If you’re curious about the benefits of fasting then I think you’ll find this article very helpful…

Fasting has been around forever. In fact humanity has been fasting in one form or another since we’ve become bipedal, and likely before. Traditionally fasting has been a means of survival. Rationing food was important in the early days as we hadn’t yet become expert farmers or famine or pests started to take their toll on our food supplies. But as the centuries moved on, fasting took on other aspects. It became well known in many religions as an important aspect of spiritual enlightening. Ascetics and monks have been fasting for centuries as a means of becoming closer to God. Fasting has also entered the mainstream within the last hundred years as a mechanism for renewing your health and physical prowess.

The natural hygiene experts in North America have encouraged periodic fasting as a means of physical renewal. Paul Bragg has been one of the pioneering advocates of fasting and he was the first one to set up a health food store in the United States. Dr. Shelton was another pioneer who taught the value of fasting to countless numbers of people. Another fellow by the name of Stanley Burroughs has developed what has arguably become the preeminent fasting program, the Mater Cleanser.

Fasting Gives Your Body a Break

Believe it or not, fasting is a way of allowing the body to get to the business of cleansing itself. Eating food constantly taxes the body and takes its toll on the body’s recuperative powers. Periodic fasting is very beneficial to the body and should be part of your yearly hygiene maintenance. It is recommended to fast up to twice a year for best results. And these are generally to be undertaken during the spring and fall. It is difficult to undergo a fast when the weather is cold as the body becomes more vulnerable to being easily chilled.

In order to make the most use of fasting it is important to understand its benefits. It is very difficult mentally to go without food for more than 2 or 3 days. And this is where great mental preparation comes into play. If you are prepared ahead of time to go through your fast you will more likely succeed. So what are some of the ways that fasting helps your body?

Benefits of Fasting

Well, fasting boosts your immune system in several ways. It helps to boost the macrophage activity in the body. The macrophages as you might know are the cells that eat and destroy the harmful substances that make it into the body such as bacteria and viruses. Boosting the macrophage count is tremendously beneficial in improving your immunity and overall health.

Fasting also benefits the body by increasing the neutrophil bactericidal activity. This basically means that the white cell activity is increased exponentially. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell and they are important in detecting and neutralizing the foreign invaders that make it into the body. White blood cells are made in the bone marrow and healthy bone marrow can produce up to 100 billion neutrophils each day. This is important for keeping the foreign bogeymen from invading and causing sickness. Fasting allows the body to really engage in manufacturing all of these great fighter cells that we need for optimum health.