstains from both food and water. There is also cascade fasting, in which abstinence from food is carried out in certain cycles. Some methods involve the use of medicinal herbal decoctions. According to the timing of “water” abstinence from food, they can be divided into:

• small: 1-2 days;
• average: 3-7 days;
• long-term: 8-40 days.

On the water

Fasting at home for weight loss, which is based on drinking water, has become quite widespread. It implies a complete refusal of any products. It is advisable to drink filtered or distilled water - this is necessary both for weight loss and for health improvement. The duration varies, and the final effect largely depends on it. Proper water fasting is often recommended by doctors and nutritionists; with its help, you can achieve the following goals:

• strengthen protective system(immunity);
• thanks to psychological (mental) unloading, the human body will begin to better cleanse and recover;
• slow down the aging process by activating the pituitary gland.

Dry medicinal

With the dry method, not only food is excluded, but also the consumption of water is stopped. This method involves complete abstinence from any foods and moisture. It is usually used for a short time, because Prolonged dry fasting will lead to dehydration. Water loss that causes weight loss of 10-20% is life-threatening. There are two types of this method:

• Soft. With this technique, drinking water completely stops, but procedures in the form warm baths, washing, bathing, cleansing enemas are not prohibited.
• Hard (absolute). With this type, not only drinking water is excluded, but also any contact with it, i.e. shower, bathing, mouth rinsing, etc.

Benefits and harm to the body

Before you find out the answer to the question of how to start fasting for weight loss, which is also aimed at cleansing the body, familiarize yourself with the existing advantages and disadvantages of the technique. This will prevent you from possible exhaustion of the body. The benefits of this kind of diet:

• The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is resting. If before people To get food you had to constantly hunt and farm (all this involved physical labor), but today the situation has changed radically - everything you need is available in the store. A large proportion of people have problems with overeating, which puts extra strain on the digestive system. It is useful to give the gastrointestinal tract rest for a while. Sometimes this technique is used for chronic and acute pancreatitis.
• During abstinence from food, internal processes (metabolic) begin to be restructured. The human body switches to its own energy resources. Thanks to this, using this therapeutic technique, fat deposits will be reduced, which will help fight excess weight and cellulite.
• Therapeutic fasting prolongs life. This is due to the fact that this technique promotes cleansing at the cellular and molecular levels, due to which a rejuvenation effect can be achieved. A striking example is Paul Bragg, who died at the age of 81, although doctors from his youth made him unfavorable prognoses regarding his health. A set of measures, including therapeutic abstinence from food, helped him live a long and active life.
• The technique helps cure various diseases. It helps treat allergies, neuroses, hormonal system disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. There have been cases where therapeutic food abstinence has proven productive in the fight against cancer and inflammatory cells. For colds and acute respiratory viral infections, the technique helps to reduce the manifestation of symptoms and speedy recovery.
• The practice of fasting greatly stimulates a person's creative and mental abilities. Yu. Nikolaev was the first in the world to use the method of dosed fasting to treat mental illness.

It turns out that the technique is useful in terms of cleansing the body of toxins and more, partially losing weight and curing a number of diseases. True, she has a so-called reverse side medals. More details about the dangers of the technique:

• Possibility of loss muscle mass. Fat is considered a valuable energy resource for the human body. When experiencing a calorie deficit, the body does not immediately begin to support its performance with energy from fat reserves. First of all, glucose is used, and then proteins. Prolonged abstinence from food leads to muscular dystrophy - intensive breakdown of proteins begins on the second day of the hunger strike.
• There is a risk of intoxication with ketone bodies - a product of incomplete breakdown of fats. In the absence of food, a decrease in glucose levels occurs, leading to insulin deficiency. The fat is not completely oxidized. As a result, a symptom such as the smell of acetone from the mouth appears (as in diabetes). This condition is called acidosis, by which you can recognize that the process of intoxication has begun.
• After exiting the process, especially the wrong one, an increase in appetite is observed. Deprivation of food is stressful for the body. After a person returns to his usual diet, the body strives to replenish what was lost, and even with a reserve. During a fasting diet (especially long-term), the production of the hormone leptin, whose function is to control appetite, stops. This further leads to excessive appetite, which is difficult to resist.
• The fact that when using this technique, toxins are removed is a controversial point. Traditional medicine is inclined to believe that toxins as such do not exist. The lymphatic, digestive and excretory systems do a good job of removing everything unnecessary.

Benefits of fasting for weight loss

This method of losing weight is useful only with a competent approach - it is advisable to fast under the guidance of medical professionals. Remember that a sudden change in eating habits leads to changes in psychological state, some may even experience depression. The benefits of therapeutic fasting for weight loss:

• fast and safe weight loss;
• with weight loss, neither flabbiness nor sagging of tissues and skin is observed (the rule does not apply to very elderly patients);
• weight loss is accompanied by a healthier body, improved overall well-being, and breathing becomes freer.

