If you're wondering who can fast safely, the answer is most of us. In most cases all that is necessary is average good health, but there are exceptions.
Water fasting, due to its greater intensity and total lack of electrolyte replenishment, stands alone with its unique warnings and precautions. This is why most of the dangers of fasting apply to the water fast and why any water fast of longer than 3 days should be supervised by a fasting professional.
But the other fasting methods which include some, albeit sometimes small, amount of nutrition, are considered much safer for non-supervised fasts. That bit of nutrition can provide important elements to help support your body's functions. Fasts like juice and fruit and rice and Master Cleanse are all considered much milder while still providing for the detoxing and healing of the body.
What is meant by "average good health"? It means having sufficient physical strength and adequate reserves to carry you through. You'd need properly functioning liver and kidneys and not be severely anemic or malnourished.
If you are at all uncertain whether you are one who can fast, consult your doctor or health care professional.
For those who want to give it a try, see Information on Fasting for general information about getting started. This article is geared toward the beginner and provides a good overview of a one-day fast.
If you've determined that you shouldn't fast, based on this criteria or your own gut feeling, there IS another option! Cleansing diets can be used instead to detox and gain many, if not all, of the benefits fasting is known to produce. They often create the same detox symptoms as fasting, as they eliminate toxins and rebuild healthy tissue, but in a more gradual way.
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.