The euphoria and sharpness of fasting

[caludia]

Over the past 6 months i have discovered for myself the joys of fasting (and of calorie restriction in general)

Not only is calorie restriction the only proven dietary method for extending the maximum lifespan of mammals (this has been known for 50 years, and presumably including humans, though there is a lack of controlled data), but the act of food restriction induces a sense of alertness and health in many people (me inc.)

i weighed 185 pounds in June and I now weigh 155 pounds. I'm at my desired weight (for height) and i feel great from a physiological standpoint. i had tried methods like hoodia before, but with no success, though i don't claim to have tried these methods 'correctly'

for me, 48 hours into a semi-fast (or substantial food intake reduction), music sounds better, i have more energy, and i'm friendlier and more observant and empathic.

And when the fast is broken, food tastes unbelievable (like it should). Food appreciation is deadened in our society of excess and wealth, but fasting can renew your appreciation of it.

there is a danger that this fasting euphoria could become anorexia in some people... so i don't necessarily advocate fasting. but i was wondering what other folks' experiences were like in this area, and of calorie restriction over long periods (years, anybody?)

[MORG]

for me, 48 hours into a semi-fast (or substantial food intake reduction), music sounds better, i have more energy, and i'm friendlier and more observant and empathic.

I think I'd be a right pain in the ass, moody, unmotivated and unfriendly. Then again I've never tried.

Can you tell us what a typical fast (or semi) entails?

[Ace]

Haha - I think I feel that way most days even with a full belly Morg

I'd be interested in trying something like this just to see what sort of effects it has. I'm always feeling tired and unmotivated, though I eat fairly healthy - just seriously lacking exercise in my daily reigeme... Perhaps this has something to do with it. Do you have any perticular fasting methods Rimbaud? No smart ass replies like "I simply dont eat - dipshit" Is there any light snacks like a cracker/piece of bread and water every 6 hours or anything like that?

Cheers

[Korky]

thanks rimbaud

i have read about this, good to hear you find it benificial. somthing i will look into further.

details re: fasting structure would be great. eg. 48 hrs once a fortnight otherwise normal eating habits etc.

i would imagine there would be a difference fasting form a natural diet in comparison to a high calorie Sat Fat/high preservative diet, especially in regards to energy levels and sensory improvement.

thanks

[sobriquet]

Fasting is definitely a teacher of humbleness and I agree that it makes one appreciate the blessing of food.

I fast ten days a year consisting of an abstinence from all food and drink as well as drugs or sexual outlet between the time of nautical twilight in the dawn to sunset of the same day. I perform this 10 day fast following sighting of the first full moon after the summer solstice of 22nd December in the Southern hemisphere. These are generally the hottest days of the year as well as amongst the longest so provide the most humbling experience.

Peace.

[marsha]

fasting is uber good especially prior to any journey of the alkaloidal type fast for 3 days and the tummy is so hungry add a few psychoactive mushrooms and enjoy the rewards i think the plants really appreciate the efforts and reward accordingly but then again it could all be in my head and merely a scientific explanation could clear this up blah!!!

[No_One]

Is fasting somehow related to our primal nature. The less abundant food is the greater our desire to hunt it down. To be a good hunter you need to be alert, motivated, on your game.

I used to be VERY well fed when I lived at home and I was a lazy bastard. Now I've moved out I eat bugger all and I'm the total opposite of what I was when I lived at home. Whenever I do have big meals I feel like a lazy bastard.

I prefer running on bugger all fuel to excessive fuel.

Then there's that quote for success: "Stay Hungry!"

[Pala]

Although there is something to be said for fasting and its effect on the mindset; to the best of my knowledge, the effect of caloric restriction on the lifespan of mammals (ie. lengthening) has not been determined in any "higher" life forms (ie. don't starve your cat just cause you wanna enjoy it for longer).

[mescalito]

Hey there Rimaud!

Veeery interesting this came up tonight,as I was just saying to my Dad on the phone how I hadn't eaten anything all day(I weigh as MASSIVE 55Kgs!!)...and he said "that's no good" and I said that "everytime I do this my thoughts become clearer and I get things done that yesterday seemed almost impossible!"