How to fast properly

Some experts recommend giving the body rest, which is expressed in light meals, before starting a therapeutic abstinence from food. The menu should become balanced and moderate. It is better to exclude animal proteins, flour and sweet products, and dairy products from the diet, focusing on vegetables and fruits - do not overeat on them. You can do a cleansing enema - the temperature of the water for cleaning the intestines should not be cold and exceed optimal temperature bodies. To lose weight and improve your health, consider these tips:

• It is not recommended to refuse food for a long period of time. Healthy people who simply want to give their digestive system a rest should periodically practice the one-day method. During this time, no critical changes or disturbances occur in the functioning of the body.
• If the technique is used to treat any disease, consult with your doctor. In this case, they usually fast for no more than 3, and sometimes 7-10 days.
• So-called dry fasting is unacceptable. When you refuse food, the need for water increases. The body must have a sufficient amount of this component - this is the main condition for the effective breakdown of substances. You will need to drink more than usual.
• Choose the right time to stop eating. Any mental and physical work uses up glucose. If its reserves are exhausted, processes unfavorable for the human body will begin. You should be able to devote time to rest during such a diet, eliminating stress.
• Before you stop eating, prepare properly for the procedure. It is important to follow the rules for entering and exiting a hunger strike.

How long can you fast without harm to your health?

Starving for more than 3 days can cause serious harm to your health. When the process of glucose synthesis from proteins is organized and carried out, the muscles suffer first of all - they contain the most proteins. In addition to this, when you refuse food, the cells stop receiving the necessary set of useful microelements, vitamins. Against this background, the functioning of internal organs is disrupted and the immune system is weakened. Therapeutic fasting is truly a healing procedure, but you need to resort to it wisely.

How to prepare

The basic rule for preparing for the process is as follows: the entry period must be equal in time to the process or at least half of it. Start your preparation by reducing food; you need to reduce not the meals themselves, but the portion sizes. It is advisable to go to plant foods, bitches, let's say low-fat kefir. Avoid animal products, protein and fatty foods. If everything is done correctly, the process will be easier, without any disruptions. There will be no problems with the digestive system and appetite after leaving.

Therapeutic fasting at home

To begin with, it is recommended to practice a 24-hour food refusal, which is carried out no more than once a week. A systematic approach will increase the period to 3 days a week, for example, Monday, Wednesday, Saturday. At first, weight loss is intense, sometimes its loss reaches 2 kg per day. Over time, the effectiveness will decrease to 300 g per day, but these will already be stable numbers. During hunger, several physiological processes are activated, one of which is rejuvenation of the body. The technique is believed to speed up metabolism. Recommendations:

• The first day is characterized by an increasing feeling of hunger, weakness, and irritability. On the second day, slight dizziness, weakness, coating on the tongue, and bad breath may appear. It is ideal to fast during a rest period.
• More load falls on the excretory organs. If you refuse to eat, your urine may become more cloudy and sediment may appear. During a hunger strike, it is advisable to do cleansing enemas, thoroughly brush your teeth, and take a shower 2 times a day.
• The process of correctly completing a fast is important, especially if you have chosen a 3-day or longer method.

Daily allowance

If you decide to lose excess weight, pay attention to the therapeutic method of refusing food for 1 day. This option is considered the most useful, because... it does not pose a risk to human health. 1 day is enough for the digestive organs (stomach, pancreas, etc.) to rest, and for the intestinal microflora to become healthier. Within a day, all putrefactive components die. When fasting properly, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Avoid heavy foods in advance, don’t overeat, drink more water. Plan this process on the weekend.
• Try to spend more time outdoors. Shown water procedures.
• Unpleasant sensations in the form of slight dizziness, weakness, headache, etc. may decrease or disappear if you practice fasting regularly.
• The recommended duration is 24-27 hours.
• The output of a one-day process can only consist of taking the “Brush” cleansing salad. For it, carrots and cabbage are finely chopped, and if desired, a pinch of raisins, a small apple, and turnip are added. The salad is flavored with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Three-day

With proper fasting, designed for three days, the process becomes more stressful for the body compared to one day. Careful preparation and adherence to recommendations for entry and exit are required. If you have not tried several one-day fasts, then it is better not to start the three-day method. Within three days, digestive processes slow down, the process of breaking down fat reserves begins, and the body prepares for the transition to “internal nutrition.” Scroll mandatory rules:

• Preparation is very important. A week before the procedure, it is recommended to give up heavy and junk food and alcohol. 1.5-3 days before the transition, focus on plant foods and reduce portions. On the day you start, do a cleansing enema.
• Drink more water, shower more often than usual.
• You may experience unpleasant symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and short-term bouts of hunger. If proper fasting is difficult, it is recommended to leave it earlier, so listen to your feelings.
• A symptom indicating that it is necessary to immediately stop refusing food is a very colored dark color or very cloudy urine.
• Over three days, the weight loss will be several kg, but about half will return the next day after release. To maintain the effect, you should go out smoothly without overeating.

