Fasting: A Dangerous Game

Author's Preface:

Because fasting appears to be an issue to which many individuals have a great attachment, this article has generated a tremendous amount of controversy. While the article was not intended to offend anyone or to generate confusion, both offense and confusion have been in great supply as a result of this article's publication. The sole intent of this message was to address the enormous blind spot inherent to the practice of fasting as it relates to those approaching health from the standpoint of what is commonly referred to as "Natural Hygiene." While there is some disagreement as to what "Natural Hygiene" encompasses, most agree that the basis of the philosophy is that the human body is self-regulating and self-healing.

Fasting, as commonly advocated, is being used as a quick-fix compensation for a lack of consistency and stability in solid and basic health principles. For this reason, it is this author's assertion that fasting, as commonly prescribed and practiced, cannot properly be considered to fall within the scope of Natural Hygiene or a healthful lifestyle. Unless the body is demanding a fast by the complete and utter elimination of appetite, as defined by a desire for food, then fasting can be considered to be the forceful overriding of the body's self-regulated desire for food, therefore going against the foundational principle that health is found through listening to the body's signals and demands to the best of our ability.

There seems to be a great deal of confusion among the alternative health community regarding the nature of a "fast." Many people appear to equate fasting with resting, when the two are separate entirely. Theoretical propositions do not change the fact that eating is a bodily function regulated entirely by the body, and that any attempts to manipulate this natural urge in an effort to induce some elevated state of rest are not going to be fruitful, any more so than it would be fruitful to try and force the heart to stop beating to give it a rest, or to hold one's breath to give the lungs a break from all the breathing they have to do, day in and day out.

When examined in these terms, it becomes apparent how much at odds fasting is with a philosophy that advocates, above all else, stepping aside and letting the body do its work, without interference from ego or pride. Unfortunately, eating is an area around which there is a great deal of misguided thinking due to addiction, emotion, attachment and habit. For this reason, the idea of "taking a break" from the whole issue can be appealing. It merely delays the process of truly addressing the problem, however. People with disordered eating habits may experience temporary relief on a fast, but the unbalanced patterns are almost certain to return with renewed force in the span of time following such a forced abstention.

Additionally, it is difficult for someone to accept that fasting is likely to result in long-term setbacks, when they may have experienced such remarkable feelings of relief or healing during the fast. This is due to a failure to recognize the fact that, as is described in detail in the following paragraphs, such improvements are due entirely to the cessation of the consumption of harmful foods, not to any supposed state of "enhanced rest" forced upon the body by some remarkable level of human wisdom. There have indeed been seemingly miraculous reversals of serious health conditions, especially for heart patients or arthritic individuals. I am not close-minded or callous toward the situations of such people, and I understand that any practice that promises improvement in such illnesses is appealing.

Two things must be kept in mind, however. The first is that there is a severe lack of long term follow-up or post-fast data, with the result being that nearly all reports of fasting are derived from individuals who were right in the middle of a fast, just completed a fast, or who were in the days or weeks just following a fast. In fact, it can take months before the ramifications of the fast fully manifest. Commonly, it is at the 8-9 month period following the fast that the mental and emotional effects begin to take their toll. Needless to say, this is long after the testimonials and case studies have been completed.

In the case of patients suffering from such conditions who fasted, many have relapsed after the fast, and the resulting return to their previous condition means that several have eventually died from their ailments. Secondly, patients with such severe conditions often fall into the category of people whose appetite has left them completely. Often, they are force-feeding themselves because of a misguided belief that they must continue eating or risk malnourishment. As is made clear in the article, fasting is not harmful for those who experience a complete cessation of appetite. For those who wish to explore such an approach, the guidance of an expert is recommended. It must be clarified that in such a case, the patient is being over nourished, not under nourished, and fasting would not equate to starvation or deprivation. In no way should a patient in a hospital who still has an appetite be deprived of sustenance.

To have the courage to fully live the truth of the fact that the body is unerring in its innate wisdom means accepting that we must deal with the urge to eat and to seek sustenance on a daily basis. By accepting and responding to the body's demands in a mature fashion, rather than seeking to harness and control them like a wild stallion penned in a corral, we become capable of learning from our urges, and we develop an even greater faith in our body's capacity to self regulate and to inform us of its needs. It is for all of the above reasons, and for those detailed in the following article, that I advocate a complete abstention from the practice of fasting for all of those seeking health, except in cases where there is a spontaneous and unequivocal cessation of appetite.

It should be additionally noted that the emphasis on the cessation of food consumption as a therapeutic practice has contributed to the development of an "anorexic" sub-culture among raw-food vegans. Advocation of constant fasting and/or caloric restriction has become rampant. In response to the many letters I have received from concerned parents regarding the fact that their child appears to be adopting an extreme health philosophy involving a form of regulated fasting under the guise of health attainment, I can only reiterate my statement that for normal individuals with normal manifestations of hunger or appetite, fasting should never be used, especially as a quick-fix, and never as an "initiation" into the frugivore lifestyle.

