There are few of us who haven't heard of fasting, but only a small number of us understand its benefits to our health and have actually tried it.

Deciding to fast must be a personal decision - but if you are seeking to find out more about what is involved, then the following information is an outline of the experiences of others, designed to help you make that decision with all the facts at hand.

For many of us, our knowledge of fasting is tied to ideas of spiritual or religious practices. In ancient times when people fasted they believed that doing so would improve their clarity of thought, and bring spiritual enlightenment and inspiration. In fact many people who fast relay a feeling of being more removed from the physical and a more spiritually focussed consciousness. It should be reflected however, that having strong values is integral to this - as mental attitude is huge part of ones sense of the world.

There is a belief that fasting may lead to starvation - but this is clearly not how it should work. You should be providing your body with all the necessary nutrition you require via liquids. If you do loose any incidental weight then the feeling is that it was unnecessary weight to begin with, and that your body, being given a break, is merely eliminating the toxins and extra weight that we gain over time. It is not recommended that you conduct practices such as a water-only fast, but if you are fasting and having only fruit and/or vegetable juices your body will be nourished without excessive intake of food and the complications of that.

If you are going to attempt to fast then you should only be doing so if your overall health is good. If you are suffering from a serious disease or an acute or chronic condition - you should not be fasting. It is also worthwhile to conduct a fast under the direction of a practitioner such as a naturopath, particularly as these professionals tend to know more about the process than MDs.

Should you decide to take supplements whilst you are fasting, then you should take only pure supplements. These are digested straight into the body and they do not contain fillers that need to be digested.

During the first few hours of fasting, it is possible to experience a feeling of weakness, but don't be alarmed. This occurs as your body mobilises toxins and begins to eliminate them from your system Upon entering your blood stream you may find that these cause you to experience cravings and this will be at its most intense as you go through the first several days of fasting. There is also a likelihood that you will experience a feeling of weakness and think that you are starving and must eat, but this isn't the case.

When we eat, most of us are unaware that we use 90% of our energy simply to process the food we have consumed. In the modern diet this is the case because there are a large number of chemicals and over-processed foods, such as white flour and artificial ingredients. Perhaps you have noticed how you can feel actually less energetic when you have stuffed yourself? People that stick with a truly healthy diet often have far more energy, because they haven't overloaded their bodies on these foods that contain high levels of toxins. Consider the fact that the human has evolved to eat whole, organic foods over thousands of years.

A good analogy could be to consider a car. You wouldn't fill the gas tank with dirt, water or cola and expect it to continue running without any problems. The engine would soon be clogged and needing expert attention. Your body is like your car - you require pure forms of fuel to run smoothly and efficiently.

When you are fasting you are giving your body and particularly your digestive tract a chance to take a break and sort out any problems. After about 3 days of fasting your body will begin to rest and then through periods of elimination and resting. You will start to see that several pounds will fall off you rapidly and you will experience an easing of many aches and pains, as your body is able to take a break and restore your overall health.

It can also be worthwhile to take a quality laxative that you can get from a local health food store. When you take this you will discover that your body can flush out toxins even more rapidly.

For further information about fasting, it pays to look for a good book that can help you through the process; your local health food store may even be able to order you one if there are none available.

Author:
Rozita daud is freelance writer at power for health.