When fasting for weight loss remember the following

Well, it’s been labeled as “the greatest remedy-the physician within” by Philippus Paracelsus and more and more people are discovering the use of fasting as a means of improving health and losing weight. However, as beneficial as this method can be, being radical in nature, the use of fasting should be approached with care.

Though fasting is by far a greater cure of our ills-both physical and mental-than all of the drugs of the medical fraternity combined, for weight loss or for anything it may be used for, one has to be aware of certain criteria to achieve success with its use.

These include the types of fasts one can use, how long to fast, when to fast and how to come off of a fast.

Friends, there are several types of fasts that can be beneficial for weight loss.

1. The complete water fast: This, admittedly, should be conducted with extreme caution or in a specialized sanitarium if undertaken more than 3 days.

2. The Juice Fast: This is much easier for the general populace and can be undergone as long as you feel like it.

3. The Fruit Fast: This, well, is really not a fast per se…but when one lives exclusively on SEASONAL ORGANIC fruits for days on end…meaning mono meals (2 at the most ) of only one kind of fruit say Apples in Fall, Melons in summer for a week plus, you will be bound to see the benefits.

The second and third choices are by far my personal recommendations for those seeking to lose weight through fasting.

How to Fast

Being far-reaching in nature, fasting must be undertaken with care, however from my experience with it, here are a few tips to hopefully get you started.

1. Prepare yourself for a fast by gradually tapering off of acid-forming aka “junk foods and commence to consuming raw and cooked fruits and veggies to begin a milder cleansing process as these items are the best intestinal brooms for the colon.

2. Every now and again, 3 hours after supper and say an hour or so before retiring to sleep, drink an herbal tea laxative such as “Smooth Move Herbal Tea” during this preparatory stage.

3. Drink 1-2 quarts of unflavored lemonade in the mornings to balance the chemical reactions within the body and to restore it to an alkaline state.

4. Be mentally prepared for the task ahead of fasting.

5. Take things a little easier while fasting or on a mono-diet of fruit.

6. Avoid using microwaves at all costs-can’t go into detail as that is another subject, however, TRUST me. You want to exclude the use of this so-called convenience device not only while fasting put permanently.

7. Taper off a water fast by using the second type (juice fasting) for a few days, then gradually going to the third (mono-fruit fasting), then afterwards you could (like I do most of the time) simply stick to tons of fruit as the core of your diet or include properly cooked roots, steamed or raw leafy vegetables.

Whatever you do, just please don’t go back to eating the old junk stuff. To explain why in a nutshell, here are two quotes: “You are what you eat” and “Let your foods be your medicine…”

I really think options 2 and especially 3 (in regards to the types of a fast) are quite easy for any and everyone to do. So why not give it a shot? I can confidently say fasting, when used properly, will not only make you lose the excess pounds, but you’d also be well on your way to a cleaner, better, healthier and happier you in no time.

It may come across as a huge sacrifice however, when you see the results, you sure will be glad you did it.

Here’s to your health and happiness.

Bulimia treatment advice and options

Bulimia is an eating disorder compels people to binge on food and then purge through self-induced vomiting, diuretics or laxative abuse, or excessive exercise. People with bulimia tend to feel guilty and disgusted about food and fat. Even though most people with bulimia begin at normal weights, they think of themselves as fat. Roughly 90 percent of the people with bulimia are women, and the disorder usually begins a few years after puberty. Genetics, social pressures, and emotional problems like depression, low self-esteem, and extreme perfectionism contribute to bulimia’s development.

Without bulimia treatment, people with bulimia become dehydrated and malnourished. This causes mineral and vitamin deficiencies, resulting in dry skin, nails, and hair. Many people with bulimia are constipated from laxative abuse. Constant vomiting brings up stomach acid that irritates the throat and mouth. Many people with bulimia have heartburn, gum infections, swollen salivary glands, and cavities from the acid eroding tooth enamel. Without treatment, some of side effects, like kidney failure, can become fatal. Dehydration can lower the body’s electrolyte levels, causing heart problems or even death. About 10 percent of people with bulimia will die from it.

Bulimia, however, is completely treatable. The sooner a person begins bulimia treatment, the sooner the recovery. Successful recovery depends on the work of psychiatrists, doctors, dieticians, and the patient. Psychiatrists work with the patient to break the binge-and-purge cycles and to educate the patient about what she is doing to her body and mind. The psychiatrist and patient must identify the triggers of a binging-and-purging episode, as well as help the patient cope with an unhealthy body image. The patient must learn to communicate openly and must increase his or her self-esteem. Doctors work with the patient to treat the effects of bulimia’s dehydration and malnutrition on the body. A dietician helps the patient develop healthy eating habits.

Group therapy and support groups are also helpful for people recovering from bulimia. Information about many support groups can be found online.