October 17, 2011
It's been a while since I wrote. And exactly a year since I started this blog and was unemployed. Alot has changed in a year, alot has been learned.
I've gotten involved more in theater. I've gotten my A+ for computers. I've learned more about our marriage and how much I love my wife, and our life together. We've learned how to trim down our budget. We've changed our plans in a heartbeat when we were told of our little girl's impending arrival. And best of all, we've learned some things about parenting and love our daughter more every day.
It's been a very good year,and I'm looking forward to the next.
In two more days I'm going to begin a fast. For those of you who don't know what fasting is; it's the cessation of eating food and drinking ONLY water. No juices, no nothing. Just water, and that's it.
Fasting has numerous health benefits. So many that I couldn't even list them all, as I don't know ALL of the possibilities that fasting can bring about.
Simply put though, fasting allows your body to rest and repair itself. The heart beats easier, the stomach rests, allowing the kidney and liver to purge itself of toxins that have accumulated. The arteries soften allowing plaque to be purged. Massive amounts of salt is urinated, and your body's salt content can finally be moved, swiftly, from the body.
Contrary to popular opinion, fasting does not kill you. Fasting is also, NOT starving. At any time you are eating less than your required caloric intake per day, you are starving. However, to cease eating, is completely different. There are metabolic functions that can only happen when the complete and total cessation of food has occurred. When those metabolic changes occur - your body chooses to break down FAT, and NOT muscle. Only when the fat stores have been completely exhausted, will it then turn to muscle.
However, science has shown that even a person who is NOT obese, can go up to 90 days without food.
Rest assured, I will not be going THAT long.
I say all this to help you understand that I'm not on a suicide mission, nor am I in a protest. But should you be interested, I'm not the first person to fast. Gandhi, and many other historical figures have fasted. Fasting has been part of history and religion LONG before this culture of excess. It is only in the last 100 years have we become a culture of fast food, and supermarkets. Food is plenty in our western society. Even our bums eat better than the pioneers, paupers, and serfs of the past. And infinitely better than people in parts of 3rd world countries.
It's my personal opinion that everyone should fast, regularly. No matter how healthy they are, if they want to continue good health and many years of well being.
That being said; why am I choosing to fast right now?
My primary reason is to get rid of migraines. I've had them since I was a boy of 10 years old. I can remember filling a sink with hot water just to dunk my head into it and relieve my migraines. I can remember deciding what I want to read, based on how big of a headache I had... an Archie comic is MUCH easier to read than a Sci Fi novel when your head feels like a dozen hippos doing a conga line inside it.
And here are some other reasons;
-Lower blood pressure
-Sleep better (mild sleep breathing disorder)
-Lower triglycerides and improve my blood's condition
-Prevent Alzheimer's
-Improve vision, and to safeguard good vision for a long time
-To get healthier so I can enjoy working out more
-Increased energy and stamina
-Improve my heart and reduce risk of heart attack
There are probably more reasons that I have not yet listed. But also, I've studied fasting for quite some time, and I'm fascinated by it. There's very few people who have done it, and no one I know, besides myself, who have ever done a long term fast. I've done 11 days, ten years ago, but this time I plan to fully experience it, and make a record of it. If you're interested, check in here. I will be documenting it as much as I can.
I truly think fasting is one of the greatest tools nature has offered us, and has long been neglected. My goal is not only to improve my health, but also to prove to myself and others, how infinitely precious this gift is, and how essential it is to everyone.
Can similar results be achieved by exercise, good eating, and drugs?
Yes and no.
Drugs never really heal you. They usually only correct the symptom but never the underlying cause. I truly believe, that when we fast, we allow our bodies healing abilities to finally have the opportunity and time to fully remove the underlying cause.
While exercise, and good food are great, they will never be able to protect, prolong, and restore the body to optimal condition.
Think of fasting, as a renovation. Which it essentially is, it's a chance to clean your house, and allow the contractors to come in and update things and make it as best it as it can get!
One last thing. If you're interested in this, feel free to read and join me on this journey. If all you want to do is treat me like a head case and try to talk me out of it, don't bother. If I have to, I will close off this blog and make it private if it comes to that. I'm open to questions, and genuine interest, but I've heard enough BS from people who still believe that FOOD is life.
