Therapeutic fasting has been practiced for a very long time. This method has many supporters and opponents. But, contrary to the criticism of skeptics, the popularity of fasting is gradually growing. Like any other method, wellness fasting requires some preparation and a certain amount of knowledge. How to prepare the body? How long can you fast? How to get out of fasting? What is an acidotic crisis? Let's look for answers to these and other questions together. And let's talk about whether there are contraindications for the extreme technique.
Why is this needed?
Therapeutic starvation is recommended not only for weight loss, although the treatment of obesity by this method is very effective. Fasting allows you to stabilize blood pressure, relieve angina pectoris, cure chronic diseases of the bronchi and lungs, and cure chronic gastritis with low acidity. The positive effect is noticeable in the treatment of chronic diseases of the biliary tract and pancreas. The condition improves with allergic reactions, the treatment of joint diseases is facilitated. He alth fasting is used even in the treatment of neurosis.
What is the difference from fasting days?
Not everyone can refuse food for a while. Many believe that therapeutic starvation can be replaced by fasting days. However, these are different methods and they give different results. The main difference is the acidotic crisis. When fasting, it happens quite often. Fasting days, even on tea or juice, do not bring the body to an acytotic crisis, and the process of removing harmful substances does not begin. In fact, instead of cleansing, the body is depleted. But that's another story…
What does acidotic crisis mean?
Complete refusal of food is stressful for any organism. It is this stress that makes us use the accumulated reserves, that is, switch to “internal” nutrition. The body breaks down fats and secondary tissues, first of all getting rid of diseased and old cells. In the process of splitting the fatty layers, decomposition products remain, consisting of butyric acids and acetone. The body does not remove them, gradually changing the index of internal acidity. The acidification of the pH is called acidosis. When acidosis reaches its maximum, cells begin to use ketone bodies to synthesize the necessary amino acids. This is the acidotic crisis. If starvation is not complete, and the body receives at least tea with sugar from time to time, then the cells do not begin to synthesize amino acids from internal tissues. There is no burning of domestic stocks. The therapeutic effect of the procedure is meaningless. Only weight loss remains.
When to expect an acidotic crisis?
The exact timing of the tipping point is hard to predict. Several factors influence the acidotic crisis:
- If fasting allows the use of water, then the crisis occurs on the 7-12th day of the procedure. With dry fasting, the onset of the crisis is shorter - 3-5 days.
- Regular therapeutic fasting accelerates the onset of an acidotic crisis. When drinking water, this will happen in 2-5 days. Dry fasting causes a crisis in 1-2 days.
- Proper preparation for fasting speeds up the turning point of the procedure.
- The degree of bowel cleansing affects the timing of the onset of an acidotic crisis. The use of an enema or laxative at the beginning of therapeutic fasting hastens the onset of a crisis.
Main symptoms
How can an inexperienced person understand that an acidotic crisis is approaching? Process symptoms look like this:
- person feels weak and dizzy;
- head starts to hurt;
- nausea haunts;
- urine becomes darker;
- tongue covered with a layer of plaque;
- a sharp smell of acetone comes from a person (not only from the mouth, but also from the skin);
- mood is getting worse.
Unpleasant sensations build up gradually. But after the onset of the crisis, the situation improves. Weakness is replaced by a surge of strength, dizziness and nausea recede, the head no longer hurts. The color of urine returns to normal (if the starving person drinks water). Acidotic crisis during dry fasting may not affect the color of the urine, and it will remain dark.
The smell of acetone and plaque on the tongue are reduced. Even the mood returns to normal. The body begins the renewal process, simultaneously cleansing and healing cells and organs. Since the body at this moment does not spend energy on digesting food, it can direct it to rejuvenation and recovery. It is this effect that must be achieved by therapeutic fasting.
Proper preparation for wellness fasting
He alth fasting does not start after long holidays with plentiful feasts. The body should be prepared to refuse food in order to get rid of undigested residues and accelerate the acidotic crisis. Before the course of fasting, you need to completely abandon meat dishes for several days. You should switch to a vegetarian menu and gradually reduce the portions taken. The day before fasting, take only juices.
Such preparation helps the body with prolonged refusal of food. In the process of he alth fasting, let's take liquid. But it can only be pure boiled, spring, melt or rain water. No additives (sugar, honey and others) are added to it so as not to cause the activity of the digestive system. It must be remembered that the acidotic crisis during fasting on water will come a little later, but fasting dry is psychologically more difficult.
How long can I fast?
WhenIn the complete absence of experience, long-term fasting cannot be started. First, several courses are held for 3-4 days, then the period can be increased. After the onset of an acidotic crisis, the procedure is continued for 3-4 days, focusing on well-being.
The right way out of fasting
The main thing is to do everything gradually, you can’t immediately rush to a hearty dinner (lunch, breakfast). First, juices diluted with water are taken, then vegetable broths, and only after that low-fat sour-milk products and grated vegetables. The exit from therapeutic fasting should last no less than the fasting itself.
Contraindications
With a lack of body weight or dystrophy, it is impossible to engage in therapeutic starvation. Diabetes mellitus, some heart diseases, tuberculosis, thrombophlebitis, cholelithiasis and some liver diseases are also contraindications. Starvation is not recommended for old people and children, in addition, pregnancy and lactation are a contraindication to the procedure.
