Re: Fast guideline from the chapter "Fasting" "The Complete Handbook of Nutrition" by Gary and Steve Null

CarmanAnthony,
thank you for your original post and contribution of the material contained within it, but I think it is important to clarify a few issues that have arisen as a result.

Your comment that...............

"you must have body fat to go on a fast. When you run out of body fat your body will start burning up your internal organs for fuel. When this happens it can damage your internal organs".

A. Is largely correct and the main demarcation point between fasting and starving. The main fuel source on a fast is thru fat-burning as the body switches from glucose to ketones as its main fuel supply.
However, even very thin and underweight persons still have ample supplies of fat-reserves (and other fuel sources) to fast safely and with distinct benefit for up to 25 days and beyond.
It is only when the "skeleton-condition" has been reached that the destructive process of starvation begins and the beneficial fasting period ends that any damage occurs to the vital organs.
The only true marker for defining this distinction is the return of natural hunger, and where all other symptoms (such as the clearing of the tongue) are of secondary importance.
http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020127shelton.III/020127.ch4.htm


All animals have their own internal food reserves as Natures way of survival in times of food shortages, and where the body will also suspend appetite/hunger in times of illness/injury.

We should also be careful in drawing a distinction between fasting and starving from your own comment...........
"We crave fatty foods because up until the last 200 years people would starve in times of famine".

A. Fasting is NOT starving.............
http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020127shelton.III/020127.ch6.htm


In addition, there is no such thing as a "diabetic gene"; diabetes is the continuous and incessant overloading of the body with sugar-rich refined foods, and where the pancreas is unable to "keep-up" with the excessive insulin production needed: this includes any EXCESS body-fat which prevents glucose from entering our cells which then remains in our bloodstream causing high blood-sugar levels with pre-diabetes as a precursor to the full-blown diabetic state.

Also your comment.............
"It is good to read something as a guide for fasting because it is dangerous".

A. Is basically scaremongering and complete nonsense. Fasting is not dangerous at all, and really no different from feeding the body internally, as opposed to externally.
http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020127shelton.III/020127.ch22.htm


The work you have quoted from is just one nutritional source, but we rely on the experience of many qualified nutritional sources where they have vast experience of the fast and the fasting process: Shelton, J Tilden MD, R Page MD, E H Dewey MD, R T Trall MD, and many more, plus one of the foremost nutritional authorities of today, Dr J Fuhrman MD.

Fat stores btw, derive from excess calories "in" compared with less calories "out", and where the foods you quote as being fat-causing: meat and starches is largely correct, but this is greatly exacerbated by combining the two at the same meal................
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/digestive-physiology-and-food-combining/the-c...

If both meat and starchy foods are consumed at separate meals, then weight-gain does not take place, except in terms of the above reason.

Also your comment that...........
"95% of people who lose weight gain it back".

A. Is correct, but only because they return to their old eating habits instead of adhering to a low-calorie, nutrient-dense way of eating that is properly-combined.

Also nothingbetter is quite right re' your rude remarks aimed at braindamage. This was unwarranted and unnecessary in a support forum.

Chrisb1.

Tweet