Fasting is the practice of abstaining for food for a period of time. Fasting is one of the most amazing and profound things you can do for your body. During a 10 day fast you can experience intense healing, both physically and emotionally, increased energy, weight loss and a greater sense of spiritual well-being.
Fasting changes the way that your body works very quickly. Your digestion uses more energy than any other part of your body. By removing the need to digest, all of the energy that normally goes into breaking down, absorbing and assimilating your food get distributed to other areas of the body. This is how fasting brings about healing in the body so rapidly, as suddenly the main focus of the body is on healing and rejuvenating alone. Changes also occur to the body’s metabolic markers like LDL markers and insulin function.
‘Studies have shown that alternate-day fasting over 8 to 12 weeks causes decreases in LDL cholesterol concentrations (20-25%) and triacylglycerol concentrations (15-30%), and increases in LDL particle size are often observed’. 1
Over the years our digestive tracts are burdened with toxins such as alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, pesticides and herbicides in our food supply. Couple this with inadequate intake of pure, clean water and eating a less than optimal diet, and our digestive systems slowly becoming toxic and losing function. Part of any good fasting routine should include proper digestive and bowel cleansing. This is done with the use of herbal medicines, fibre supplements and colonic cleansing. This is the part where some people can get a little squeamish. In a society where people hardly talk about their poo (except in the naturopaths office), let alone look at it, this can be a little confronting. Colonic hydrotherapy has been used for health for thousands of years and is a very safe and effective way to assist the bowel in eliminating old waste. You would be shocked to know that most people have 2-3kg of extra waste compacted on their bowel wall. During the colonic hydrotherapy sessions in a fast you will see this waste dislodge. Fasting with the appropriate herbal medicinal support is the only way to remove plaque from the colon.
So why all this focus on your digestion? You digestive system is associated with every system in your body. Good digestion means you will actually break down and absorb nutrients from your diet, that you immune system will be strong and good digestive flora also supports your emotional wellbeing. When your bowels are working well you feel great. Research supports the strong link between fasting and gut health. A recent study analysis showed that intermittent fasting helps balance the gut microbiome composition. 2
During a fast people have reported all kinds of things that have been dislodged from the bowel – marbles and coins from childhood, old food that has been undigested, mucoid plaque (a hard plaque that accumulates on the bowel wall), and parasites are common things to excrete. Fasting is the only way to truly cleanse the bowel.
Brisbane Natural Health have partnered up with the team at Natural Instinct Healing to offer our clients what we believe to be one of the best supportive fasting programs available. The team at Natural Instinct Healing have helped hundreds of people have a safe and enjoyable fasting program.
Thinking of fasting? Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions:
How can I go that long without eating, won’t I be hungry?
Hunger only lasts for 12 hours. After the first day of fasting you will be given fibre cleansing shakes which besides from helping to clean toxins from the bowel, will also fill you up. You will also get organic juices and other hydrating liquids throughout the day.
How do you feel while you fast?
During the fasting process toxins are released from the body at a rapid rate. For some people the first few days of fasting can leave you feeling a little worse for wear! This is why retreats are held in quiet, tranquil locations so you can relax in your room or by the pool until you are feeling a little better. After the major detoxification process is over most people report lots of energy, a clear mind and that they feel great! Every person has a different body so there are no 2 experiences alike. The team at The Shift Clinic are here to help you through your fast and you can come to them for advice at any time.
How long do you fast for?
To gain benefit from a fast you need to abstain from food for at least 7 days. For the most benefit however a 10 day fast is the most ideal, as this will allow your body to detoxify more fully. According to research, ‘periodic fasting lasting from 4 to 21 days is safe and well tolerated. It led to enhancement of emotional and physical well-being and improvements in relevant cardiovascular and general risk factors, as well as subjective health complaints.’ 3
What else do you do while you fast?
Besides relaxing while your body heals there are various activities organised by Natural Instinct Healing, such as health workshops, nature walks and social time. Exercise and massage are also part of the programme.
What are the costs like?
Due to varying accommodation the costs of the retreats vary. Natural Instinct Healing operate from Bali and Australia, but also have retreats in other countries occasionally. To find out the costs and details of any upcoming retreats you can ask NI Healing using this contact form.
See the special below to check out the BNH special for their next retreat!
“As a naturopath I can’t believe that I didn’t know about this before! In 10 days of fasting I felt better than I ever had in my life. I plan to include fasting in my plan for ongoing health, and I encourage my patients to do the same”
References:
Yiren Wang, Ruilin Wu, “The Effect of Fasting on Human Metabolism and Psychological Health”, Disease Markers, vol. 2022, Article ID 5653739, 7 pages, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5653739
Teker HT, Ceylani T. Intermittent fasting supports the balance of the gut microbiota composition. Int Microbiol. 2023 Jan;26(1):51-57. doi: 10.1007/s10123-022-00272-7. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35953616.
Wilhelmi de Toledo F, Grundler F, Bergouignan A, Drinda S, Michalsen A. Safety, health improvement and well-being during a 4 to 21-day fasting period in an observational study including 1422 subjects. PLoS One. 2019 Jan 2;14(1):e0209353. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209353. PMID: 30601864; PMCID: PMC6314618.
