Fasting cleans and clears all body tissues including synapses, liver and blood
which allows greater conductivity of energy and nutrients. In an article on fasting
in Alternative Medicine Sept’04 it says that the mild stress imposed by fasting
fortifies the body to stave off degenerative diseases. The continual low-grade stress
of calorie reduction seems to make the cells stronger by kicking in a gene repair
mechanism. Members of the Calorie Restriction Society typically eat between
1100-1950 calories a day, whereas the average Western diet is around 2763 per
day. Some eat once a day, others eat once every other day. According to Jack Tips
the main meal should be in the morning between 9-11am.
Hunger increases blood flow in the hypothalamus and other limbic areas. Mark
Mattson of the National Institute on Aging says that he believes that the mild stress
of fasting increases protein synthesis in the brain, inducing increased growth of new
nerve cells, as well as shielding the cells from oxidative damage. So fasting increases
brain function, offers nerve protection. With a calorie restricted diet there is going
to be less oxidation in the body in general. The calorie restriction diet does have
spiritual effects in its highest aspect, but people usually adopt calorie restriction
for longevity first, then health benefits second. This diet system started when
research found that rats live 30 percent longer on reduced calorie diets. The key
point is though is that they still get maximum nutrition through nutrient dense
supplements. High nutrient-density is key for you won’t get results out of simply
dropping calorie intake. More information on calorie restriction can be found in
Roy Walford’s book Beyond the 120-Year Diet: How to Double Your Vital Years.
“Man either builds himself or destroys himself by the manner in which he lives... Every
normal habit indulged to satiety and every abnormal habit produces disease. Here is the
origin of every so-called disease. The end is chronic disease and premature death. Until
we learn to recognize the fact that symptoms are the result of toxic saturation and learn
the source of the intoxication, we are left with nothing we can do for the sick except
provide a brief and questionable palliation.” Herbert Shelton, Fasting Can Save Your
Life. P.111
The Fasting Path by Stephen Harrod Buhner is one of the best books I have
encountered on the spirituality of diet. As I get older I find less enthusiasm for
disciplines like fasting...but this book perhaps more than any other gives inspiration,
with a sensitizing injection of spiritual intention.
Heavy metals—Calorie restriction also reduces the accumulation of the
metallic mineral oxidizing agents such as iron, copper, cadmium, lead, manganese
and arsenic...lowering the accumulation of toxins in the cells improves the cells
ability to repair DNA. Thus calorie restriction helps maintain DNA integrity. In
Bill Sardi’s book The Antiaging Pill, he writes that women have half the rate of
diabetes, heart disease, cancer and infections because they have half the iron levels
compared to males. If men are meat eaters, they might be able to add more years
to their life by doing periodic iron chelation with IP6 to lower their iron levels.
Inositol Hexaphosphate (IP6) is a phosphorylated form of inositol commonly
found in fiber-rich plant foods like rice bran. IP6 may support the cell’s natural
defense against damaging hydroxyl free radicals by chelating with reactive iron.