Fasting

From RationalWiki

Fasting is going without food entirely, abstaining from certain types of food (often meat), or reducing food intake drastically (such as a juice-only diet), for a specified period of time. It is usually done for one of three different reasons:

Rapid weight loss; in this sense fasting is a crash fad diet. This is ineffective in the long term, as weight lost during the fast will be gained back upon resuming a normal diet. Long term weight loss can only be achieved through increased physical activity and decreased caloric intake, and for the weight loss to stick this must be continued indefinitely.
A form of health woo. Fasting is claimed by its proponents to cure all manner of diseases and ailments, up to and including cancer. Although sometimes doctors may tell a patient to fast, for example in preparation for a CT scan or surgery, no scientific studies support fasting is in any way effective as a self-treatment for any disease. More commonly, fasting is claimed to cleanse the body of "toxins".
A religious practice. This can vary depending on the religion. Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan, while some Christians fast during Lent, the 40 days before Easter. Fasting is also found in some New Age activity such as the "vision quest", in which one goes without food for three days in a wilderness setting while they reflect on the meaning of life, or whatever. Christians fast for a variety of reasons and it is sometimes practiced as part of spiritual warfare, or as part of an exorcism.

[edit] See also

Lemonade Diet

[edit] Not to be confused with

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