Health Benefits

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8 INCREDIBLE Water Fasting Benefits

Feb 8, 2022 | Health Benefits, Water-only Fasting

If you’ve been looking up ways to lose weight, you’ve probably heard about water fasting. It has recently become a popular method for speedy weight loss. Social media is all the rage about it, with before and after transformation photos popping up daily.

The practice of fasting has been around for centuries. During water fasting, you cannot consume anything besides water. Various studies have shown that water fasting has health benefits such as reduced inflammation, stable blood sugar levels, and good heart health. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what water fasting is and its 8 incredible benefits.

Keep reading to learn more!

What Is Water Fasting?

Water fasting is a type of fast that restricts the consumption of everything except water. Most water fasts last 24–72 hours. Fasts longer than this should be done under medical supervision.

Even herbal teas, black coffee, calorie-free drinks, and supplements are not allowed during water fasting. The juice cleanse and lemon detox cleanse are other methods modeled after this fast.

The water-only fast method is somewhat inspired by intermittent fasting, which has shown well-documented and evidence-based results for weight loss, immune system, and metabolism. The studies cited below apply to all types of intermittent fasting, a category that water fasting falls under.

Benefits of Water Fasting

1. Activates Autophagy

Autophagy is a fundamental process of cleaning out damaged cells, to regenerate newer, healthier cells. Basically, your body’s cells eat themselves and clean out any unnecessary or damaged cellular components. If these damaged parts accumulate in the cell, they can make it difficult for your cells to repair themselves and regrow vital structures, which is a risk factor for many cancers. This is why autophagy is essential for keeping cells healthy. It can help prevent cancer cells from growing. Several animal studies suggest that autophagy may also help protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s, and heart disease.

The nutrient deficit is a key activator of autophagy which is why water fasting activates it. Food restriction for 24 or 48 hours induces fatty change and autophagy in the liver. It peaks around 32 to 48 hours of fasting after which its intensity drops and stabilizes.

2. Helps in Lowering Blood Pressure

Water fasting is considered a safe and effective method of bringing high blood pressure to a normal level. This is one of the water fasting benefits that is also useful in helping people to take on health-promoting behavioral changes in their day-to-day lives.

This study shows that longer, medically supervised water fasts may help people with high blood pressure to lower their blood pressure.

In another study, 68 people with borderline high blood pressure water fasted for around 14 days under medical supervision. At the end of the fast, 82% of people had a blood pressure that was now within a healthier range. Additionally, the average drop in blood pressure was also significant.

Other studies exist that prove the same, which only strengthens the idea that water fasting could lower your blood pressure.

3. Induces Ketosis and Fat Loss

When your body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy, it goes through a process called Ketosis. During this process, your body burns the stored fat to make ketones, which are used for fuel. Ketosis is a metabolic process that forces your body to use up the fat is stored in case you’d have no food in the future. This results in fat loss, which is one of the most sought-after water fasting benefits.

In the first 24-48 hours of water fasting, your body burns the stored glycogen for energy. After day two, your body enters into the state of ketosis. Water fasting induces ketosis more quickly than through Keto or other low-carb diets.

4. Improves Insulin and Leptin Sensitivity

Diabetes is a disorder in the way the body uses glucose, a sugar that is required to generate fuel for the body. When blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas produces insulin, the hormone which signals cells to take sugar from the blood. Fat cells store extra glucose in the form of fats. In the common type 2 form of diabetes, cells lose their insulin sensitivity. This is also called insulin resistance which is recognized as a predictor of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Insulin and leptin are both important hormones for metabolism. The former helps the body store nutrients from the bloodstream, while the latter helps the body feel full.

This study shows that water fasting can make your body more sensitive to leptin and insulin, making these hormones more effective.

5. Reduces the Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome

A metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that raises the risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other illnesses. These risk factors occur together when your body is unable to regulate cholesterol, certain proteins, and glucose properly. Most people with this syndrome already have insulin resistance that we mentioned earlier.

Heart disease is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque, builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. It hardens and narrows the arteries, reducing the blood flow. This can lead to chest pain, heart attack, heart damage, or even death.

This study shows that water fasting helps reduce or eliminate the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. The results of the study are promising as the 5-day water fasting showed many critical beneficial effects without toxicity.

6. Lowers the Risk of Several Chronic Diseases

There is evidence that water fasting can lower the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Water fasting can significantly lower your blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides — two risk factors for heart disease.

Several animal studies have found that water fasting may protect the heart against damage from free radicals. Free radicals are reactive atoms that contribute to tissue damage in the body. They play a significant role in many chronic diseases.