The goal of a frugivore lifestyle is not starvation. For those suffering from emotional eating disorders, it is highly recommended that a counselor be sought who is experienced in assisting people in overcoming such conditions. Gaining health and vitality is a goal that takes time, and the maturity and focus to persist in habits that are unfamiliar and new. Extreme behavior and unbalanced approaches are the hallmark of our modern civilization, and, although controversial, my unwavering view is that the practice of fasting is in direct opposition to a balanced approach, and in direct opposition to the principles of Natural Hygiene. While the promises of fasting are alluring and seductive, in the long term losing significant amounts of weight or healing from chronic health conditions requires an adherence to healthy exercise and eating habits, neither of which are supported or reinforced during a fast, as fasting requires a complete cessation of both. Even when the fasting process incorporates a period of exercise and healthy eating following the actual fast, this is normally a case of too little, too late.

It must be emphasized that those individuals who are attracted to fasting are not stupid or unintelligent. Their attraction to such a practice is usually due to having read some of the fasting books by authors, such as Paul Bragg, Arnold Ehret, and Herbert Shelton, each of whom had the remarkable gift of being able to describe radical (for their time) health practices in terms that were exciting and inspiring. These author's each extolled the benefits of fasting with an eloquence and style that are difficult to resist. Speaking from personal experience, I was in awe as I read the remarkable stories these authors shared.

It was only years later that I was able to understand where these authors had erred, and why several of these health pioneers died early deaths despite their knowledge and understanding. The problem was, and is, that fasting continues to be used as a "quick-fix" method, applied without consideration for the finesse and emotional maturity it takes to cope with the severe and potentially dangerous consequences. Additionally, the idea that fasting can somehow trigger enhanced or quickened levels of healing leads many to believe that they can ignore serious cultivation of the healthful habits that result in solid, unshakeable long term health. Most people are lacking in their application of consistent eating, rest, and fitness habits, believing that a weekly, seasonal, or yearly fast will compensate.

Sadly, the physical truth that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction also holds true in terms of health and fasting. Extreme denial will lead to an equal manifestation of extreme indulgence, and it is a rare individual who is able to cope with these consequences without incurring a high degree of damage to their psyche, and eventually their body.

In actuality, 999 out of 1000 fasters would generally have been better off skipping the fast altogether and spending the time learning and applying healthy habits. It takes a great degree of emotional maturity, however, to understand the real consequences of a fast and how to transition back into normal life. The environment must be pristine and peaceful, yet most individuals who fast will be returning to the same polluted city, stress, and toxic eating habits. Understanding one's limitations is a skill that most people are still learning, and easing out of a fast is not the appropriate activity to discover the extent of one's weaknesses. Most people discover, as they grow and mature, that their money is better spent on creating a healthful, nurturing, supportive environment in which they can develop healthy eating habits and healthy exercise routines. A lifetime of such changes is of infinitely greater value than the quick-fix sought by fasting.

Below is the article in its entirety, as originally published:

The practice of forced fasting is one of the most common methods used to assert human control over the physical body, and to "force" health into existence. If someone is feeling ill at ease, or sick, or has a lowered energy level, the advice given by many professionals is to "fast one's way to health." This usually involves the cessation of all solid food, for some arbitrary amount of time, until the subject has supposedly reached a point at which it is "time to eat again."

The practice of fasting is founded in a fundamental inability to accept that true health requires the steady and consistent application of habits and practices that are not possible to adapt overnight. Denial of this fact has resulted in severe and often deadly ramifications for hundreds of individuals. Many of these people still have absolutely no idea that their long fast is responsible for their subsequent health problems or disordered eating. In fact, fasting has probably caused more people to fail at reaching a state of balanced and stable eating and living than any other "hygienic" practice. It is accurate to go so far as to say that for most people and in most situations, fasting is a dangerous and harmful practice.

How can it be that the image and idea of fasting has taken root so strongly in the alternative health movement, if it is so harmful?

First of all, it should be clear by now that all sorts of bizarre and demented practices are looked upon as healthful, and yet we don't question for a moment the fact that they are misguided or downright fraudulent. From the Ritalin prescribed to hyperactive children to the Cacao recommended for struggling raw foodists, most health seekers know that even the most popular recommendations are not always wise or helpful. Fasting is no different.

The reason that fasting is believed to be so miraculous is that it results in dramatic, sudden, unmistakable physiological transformations. These are mistaken for being signs of intense healing, when in fact they are simply severe adaptations to the sudden absence of fuel. There is no physical reason for the human body to initiate healing simply because one decides that they will deny themselves food. The human body is always healing and always rejuvenating to the best of its ability, and it never desires a willful denial of nourishment unless it truly needs one. This point is key, for one of the most common advertising ploys for the practice of fasting is to point out proudly that "fasting is nature's healer" and that "all animals fast when sick."

