According to this article, many people fast or abstain from food for different reasons ranging from health benefits to spiritual enlightenment. Fasting can be a dangerous endeavor, and though some people report feelings of wellness, others have died or suffered serious health conditions, such as heart problems, eating disorders, or metabolic changes that alter their ability to eat normally without gaining weight. It is noted that fasting for a couple of days is often suggested by doctors, but fasts longer than that are generally not backed by medical advice.
Key Takeaways:
- The key to longer fasts is that you should feel well throughout the time. If you feel weak or tired, then you should stop.
- Medical experts don’t recommend fasts of more than a day or two
- In the absence of getting protein and glucose from the food that you eat, you start to cannibalize the body’s protein
“Another case for prolonged fasting that Ryczek and others have cited is that it’s supposedly our natural state.”