Another animal study has also found that water fasting may suppress genes that help cancer cells grow. It may also improve the effects of chemotherapy.

Dr. Frank Sabatino, current contributor and special guest host of the Balance for Life Retreat Program, discusses the benefits of water fasting for fighting cancer in this interview.

7. Improves Quality of Sleep

Melatonin, also called the sleep hormone, plays an important role in the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Its production increases with evening darkness, promoting healthy sleep and regulating your circadian rhythm.

Scientists believe that insulin and melatonin have a hostile relationship, meaning they take turns suppressing each other. Insulin levels drop at night in response to an increase in melatonin and melatonin levels are low during the day in response to high insulin levels.

A study shows that short-term modified water fasting can improve sleep patterns and daytime alertness. It causes your insulin levels to drop and melatonin levels to rise, which helps you sleep better and on time.

8. Reduces Inflammation

Inflammation is another word for swelling. It is a reaction from your white blood cells to safeguard your body from viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders that can make you ill. Thus, normal levels of inflammation within the body are necessary as your immune system depends on it. But when the body goes through the inflammation process even when there are no invaders to combat, it might begin attacking otherwise healthy tissue. Inflammation can be acute or chronic. Having diseases and/or conditions such as Alzheimer’s, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer puts you at a higher risk of developing chronic inflammation.

This study has shown that water fasting is effective in treating inflammation since it induces large anti-inflammatory actions in the body.

Many foods like processed meat, alcohol, refined carbohydrates, seed and vegetable oils, etc can worsen inflammatory symptoms. When you eat mindfully or avoid all food with a water-only fast, it is possible to lessen your inflammatory symptoms. This happens due to autophagy, a process mentioned earlier, during which your cells eat their old and damaged parts so the remaining cell is healthier. If the cell can’t be salvaged, it is completely destroyed. Thus, more monocytes aka the largest white blood cells are regenerated to prevent unnecessary immune system responses.

Water Fasting Benefits Galore

Water fasting is quite popular in the wellness world. Longer fasts are recommended in traditional medicine like naturopathy as they have shown significant health benefits. But fasts longer than 24–72 hours should be approached with care, under the supervision of a qualified doctor, and by following their instructions.

After a three-day water fast, you need about 3 – 4 days to slowly come back to regular eating habits. Hence, it is advised to plan for a total of 6 – 7 days for the complete process. Ideally, a retreat or a quiet holiday is a good way to attempt this fast and reap all the water fasting benefits. The water fasting retreat from Balance for Life is one such holistic program that provides supervised water fasting. It includes a lot of perks that help you to continue your wellness journey beyond the retreat.

Beautiful oceanfront retreat, vegan meals and, peace of mind. Resort Near Pompano Beach

May 30, 2021 | Health Benefits

I would recommend this retreat to anyone- beautiful ocean, vegan meals and, peace of mind. Terry ensures all attendees have a 5* experience. My typical day was waking up, walking by the deerfield beach, taking a dip in the ocean and having date-fruit vegan pancakes outdoors- taking in the fresh air. After, an option yoga/meditation class was offered , and after that, an education session on health and wellness. Lunch-time was a large salad of chickpea, sweet potato and dressing. I would then nap, read, or put my sunglasses on and walk around the artsy beach shacks and nearby stores. Of course, ample trips to swim in the ocean. It is clean, very blue, and has a good upper-class crowd at Deerfield. I was surprised, as had not seen this kind of water in Miami, it was more similar to Bahamas. Finally we end the day with lovely Dr. Nan who diligently checks vitals, and ends with a deep-breathing/stretch class. She is a lovely human. If you need a refresh/reset to connect with your higher power- please make it over here.

AK W
Balance for Life Guest

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A Beginners Guide to Intermittent Fasting | Jason Fung

Dec 11, 2020 | Health Benefits

Dr. Jason Fung is a Canadian nephrologist (kidney specialist) and a world-leading expert on intermittent fasting. He has written three best-selling health books and co-founded the Intensive Dietary Management program.

Dr. Fung specializes in reversing diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity through routine water fast.

What exactly is fasting? Dr. Fung explains fasting is defined as the voluntary absence of food for spiritual, health, or religious reasons. Fasting is voluntary, meaning you choose not to eat it; while starvation is not knowing when food will be available to eat.

Book your reservation to Water Only Fast at Balance for Life Florida.

Call Today to schedule your consultation at 954.947.5888.

Learn more about the basics of fasting from Dr. Fung’s Youtube video.