Now it's been a long time since I fasted for a certain brew, or large fungal infections, but these fasts were performed as part of a ritual, and as I learned, the emptying of wants and needs somehow left much more room for what was unbelievable -yet acceptable ....it's almost like you break through the lower/restrictive and instinctive chakra's into a higher level of thinking, and acceptance.

One of my main triggers for anxiety was being stuck without food for too long(and there are clear fruedian reasonings behind these reactions) but also a I agree with yoWiE that fasting really does clear the mind and it's idea that it is the body....what better way to enter another realm

[caludia]

Although there is something to be said for fasting and its effect on the mindset; to the best of my knowledge, the effect of caloric restriction on the lifespan of mammals (ie. lengthening) has not been determined in any "higher" life forms (ie. don't starve your cat just cause you wanna enjoy it for longer).

Actually, I think the opposite is true... not only has it been determined on mice, but it's bee determined on monkeys.

In fact according to the Wiki article on CR, the only species that DOESNT adhere to the rule of life extension is the housefly!!

So there is every reason to suppose it to be true for humans too...

[caludia]

i dont approve of testing on primates but in any event it's already been done.

And CR appears to hold true for primates... guess which monkey had the CR diet?

[caludia]

I think I'd be a right pain in the ass, moody, unmotivated and unfriendly. Then again I've never tried.

Can you tell us what a typical fast (or semi) entails?

also -

Do you have any perticular fasting methods Rimbaud? No smart ass replies like "I simply dont eat - dipshit"

hehe well, my main method intially was watermelons!!!! i'd just eat watermelons when i was hungry!!!!!!!! especially since i moved to the states, melons are incredibly cheap (everything is incredibly cheap) and they are mostly... well.... water!! ;)

Nothing beats a watermelon.

and i take a multivitamin just in case. Probably does jack, but they're cheap so might as well.

And if i am intolerably hundry i just eat something.

that's all though... the real effort is in denying food when you feel hungry.. basically i dont know what to say except that for some reason, this year (which has been a terrible year for me) i have found it much easier to deny food... and since i made the effort to deny food during certain periods, and to eat far less in general, i've felt much better!!!

i say "forget hoodia" and "forget weight loss miracle drugs" and "forget ephedra nd caffeine", but i only say tha because PERSONALLY i have been able to "forget hunger". Not everyone can, and if i lost much more weight, i probably couldnt either. Overweight people could lose weight if they ate less and exercised, but the problem is that they cannot forget their hunger, cannot be distracted from the next meal... and it's not necessarily their fault. Though there is definitely something to that mysterious idea that to lose weight you should eat less ;)

[Green Osiris]

Might it be possible that the reported advantages of semi-fasting are detoxifying the body ? It may be reasoned that if you cut out food intake (at least ‘bad’ food), the body has a chance to partly expel the months/years of toxin build up.

With regards to fighting urges to eat when hungry, perhaps some preparation training is required before entering into a fasting state. I for one know that if I find myself eating often over a week that in between meals, particularly overnight, that I am actually MORE hungry between periods, and the urge to eat is greater. Something to do with the stomach capacity expanding perhaps ?

This is a timely discussion, as I am seriously considering a 48 hour detox/semi-fast now that I have a juicer ($1 on E-Bay!). The tentative plan is to spend a weekend living on freshly squeezed juices (carrot, orange, apple), homemade pumpkin soup and organic green tea. And avoid bread, meats, alcohol, cigarettes, dairy & cheeses - the latter of which I am terribly addicted to).

At 6foot3 and 85kg, weight-loss is not an issue, but Im sick of being so lethargic, tired and carrying around a constant mild, annoying headache all day every day.

[Ace]

The more I think about it, I think Green Os is on the ball with the detox effects. Perticularly if you are only consuming watermelon during this time. After watching Supersize Me, I think that all this processed, deep fried, over sugared food that we tend to eat to excess, whether that happens to be take away or just your usual snacking and regular meals, are the main cause of our day to day sluggishness.

I've tried a couple times now to completely lay off processed foods (anything put through a machine of some sort) and to eat a healthy filling breakfast, and it seems to work wonders. It really is true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - you dont seem moody, your concentration span is unbelievable and you are able to actually lose weight by eating more at this time. This, along with only eating non processed foods, appears to have the same sort of effects as the calorie reduction technique described by Rimbaud. The only difference is that when it comes to journeying, the effects may not be as magnified (though I doubt very much whether research into this has been done - perhaps someone will put their hand up to be a guiney pig? ).

