Water Fasting to Combat Crohn's Disease

Water fasting has been around for thousands of years, and while it is not to be taken as a cure any type of disease or illness, it does provide a resting period for the body to heal on its own. The difference between fasting and eating is that in fasting all of the body's resources work toward healing, whereas digestion takes up most of the energy when eating food.

Crohn's Disease is one of many chronic illnesses that benefits from the healing process of water fasting. In addition, it will help people who suffer from high blood pressure, allergies, chronic headaches, asthma, inflammatory bowel diseases and even some cancers, diabetes and heart disease. In addition to the prolonged resting and healing period, water fasting also allows the body to cleanse or detoxify, ridding itself of accumulated toxins and waste. It also enables the mucus lining of the gastrointestinal tract to heal and strengthen itself. This prevents leakage of bacteria and infections into the bloodstream.

Water fasting should be done under the supervision of a physician or expert in the field because going from solid foods to taking in only fluids is a massive adjustment for the human body. The adjustment to the change can take anywhere from a week to a two weeks. During this time, the body will be fatigued, and there will be headaches as well as other symptoms that the body has begun to detoxify. Once the period of adjustment is over, Crohn's sufferers usually experience more energy, healthier skin, healthier teeth and gums, better sleep quality, a dramatic reduction in the amount of pain in the muscles and joints, less stress and anxiety, weight loss, and a stabilization of bowel movements. All this while continuing to throw off toxins.

Water fasting can provide a cleaner and revitalized foundation for maintaining a healthier body and lifestyle. It is important to set goals before embarking on a fast. Because of the difficulty sometimes encountered, it is necessary to be clear as to why you are doing a fast. If your mind is not clear and your goals not defined, more than likely your fast will not be successful. Fasting is a way to jump start your journey to the road to recovery. How long you fast should be determined by how healthy you are going in and what it is you want to accomplish.

The average fast lasts between 3 and 30 days. The longer the fasting the more necessary it is to have a health care provider supervising to watch for abnormal adverse reactions. The health care provider will also help the person fasting ride up the rough spots so to speak, until the situation takes an upward swing toward better health. It is not unusual for people to experience vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, and an itchy rash among other symptoms as part of the detox process. These problems are temporary and will go away. The main idea is to fast only as long as is necessary to restore health.

Not everyone can or should fast. However this is a very small portion of the general population. During a water fast, only water is consumed. A juice fast is exactly what the name says, fruit and vegetable juices. Experts say both types of fasts are beneficial in allowing the body to heal itself. However water is said to work more quickly than a juice fast.