Rebooting the Immune System with Water-Only Fasting

Feb 18, 2019 | Health Benefits

The immune system is a network of cells, tissues and organs that provide your body’s natural defense and help fight infection. It is made up of organs like your thymus gland, that produces antibodies against invading bacteria and viruses, in addition to your lymph nodes and lymphatic system that filter lymph fluid and trap organisms and other foreign substances so that your white blood cells can destroy them.

The immune system also includes bone marrow, a soft tissue found in the bones of your arms, legs, pelvis and spine, that produces white blood cells to protect you against infection and promote the healing of damaged cells after injury and trauma , and the spleen which filters your blood to remove old or damaged blood cells .

The migration of white blood cells to areas of injury and cell damage is a necessary part of the acute inflammatory process that is essential to a healthy functioning immune system. But keep in mind that all cells of the body have a limited life span and will age and become less functional over time. However, when white blood cells become less functional, your immune system can be compromised interfering with your ability to heal and making you more prone to infection.

Water Only Fasting Supports the Immune System

Water only fasting redirects body cells away from growth, promoting repair, maintenance and healing. When growth is inhibited in water only fasting, the process of autophagy is increased. Autophagy directs the body to recycle the damaged parts of old worn out cells and remove and/or repair damaged cells. So that after just 4 days of water only fasting there is a remarkable stem cell activation and production of new functional white blood cells which enhances and reboots your immune system.

In addition, lifestyle factors including a diet high in salt, sugar, processed oils , meat and dairy products and chronic stress can promote chronic inflammation/cell damage and compromise the immune system; even urging the body to turn against itself and promote auto-immune disease like Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, water only fasting, even for short periods, is one of the most powerful approaches for resolving inflammation and the complications of autoimmune disease.

In the UK, fasting and a follow up plant-based diet significantly resolved the complications and laboratory markers associated with RA. After four weeks, a test group that completed a 7-10 day water-only fast, followed by a gluten-free, plant-based vegan diet, had a significant decrease in the number of swollen joints, a decrease in the duration of morning stiffness, an increase in grip strength, and a remarkable decrease in the bio-markers for inflammation and RA, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and white blood count.

Enjoy a Medically Supervised Water-Only Fast at Balance for Life

Keep in mind that your body, in its wisdom, knows what belongs in it and what does not. And during a water-only fast, it will eliminate what it needs least to support what it needs most. So for example, it needs vital organs like heart, brain, kidney, liver etc. but it does not need tumors, cysts, stones and growths.

The Balance for Life Retreat in Deerfield Beach, Florida (BalanceForLifeFlorida.com) is one of the few programs in the world that does medically supervised water-only fasting and the only one located directly on the ocean.

by Dr. Frank Sabatino

Change Your Life Change Your Genes

Oct 26, 2017 | Benefits of Wellness Retreats, Health Benefits, Lifestyle Change Benefits

Change Your Life, Change Your Genes

The Epigenetic Benefits of a Hygienic Lifestyle

Genes are the functional units of heredity comprised of spiraling sequences of DNA. According to the Human Genome Project, there are 20-25,000 genes contained in the chromosomes of every cell in the human body. Genes provide the blueprint that transcribes all the proteins that are necessary for the function of all body cells and systems as well as all of the traits of our physical and psychological identity.

Unfortunately, many people sell themselves short by feeling completely defined, limited and even imprisoned by the deck of genetic cards they were dealt at birth. So that you often hear people exclaim that because their parents or grandparents had diabetes, or heart disease or some form of cancer, etc. they would likely develop the same problems. Even worse is when people discover that they have some genetic construct, like BRCA genes in women that may predispose them to the development of breast cancer, that makes them feel like they have no choice but to opt for some medical intervention that can compromise their health or be coerced to surrender their vital body parts to surgical mutilation for fear of what “may” happen.

You Can Help Change Your Genetic Blueprint!

It is so important to realize that you do not have to feel handicapped by your trans-generational genetic hand-me-downs. Burgeoning research in the study of epigenetic effects strongly suggests that outside environmental factors and lifestyle choices can modify gene expression without changing the hardwired inherited sequence of DNA nucleotides that make up your genes. This provides a remarkable opportunity for hopeful positive change and is an exquisite example of how modern scientific observation of the integral sublime function of the body connects with and reinforces the profound ancient wisdom of Natural Hygiene.