Do you think it is just detoxifying, or is there another aspect to CR?

[gerbil]

Hey there Rimaud!

Veeery interesting this came up tonight,as I was just saying to my Dad on the phone how I hadn't eaten anything all day(I weigh as MASSIVE 55Kgs!!)...and he said "that's no good" and I said that "everytime I do this my thoughts become clearer and I get things done that yesterday seemed almost impossible!"

Geeze mesc the more we write, the more similarities we seem to have.

I'm pretty much on 55kg myself at zee moment and haven't really been eating much over the last 2 months. I've got back on track at the moment, and it varied from time to time, but I was having a single coffee or 2 mate' with multiple infusions a day and only really eating dinner, maybe a few almonds here and there.

Usually i'd get pretty bad headaches, but I felt really alive, was very active when I wanted to be and the clarity of the mind didn't fade (well at times no food and too much caffeine did have negative effects), I kept questioning it 'cause it was an odd feeling, but I seemed to be functioning like I basically did all through my schooling years (not eating through the day, but still performing very well at school)...a lot of the not eating I feel stemmed from stress/worry/depression, but it still achieved the same non-eating fasting state I suppose...In a way I feel it's related to cleansing the system of sugar/salt and all the junkish food that is incorporated in and around healthy food.

hmm bit of a varied ramble and I don't know what point I was trying to get at lol :D

[mescalito]

Geeze mesc the more we write, the more similarities we seem to have.

We might have the same dad ...his last known location was down your way in the 70's.....MAN that would be freaky!!!

...a lot of the not eating I feel stemmed from stress/worry/depression,

This was going to be my next comment to Rimbaud.

YES definitely!!..people with anxiety disorders have scanty appetites at the best of times.It could be an indicator of a disorder emerging so keep an eye on things mate.

When the fight/flight response is active, adrenaline and cortisol are pumped into the bloodstream.Less CO2 is present and the blood becomes oxygen enriched as a respose to faster breathing....the main torso organs are shut down,downregulated and/or purged depending on the intensity and duration.

Although I'm a slim build by nature, I could always put away 4-5 decent meals a day and not gain weight fat-wise but maintained a healthy weight for my age.

After falling into the stress/anxiety/panic and then depressive phases,I lost 20 odd kgs in a short enough time to leave stretch-marks on my thighs!

ATM my meds are fucking me up a bit so I average a meal once to twice a day, but as I'm heading towards understanding the recovery process and withdrawing from the meds, my appetite is increasing gradually

[Μορφέας]

I for one know that if I find myself eating often over a week that in between meals, particularly overnight, that I am actually MORE hungry between periods, and the urge to eat is greater. Something to do with the stomach capacity expanding perhaps ?

This is a trick body builders use to cut down on weight, By eating 4-5 small meals a day and snacking, the body starts to burn up its stores faster and stops storing food due to the constant influx as he doesnt have any need to store energy. Whereas if you eat one meal a day your body will store all the energy and you wont be as hungry, A trick sumo wrestlers use, They eat one meal a day (a huge meal at that) so that their body stores the whole lot.

The down side is that if your losing weight this way you have to bite your hunger pains pretty hard, Cos you get fricken hungry

I hope that makes sense

[Pala]

Actually, I think the opposite is true... not only has it been determined on mice, but it's bee determined on monkeys.

In fact according to the Wiki article on CR, the only species that DOESNT adhere to the rule of life extension is the housefly!!

So there is every reason to suppose it to be true for humans too...

(The following is based soley on that Wikipedia article):

I was surprised to see mice on that list since I had only known to it have demonstrated on C. elegans (I suppose that's going to be my trivial fact of the day). Nevertheless re. primates, according to the article caloric restrictions, the only effect empirically determined was reduced rate of Alzheimers.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, a CR diet is not at all pleasent. It essentially would involve starving yourself (or more accurately, eating enough so as not die [this including, I would think, maintaining minimal levels of glucose for retina, brain, RBCs]). Plus all those essential stuff (including some minerals, vitamins, amino acids...).

It's also important to determine the advantages of food restriction (eg. eating healthy) vs. CR. For example, can it be determined that the observed reduction in primate Alzheimers is due to CR, or is it perhaps simply due to FR?

