Guest guest Posted December 1, 2002 Report Share Posted December 1, 2002 , I hae never heard of that. Interesting. Is ther something in grapes that heeds inflammation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2002 Report Share Posted December 1, 2002 >From: JULIEJJPALANCA@... >Reply- > >Subject: Re: Fasting >Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 11:32:29 EST > >, I hae never heard of that. Interesting. Is ther something in grapes >that heeds inflammation? YOU HAVE THE WRONG E-MAIL ADDRESS! _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2002 Report Share Posted December 3, 2002 Patty, you are an inspiration! I will defintly do the Master Cleanse.Dr.Kolb had recommended it also, said its the best, and she feels wonderful on it also. I always thought it makes you sooo tired! Wow, 10 days! You trooper! Do you lose alot of weight? That would be a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2002 Report Share Posted December 3, 2002 , On the 10 day fast I lost about 10 pounds. I think I was the skinniest I have ever been as an adult, about 115 lbs on my 5'7" frame. It came back after awhile, and over time I seemed to gain some weight. How much of that was due to Hashimoto's, I don't know, but is right about the metabolism thing. My metabolism seemed to gradually get slower after my fasting experiences. You just have to keep up with the exercising and make that a priority. (Not while fasting though--the most exercise you should do while fasting is gentle walking.) My naturopathic doctor also fasts, like Dr. Kolb. I think most holistic practitioners recognize the value of fasting--it has been a healing modality practiced for thousands of years by ancient peoples, and its value is no less amazing today. Patty ----- Original Message ----- From: JULIEJJPALANCA@... Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 9:31 PM Subject: Re: Fasting Patty, you are an inspiration! I will defintly do the Master Cleanse.Dr.Kolb had recommended it also, said its the best, and she feels wonderful on it also. I always thought it makes you sooo tired! Wow, 10 days! You trooper! Do you lose alot of weight? That would be a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 > I generally fast about 36 hours one day a week, usually a day when I have something scheduled after work and am too busy to eat anyway. Or when I'm traveling, because it's a lot easier than trying to find decent quality food in airports. So this week I'll fast from after dinner tonight until breakfast Friday morning. I started out gradually - it was pretty easy to go from lunch one day to lunch the next, then went from dinner to dinner which was a little harder, then dinner to breakfast. Now, as long as I drink plenty of water, it's pretty easy. > As a religious practice, I fast for 24 hours once a month. I would > be interested in your fasting habits as well as others in this Group > who'd like to share their experience. You mentioned that you fast 1- > 2 days per week. > > The concept of eating only during four hours each day and fasting > the other 20 was also interesting to me. As a rule, my first meal > is about ten in the morning and I never eat past 6:00pm. I've > gotten pretty good at CR but am still " tweaking " my ON. > > Thx again for the info you sent! > > Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Thanks for that, . Sounds like a workable plan. A question of the effect on metabolism came up before and there's been a contradiction of Walford's statement in both groups. I wonder if when we say it lowers metabolism, we mean we burn less calories per hour BMR, reach a lower temperature, feel cold, as some report in CR. If we operate at a lower rate we live longer. If I plan to eat 1800 kcals per day, I could fast 1 day and then eat 2400 each day for 3 days. Is it your opinion that would provide the same lower BMR? Ref: 120 yr diet on Page 82: "... in the rat, merely restricting food intake by 50 percent actually decreases UCP expression. When totally deprived of food, the body acts to maintain temperature by turning up the UCPs, thereby decreasing its metabolic efficiency and burning its fat. On the other hand, responding to partial food deprivation, it may just turn down the thermostat. Indeed CRON humans, as well as monkeys, tend to display a body temperature one or more degrees lower than normal. That's what you want. " Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: mary Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 5:31 PM Subject: [ ] fasting Hi, I am new to the group. I have my PHD in holistic nutrition and several related fields. Until I was poisoned by formaldehyde (defective new carpeting), I was a Natural Health Consultant. The issue of fasting came up often. In the holistic field, there are two vastly differing schools of thought pertaining to fasting. One school advocates fasting as a means of cleansing the body. People have diet attempting this. The other school advocates fasting as a means of testing the degree of cleanliness in the body. No one dies doing this as any negative reactions, even cravings, is reason to stop the fast! Neither ever advocated fasting as a lifestyle...although some holistic practioners still recommend fasting one day per week (dinner to dinner) as a way to control obesity. For many decades, fasting for long periods was recommended for terminal illnesses in preparation for drastic dietary changes (to a 100% raw vegan diet). Even in these