Sport To fast or not to fast?
- Thread starter Mick G
- Start date
Sport Fitness
I would say no. the body likes food. it needs it.
1 day isn't terrible I guess...I used to have to fast 12 hours for blood tests.
That or go really light on the foods and only eat unprocessed vegetables and a little lean meat, then water the rest of the day.
I kinda feel like "if you don't put a lot of crap in the body to start with, you don't need to 'cleanse' it back out". I try to eat as much whole, unprocessed food as possible.
I also feel like Men's Health is not that great of an authority on anything except selling subscriptions, but that's just my 2 cents
1 day isn't terrible I guess...I used to have to fast 12 hours for blood tests.
That or go really light on the foods and only eat unprocessed vegetables and a little lean meat, then water the rest of the day.
I kinda feel like "if you don't put a lot of crap in the body to start with, you don't need to 'cleanse' it back out". I try to eat as much whole, unprocessed food as possible.
I also feel like Men's Health is not that great of an authority on anything except selling subscriptions, but that's just my 2 cents
I'd worry that by fasting you put your body into some sort of crisis mode where it thinks its starving. It is used to famines (being it has evolved from something hundres of thousands of years old where the weather dictated the amount someone could eat). In starvation mode things sort of slow down. The fuel your body has is put into reserve and you'll notice feeling colder and slower then normal as the fuel is used very economically- ie to keep your main organs working and conserve calories.
Once in starvation mode, when you do manage to eat, your body is not so sure how much longer the food is going to be around for so you not only 'grab' at what you eat and so can easily binge eat/over eat/pick the "wrong" foods (stuff which is high in sugars, refined carbs and bad fats which your body finds easiest to get energy from.)
Added to that, your body will still be in that slow mode. You eat, your body is laying in wait for it to store what you have because its not so sure when you will eat again. Where does it store this? around your middle. This is apparently where its easiest for it to utilise and fastest to store at the same time.
I suppose it depends on what your aims are. If its weight loss, there is a diet which people say starve for a day, eat normally the next day. Yes it reduces your calorie intake but it takes a strong person to eat normally the following day and not blow out and binge or go for the full sugar option every time. Also when the diet stops it all piles back on.
If its for detox reasons, you gotta ask why infact your supplimenting your liver? why not have it amputated- I am sure theres someone on the donor list who would really value that liver- it does have a function and unless your being told by your doctor your over doing it, yout liver is under stress and not working or on deaths door, I'm in the pro-liver boat!
I'd also agree with Malkore- if you don't put rubbish into your body, you wont need to take it all out again
Once in starvation mode, when you do manage to eat, your body is not so sure how much longer the food is going to be around for so you not only 'grab' at what you eat and so can easily binge eat/over eat/pick the "wrong" foods (stuff which is high in sugars, refined carbs and bad fats which your body finds easiest to get energy from.)
Added to that, your body will still be in that slow mode. You eat, your body is laying in wait for it to store what you have because its not so sure when you will eat again. Where does it store this? around your middle. This is apparently where its easiest for it to utilise and fastest to store at the same time.
I suppose it depends on what your aims are. If its weight loss, there is a diet which people say starve for a day, eat normally the next day. Yes it reduces your calorie intake but it takes a strong person to eat normally the following day and not blow out and binge or go for the full sugar option every time. Also when the diet stops it all piles back on.
If its for detox reasons, you gotta ask why infact your supplimenting your liver? why not have it amputated- I am sure theres someone on the donor list who would really value that liver- it does have a function and unless your being told by your doctor your over doing it, yout liver is under stress and not working or on deaths door, I'm in the pro-liver boat!
I'd also agree with Malkore- if you don't put rubbish into your body, you wont need to take it all out again
1 day isnt a long time to do a fast, i prefer juice fasting with some mineral broths etc rather than water fasting.
all in all though it really isnt needed and depriving your body of nutrients isnt a good idea.
all in all though it really isnt needed and depriving your body of nutrients isnt a good idea.
I wouldn't call my self an experienced member quite yet, but I've heard that doing a fast at least twice a month can be good for the digestive system.
Rubbbishhh..
I love the people from the UK
Why? what did I do? (am well aware I am no expert btw but am happy to learn new things) please explain!
I think he was just laughing at the use of the word rubbish
Oooooh- I see now!
-we're not all that slow over here- and I don't actually know anyone else who uses the word rubbish, I'm just special!
The amount of energy used to keep the digestive system active is significant.
When you shut it down with a fast, you are essentially redirecting a very good portion, if not all of it, of energy to others things, like organ repair. It can also redirect it's efforts into elimination. Elimination of anything that doesn't belong in the body and even if you eat nearly no processed or fabricated foods, you will still have things that don't belong in your body. Anything worth eliminating that is in your system adds stress to any, if not all, body systems - therefore no matter what anyone says, doing a fast once in a while is more than likely be beneficial to you.
In any case, don't take my word for it. Inform yourself and if your current condition allows it - try it and tell us about it.
If you lived on an island that has nothing but natural plant life and biologically pure animals than you will not have any *rubbish* in your system. What I mean to say is: in 2010, no matter where you live what you eat is most likely at least little bit rubbish.
IMO, fasting for 24 hours once in a while will most likely be good for you.
I actually looked into this a week or so ago, had found some reliable articles - written by people with MD's and PhD' who references we're other books also written by similar people.
I tried it myself and it seemed to have done me some good.
If it was bad for you, your doctor would not ask you to fast for blood tests.
Also, you save the money needed to by food for 3 meals - ISN'T THAT AWESOME?? :sport:
When you shut it down with a fast, you are essentially redirecting a very good portion, if not all of it, of energy to others things, like organ repair. It can also redirect it's efforts into elimination. Elimination of anything that doesn't belong in the body and even if you eat nearly no processed or fabricated foods, you will still have things that don't belong in your body. Anything worth eliminating that is in your system adds stress to any, if not all, body systems - therefore no matter what anyone says, doing a fast once in a while is more than likely be beneficial to you.
In any case, don't take my word for it. Inform yourself and if your current condition allows it - try it and tell us about it.
If you lived on an island that has nothing but natural plant life and biologically pure animals than you will not have any *rubbish* in your system. What I mean to say is: in 2010, no matter where you live what you eat is most likely at least little bit rubbish.
IMO, fasting for 24 hours once in a while will most likely be good for you.
I actually looked into this a week or so ago, had found some reliable articles - written by people with MD's and PhD' who references we're other books also written by similar people.
I tried it myself and it seemed to have done me some good.
If it was bad for you, your doctor would not ask you to fast for blood tests.
Also, you save the money needed to by food for 3 meals - ISN'T THAT AWESOME?? :sport: