Fasting
High blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are generally the outcome of the consumption of high-protein, refined foods, high-fat and lower fiber deposits of plaque render the blood vessels inelastic and result in high blood pressure called hypertension. These inelastic blood vessels lose their elasticity and often lead to ruptured parts, causing heart attacks or strokes. One of the best ways at low cost, easily executed for reversing and eradicating these conditions is fasting and consuming the correct foods and will leading to discontinuation of the medication approaches. Fasting cleanses the body and eradicates cardiovascular risk factors and eating right will maintain the body’s condition for better health. These foods must be natural and plant based. Natural food approaches are safe, effective, no side effects, less invasive and prolongs life when compared to use of medications. Protein consumption from animal sources, result in higher cardiovascular problems. Excess consumption of fish, turkey and chicken is equally harmful. Fasting helps the body to eliminate plaque from the blood vessels while fresh fruits cleanse the body: vegetables help rebuild and maintain the body and the blood vessels. This helps reduce the incidence of cancer, diabetes, hypertension and cardiac issues. Generally, fasting with good raw and natural food intake is effective in treating, healing and curing a lot of chronic diseases. Dietary change to raw, natural foods with fasting is important to improving health. Fasting regularly rapidly lowers blood pressure within a few days with water intake only. In most cases this reduction in blood pressure remains at normal level with change of diet to raw and natural and frequent fasts.
Personally, during a fast my BP, drops to 110/68 and do not use medications during the fast. A long as I ate raw and natural food my BP remained in the normal range, until I start indulging in bad eating. Processed and cooked foods gradually allow toxins to accumulate in the blood stream and consequently increase BP levels.
Take a fast, eat raw and natural foods, this will keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and even diabetes down. Fasting knocks down hypertension, reduces enlarged heart and cardiac output, resting heart rate. All these help to keep the blood pressure in normal range. Fasting may results in weight loss, in addition to consuming raw and balanced diet effectively reduce blood pressure. Recently, diagnosed diabetics of type 2 and type 2 on oral glycemics, need to on consistent diabetic diet for about 6-8 weeks before trying a fast. They need to check their blood sugar every 6 hours. They need an experienced person on fasting and one with medical expertise to monitor them. Raw foods, consumed for several days before fasting, helps in weight reduction and, reduces demand on insulin from the pancreas, before embarking on the fast.
Fasting is effective at lowering high blood pressure, therefore aspirin and hypertensive medications should be stopped prior to a fast or within 3 days of a long 10 -40 days fast. Fasting with water only, consumes some tissues in the body that are damaged or diseased. These include fat deposits, tumors, excess wastes, abscesses and toxins. As the fast prolongs, the body burns up toxins and water intake washes out these impurities from the body, via the kidneys, lungs, skin and carried by the blood stream made up of largely water. This is why water is important in a fast.
Advantages of fasting
(a) It makes you dependent upon God. (b) It helps you lose weight easier and faster. (c) It gives the body and the various organs rest. (d) It eliminates wastes from the body. (e) It renews and energizes the body . (f) It helps eliminate certain diseases and illnesses. (g) It helps regulate, normalize and rid some unhealthy appetites.
Breaking a fast
The process and practice of fasting clears away innumerable items which generally and quickly accumulate and cluster, clog the heart and mind. Fasting sharply cuts through the corrosion and clogs, renewing our contact with Our Lord God Jesus Christ. The end also includes good health as you are renewed as the eagle.
It is important to know that it takes the same number of days you fasted to return to normal and improved eating and choice of nutritional food items. Breaking of the fast requires discipline or else you will almost regret the fasting, as wrong breaking brings sorrow and pain. Remember that you have been without food for 3 days and more (5-40 days), and have lost the craving for food. Energy takes time to return to normal because if you did it correctly you may lose ½ to 1ib, a day in body weight. Keep in mind that it takes time for the body to adjust from cleaning mode (detoxicating) to restoring and building the body (eating).
Be sure when you want to break a fast, it must be methodical and consciously planed. I personally love to break a fast with an empty kitchen or pantry. That is done, not store temptation for yourself in the food items you have around; because the devil will surely come to tempt you to eat wrongly. But it must be resisted. No matter when you decide to break, first use fresh squeezed citrus (orange etc) mixed with water, 50/50, a little warm. Take one glass every 1to2 hrs. After the first 3 glasses, try to go to bed and sleep. This is the first night, assuming you broke about 9pm. The morning will be the second day. If you have water melon take some slices as you can manage. After 2 hours take the juice with water and take a little walk of about ½ mile if you can to get your body moving and may be ready for a bowel movement.
Take a good shower, and drink 2 glasses of the citrus juice with water. After 3 hours take some more water melon; this helps to hydrate your body and cleaning you out better. Just avoid anything cooked. On day three if you fasted under 5 days, you may take quick oat but no milk, (warning, because of bloating and pain and sorrow, especially if you are milk or lactose intolerant). You may take liquid vegetable soup with no meat at all. Sometimes these errors taste good in the mouth but sorrow and pain or discomfort sometimes follow. In such cases the best remedy is to go into another 2 to 3 days of fast. The choice is generally yours to make at such times.
From day 4, you can peel the skin of fresh tomatoes about 3 to 5 of them, cut them up to pieces and boil in a quart of water for 5 minutes and consume it. Allow 2 hours and then repeat but this time add some spinach and little okra and make some soup, boil for 5 minutes. If possible take more after 3 hour and goes to bed later. Always take short walks around the corner.
From the 5 to 10 day period, repeat with fruits in the morning, soup and some rice or green beans for lunch and salad for supper. From then on you can walk you way back to better health. Apply some fish to your diet after 5 to 7 days before introducing any other form of protein and vitamins. Always remember to fast 2 to 3 days if you brake wrongly and are in pain and take very little water only or avoid it for 24 hours. When you break the fast too rapidly, eat the wrong food items, bloating may happen. Avoid spices during breaking your fast. Milk can cause bloating any time in breaking a fast of 3 or more days. That is why I have suggested 2 to 4 hour apart as time between each item consumed in breaking a fast for best outcomes.
Always plan when and how you break a fast, so that you do not mess up your spiritual and physical benefits gained. Always use fruits mixed with water. Use watermelon by itself and give 2 hour before taking anything. Part of the discipline and ill power is to endure about 1-2 hours after taking anything before craving for the second dose. Also avoid eating the quantity meant for two when you are eating alone. You may end up paying for it.
Finally, always make it a habit to drink a glass of water 30 minute to meal time; then eat raw, natural fruits or vegetables about 30 minutes before eating your meals. If you train your body this way, from now, or after a cleaning fast; you will see the result down the road and you will have given your body a road map to follow. Raw foods items are live giving, loaded with enzymes, vitamins, minerals trace elements, solar energy and water. As you practice fasting listen to your body it talks, and will let you know what you need in certain circumstances if you are sensitive and listening.
013 – Fasting