cases, prolonged fasting is no longer recommended by most holistic practioners unless the sick person is willing to live in an institute for the duration of the fast. The general consensus today (in holistic fields) is to fast no more than two days per week...each fast day being separated by at least 3 days of normal eating. Anyone going on a 7 day (or longer) fast needs to be aware that, if you have any nutritional deficiencies, the normal after-response is binging! I have had this happen to me (when I refused to believe it) and seen it happen to others. Fasting does lower metabolism both during and after the fast. If the fast is only for a few days (less than 72 hours) and is followed by a normal diet for the next few days, change in diet, the harm (to the metabolism) is minimal. Keep in mind that a meal is eaten every day (unless the fast exceeds 24 hours). It is from dinner to dinner. However, fasting for longer periods can wreak havoc unless the faster has prepared for the fast, knows how to end the fast, and is prepared to make significant dietary changes after the fast. The changes almost always involve calorie reduction as the fast is used for transitioning to a more raw diet. Fasting only to eat more cooked food is a waste of time, IMHO. It is not recommended by any holistic practitioner that someone fast more than 7 days without supervision. Even fewer days can have serious consequences in an unprepared individual. I have fasted many times and have supervised fasts. I have seen people get in trouble on even a 72 hour fast. All this having been said, I fail to see the relevance or need for fasting for someone on CRON. If the purpose of being on the CRON diet is to maximize nutrients while minimizing calories, just this would precipitate a natural cleansing in the body as meals, by necessity, would need to either be few or small. I do not know who brought up this topic. However, simply eating ONLY fresh fruit from the time you rise until noon/1pm and not eating after 6pm will precipitate a very effective cleansing without the risks of a prolonged fast. If someone feels the need to fast for a longer period, s/he should consider finding an institute that supervises fast. Otherwise, keep fasting to no more than one day per week (if someone feels this is necessary). Think of it this way....if I have to ask my friend if I should get married, I shouldn't! If I have to ask someone if a fast would benefit me, I am not ready for a prolonged fast (anything more than 24 hours). mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 --- In , " jwwright " <jwwright@e...> wrote: > Thanks for that, . ............... Indeed CRON humans, as >well as monkeys, tend to display a body temperature one or more >degrees lower than normal. That's what you want. " Would anyone who regards themselves as well established in CRON care to share with us what their early AM (oral) body temperature averages? As long as I can remember mine has been below the standard 37°C, but I am wondering how much below 'normal' I should expect it to be when I have been on CRON for a couple of years. (Just trying to get a benchmark for another easy-to-measure marker). TIA. Rodney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 My body temperature averages about 97.5 degrees F or 36.4 degrees C. >From: " Rodney " <perspect1111@...> >Reply- > >Subject: [ ] Re: fasting >Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 00:23:34 -0000 > >--- In , " jwwright " <jwwright@e...> >wrote: > > Thanks for that, . ............... Indeed CRON humans, as > >well as monkeys, tend to display a body temperature one or more > >degrees lower than normal. That's what you want. " > >Would anyone who regards themselves as well established in CRON care >to share with us what their early AM (oral) body temperature >averages? As long as I can remember mine has been below the standard >37°C, but I am wondering how much below 'normal' I should expect it >to be when I have been on CRON for a couple of years. (Just trying >to get a benchmark for another easy-to-measure marker). TIA. > >Rodney. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Mine was about 97.6, but since I started eating whey it's higher, I'm warmer, and I'm losing a little weight with what some folks think is higher metabolism. I still need to lose a little weight. Later (much later), maybe I'll try vegan like Dean did. Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rodney Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 7:23 PM Subject: [ ] Re: fasting Would anyone who regards themselves as well established in CRON care to share with us what their early AM (oral) body temperature averages? As long as I can remember mine has been below the standard 37°C, but I am wondering how much below 'normal' I should expect it to be when I have been on CRON for a couple of years. (Just trying to get a benchmark for another easy-to-measure marker). TIA.Rodney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Thanks, , Too confusing. I think I'll stick to what I know. 1800 kcals is down from 3200 kcals in the past. Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: mary Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 8:21 PM Subject: Re: [ ] fasting jwwright <jwwright@...