Medical starvation has been practiced for a very long time. This method has many supporters and opponents. But, contrary to the criticism of skeptics, the popularity of fasting is gradually growing. Like any other method, health fasting requires a certain preparation and a certain amount of knowledge. How to prepare the body? How long can you starve? How to get out of fasting? What is an acidotic crisis? We will look for answers to these and other questions together. And let's talk about whether there are contraindications to the extreme technique.
Why is this needed?
Therapeutic fasting is recommended not only for weight loss, although the treatment of obesity with this method is very effective. Starvation helps to stabilize blood pressure, relieve angina pectoris, cure chronic diseases of the bronchi and lungs, and cure chronic gastritis with low acidity. The positive effect is noticeable in the treatment of chronic diseases of the biliary tract and pancreas. The condition improves with allergic reactions, the treatment of joint diseases is facilitated. Improving fasting is used even in the treatment of neurosis.
What is the difference from fasting days?
For some time, not everyone can refuse food. Many believe that fasting can be replaced with fasting days. However, these are different methods, and they give different results. The main difference is the acidotic crisis. When fasting, it happens quite often. Fasting days, even on tea or juice, do not bring the body to an acitotic crisis, and the process of removing harmful substances does not begin. In fact, instead of cleansing, the body is depleted. And this is a completely different story ...
What does acidotic crisis mean?
A complete rejection of food is stress for any organism. It is this stress that makes us use the accumulated reserves, that is, switch to "internal" nutrition. The body breaks down fats and minor tissues, primarily getting rid of diseased and old cells. In the process of splitting fat layers, decay products consisting of butyric acids and acetone remain. The body does not remove them, gradually changing the indicator of internal acidity. Acidification of pH is called acidosis. When acidosis reaches a maximum, cells begin using ketone bodies to synthesize the necessary amino acids. This is an acidotic crisis. If starvation is not complete, and the body occasionally receives at least tea with sugar, then the cells do not start the synthesis of amino acids from internal tissues. The burning of domestic stocks does not occur. The therapeutic effect of the procedure loses its meaning. All that remains is weight loss.
When to expect an acidotic crisis?
The exact time of the onset of the tipping point is difficult to predict. Acidotic crisis is influenced by several factors:
- If fasting allows the use of water, then the crisis occurs on the 7-12th day of the procedure. With dry fasting, the onset of the crisis is shorter - 3-5 days.
- Regular therapeutic fasting accelerates the onset of acidotic crisis. When drinking water, this will happen in 2-5 days. Dry fasting causes a crisis in 1-2 days.
- Proper preparation for fasting speeds up the tipping point of the procedure.
- The timing of the onset of acidotic crisis is affected by the degree of bowel cleansing. The use of an enema or laxative at the beginning of a medical refusal accelerates the onset of a crisis.
Main symptoms
How does an inexperienced person understand that an acidotic crisis is approaching? Symptoms of the process are as follows:
- a person experiences weakness and dizziness;
- the head begins to hurt;
- haunted by nausea;
- urine becomes darker;
- the tongue is covered with a layer of plaque;
- from the person there is a sharp smell of acetone (not only from the mouth, but also from the skin);
- mood worsens greatly.
Unpleasant sensations increase gradually. But after the onset of the crisis, the condition improves. Weakness is replaced by a surge of strength, dizziness and nausea recede, the head no longer hurts. The color of urine returns to normal (if the fasting person drinks water). Acidotic crisis with dry fasting may not affect the color of urine, and it will remain dark.
The smell of acetone and plaque in the tongue are reduced. Even the mood is back to normal. The body begins the process of renewal, simultaneously cleansing and healing cells and organs. Since the body at this moment does not spend energy on digesting food, it can direct it to rejuvenation and recovery. It is this effect that must be achieved by therapeutic fasting.
Proper preparation for wellness fasting
Improving fasting does not begin after long holidays with plentiful feasts. The body should be prepared for refusing food in order to get rid of undigested residues and accelerate the acidotic crisis. Before the fasting course, you need to completely abandon meat dishes for several days. You should switch to a vegetarian menu and gradually reduce the servings. The day before fasting, take only juices.
Such preparation helps the body with a long refusal of food. In the process of health fasting, fluid intake is permissible. But it can only be pure boiled, spring, melt or rain water. No additives (sugar, honey and others) are introduced into it so as not to cause digestive system activity. It must be remembered that the acidotic crisis of starvation on water will come a little later, but it is psychologically more difficult to fast dry.
How long can a fasting treatment take?
In the complete absence of experience, prolonged fasting cannot begin. First, several courses are conducted for 3-4 days, then the period can be increased. After the onset of the acidotic crisis, the procedure is continued for 3-4 days, focusing on well-being.
The right way out of fasting
The main thing is to do everything gradually, you cannot immediately rush for a plentiful dinner (lunch, breakfast). First, juices diluted with water are taken, then vegetable decoctions, and only then low-fat sour-milk products and grated vegetables. The way out of fasting should last no less than fasting itself.
Contraindications
With a lack of body weight or dystrophy it is impossible to engage in therapeutic fasting. Contraindication is also diabetes mellitus, some heart diseases, tuberculosis, thrombophlebitis, cholelithiasis and some liver diseases. Starving is not recommended for old people and children, in addition, a contraindication to the procedure is pregnancy and lactation.