Routine, healthy lifestyle choices, especially plant-based nutrition, stress management techniques and physical activity can dramatically alter how genes function and may reduce the deterioration and morbidity from heart disease, cancer, immune disorders, and depression while even slowing down the aging process. Conversely, risky lifestyle choices can ultimately promote similar disease and breakdown in different people regardless of their genetic backgrounds. An example of this is the growing pandemics of obesity, heart disease, colon and reproductive cancers in Japan, China and other parts of Asia that did not exist when the Asian populations were eating more of their ancestral plant-based diets. However as they continue to saturate their diets with more animal protein, saturated fat, dairy products and refined sugar similar to people in the US and other western nations, they continue to develop the same devastating chronic diseases as these western nations regardless of their obvious genetic differences from non- Asians living in the West.

Your genetic blueprint can predispose you to any number of positive and negative conditions and changes. But what you choose to do, and the environment that you create on a routine basis in your life, goes a long way to determining how your genetic background expresses itself and whether any of your negative predispositions become concrete outcomes.

You must know that you don’t have to drown in your own gene pool. It is so important to realize and embrace the power of personal choice. It is so important to free yourself from the genetic constraints and fears that may dominate your concerns and realize that your genetic foundation is a shimmering tapestry capable of profound modification and change.

Simple constructive lifestyle choices of plant-based nutrition, consistent exercise, and activities that promote psychological poise and stress management dramatically promote healthy gene expression and reduce the devastating causes and effects of disease and aging.

By Dr. Frank Sabatino

Water Fasting’s Health Benefits Revealed

Sep 26, 2017 | Health Benefits

By Stephen Harrod Buhner (edited for brevity)

Fasting is an exceptionally ancient, and powerful, approach to healing many common disease conditions. It allows the body to rest, detoxify, and to heal. During fasting the body moves into the same kind of detoxification cycle that it normally enters during sleep. It uses its energy during a fast, not for digesting food, but for cleansing the body of accumulated toxins and healing any parts of it that are ill.

As a fast progresses the body consumes everything that it can that is not essential to bodily functioning. This includes bacteria, viruses, fibroid tumors, waste products in the blood, any build up around the joints, and stored fat. The historical record indicates that human beings are evolutionarily designed to fast. It is an incredibly safe approach to healing and the body knows how to do it very well.

The Physiological Changes of Fasting

Many of the most dramatic changes that occur in the body during fasting take place on the first three days of the fast. These occur as the body switches from one fuel source to another. Normally, the primary form of energy the body uses for energy is glucose, a type of sugar. Most of this is extracted or converted from the food we eat. Throughout the day, the liver stores excess sugar in a special form called glycogen that it can call on as energy levels fall between meals. There is enough of this sugar source for 8-12 hours of energy and usually, it is completely exhausted within the first 24 hours of fasting. (However, once the body shifts over to ketosis or fat as fuel, this new fuel is used to also restore the body’s glycogen reserves.)

Once the liver’s stores of glycogen are gone, the body begins to shift over to what is called ketosis or ketone production – the use of fatty acids as fuel instead of glucose. This shift generally begins on the second day of fasting and completed by the third. In this interim period there is no glucose available and energy from fat conversion is insufficient but the body still needs fuel. So it accesses glucose from two sources. It first converts glycerol, available in the body’s fat stores, to glucose but this is still insufficient. So it makes the rest that it needs from catabolizing, or breaking down, the amino acids in muscle tissue, using them in the liver for gluconeogenesis, or the making of glucose.

From the third day onward the rate of the breakdown of fatty acids from adipose or fat tissue continues to increase, hitting its peak on the tenth day. This seven day period, after the body has shifted completely over to ketosis, is where the maximum breakdown of fat tissue occurs. As part of protein conservation, the body also begins seeking out all non-body-protein sources of fuel: nonessential cellular masses such as fibroid tumors and degenerative tissues, bacteria, viruses, or any other compounds in the body that can be used for fuel.

This is part of the reason that fasting produces the kind of health effects it does. Also, during this period of heightened ketosis the body is in a similar state as the one that occurs during sleep – a rest and detoxification cycle. It begins to focus on the removal of toxins from the body and the healing and regeneration of damaged tissues and organs.

The historically lengthy claim that fasting increases life span is beginning to garner some support in research literature. Regularly repeated 4-day fasting has been found to increase the life span in normal and immunocompromised mice.

Although the use of fasting in the treatment of cancer is controversial, there is some emerging data SHOWING that fasting helps prevent cancer. Intermittent fasting (2 days weekly) has shown an inhibitory effect on the development of liver cancer in rats.

Most People Should Fast Under Supervision

While most people can fast safely there are some that should do so only under the supervision of a health professional experienced in fasting for healing. Dr. Frank Sabatino supervises all guests on water-only fasts and our juicing program at Balance for Life Retreat, Florida.

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