Fasting - Pros and Cons?

I was recently interviewed about the pros and cons of “fasting” and unfortunately I find that many people do it so I thought I would put in my 6 cents about the topic.

First, I want to clarify: What is fasting?

There are several variations of fasting, but here are three general categories as I define them:

1. Water only, no nutrients or calories of any kind for a period of time.



2. Juice fasts. This includes drinking fruit and/or vegetable juice for a period of time. This category I would also include other “liquid” fasts including the maple syrup/cayenne pepper concoction or the “cleansing teas” and similar variations – there are many.



3. Fasting by abstaining from certain types of food for a period of time – such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, red meat, etc.

When I refer to fasting I’m referring to no food – looking at categories 1 and 2 above. Most often people choose to do this for the purpose of weight loss or “detox.”

I acknowledge fasting is appropriate in the following two instances: medically necessary prior to a blood test or surgery and religious purposes/observances as directed by certain religions for various holidays (ex. Ramadan, Lent, Yom Kippur).

For all other reasons I strongly urge people to NOT engage in fasting for several reasons. Here is my top five.

1. Your brain needs fuel and it needs it regularly and often. It will go through the glycogen it needs within a day and, if not replenished, it won’t be able to function properly.
   



2. Your body needs fuel. Basal metabolism, which is the basic amount of energy our body needs just to function daily, is still quite a lot of calories (mine is about 1200 calories). You add calories to that to support movement, like if you plan to get out of bed to take a walk to the fridge or take a shower. Feed your body regularly with GOOD healthy food, just not too much.
   



3. Weight loss (most people really want FAT loss rather than WEIGHT loss) will not happen during a fast, and really if you want a “jump start” – then quit eating unhealthy foods and start eating healthy foods. That is a good start.
   



4. “Detox” isn’t going to happen during a fast. Choose to not consume toxic substances anymore if you are concerned about toxins. Most toxins are filtered out through the liver. That is the job of the liver.
   



5. Finally, the biggest one, you want to keep your family and friend from hating you. If you plan to have any human contact during your fast, especially during the first 4-5 days, please have your family, friends, and co-workers sign waivers that they will not hold anything against you during this time. You are going to be one cranky S.O.B. and should not be held responsible for your actions. If you are already a cranky person, some people may not notice a difference. But if you get in a really bad mood when you go without eating for about 6-8 hours, this is going to be a really bad idea.

Truly, a fast of any kind is just silly, and a waste of some great days of healthy eating.

Don’t deprive yourself. You could miss out on some great food opportunities.

Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well – every day.