Fasting For Weight Loss

The idea of fasting is still tied to the spiritual and religious practices. When many people  first hear about fasting, they immediately relate the term to the Catholics who practice this during Lent or to Muslims during Ramadan. In ancient times when people fasted they believed that doing so would improve their clarity of thought, and bring spiritual enlightenment and inspiration. In fact fasting is one module of wellness and healing that has mental, spiritual, and physical benefits.

Many people do not fully comprehend the amazing benefit of fasting for health and wellness.

Although many have tried fasting   but not everyone understands its concept and benefits,  this series will take a look at fasting its importance and benefits for wellness and health, and specifically weight-loss.

As you read on, you will find a lot of information on the topic. Part 1 however just lays the foundation of why we need to fast. This helps us to understand the reasoning behind fasting for total wellness…spiritual, mental, and physical.

Take note however that results will vary with each person as each and every one of us response differently. Two people can be subjected to the same conditions and their reactions can be quite different.

“In my opinion, the greatest discovery by modern man is the power to rejuvenate himself physically, mentally, and spiritually with Rational Fasting.” The Miracle of Fasting by Paul Bragg, ND, PhD

The Body

The body is a physical structure of a living thing. It is made up of cells, tissues, organs and systems that work hand in hand. They form a complex system of relationship that the absence of one greatly cripples the entire body. The loss of an eye makes it hard for our other systems to grasp the events happening around and must rely to the remaining senses.

Our body is one wonderful machine, a wonder of science.  The complexity of it and how it is able to perform so many things at a time often leads it to being called the “wonder machine”.

Consider that we  frequently defy the laws set by the Creator, which we call natural laws, when failing to care for our body. And when our body seems to be slowing down, many simply revive it with caffeine or some similar stimulant time and again.

Many people  eat like there is no tomorrow of the body’s remarkable ability to handle such a burden and keep ticking.  The body will simply digest, absorb and excrete what we eat. Many drink and smoke because the body continues to function around the  clock.

Yet do we also know that too much abuse of  the body is also bad. Our body is just like any machine…in  that once it reaches its limit, it breaks down. Too much alcohol, unhealthy food and lifestyle combined with stress is extremely harmful to our body. As we age, the maximum capacity of our body will only reach its peak once and will decrease over time. Because of the decrease, our body becomes prone to different ailments and sickness, we become weak over time and if we don’t heed  the pleas of our aging body,  it can actually cost us our lives.

It must be remembered that our body should be handled with care.

Stress and the human body

What is stress?  It is said that stress is a condition that almost everyone can relate in an everyday sense. Stress is not new and we are no stranger to stress. Almost everything and every where there is stress, there is stress in the workplace, at home at school etc. However once stress reaches a level wherein it has a negative effect on the body it is more accurately defined as “distress”.

How people react to stress differs. Stress is caused by different factors and different people react diffrently. Our personality and emotions, not to mention or spirituality, will determine how much the effect of stress on our body will be. Some people handle stress well. These people are able to meet up with deadlines calmly and still give positive results.

Nevertheless the physical effects of stress on our body can be very to both damaging our emotional and physical health. While the effects are subtle, the long term effects of stress are deadly.  It has become a mainstream reality to accept the fact that stress shortens our lives. Increased risk of heart disease, nervous breakdowns, stomach ulcers, tension headaches, and an increased susceptibility to infection are just a few of the things that stress can do to us. No single effect of stress is beneficial to us.

Although stress in the short run can have positive effects such as the ability to react to the situation quickly and resolve it as immediately as possible, it is never good in the long run.

Stress affects our health, body and mind to such great extent that we are crippled by its effects over time. Some of the signs of stress include short-temper, anxiety, impatience, low moral, temperature changes, blood pressure increase, and migraines and so on. Yet there are times when the stress is not so intense and that person has a higher threshold, the stress condition may actually be of beneficial results that will end shortly with  complete relaxation.

Most often that not, insomnia and depression are the most common effects of stress on us. Because of the two, our mental and physical state is affected. Likewise, our eating habits are often affected  which leads to  low energy levels and thus making us unproductive.

Fasting…has your lifestyle laid a toxic foundation?

