When people think of fasting many people think of someone like Ghandi who fasted for weeks at a time to attain enlightenment or as a form of non violent protest against an oppressive government. The truth of the matter is that fasting can be used by any of us on a limited and occasional basis both for cleansing and rapid weight loss.

If you want to make a change in your current diet, feel a need to cleanse your body, or you just want to jump start your weight loss program fasting can be a good way to go. The great thing about fasting is that you see results immediately. I am on the 8th day of a fast at the moment and have lost over twenty pounds!

Fasting is a great way to help your body to cleanse itself and should be done occasionally for that purpose alone. It will remove any bloating you may have, make your waist look smaller almost instantly, and will clear up your skin. This is one of the first things I noticed with fasting; my skin became much clearer in just the first three or four days.

I am not recommending fasting as a weight loss program in itself but more as a transitional step to lead into a more long term healthy weight loss and maintenance regimen. If you have been eating tons of junk food, heavy meats, and the like you will have toxins as well as excessive waste built up in your system. Cleansing your system first will give you much better results.

Let's look at the mechanics of fasting. When we are talking about fasting, I am not saying go without anything at all. You must take in fluids. Your body will die in a few days without enough fluids even though it can survive for many weeks with no food, depending of course on how much body fat you currently have. Try to stick with water and natural fruit juices. Some people try to go on water alone but this can usually only be handled for a couple of days, plus the fruit juice will help with the cleansing process.

If you learn to use fasting properly and become dedicated with it you will also be able to have more discipline when you return to a regular diet and it will be easier for you to turn down foods that you know aren't good for you. One of the benefits of this fast I am currently on is that it will prepare my body for the raw diet and am starting. I guess I should really say raw lifestyle since I intend to eat that way from now on.

Fasting is definitely something everyone should do at least once or twice per year to cleanse your body from all the built up toxins and help keep you healthy.