Seven days

Proper fasting, lasting a week, is widely used for medicinal purposes. During this period of time, the body’s ability to regenerate increases and diseased tissue is destroyed. After 7 days of not eating, the body switches to internal nutrition, and as a result, the person faces an acidotic crisis. A characteristic symptom is the smell of acetone from the mouth. More details about the rules:

• Preparations begin at least 2 weeks in advance. Reduce the amount of animal products in the menu, eliminate processed foods, alcohol, preservatives, and harmful food additives. Don't overeat.
• The day before the start, give up meat and animal products.
• In addition to cleansing the intestines before a fast, it is recommended to cleanse the liver using an enema (blind probing).
• Plan proper fasting for your vacation - preferably in the summer or autumn.
• The first 5 days are characterized by nausea, headaches, mood swings, and dizziness. After the onset of an acidotic crisis, all practitioners observe an improvement in mood, well-being, a surge of strength and energy.
• For some, the acidotic crisis does not occur until the 7th day or later. In this case, it is not recommended to immediately stop the hunger strike. Extend it for 2-3 days.

How to avoid going hungry

When refusing food, many experience not only hunger, but also weakness, decreased physical strength etc. In this regard, there is a high risk of breaking from proper fasting and completing the procedure ahead of time. To prevent this from happening, remember the motivation that prompted you to use this technique. Drinking plenty of water will help you avoid feeling hungry. Walking, reading, music will help you switch from thoughts about food - there should be a frequent change of activity. Some practitioners practice breathing exercises. Don't get overtired.

Breaking out of fasting

With the one-day method, it is better to plan your exit for the evening. At your first meal, eat some vegetables or fruits, stewed vegetables or vegetable salad with oil (linseed or olive). Until the evening, give up meat and dairy products, drink more clean water. During a three-day proper fast, the principles are the same, but do not leave it, starting with meat, fish, nuts, dairy products - only juices, vegetables (can be stewed), fruits. With the seven-day method:

• during the first day only juices are indicated;
• on the second day you can eat grated fruits and vegetables;
• on the third or fourth day the menu is supplemented with bread, soups, and cereals;
• a week after completion, you can eat protein foods and nuts;
• then you need to adhere to a dairy-vegetable diet for another week, the principles fractional meals(small portions).

Fractional nutrition and small portions

Proper fasting implies the following point: when exiting this process, try to eat in fractional portions 5-6 times a day. The intervals between meals should be 3 hours. Fats and salt are prohibited, only small portions. Partial nutrition is especially important when leaving long-term diets that involve complete abstinence from food - do not neglect it.

Vegetable and fermented milk foods

When coming out of a proper long-term fast, it is important to adhere to a dairy-vegetable diet for some time. It is advisable to add fermented milk products to the menu on the 5th day - kefir, fermented baked milk, etc. Use in small quantities is acceptable butter. On the 6th day sour cream is introduced, and on the 7th day cottage cheese is added. Vegetables and fruits can be eaten on the 2nd day.

Compliance with time intervals

This principle is very important. A competent exit should not be immediate; certain deadlines must be met. The longer you refuse food, the longer it will take to recover from the procedure. Even after a one-day fast, it is important to follow a certain diet for several more days. In addition, do not overeat, otherwise all the work will go down the drain, and the weight will quickly return to its place.

Contraindications

• muscle atrophy;
• hepatitis;
• liver cirrhosis;
• renal and heart failure;
• severe body weight deficiency;
• malignant tumor;
• diabetes mellitus type I;
• systemic blood diseases;
• thrombophlebitis;
• bronchiectasis;
• active tuberculosis of the lungs and other organs;
• thyrotoxicosis, etc.

Video

Fasting has been practiced for many centuries. But does it really help you lose weight and improve your health?

It would seem that everything is simple: you don’t need to choose foods, count calories, or cook. You just give up on food and sit on water and juices in anticipation of quick weight loss and other health benefits.

A recent example is actress Beyonce Knowles. For her role in the film “Dreamgirls,” she ate only water and lemon juice and cayenne pepper and lost 10 kilograms.

But what about mere mortals? Let's figure it out:

The diet of modern people largely consists of processed foods that are poor in plant fiber and antioxidants. Because of this, waste accumulates in the cells of the body, which leads to the development of atherosclerosis, diabetes, disruption of the nervous system and other organs. Even first-year students in medical schools know about this.

Along with changing your diet, fasting is one of the radical ways to solve this problem. It allows the body to cleanse itself naturally. There is nothing unusual in refusing food - a person already goes hungry every night.

How is toxins removed from the body? Fasting for 1-2 days starts the process of ketosis. This means that in the absence of external carbohydrates, the body begins to burn its own fat to meet energy needs.

And a large number of toxins that enter the body from the environment accumulate in adipose tissue.

Although the medical benefits of fasting have not been proven, there must be a good reason why this practice has been used for therapeutic purposes in all countries for thousands of years in one form or another.

• Pregnancy
• Muscle atrophy, malnutrition
• Arrhythmia

Prolonged fasting should always be done under medical supervision.

Fasting to prolong life

Numerous studies have shown that those animals that