It is often emphasized that a healthy lifestyle is always the ideal, one especially today that health care costs are out of control.

With the fast paced life, we depend on processed food and fast foods. We have bombarded ourselves with medicines and drugs and this with less exercise.

Some of the factors which make our lifestyle unhealthy are as follows:

• Too much junk food being put into our hands especially in children’s hands. Junk food which contains saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and therefore increases your risk of heart disease and some cancer among other things

• Life is full of stress. Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. Work can be a stressful place, whether in an office, a factory, or a school. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life.

• People are generally dependent on medical drugs and are not aware that medical drug side effects are dangerous to their health. In the world today, many people seem to think that they just want medicines and drugs to solve their health problems; they believe they can always seek medical assistance. But what they are not aware of is that these pharmaceutical medications may have potential adverse reactions. Some drugs which are toxic to your liver and can do some very detrimental  things to your health and metabolism, perhaps you obediently swallow those little poisons without considering what they are doing to your body.

• Exposure to pollution and toxic wastes such poisonous agents from the household items. Our bodies are absorbing the harmful chemicals surrounding the environment today. It is thus imperative that we clean up our living environment as much as possible. Those regular detergents, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and perfumes that we uses today contain many chemicals which are toxic to our bodies, some even carcinogenic.

• Lack of exercise. Exercise always improves our fitness level. No questions asked bout this. It also helps to detoxify the body

Here enters, fasting… In part Part 2 we will get more into the details of fasting.

Keith M Henry, N.D. is the Director of phase 3ministries, based in Orlando FL. He is medical missionary herbalist, and Naturopath . Download your free copy of his report, Emergency Herbal Medicine, HERE. It may very well save your life.

Technorati Tags: fasting and exercise, fasting and weight loss, fasting for weight loss, fastins and detox

I never dreamed God would one day lead me to make an infomercial on colon cleansing that would be a blockbuster on national television. But with half of the nation constipated, an infomercial on the subject would naturally attract the attention of millions of  grunting Americans.

I said on the TV show The Almighty Cleanse that America is nation of constipation, fermentation, putrefaction, and autointoxication. Our lack of attention on good elimination and digestive health, and our increased consumption of fiberless feasts have awarded Americans with the highest amount of digestive disorders, bowel disease, and colon cancer in the world. America has earned first place in the colon disease contest of the world!

1. The medical profession claims there is no medical reason to have a bowel movement every day. (medicinenet.com)

Technorati Tags: cleanse, constipation, herbal cleanse, supplements for cleanse

Below I have reprinted an article by fellow medical missionary Danny Vierra. It is a very insightful article and provides loads of insight with regard to Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. Danny is also the Creator of the popular Almighty Cleanse that are often shown on television info -commercials.

“In 1994 I learned that I had Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. The disease, once known as Malabsorption Syndrome, is an autoimmune disorder that affects nearly one in every hundred people in the United States, of which 97 percent remain undiagnosed and untreated. Celiac Disease is spreading and expanding and the average reader probably has difficulty keeping up with new developments. My purpose in writing this article is to hopefully help someone who might be suffering from an autoimmune disease that may actually be linked to Celiac Disease.

Some of the known symptoms of CD are gastrointestinal problems, joint pain, headache, anemia, constipation and/or diarrhea, fatigue, depression, and skin conditions, but research is finding that the disease is a multisystem disorder and can cause other serious complications such as infertility, type-1 diabetes, thyroid disease, alopecia areata, peripheral neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, liver disease, and even cancer.

The true medical impact of celiac disease is just beginning to emerge. In the book Celiac Disease – A Hidden Epidemic, by Peter H. R. Green, M.D., Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, and Rory Jones: “In the United States today, millions of patients suffer with symptoms that neither fit a specific diagnosis nor disappear. Young and old take drugs and see numerous specialists for gastrointestinal complaints, anemia, joint pain, itchy skin conditions, constant fatigue, or headaches and migraines. Their symptoms are treated, but no underlying cause can be found. One doctor diagnosed fibromyalgia, another chronic fatigue syndrome, a third irritable bowel syndrome. … Celiac disease is a multisystem disorder whose primary target of injury is the small intestine.

