One benefit of fasting is how it allows the body to heal itself in a manner that effects the whole organism, or holistically. It is a rebalancing that occurs on all levels of our being and allows the innate intelligence of the body to foster healing in its own appropriate way.
Fasting is considered an "alternative" therapy because it isn't prescribed by the mainstream of conventional Western medicine, which attempts to treat ailments and conditions most commonly with invasive techniques. While these modern techniques are highly successful in treating some conditions, they fail miserably in other conditions.
Andrew Weil, an M.D. and popular author on the subject of natural healing and holistic medicine, has spelled it out succinctly in his book Spontaneous Healing. His advice:
"Do not seek help from a conventional doctor for a condition that conventional medicine cannot treat, and do not rely on an alternative provider for a condition that conventional medicine can manage well."
How to know the difference? This is Weil's breakdown:
Where fasting most shines as an alternative practice is with the degenerative diseases and chronic conditions that traditional medicine falters on. Degenerative diseases are conditions of deterioration progressing over time, and are generally caused by long-term lifestyle choices and/or bodily wear due to age.
This benefit of fasting page shows the type of conditions most commonly positively affected by fasting, the vast majority of which the traditional medical community fails to treat effectively.
Valter Longo's Longevity Diet, which is a fasting mimicking diet, is showing great promise as a prescribed therapy. If you haven't heard of Valter Longo, check out his newly launched website to follow…
Information on fasting especially geared toward the beginner. Important guidelines on fasting including the contraindications and how to do a simple one-day fast.
Confusion seems to arise as to whether this site promotes meat-eating or veganism. Let's set the record straight and talk about ideal diets. Ideal for whom? Each of us individually.