> wrote: Thanks for that, . . . If I plan to eat 1800 kcals per day, I could fast 1 day and then eat 2400 each day for 3 days. Is it your opinion that would provide the same lower BMR? Ref: 120 yr diet If you regularly fasted for 24 hours and then compensated by eating more the next day or the next 3 days, you would confuse your body. The end result would be nutrient deprivation...although it might take a period of time to be exposed. This nutrient deprivation will increase with every new fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Some folks have reported resveratrol lowered their body temp. Mine hasn't changed from 97.5.... >From: " jwwright " <jwwright@...> >Reply- >< > >Subject: Re: [ ] Re: fasting >Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 09:48:40 -0500 > >Mine was about 97.6, but since I started eating whey it's higher, I'm >warmer, and I'm losing a little weight with what some folks think is higher >metabolism. I still need to lose a little weight. >Later (much later), maybe I'll try vegan like Dean did. > >Regards. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Rodney > > Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 7:23 PM > Subject: [ ] Re: fasting > > > Would anyone who regards themselves as well established in CRON care > to share with us what their early AM (oral) body temperature > averages? As long as I can remember mine has been below the standard > 37°C, but I am wondering how much below 'normal' I should expect it > to be when I have been on CRON for a couple of years. (Just trying > to get a benchmark for another easy-to-measure marker). TIA. > > Rodney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Do you know what dosage (and brand) of resveratrol had this temp lowering effect? Quoting Dowling <dowlic@...>: > Some folks have reported resveratrol lowered their body temp. Mine hasn't > changed from 97.5.... ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Hi : Wow, that sounds interesting. Could you please elaborate on the benefits obtained in a couple of examples you are familiar with of the " wonders " you refer to. Thanks. Rodney. >Many people believe fasting to be a 'quick fix' or 'magic pill' >or 'miracle drug'. This approach is often promoted by holistic >practitioners. Fasting can produce wonders...but only if done >properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Hi : Wow, that sounds interesting. Could you please elaborate on the benefits obtained in a couple of examples you are familiar with of the " wonders " you refer to. Thanks. Rodney. >Many people believe fasting to be a 'quick fix' or 'magic pill' >or 'miracle drug'. This approach is often promoted by holistic >practitioners. Fasting can produce wonders...but only if done >properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 The Longevinex brand, 30 mg QD PO. >From: scott@... >Reply- > >Subject: Re: [ ] Re: fasting >Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 10:22:32 -0500 > >Do you know what dosage (and brand) of resveratrol had this temp lowering >effect? > > >Quoting Dowling <dowlic@...>: > > > Some folks have reported resveratrol lowered their body temp. Mine >hasn't > > changed from 97.5.... > > >---------------------------------------------------------------- >This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2004 Report Share Posted September 18, 2004 I have had difficulties digesting a lot of foods also, especially raw veggies and salads. Recently I went on a salt free diet, trying to lose some weight, and found that my digestion improved significantly. What used to take hours to digest now takes half an hour. I would never think salt could make such a difference but it did. I also noticed that less salt I eat less I want. Eating without salt for just 2 first days made me intolerable to salty foods I used to eat, like potato chips, salted nuts, crackers, they taste too salty for me now. I would recommend you to try a sodium free or low sodium(salt) diet and see if it helps. Good luck Olya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 I'll be posting some articles on fasting in the next few days I found on http://www.healthy.net Diet, Fasting and Reduction of Disease © Leon Chaitow N.D., D.O., M.R.O. Life can be extended by dietary restriction, a process which can also lead to a dramatic reduction in the chances of developing chronic disease in old age. This powerful statement is among the most important findings made by research doctors Weindruch and Walford, based on the hundreds of animal experiments which they have conducted involving dietary modification and restriction And, what is more, they believe that what they have found is available to all of us by simply applying the principles they have established from their studies. As well as this, they point to another phenomenon, and that is that animals already ill with chronic disease at the start of the dietary restriction experiment frequently recovered full health, with the illness significantly improving or vanishing completely. They explain that a number of diseases arise 'spontaneously' (it might be more accurate to say they commonly arise, since they do not appear in everyone there is obviously a cause, and this cannot therefore be considered spontaneous) in humans as they age, including cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, dementia, cataracts etc. Some of these are clearly life-threatening, adding markedly to the likelihood of a reduced life span, while others increase the chances of accidents as well as reducing the quality of life. The animal studies that the two researchers conducted showed that not only are these diseases far less