The disease is triggered by gluten, the main storage protein found causing food malabsorption continues and the disease progresses, the manifestation inevitably become more varied and complex. Celiac disease is the most common-and one of the most underdiagnosed hereditary conditions in the United States today. … Only recently have studies shown that celiac disease affects approximately approximately 1 in every 100 people-and 97 percent of them are undiagnosed. ” Celiac Disease, p. 3.

Dr. Green continues: “Frequently, the associated autoimmune disease is diagnosed first because it is more obviously symptomatic, while the celiac disease remains silent. Nevertheless, it is believed that celiac disease may come first, predisposing individuals to the development of the autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately, autoimmune disorders are often so well established by the time of diagnosis for celiac disease–with evidence of organ damage, not just the presence of antibodies-that a reversal of the condition is very unlikely.” Ibid, p.155.

“Celiac disease is an abnormal reaction to a normal food substance,” says Green. I have learned that one man’s food, especially glutinous foods like wheat, rye, barley, kamut, spelt and triticale, may be another man’s poison. The body treats gluten, the storage protein in these foods as a foreign body that inflames the villi of the small intestine in order to protect the body from the invaders. The villi flatten and the condition causes malabsorption of nutrients which can predispose the body to an autoimmune disease.

“A large percentage of celiac are deficient in folic acid and should take a B-Complex supplement. I was deficient in B-12 and noticed improvement once I started injections. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can manifest symptoms which are similar to MS. The gold standard for diagnosing CD is an internal biopsy, but a blood test, IgA Endomysial Antibodies (EMA), is highly specific, virtually 100% percent so, and about 90 percent sensitive. Dr. Green also gives a health questionnaire in his book that may indicate that you should take the IgA blood test. Here is the list of symptoms:

· Bloating, gas, and/or stomach cramping
· Diarrhea or runny stools
· Constipation
· Joint pain, fibromyalgia,  or numbness or tingling in your extremities
· Itchy skin lesions, eczema, or unexplained dermatitis
· Constant unexplained fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome
· Frequent headaches or migraines
· Lactose intolerance
· Osteopenia and or/ osteoporosis
· Autoimmune disorders (thyroid disease [hypo/hyper], type 1 diabetes, Sjoren’s syndrome, chronic liver disease), or an immediate family member with an autoimmune disease
· Peripheral neuropathy
· Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
· Small intestinal cancer
· Psychiatric disorders or depression
· Anemia (iron deficiency)
· Infertility

I experienced multiple symptoms whenever I ate gluten and must avoid it completely. Some of the symptoms, which could change from episode to another, were the following: gas, diarrhea, constipation, bowel pain and bloating, depression, suicidal, extreme mood swings, irregular heart rhythms, and muscle twitching. I was also diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but the symptoms disappeared once I got off all gluten. In fact, I experience none of the symptoms as long as I follow a gluten-free diet a hundred percent of the time. When I first was diagnosed with CD, I suffered from depression, diarrhea, and weight loss. If I eat gluten today I get hangover-like symptoms, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeats, muscle twitching, and a foggy brain. I also can have a delayed allergic reaction and have symptoms on Wednesday when I ate gluten on Monday. Many people fail to realize the possibility of a delayed allergic reaction and therefore think the food they ate on the given day caused the reaction.

Here is a letter from Kathy who suffered from rheumatic arthritis and psoriasis since childhood. Not one doctor had ever suggested or tested her for CD, which she finally learned was the cause of her life-long problems.

Dear Danny:

One year ago, I came for a consultation because I had questions concerning my arthritis. Along with your recommendations of a vegan, whole foods diet, you also encouraged me to investigate celiac disease. After six months of dietary experimentation, I saw a gastroenterologist and received a diagnosis of celiac sprue. My only symptoms were arthritis (diagnosed at age 11) and psoriasis (diagnosed at age 3). I am also noticing an improvement in my overall health, both mental and physical after abstaining from gluten. I was on Methotrexate and NSAIDS for 14 years, and for the last five years have taken Prednisone (the only “safe” drug for the childbearing years). I now have been off Prednisone and all medications, (the first time in 20 years) for one year and I FEEL WONDERFUL!

