ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: What about exercising while I Fast?
A:All things in moderation. I exercise EVERY day when I fast. Believe it or not, exercising gives me energy. The major complaint during fasting is often lack of energy. Exercising stimulates my system, and I usually feel better after exercising.
There are numerous reports of fasters walking or running great distances while on a long fast. Usually, the energy increases after the second week of fasting, after the bulk of the toxins has been eliminated. The fasters that perform those feats are not the average fasters. They usually have fasted many times before, and their bodies are somewhat used to it. They also are usually in very good shape when they start their fast.
There is, however, an opposite school of thought. Many fasting clinics will not even allow patients to get out of bed during a long fast. They believe the patient should allow ALL of their energy to be focused on the cleansing and healing process. Experts opinions vary on this question, but my personal experience is that exercising during a fast is beneficial.
The answer to this question also depends upon the type of exercise you have in mind and what physical condition you were in before you started fasting.
If you jogged 10 miles per week before you began your fast, you could easily briskly walk five miles per week during your fast. If two flights of steps tired you out before your fast, and you were not in the habit of exercising, five miles of brisk walking would be avery bad idea for you.
Exercise is individual. Under no circumstances should you do more during a fast than you regularly did before your fast. Getting in shape comes in stages.
If you are completely out of shape and suddenly begin to exercise, it tears your body down. You may get aches and pains, become sore and get tremendously out of breath. But then the body will begin to rebuild.
I occasionally lift weights. If I have not lifted for a very long time and I suddenly start to lift weights again, I will lose weight during the first week of my workout. After the first week, I continually gain weight and put on muscle. That first week tears down the body before the rebuilding starts.
If you are completely out of shape, a fast is no time to try to build something (like muscle). If you are in great shape, a reduced program from your current exercise program will be fine. Exercise depends upon the individual, and the physical condition that they are in.
I would recommend that everyone on a fast also exercise. The only differences are the types and degrees of exercising. If you are not in very good shape, then walking or stretching are the only types of exercises you should do on a fast.
Exercising also speeds up the detoxifying process because movement squeezes toxins out and increases circulation. Circulation is what carries the toxins out of and away from the tissues. Many rashes and bumps can appear during exercising on a fast because the activity causes the toxins to be released at an accelerated rate.
I always exercise on a fast, but I exercise even when I am not fasting. I use a reduced exercise program, nothing muscle building, only walking, light jogging and stretching.
This answer also depends upon how long you are fasting. The longer the fast, generally, the less strenuous the exercise. Also it depends upon how much fat you have. The fatter you are, the more fuel and toxins your body will have to burn during the fast.
Generally you should follow these guidelines:
You should exercise during a fast.
You should NOT do any exercise that is muscle building during a fast.
You should not do any strenuous exercising during a fast. Strenuous is relative. A two mile jog is very light and easy to me, I can easily jog a mile or two per day during my fast but that may be very strenuous to some.
You should keep warm while exercising.
Walking and stretching are best.
Fasting is NOT the time to GET IN SHAPE. Use exercise only to keep things moving and circulating.
Q: I get light headed or dizzy when I suddenly stand up or sit up, why?
A: This often occurs while fasting. The blood pressure is lowered during a fast and causes this effect. This is especially true during the heavy detox stages. You should get up slowly whenever you are rising from a sitting or prone position.
Q: Can I continue to go to work during a fast?
A: Most things with fasting depend on the factors involved. How long will you fast? What type of work do you do? What is your reason for fasting?
If your reason for fasting is a spiritual one, it is usually a good idea to isolate yourself from your daily routine activities and all negative influences. No TV, no movies and the music you listen to should reflect your spiritual values, etc.
If your work is pleasant, not stressful, and you enjoy the work and the people, then under most conditions, it is fine to go to work, during a short fast.
For a long fast, work is usually not a good idea. Your energy level can drop so low that you will not be very productive and you need to relax during that time. A short fast of one to three days with a NOT VERY TOXIC body will not usually present a problem.
If your body is very toxic, do not go to work at all. Plan your fast when you can either remain at home or get away to quiet and peaceful surroundings for a few days.
Q: Am I too skinny to fast?
A:Why are you skinny? As long as you are not skinny because you are starving or have an anorexia nervosa syndrome, it's fine for you to fast. It is generally true that a person with excess weight can survive without food longer than a skinny person. The skinny person's body may have fewer toxins, but the FAST FLUSH could create serious problems for the fat and the skinny person if they both suddenly stopped eating.
Skinny is also a relative term. Marilyn Monroe and Mae West were pin up girls and sex symbols during the height of their fame. By today's standards, they would be considered overweight for a movie star. In many cultures the standard of beauty is skinny by our standards. America is fat. We are unhealthy and overweight. Therefore if the average American is overweight, our idea of "skinny" is probably inflated.
As I mentioned previously, it is time for a fast to end when the body stops feeding upon toxins and diseased tissue and starts utilizing healthy tissue and technically moves into a state of starvation. As long as you stop a fast before that point, your body weight does not really matter.
Q: Can fasting hurt or injure me?
A:Yes! Just as any medicine can hurt or injure you, so can fasting if it is not done properly. Some people drop dead while jogging or playing basketball or having sex. Are any of these bad for you? Not generally, but problems can occur. Fasting puts a strain on the body. The serious cleaning that occurs can get rough. Just as the surgeon's knife can get rough.
The greater the level of toxicity or the greater the level of latent defects in your body, the greater the risk. That is true not just with fasting, but with anything. Fasting is not different from any other exercise or getting in shape process. It has certain risks.
Even walking has certain risks. People have heart attacks walking up stairs. Fasting can be a strain and usually is. You can minimize the risks, but you cannot eliminate them. QUICK FASTING is about making fasting as safe and as pleasant as possible. It is not about guaranteeing that nothing bad will ever happen. If you find something that guarantees that, please let me know right away.
Even the spiritual search has its physical risks. More people have been killed because of how they worship (religious conflicts, wars, and purgings) than any other cause. Everything has its risks, but certain risks are worth the reward. Fasting is one of those.
Q: Am I too fat to fast? (See Chapter 19)
A:Absolutely not! It may seem that the fatter you are, the longer you can fast. That is not necessarily true. It is true that excess body fat is an energy source. Excess body weight usually means excess toxins. Someone with a 50 pound potbelly is likely to be far more toxic than a slender person.
The toxins being removed could create major problems if the fast is not done correctly. You are not too fat to fast, but if your body is extremely toxic, and there is a good probability that it is, you must be very careful.
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