The Dangers of Water Fasting

Fasting, which has been used for good health for thousands of years, is not always the best answer for some people. There are some chronic illnesses that do not respond well to fasting, whether it is water fasting or juicing fruits and vegetables. So it is always advisable to consult your physician before embarking on any kind of fast. If after talking with your doctor, you choose to go forward with the fast then ask your doctor to monitor the procedure and your health.

Living only on water or juice, even for a short period of time can be difficult and down right impossible for some, for more than a day or two. The first thing you must do is to put yourself in the right frame of mind for the fast, because if your mind is not right and focused on moving forward, the fast will not work for you. So if you suffer from a chronic illness like Crohn's Disease, then you will need to sit down first, and draw up a list of what it is you want to accomplish by undertaking the fast. The list should include short range, easily reachable goals, intermediate goals and long term goals. Next, decide how long you want to fast. Understand, finally that you will feel worse before you feel better.

Your body has built in mechanisms to keep you from starving yourself to death. Your metabolism will automatically slow down when deprived of solid food. You will burn fewer calories. Your body will start to consume itself for energy. In other words it will take the energy stored in the muscles of the body and use it for sustenance. In the first few days of a water fast you will have weight loss. However the initial weight loss is water weight. It will come back as soon as you start eating again.

In the first few days you will experience headaches, dizziness, tiredness and will be listless. You may even feel faint. You might start vomiting or suffering some diarrhea. If these persist for longer than a day, then you should halt the water fast immediately and seek medical help. In fact, any symptoms that feel wrong should send you immediately to the phone to talk to your doctor. It is important to listen carefully to your body. Most of these bothersome symptoms should go away within a week as you continue to fast and will not harm you in the long run.

Some people who should not undertake a water fast include those with heart conditions, or chronic illnesses like asthma. Water fasting puts a strain on the major organs of the body like the liver, kidneys, heart and intestines. So it is necessary to be careful. Fast only for brief periods of time and no more. Some proponents recommend fasting four times per year at the beginning of each season. Once the initial toxins have been eliminated, it might be advisable to move to juicing fruits and vegetables to get the body re-acclimated to food, progressing finally on to solid foods once again.