likely to occur when diet is modified, but that if they do occur it will be at a far later stage in the life of the animal. Thus 'spontaneous' diseases of old age are reduced in animals that live on a diet which contains a full complement of nutrients (vitamins, protein etc.) but which has a lower than usual level of calorie content. A longer life, less chance of developing serious disease and even recovery from such disease if it already exists. These are quite astounding and revolutionary claims. Different patterns of dietary restrictionThe ways in which animals are induced to achieve a restricted diet varies. In some instances they are allowed to eat whatever they wish of a fully balanced diet for a restricted amount of time; often this is for 12 hours every other day. In other instances they are fed a known amount of food which represents between 40 and 70 per cent of what similar animals would eat when offered the chance to feed whenever they wish. In some experiments these restricted amounts are boosted by supplements of nutrients to ensure that no deficiencies occur. Diets which contain an identical amount of nutrients (apart from calories) to those given to non-restricted animals are called isonutrient diets. The animals were started on a restricted diet both very early in life, and later in life to compare the effects brought about by early and late changes. In each case the diet, when used experimentally, produced similar results in increased life span and reduction of disease, but it was found that when the diet restriction was started early in life it could have particularly harmful side effects through changes in the development of the animal, unless nutrient intake was kept at levels of absolute excellence. These two research pioneers say that they decided to introduce adult animals to dietary restriction with the express purpose of learning more about the improvements in the disease patterns commonly seen in human ageing. Such eating patterns, they believe, can plausibly be usable in humans. But, in responding to the two searching questions which they had posed-'Can adult dietary restriction slow down the onset of late-life disease in humans? and 'Can human adult dietary restriction forestall the progression of, or aid in curing, ongoing diseases?' - their answer included what can only be a mistaken assumption because they said: 'Although human data are unavailable, results of adult dietary restriction studies in rodents, although much less extensive than early life dietary restriction studies, also show favourable effects on late-life disease patterns.' The assumption that no data exists to support human results following dietary restriction ignores much research into therapeutic fasting and naturopathic treatment methods which include dietary restriction. I will outline these methods later in this chapter and in other chapters. Fasting patternsOn Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays Weindruch and Walford had fed their experimental animals an isonutrient diet (that is, all the nutrients that a free feeding animal would receive but with calorie restriction), and they reported equal success in terms of life extension and disease reduction with animals fed every day but in reduced quantities. Whichever regimen, their overriding rule was that the animals were never malaourished and always received their total requirement of protein, vitamins and minerals whilst calories were restricted. The pattern of feeding, therefore, was one of 'undernutrition without malnutrition'. If you or I were eating on alternate days only, we would be fasting on the others, and even if we ate just once daily, we could be said to be fasting for the rest of the day. It is in the variations of patterns of eating and fasting that we should look to find our personal strategies, for it is the effects of periodic fasting which might hold the key to the door to life extension and disease reduction. The benefits seem always to be the same whatever variation in pattern used, as long as the basic principle of calorie restriction is kept to. Reduction in disease levelsFrom strains of rats and mice specially bred for experimental it is possible to select types which are more than commonly prone to particular diseases. These may involve different types of tumour (lung, breast, leukaemia etc.) or a variety of other chronic degenerative diseases. When such prone types were used in the dietary restriction experiments of Weindruch and Walford the development of a wide array of diseases was seen to be delayed and the overall incidence was dramatically reduced. As the dietary restriction programm was intensified the disease prevention effects became greater and this was most marked in the case of cancers of many types. On top of this, research also shows that despite the dietary restriction normal physiological function is maintained and in many instances improved. Weindruch and Walford's experimental work is recent and ongoing. Another man's efforts in researching the nutrition health link dates back to earlier this century, but it is no less valid and important today than it was when he carried it out. McCarrison's Indian observationsDuring his many yeas in India, the famed medical researcher into nutrition, Sir McCarrison, observed the varying patterns of health current amongst different groups on the subcontinent. He was fascinated by the different levels of health and physical efficiency, and found that