Finally I leave you with this;
Matthew 6:25: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
And the best of them all;
Isaiah 58:6-12
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
It's been a while since I wrote. And exactly a year since I started this blog and was unemployed. Alot has changed in a year, alot has been learned.
I've gotten involved more in theater. I've gotten my A+ for computers. I've learned more about our marriage and how much I love my wife, and our life together. We've learned how to trim down our budget. We've changed our plans in a heartbeat when we were told of our little girl's impending arrival. And best of all, we've learned some things about parenting and love our daughter more every day.
It's been a very good year,and I'm looking forward to the next.
In two more days I'm going to begin a fast. For those of you who don't know what fasting is; it's the cessation of eating food and drinking ONLY water. No juices, no nothing. Just water, and that's it.
Fasting has numerous health benefits. So many that I couldn't even list them all, as I don't know ALL of the possibilities that fasting can bring about.
Simply put though, fasting allows your body to rest and repair itself. The heart beats easier, the stomach rests, allowing the kidney and liver to purge itself of toxins that have accumulated. The arteries soften allowing plaque to be purged. Massive amounts of salt is urinated, and your body's salt content can finally be moved, swiftly, from the body.
Contrary to popular opinion, fasting does not kill you. Fasting is also, NOT starving. At any time you are eating less than your required caloric intake per day, you are starving. However, to cease eating, is completely different. There are metabolic functions that can only happen when the complete and total cessation of food has occurred. When those metabolic changes occur - your body chooses to break down FAT, and NOT muscle. Only when the fat stores have been completely exhausted, will it then turn to muscle.
However, science has shown that even a person who is NOT obese, can go up to 90 days without food.
Rest assured, I will not be going THAT long.
I say all this to help you understand that I'm not on a suicide mission, nor am I in a protest. But should you be interested, I'm not the first person to fast. Gandhi, and many other historical figures have fasted. Fasting has been part of history and religion LONG before this culture of excess. It is only in the last 100 years have we become a culture of fast food, and supermarkets. Food is plenty in our western society. Even our bums eat better than the pioneers, paupers, and serfs of the past. And infinitely better than people in parts of 3rd world countries.
It's my personal opinion that everyone should fast, regularly. No matter how healthy they are, if they want to continue good health and many years of well being.
That being said; why am I choosing to fast right now?
My primary reason is to get rid of migraines. I've had them since I was a boy of 10 years old. I can remember filling a sink with hot water just to dunk my head into it and relieve my migraines. I can remember deciding what I want to read, based on how big of a headache I had... an Archie comic is MUCH easier to read than a Sci Fi novel when your head feels like a dozen hippos doing a conga line inside it.
And here are some other reasons;
-Lower blood pressure
-Sleep better (mild sleep breathing disorder)
-Lower triglycerides and improve my blood's condition
-Prevent Alzheimer's
-Improve vision, and to safeguard good vision for a long time
-To get healthier so I can enjoy working out more
-Increased energy and stamina
-Improve my heart and reduce risk of heart attack
There are probably more reasons that I have not yet listed. But also, I've studied fasting for quite some time, and I'm fascinated by it. There's very few people who have done it, and no one I know, besides myself, who have ever done a long term fast. I've done 11 days, ten years ago, but this time I plan to fully experience it, and make a record of it. If you're interested, check in here. I will be documenting it as much as I can.
I truly think fasting is one of the greatest tools nature has offered us, and has long been neglected. My goal is not only to improve my health, but also to prove to myself and others, how infinitely precious this gift is, and how essential it is to everyone.
Can similar results be achieved by exercise, good eating, and drugs?
Yes and no.
Drugs never really heal you. They usually only correct the symptom but never the underlying cause. I truly believe, that when we fast, we allow our bodies healing abilities to finally have the opportunity and time to fully remove the underlying cause.
While exercise, and good food are great, they will never be able to protect, prolong, and restore the body to optimal condition.
Think of fasting, as a renovation. Which it essentially is, it's a chance to clean your house, and allow the contractors to come in and update things and make it as best it as it can get!
One last thing. If you're interested in this, feel free to read and join me on this journey. If all you want to do is treat me like a head case and try to talk me out of it, don't bother. If I have to, I will close off this blog and make it private if it comes to that. I'm open to questions, and genuine interest, but I've heard enough BS from people who still believe that FOOD is life.
Finally I leave you with this;
Matthew 6:25: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
And the best of them all;
Isaiah 58:6-12
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
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