First of all, fasting is not nature's healer, the body and it's life force are. And it is the body itself that makes it abundantly and undeniably clear that it desires food on a daily basis. It is an absolute myth that a sick animal will deliberately deny itself nourishment. Most sick animals struggle to continue finding enough food; in fact often the cause of their demise is their inability to continue to obtain the nourishment necessary to survive in the wild. There are very specific instances and situations in which the body demands that we cease eating, and they are each signaled by a very clear, completely unmistakable message from the body, telling us loudly and clearly to STOP EATING. When fasting is appropriate, it comes effortlessly and naturally, not through forced discipline and egotistical mind games.

This point cannot be over emphasized: the only appropriate time to fast is when eating feels like a forced, unnatural, repulsive action. It is at that time, and only at that time, that a fast is in order. There is so much talk about trusting the healing power of the body and its innate wisdom, and yet we are expected to believe that it is healthy and natural to completely override the signal to eat. It should be clear that something does not add up in this equation. And anyone fasting is immediately reminded of this error within a day or two of initiating a fast, through the unmistakable warning sign of weakness and reduced capacity.

How could anything that results in severe, almost paralytic weakness be healthful? It's so counter-intuitive as to almost be laughable, if it weren't so tragic. Yet hundreds of patients around the world lie in fasting centers throughout the world believing that they can starve themselves into health. Sadly, most of them will only succeed in weakening their already depleted systems, and catapulting themselves into a nearly inescapable cycle of disordered eating, resulting in long-term damage and psychological turmoil.

So what of the hundreds of anecdotal tales of miraculous healing and reversal of disease? There is a simple explanation for the temporary positive results obtained on a fast. First and foremost, a fasting individual has completely eliminated all of the toxic foods and drugs that they were consuming on a daily basis. And of course it makes perfect sense that the elimination of poisonous substances results in the elimination of any symptoms caused by those poisons. Tragically, this is conflated in a bizarre fashion, and somehow the actual fast itself is given the credit for the healing, rather than the obvious reason that the cessation of poisons will always result in improvement.

The second reason that people often experience positive and profoundly altered emotional states of being is that they have temporarily eliminated the source of so much confusion and fear: their food. By starving themselves and denying themselves food, a person can pretend that they have no issues with food, temporarily hiding from the fact that they may have severe issues with maintaining and sustaining a healthful, balanced diet. Naturally, they feel a great sense of freedom and joy, believing that they have solved all of their problems and that they have found the answer to true health. Of course, if one fasts forever, one dies, so the choice eventually is to return to the exact same problems as before (or usually worsened) or to succumb to physical death through starvation.

The third reason that fasting seems to result in positive change is because almost every case of a disordered and sick body manifests in some way through a disrupted metabolism. Eating makes it abundantly clear just how sick the body actually is, because our organs and nutrient delivery systems are being made to do their jobs, and so it's very clear that they are in a poor state. When a sick person eats, they experience the body's difficulty with digestion, with metabolism, with elimination, and with energy transfer. When they suddenly cease the consumption of nutrition, they are in a position to pretend that "everything is all right." It's no different than a fancy car sitting broken in a driveway: everything looks great until you try to start it up. And no matter how long we leave it sitting there, it still won't start. It is no different for the faster: everything feels great when they aren't actually using their system in ways it was made for. But as soon as the fasting retreat is over and you return home and begin eating again, the same symptoms reappear, the car "still won't start." But it sure felt great to pretend it didn't need to start in the first place. Lying in a bed in a state of incapacitating weakness is no way to gauge improvements in health. Being up and about, active, alert, and striving to reach new goals is how health and wellness should be measured.

Of course, when the body is made to endure forced starvation, the rebound effect is profound. People who have eaten balanced diets for years may suddenly find themselves bingeing on hamburgers, fried chicken, and ice cream after a "healthful fast." There have been hundreds of cases in which individuals broke their fasts on meats, cakes, pies, tacos, pizza, or worse, simply because the mental and emotional strain was too great. Even if an individual succeeds in following "fasting protocol" and breaking their fast with light foods such as fruits or broth, often within a few days the body's demands for satiety result in bingeing on unhealthful, toxic foods. And usually, the ramifications last years, if not decades. The ripple effects of starvation profoundly influence the psyche on a deep level. The human body was not made to deny itself food, and the difficulty with which one undertakes a fast is the proof of this. Only through a forced, artificial, almost prison-like setting, is it even possible for most to succeed. And those who do succeed often pride themselves on their "discipline." But health doesn't come through discipline, it comes through a unity of mind, body, and nature, learning to listen to our appetite in ways that serve us. Denying that we have appetite will lead to denial of health, nutriment, and nurture.

Fasting is no different than any other "quick-fix" method of attaining health, including pill-popping or surgical intervention. Real health is accumulated through persistent application of specific health-supporting principles, and does not happen suddenly or dramatically. Learning to appreciate the slow and steady pace of a truly healthful rejuvenation process will allow one to enjoy health for a lifetime, rather than the pseudo health that one experiences during forced starvation. In our quick-fix society, it can be quite a challenge to accept that there is no place for drama or speed in a frugivore lifestyle and in the attainment of health. Fasting is an attempt to override nature by applying human judgment to the process of healing, attempting to force and control the pace and manner of the healing process.

Fasting is truly a dangerous game.

References:

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