It seems that this is a contraversial issue which needs to be further explored by the scientific community.

[XipeTotec]

i dont approve of testing on primates but in any event it's already been done.

And CR appears to hold true for primates... guess which monkey had the CR diet?

so... the CR doesnt make one less ugly then? HA

I give up, which one is you Rimbaud? ha

Edited January 14, 2007 by shroomytoonos

[darkhorse]

Every quarter I do a water only 24hr purge and feel like shit I'm irratable, painful to be around and in a general want to beat your brains in mood, but feel very good after that, but I feel good just by making sure my water intake is at least 2L on top of any other fluids each day, my metabolism is much faster and feel more alive when appropriate fluid levels are maintained, But as far as CR go I maintain a fairly constant caloric intake which I feel is a good level for myself and by maintaining this on an everyday basis I have not had to do any further restricting to feel any better

[calyx]

Greetings All, Long time looker, virgin poster (be gentle with me). At last a topic I feel adequate to comment on. I did two 30 day fasts last year consuming only fresh juices with spirulina powder and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone. After the third day the hunger disappears completely and both energy and mental clarity increase dramatically. Who has ever felt full of energy on Christmas afternoon after stuffing themselves, I am usually flat on my back moaning (and not in a sweaty fun way).

Almost all of Nature, including man up until the last couple of hundred years, undergoes periods of time where food is scarce. Constantly having food in the stomach places a constant strain on the pancreas, gall bladder and most importantly the liver. The process of digestion uses huge amounts of energy, if you can give your stomach a holiday this energy can be redirected for healing and detoxification. It is written on a pyramid that a man lives on 3/4s of what he eats and his physician lives off the other 1/4.

Jesus , Buddha and Mohammed all underwent a period of fasting before they had their peak experiences. Most authorities recommend to meditate on an empty stomach. Many tribes require a period of abstinance before consuming any sacraments. Fasting can definitely be seen to have a spiritual aspect to it.

For those contemplating a fast, do some research, there is a science to it. You do not just stop eating, you need to clean out your digestive tract, eat lightly before and after the fast, not have anything toxic whilst on the fast. Fresh juices take virtually no energy to digest and are detoxifying as well as providing energy. Spirulina makes fasting easier being an almost complete food, very digestible, a natural appetite supressant and assists detoxification.

Oh dear im starting to prattle on:rolleyes: , if you would like any more info PM me

[Gúzmann]

I've actually experimented with calorie restriction and it seems like the less I eat, the better I feel. I am a teenager, so perhaps it's not fair to make a comparison to adults, but I feel better on an empty stomach than on a full one.

I've never actually tried to fast for more than three days because I'm close to an anorexic as it stands. I am by no means an anorexic, because I don't have the same mental disposition, I reduce my calorie intake not to look better, but to feel better.

Here's the odd thing, I used to be slightly overweight, 15 pounds-ish and I decided to lose the excess. I did manage with a combination of low food intake an a tad bit more exercise.

Now I'm at a healthy weight and I feel better than ever. The trouble is that I lose about 50 grams of body weight on average every day, even when I eat well and live a sedentary lifestyle. It may not seem like much but at the end of a week, I lose a substantial amount of weight (something close to a pound). I then have to eat more during weekends to compensate for the energy loss, but whenever I do that I feel awful and sick and wish I ate less.

My parents think I'm an anorexic and I don't blame them. My weight once dropped below 49kg (108lbs) and that's low for someone who's ~170cm tall. They tell me to eat more and as soon as I do that, eczema breaks out on my hands, I get cold like symptoms in the morning, and I feel awful. I go right back to eating less (it's a sort of reverse addiction)

Every once in a while, it is good to escape the excesses of society, and simply consume less.

[ThunderIdeal]

guessing wildly i'd say you should find foods that are more agreeable, or look into possible digestion problems/solutions. maybe look to foods that are protein dense or even buy a fuck off large bucket of something with a name like 'protein-roid-osterone'

[chilli]

What kind of food are you eating Guzmann?

I have read that animals with lower calory intake live longer overall, and that a day a week of fasting is good for overall health, it certainly can give an appreciation of food!

Edited February 4, 2012 by chilli

[Psylo]

Epic Thread Bump! 5 years !

I think all the original posters have starved to death.