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Some people say that fasting cleanses the body and is the best method of losing weight. Others believe that starvation can cause many ailments. How is it really? Is fasting he althy and safe?

A short fast is for everyone and does not require consulting a doctor

» NOT TRUE If you decide to go on a fast for several days, you need to be thoroughly tested beforehand. You should do a morphology (even to exclude anemia), an ECG - because the risk of a heart attack increases significantly during fasting, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - to check if there is, for example, gall bladder stones, to check the concentration of uric acid in the kidneys, creatinine level, and also make an x-ray of the lungs (to exclude, for example, tuberculosis). Virtually every chronic disease is a contraindication to fasting. Fasting is also out of the question for children, adolescents and the elderly.

Hunger requires several days of preparation

» TRUE Even if you are planning a one or two-day fast (you probably won't hurt yourself), you need to prepare for it, gradually reducing the caloric content of your meals. The menu on the days leading up to the hunger strike should be less extensive - you can first make a few days without meat, then a fruit and vegetable day. Similarly, a day or two after the end of the fast, we eat less caloric food than usual. In this way, the body will tolerate a short period of non-eating gently. You must not give up drinking during fasting. On the contrary - you should drink plenty of fluids, preferably mineral water and vegetable juices.

Fasting allows you to burn fat in two or three days

» NOT TRUE For this mechanism to work, the hunger strike would have to last for over a week. In the first few days, mainly liver glycogen stores are used up, and only then fat. When we don't eat, we don't provide ourselves with the energy we need to live. The body then releases its stores from fat cells, and together with fat it burns unnecessary substances. Hence the belief that starving yourself not only reduces body fat, but also cleanses you of toxins. Unfortunately, by starving ourselves for more than a day or two, we drastically reduce the amount of nutrients necessary for proper functioning. After a week of fasting, the fat burning mechanism will be activated, but at the same time we will feel the negative effects of malnutritionof the body.

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Hunger causes nervous system disorders

» PRAWD A starved organism begins to use up its own protein - especially quickly when the body fat stores are small. In addition, in the absence of carbohydrates, fats are burned incorrectly. Then a large amount of ketone compounds is formed, which cause acidification of the body and disturbance of the functioning of the nervous system. At the same time, the excess of these substances causes a state of excitement and a feeling of satiety, even though the person does not eat anything. This is why people using fasting feel great at first - they do not feel hungry, are in a state of excitement and even euphoria. As a consequence, however, the long-lasting high level of ketone compounds destroys the nervous system. It causes, among other things, concentration disorders as well as memory problems. Fasting for more than one week often leads to low mood, malaise, dizziness and even fainting.

Regular fasting strengthens the body and increases resistance to diseases

» NOT TRUEIf we deprive our body of proteins, vitamins and minerals, we expose it to a decline in immunity - there is nothing to build antibodies and hormones responsible for the immune system from. Moreover, many latent diseases may reveal and develop during fasting, such as cholelithiasis or urinary tract stones or gout, which are manifested by painful swelling of the joints.

Hunger teaches the body to store supplies

» TRUE If we drastically reduce the amount of energy supplied, the body begins to save. It goes to sleep, slowing down your metabolism. Blood pressure drops and the heart works slower. In such a state, a person is not able to exercise more, runs the risk of he alth problems, and the risk of the yo-yo effect increases. Usually, immediately after the end of fasting, most people return to their previous diet, and even eat more than before, instead of wisely quitting the diet, slowly increasing the caloric content of meals. An organism learned from negative experience begins to stock up, and adipose tissue grows faster than before starvation. This is why the people they are in charge ofstarvation, it is so difficult to lose weight later, even on a low-calorie diet.

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Fasting is the best way to cleanse the body of toxins

» NOT TRUE A refrigerator is a non-physiological (incompatible with the natural way of functioning) method of slimming and cleansing. Instead of a starvation diet, doctors recommend that you make vegetable and fruit days from time to time. Such a diet cleans the body of toxins much better, allows you to maintain the proper functioning of the digestive system and provides vitamins and minerals valuable for he alth. It can be safely used for longer, as long as it contains the right amount of protein and calcium.

Fasting is recommended by doctors in some diseases

» TRUE In exceptional cases, such as before certain surgeries (including hip replacement), when it is necessary to lose weight quickly, very low-calorie diets are recommended. However, they must not be used without control. There are also fasting treatments that are carried out in hospital under the supervision of specialists.

See also what is fasting in Dr. Dąbrowska's diet

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