the single factor that had the most profound influence on these characteristics was not the climate, endemic disease or race, but food. His first observations were of the decline in stature, body weight, stamina and efficiency of the people as he traveled from the north to the south of India. He compared this with the local diets and found a direct and constant correlation in that there was a fall in nutritive value of the commonly eaten food, from north to south. He makes the following statement in his book Nutrition and Health (McCarrison Society, London, 1982): This is not to say that in these parts [the south] there are not people of good physique nor that in the north of India there are not many whose physique is poor. But speaking of the generality of the people, it is true that the physique of northern races of India is strikingly superior to that of southern, eastern and western races. This difference depends almost entirely on the diminishing value of the food . . . with respect to the amount and quality of proteins, the quality of the cereal grains forming the staple article of the diet, the quality and quantity of the fats, the minerals and vitamin contents, and the balance of the food as a whole. What were the diets?In northern India at that time grains such as wheat were eaten, usually as whole grains. Whole wheat has a high protein content, McCarrison observed, especially when eaten freshly ground, with the grain retaining much of its high levels of minerals and vitamins. Also, in the north, the diet included milk products such as clarified butter (ghee), buttermilk and curds, as well as pulses (lentils mainly, eaten as dhal) and fresh vegetables and fruit. Meat was eaten sparingly if at all, although some groups such as the Pathans ate it in abundance. By comparison the southern diet was based on white rice (mainly milled, polished or parboiled [often all threel, following which it was washed in many changes of water and finally boiled, reducing its nutritional value to virtually nil). Little milk protein was consumed in the south and meat was largely proscribed for religious reasons, and there was only a poor intake of vegetables and fruit. McCarrison's experimentsJust as and longevity research is based on animals because human experiments are impossible, having made his observations amongst humans, set out to prove his thesis by applying to laboratory rats - all of which started from the same level of well-being - the various patterns of diet he had seen. Rats mature about 30 times faster than humans, making an experiment lasting 140 days equivalent to roughly 12 years in human terms. In his first major experiment in this series he took seven different groups of the same strain of rat, with each group containing 20 rats, each having an even number of males and females, matched for body weight. They were kept in large cages under precisely the same conditions, each group being fed on a different pattern of diet, containing exactly the normal ingredients of either the Sikhs, the Pathans, Ghurkas, Mahrattas, Kanarese, Bengalis or the Madrasis. After 80 days and 140 days the animals were weighed and photographed, and their health was monitored throughout. The results proved precisely what McCarrison had anticipated, that the best diet of all was the Sikh (abundant in all nutrients) and the poorest the Madrasi (high in poor quality carbohydrate and deficient in protein and other nutrients). This initial experiment so impressed McCarrison that he decided in future to keep his stock of rats (used for other experiments) on the Sikh diet. He had roughly 1,000 such animals to which he subsequently fed whole grain chappatis, fresh butter, sprouted pulses, raw fresh vegetables (cabbage, carrots) plus milk and water. Dry crusts were provided to keep their teeth healthy. Once a week a small amount of meat and bone was given. The rats were kept in these conditions for an average of two years - about 50 to 60 years in human terms, with young rats being taken periodically for experimental purposes and the older 1,000 being kept on the diet for breeding purposes. Over a five year period McCarrison noted no case of illness, no death from natural causes, no maternal mortality and no infantile mortality amongst this group of rats. They were of course kept clean and had exposure to the sun daily and were generally well cared for, but the same conditions and care were given during these years to thousands of other rats fed deficiently on southern Indian diets, amongst which a wide variety of illness was observed. It was the altered diet which provided a disease-free environment for the rats, and this corresponded with a sturdier physique, just as McCarrison had observed amongst humans following these different dietary patterns. He concluded that if attention is paid to three things cleanliness, comfort and food - it is possible to exclude disease from a colony of cloistered rats, and that it is possible greatly to reduce disease by the same means in human beings. McCarrison's final experimentsHaving found that the Sikh diet provided an ideal for good health and long life, McCarrison then took two groups of 20 matched rats and fed one on a Sikh diet and the other on a typical British diet (white bread, margarine, sweetened tea, a little milk, boiled potatoes and cabbage, tinned meat and tinned jam). The differences between the two groups of rats were dramatic and rapidly observable. The Sikh-diet