Prefasting

What is Pre-Fasting?

Fasting is a ritual that people undergo for a variety of reasons. The two main reasons are religion (see also: biblical fasting) and health (see also: benefits of fasting). Though they may seem different, if one goes back into the misty past of history, one finds that religious fasting was actually formulated and followed for health.

So let’s look at the primary motive for fasting being to lose weight and boost overall good health. Fasting is a good way to cleanse your body of toxins and other poisons that living in these polluted times brings about. Fasting helps sort out any system malfunction you maybe experiencing in your body. It is the best detox aid and the cheapest one you could find today. All it needs is some perseverance and determination to actually do it. Be warned that it is not easy but once you get used to it and it becomes a habit, you might just find yourself looking forward to it.

Making the decision

If you have decided to go on a fast then there are some precautions that you must be aware about and there are some steps that you must undertake prior to commencing your fast. It is advised that your preparation for the ‘fast to cleanse’ program should start a week before you actually start the fast. The first step would be to bring down your caffeine intake, your animal fat intake and your intake of all processed and sugared food. Coffee should be completely stopped at least 3 days prior to the fast.

This reduction will increase the alkaline pH content in your body which will make your cleansing more effective. The next step is to increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables eaten raw as far as possible. Replace dairy products and meats with cooked vegetables, while grains and legumes should take the place of breads and pastries. Continue the reduction in things like poultry, alcohol, wine and shellfish. The aim of your fast is to rid your body of toxins and other substances that prevent your body from working efficiently.

Once all this is in place you are ready to commence with your fast. Whichever fast you have decided on remember if you feel tired, rest is very essential. Headaches could be experienced during the fasting and detox programs and the reason for this is the re-absorption of the addictions and toxins back into your system. Hence the week of preparing your body for the fast is essential.

So work out a systematic approach to the fast and list out the reasons for it. Then talk to your doctor and get an idea about the state of your health. There may be some medical condition that requires that you do not undertake a certain type of fast. Get all your facts in place before you launch yourself into fasting.