My goal in writing is to THANK YOU for your determination to provide quality health information. You have, by God’s wonderful grace, influenced me, my whole family, many of my friends, and even my neighbors, towards better health. I especially appreciated the personal trainer you had on your radio show Healthline. I was a fitness professional and educator before having the privilege of becoming a fulltime mom. I can smell an un-educated trainer from a mile away. The gentleman you interviewed, Bobby Spencer, was well educated and has a true understanding of fitness and how the body works. Thank You!

I am praying that one day you will do a show on Celiac Sprue. My Gastroenterologist and the celiac websites say it is highly under-diagnosed. When I mentioned being tested for gluten intolerance as a possible cause for Psoriatic Arthritis, people thought I was crazy (even my primary-care physician). A Gastroenterologist at UC Davis told us of a recent study in Italy where the group of people’s only symptom was that they were short, and when put on a gluten-free diet they grew, and they were all past the growth stage in life. He also said they are making connections between Celiac and Alzheimer’s disease. I know that many would benefit from a show on Celiac disease; the symptoms are so varied and numerous, and the diagnosis is as easy as a blood test.

With kind regards,
Kathy G.

The late Dr. Lloyd Rosenvold, M.D., the physician who diagnosed me with gluten intolerance, or Celiac Disease, years ago, reported: “In the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 21:20-23 (1992), a study is reported where our of 70 patients with various rheumatic complaints 23 persons were found by intestinal biopsy to have Celiac Disease. That is about 1/3 of all cases of rheumatic disease. Surely every case of any rheumatic problem or arthritis should be tested for CD.” Rosenvold continued:

“I recently learned of a case of rheumatism so severe that he was forced to discontinue his work. A gluten-knowledgeable friend dined with him one day and noted that he partook of enormous amounts of gluten foods. It has been shown in past observations that the gluten meat analogs consumed but many vegetarians tend to precipitate overt CD in cases of latent or previously unknown CD. Actually the gluten-based analogs are not really ‘health foods.’”
Dr. Rosenvold also reported: “We have records of patients who have suffered from heart beat irregularities caused by intolerance to gluten in the diet. Four of these suffered from extrasystole beats (skipped heart beats). When they discontinued gluten, the irregularities disappeared.” I have noticed irregular heartbeats if I eat gluten. The late Ear, Nose and Throat specialist also said that gluten intolerance can cause auricular fibrillation and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A study in Finland reported that in ten patients with CFS, seven of them obtained full relief as soon as they went on a gluten-free diet. Do you have friends that are chronically tired for no obvious reason? Try suggesting a gluten-free diet for a month or two. I remember watching a health series by Dr. Gary Null on PBS, years ago, and he advised everyone feeling tired and fatigued to get off all wheat products. I would go further than this — I would suggest they get off all gluten products.

I know of many people who were suffering with many symptoms but never suspected celiac disease as the root cause. Dr. Rosenvold treated me not only for CD, but a secondary condition called candida albicans which has a whole list of symptoms much like CD. He said, “When the villi lay flat in the small intestine, candida fungus has a greater opportunity to proliferate in the jejunum.” If you have any of the diseases mentioned in this article and are at your wit’s end in trying to figure out what is wrong with you, please consider a gluten-free diet for a month or two for it may make all the difference.

If you have any further questions, please email me at danny@modernmanna.org. For further reading get Dr. Green’s book, Celiac Disease – A Hidden Epidemic.”

Danna Vierra is Danny Vierra, founder of The Almighty Cleanse, is an author, internationally acclaimed lecturer, evangelist, and natural health expert. Mr. Vierra is also the founder and director of  Modern Manna Ministries and BellaVita Lifestyle Center in Lodi, California. Visit his cite at www.modernmanna.org

Keith M Henry, N.D. is the Director of phase 3ministries, based in Orlando FL. He is medical missionary herbalist, and Naturopath . Download your free copy of his report, Emergency Herbal Medicine, HERE. It may very well save your life.

Simple Natural Health Secrets

Technorati Tags: celiac diet, disease celiac, gluten allergy, gluten diet, gluten intolerance