fed rats were, as in previous studies, contented and healthy. The British-diet fed rats did not flourish: Their growth was stunted; they were badly proportioned; their coats were sparing and lacked gloss; they were nervous and apt to bite; they lived unhappily together, and by the 60th day began to kill and eat the weaker ones amongst them. The experiment continued for 187 days - around 16 years in human terms. The 'British' rats showed a tendency to diseases of the lungs and gastrointestinal disease, while those on the 'Sikh' diet were free of such problems. McCarrison noted that when he kept rats on either the deficient Madrasi diet, an even worse Travancore diet or a Sikh diet, for 700 days (50 human years) many animals died, and peptic ulcers developed in 29 per cent of the Travancore-diet group, in 11 per cent of the Madrasidiet group and in none of the Sikh-diet group. This is precisely the pattern of ill-health seen in humans living on the same diets. 'Here again, we see that a disease common in certain parts of a country can be produced in rats by feeding them on the faulty diets in common use by the people of these parts.' McCarrison has proved similar dietary connections in numerous other disease patterns found in humans, including skin diseases (ulcers, abscesses, dermatitis); diseases of the eye (cornea! ulceration, conjunctivitis, cataracts); diseases of the ear (otitis media); diseases of the nose (rhinitis, sinusitis); diseases of the lungs and respiratory passages (adenoids, pneumonia, pleurisy); diseases of the alimentary tract (dental disease, gastric ulcer, cancer of the stomach, duodenal ulcer, enteritis, colitis); diseases of the urinary tract (pyonephrosis, pyelitis, renal stones, nephritis, cystitis); diseases of the reproductive system (endometritis, premature birth, uterine hemorrhage, testicular disease); diseases of the blood (anaemia, pernicious anaemia); diseases of the Iymph glands (cysts and abscesses); diseases of the endocrine glands (goitre, adrenal hypertrophy, atrophy of the thymus, hemorrhagic pancreatitis); diseases of the heart (cardiac atrophy, cardiac hypertrophy, myocarditis, pericarditis); diseases of the nervous system (polyneuritis, beri-beri, degenerative lesions); diseases of the bone (crooked spine); general diseases (malnutrition oedema, scurvy). 'All these conditions had a common causation: faulty nutrition with or without infection.' McCarrison's heroic studies, whatever may be thought of the suffering of the animals involved, have provided a basis for understanding a relationship between nutrition and health and can help us to see the relevance of Weindruch and Walford's research more clearly. There is a direct correlation between diet and disease, and the restricted patterns of eating which this research has looked into (in contrast to what might commonly be eaten in industrialized societies) are seen to have clear benefits to offer in terms of reduced levels of disease. But, what effect on everyday ability to function does a restricted diet have in humans? Do Kuratsune's dietary experiment on himself and his wifeInteresting results emerged when Professor Masanore Kuratsune, former Head of the Medical Department of the University of Kyushu in Japan, decided to see what would happen if he followed a restricted dietary intake similar to that provided to concentration camp inmates, using the same food content, sometimes cooked and sometimes raw. He and his young breast-feeding wife continued with their activities and normal lives during the length of the three periods of restricted feeding involved (120 days, 32 days and 81 days). The quantities of food consumed daily were between 22 and 30 grams of protein, 7.5 to 8.5 grams of fat, and 164 to 207 grams of carbohydrate. This amounted in total to between 729 and 826 calories daily (whereas the recommended minimum would be 2,150 calories for their body size). In camp conditions there was often a rapid onset of ill-health, with infection and anemia common, while nothing of the sort occurred during these three periods of restricted diet, apart from when the intake of food was switched from raw to cooked food. The diet of fresh and raw food (consisting entirely of whole grain rice (soaked not cooked) plus shredded greens and fruit, with no animal protein at all) kept the couple healthy and active, with the wife finding her milk supply increased rather than decreased. But, when the experiment switched to cooked food (same ingredients) they both developed symptoms of hunger, oedema and weakness, which vanished when the eating of raw food was reintroduced. This personal study was recounted in a 1967 monograph written by Dr Ralph Bircher of Zurich, and entitled Way to Positive Health and Vitality published by Bircher-Benner Verlag, Switzerland. Raw food diet applied to rheumatoid arthritis at London HospitalDr Ralph Bircher also outlines the application of a raw diet, restricted in calories, to people with chronic disease, citing the dozen classic cases documented on film, in which the dietary approach developed by his father Dr Max Bircher-Benner was used at the Royal Free Hospital in London just before the Second World War. One of these cases is outstanding in its demonstration of just what can happen when dietary restriction is applied to a serious crippling degenerative disease like rheumatoid arthritis. This involved a 55-year-old woman who had been afflicted with this condition for over two years and who was bed-ridden, unable even to sit up, and quite unable to stand, walk or use her arms or hands. She was dependent upon two people for all her needs. For two weeks she consumed nothing but raw food, salads and fruit, following which she was allowed a liffle lightly cooked vegetable food as well as the raw food. For six weeks there was no change apart from the development of even more severe pains, and finally a high temperature. This was seen as the turning point, following which improvement was seen month by month until after five months she was walking with sticks. By ten months she was pain-free and had regained most of her mobility. One year after beginning the programmed she was fully mobile. Ten years later, still following a 75 per cent raw food diet she was digging her garden and growing her own food. Some dietitians argue that the diet outlined was deficient, unlike the isonutrient diets of Drs Weindruch and Walford. Dr Bircher would disagree, saying that the high enzyme content of raw food compensates for an apparent lack of protein or other nutrients. The fact is that many people have survived in excellent health for many years on just such a diet. Where does fasting fit into all this?Later in this book, after evaluating the life extension effects of animal studies, I suggest strategies which mimic these experiments and which you can put into daily practice. For now, the purpose of this chapter is to highlight a different aspect of the potential which this knowledge offers us, the use of fasting and dietary modification as a means of health promotion, rather than with the aim of life extension. Fasting is not starvationDuring starvation (once fatty tissue has been used up) the body draws on its own essential protein reserves for fuel, whereas in fasting it is the non-essential fat and protein stores which are used for this purpose. Clearly, if fasting continues for too long a period, starvation will take over, but no such risk exists when fasting is used according to certain strict guidelines which I will explain. One definition of fasting is of a period during which no solid food is taken and when (ideally) water only is consumed. Fasting in the treatment of chronic disease has been used for centuries, and research into its effectiveness has been carried out for at least 100 years. 1 A number of university studies have been conducted which show quite clearly just what happens to the various body systems when humans and animals fast.2,3 In some of these strictly controlled studies prolonged fasting (months in some cases) was shown to produce no harmful effects, only benefits. Some of the diseases which have been found to improve with fasting are listed at the end of this chapter. What happens to the body on a fast?The body's basic metabolic rate (BMR), which is an index of the rate at which the body burns fuel to create energy, is seen to slowly reduce, by around one per cent daily until it stabilizes at 75 per cent of its normal rate.4 In animal studies a number of ways have been found to slow BMR, induding dietary (calorie) restriction and the cooling of core temperature (such as occurs during hibernation)5 and indeed one of the major markers of animals and humans whose potential life spans are extended by use of reduced calorie intake is a slowing down of the rate at which they 'burn' oxygen; in other words their BMR slows down. The effect of fasting, in slowing BMR, is therefore one way in which it promotes longevity. Just how this is achieved is of some importance for it brings into play a degree of adaptation in which energy is conserved, making the process more 'thrifty'. Weindrudh and Walford have shown that longevity is directly linked to efficient energy consumption ('thrifty' as opposed to 'burner' animals and people). When fasting begins, the first source of energy which is tapped is the stored glucose in the liver (glucose is vital for brain function and red blood cells). When its own stores are used up, and whatever remaining food in the digestive tract has been used as an energy source, the body begins to synthesize more glucose, taken as stored glycogen from muscle tissues. After about 24 hours these sources will be depleted, and free amino acids and protein, and later fat stores (triglycerides), from various nonessential sites will be turned into energy by the liver and the kidneys. A combination of a lower requirement for energy and careful use of what fuels are available (including some recycling, for example of red blood cells) allows fasting to continue for many weeks before any vital tissues become threatened (unless at the starting point the faster is already emaciated or malnourished). The longer the fast continues the more efficient the body function in reducing its dependence on glucose and the more efficiently it uses fatty tissues for its reduced energy requirements.6 Changes seen on a fastA wide array of biochemical changes occur during fasting, some of them unpredictable, being dependent on your state of health at the outset. Many, however, are predictable, including hormonal changes of particular significance to longevity.7 Except in very overweight people, one of the key changes seen is an increase in the production by the pituitary gland of Growth Hormone (GH), of which much more will be heard in our continued exploration of life extension mechanics. From the viewpoint of enhanced health there are the many beneficial changes which take place in immune function during fasting.8 Most of these improvements, notably affecting immune function, carry on into the period after the fast. This is perhaps the most important aspect of fasting for better health. What fasting can achieveAmong the conditions successfully dealt with by fasting alone are the following: diabetes,9 gangrene,9epilepsy,10,11obesity (although this condition requires counselling and lifestyle modification for continued benefit),12heart disease,13,14,15pancreatitis,16poisoning with toxic chemicals (dramatic benefits with seven to ten day fasts),17autoimmune disease such as glomerulonephritis, 18 rheumatoid arthritis,19,20,21 (a 1984 study in the US22 showed remarkable improvement after seven-day fasts), food allergy,23 psoriasis, varicose ulcers, bronchial asthma, schizophrenia and many more (references to these are given by Salloum and Burton, reference 6 below). Recent proof from Norwegian researchA one year study of people with rheumatoid arthritis was carried out in Norway. The researchers stated that while fasting is proven as an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, many patients relapse when they start eating again. In this study they followed the four week semi-fast with a one year vegetarian diet, and it was found that all the benefits of the fast (marked reduction in number and intensity of swollen joints, pain and stiffness; increased strength; improved blood chemistry and overall health status) were maintained at the end of the year. The fast itself was not total but included herbal teas, vegetable broth and vegetable juices (no fruit juices because of sugar content). The calorie intake during the fast ranged between 800 and 1,250 per day. When eating was resumed the participants were, for the first three to five months, asked to avoid meat, fish, eggs, dairy produce, refined sugar, food containing gluten (e.g. wheat), citrus fruits, strong spices, tea, coffee, alcohol and preservatives. After this they were allowed dairy produce and gluten-containing foods, unless there was any reaction to them (swollen joints or pain etc.) in which case these foods were stopped again. The calorie intake during this stage of the treatment is not given, but it must have been in the region of 1,800 and 2,000 calories, as recommended by life extension experts. The conclusion of these researchers from the University of Oslo was: We have shown that a substantial reduction in disease activity can be obtained by fasting followed by an individually adjusted vegetarian diet. We do not believe that this regimen carries a health risk; on the contrary it seems to be a useful supplement to ordinary medical treatment.24 Side effects of fastingDuring the early stages of fasting a number of predictable changes occur which commonly lead to headache, nausea, dizziness, coated tongue, body odour, palpitations, muscle aches, discharge of mucous and skin changes. These symptoms need to be borne philosophically since they represent a necessary passage in the healing process. The benefits to be gained are well worth the short-term inconvenience of this catalog of minor problems which commonly vanish after a few days, to be followed by a sense of well-being and clarity of mind of remarkable degree. It is essential if a fast is to be carried out for more than 48 hours that there is a degree of guidance available from a health professional who is experienced in fasting techniques, ideally a naturopathic practitioner. For shorter fasts the guidelines given later in this book will be sufficient. Suzi What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. www.onegrp.com/?mamanott organic cosmetics http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/__________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 2005 Report Share Posted September 30, 2005 This has in fact kept me from fasting, even when I know that it would be good for me. There is very little time in my life when I can plan to do nothing (usually only the one week a year I spend on the beach in Negril, and who wants to fast then?!?!?<BG>). I'm planning a juice fast this weekend (got some sort of stomach/abdomen thing going on that is worse with food and am hoping this will help it along a bit)....I can't do *nothing*, but hopefully can do as little as I need. Thank goodness I don't have little kids to worry about, only a dog who needs to be walked. Just pray the Eagles don't have a heart attack game on Sunday!<G> Sharyn -----Original Message----- From: health [mailto:health ] On Behalf Of thissal Fasting may be good. It may be the best for healing, but most people cannot do nothing while they are fasting. That sets unrealistic expectations and is a setup for failure. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.11.9/115 - Release Date: 9/29/2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2005 Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 Thank goodness...water fasting is NOT the only way!! Most of us would be 'sinners'!! I know a guy who painted a house exterior on the Master Cleanser. I'm maintaining and gaining energy on my detox...and it's not the caffeine. Kit > This has in fact kept me from fasting, even when I know that it would be > good for me. There is very little time in my life when I can plan to do > nothing (usually only the one week a year I spend on the beach in Negril, > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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