The Holiday Season?
by Dr Gina Shaw, MA AIYS (Dip. Irid.)
Well, doesn't just about everybody seem to be talking about holidays at this time of year? But consider this: Just who is it a holiday for? People go on holiday to 'live it up', burning the midnight oil and more; they eat too much; they eat unhealthy foods and in poor combinations; they get less sleep; they burn themselves in the sun; they argue more with their spouses and children and get more angry; they spend more of their hard-earned money than they can afford, etc. Not to mention all the vaccinations they endure beforehand. Of course, there are the positive sides, but often not for our greatest possession - our own wonderful, self-healing organism! And so I bring this article into fruition to remind people to take more care of their bodies. Why not think about giving your body a true holiday? The best holiday for a toxic body is always to fast.
What is a Fast?
Fasting literally means to abstain from. Fasting, in its true sense, means abstaining from food. Water is always a necessity to life and must always be consumed whether fasting or not, in some form or another. We can, of course, secure good quality distilled water from raw, ripe fruits. A true fast is when we take into our body's only pure water - it means that our body's can have a complete physiological rest. Away from all the pressures of life, we can rest in bed and allow superior healing to take place on all levels. We rest ourselves mentally, physically, physiologically and emotionally. This can only be obtained in a stress-free and peaceful environment. A place far away from noise, constant traffic, noisy neighbours, relatives or the like, in a pressure-free environment. A competent supervisor must always be obtained for a fast of longer than 1.5 days duration (contact the author for further details). This is imperative as various bodily activities must be monitored during a fast. (A note of caution: There have been people in the past who have taken it upon themselves to fast on their own and have managed to kill themselves through lack of bodily knowledge! Do not attempt to fast yourself unless you are very skilled and experienced in this process and are properly trained in its supervision, and even then it would be advisable also to have somebody on hand should any emergencies arise.
Remember: There is no product out there; no food, drink or remedy, including so-called natural remedies, which can give you a helping hand back to health. It is only your body which knows how to do this and will lead the way forward under favourable conditions.
A proper and worthwhile fast necessitates careful planning of course. A one day fast is never enough for a toxic body, filled up with toxins from years of poor eating habits. Of course, so-called juice fasting and fruit fasting are misnomers, though remaining only on fruits and juices for a short period of time does have some benefits and is sometimes more practical than a complete bed rest and 'water fast'.
Indications for Fasting
The following are a few questions which may indicate your need to fast:
1. Do you wake up feeling tired in the mornings?
2. Do you have problems digesting raw, natural foods?
3. Does eating leave you feeling tired?
4. Is your skin spotty, dry, over-oily or otherwise not in perfect condition?
5. Do you often have a runny nose or a cough?
6. Do you have bad breath?
7. Are your bowel movements often smelling or too runny?
8. Do you feel depressed?
9. Have you been getting a lot of headaches just lately? (This could mean other things, apart from internal toxicity)
10. Do you feel uncomfortable when you miss a meal?
11. Are your bowel movements infrequent or constipated?
12. Do you have acute or chronic disease of any kind?
13. Do you have an important decision to make in your life but feel unable to do so? (Fasting is an amazing way of clearing our heads and allowing us more clarity of thought.)
14. Are you overweight or even underweight?
Answering yes to more than one of these questions does indicate that a fast may be in order.
What does the Body do During a Fast?
During a fast, our body takes the opportunity to catch up on the elimination of toxic debris which may have accumulated in different parts of our body. It will heal and repair, it will eliminate placque material from the interestines, rid itself of blood clots, it will heal bodily organs, it will generally catch up on its house-cleaning. In fact, there is no end to what a body can do during a fast! Often, after a fast, a person will feel very invigorated and 'high' - quite euphoric in fact. The body will take every opportunity to gear itself toward health on every level, it just needs the right conditions to do so!
Which Conditions Does Fasting Help Heal?
Fasting will help to alleviate and heal most diseases and health conditions, but amongst those conditions which are most receptive to fasting are most digestive disorders including colitis, gastritis, ileitis (Crohn's disease), ulcerative colitis, respiratory disorders, skin conditions and diseases, some heart diseases, some cancers, some kidney and liver disorders, etc., etc. In fact, there is hardly a disease which fasting can't help but improve!
Is Fasting a New Thing?
No, absolutely not! Fasting has been going on for many thousands of years. It was reported that Jesus himself believed very much in fasting and aided in the fasting of others. Even those before him were reported to have fasted. Hygienic practitioners have used fasting as a means of aiding the body healing process for hundreds of years. Animals, in nature, will instinctively fast when they are not feeling well.
If you would like to learn more about fasting, why not send for a free brochure. True Health provides supervised fasting, as well as one-to-one nutritional consultations, iridology sessions (iris analysis)*, emotional healing, stress management consultations, a course in natural health and books and articles about various health issues. For more information, contact GinaShw@aol.com.
* There is currently a special offer on a combined nutritional consultations and iridology session.
Medical Disclaimer: Please note that True Health do not claim to cure, mitigate, treat or alleviate symptoms of any kind in the medical sense. Dr Gina Shaw is not a medical doctor, but is a Doctor of Science in Complementary Medicine, a qualified health and nutrition consultant, and an iridologist and fasting supervisor. True Health only claims to aid in a client's healing process by teaching them to provide the conditions for health to occur or re-occur. Re-education is often all it takes for our own body to reverse ill-health, be it in the form of obesity, low energy levels, hypertension, depression, skin problems, or any other acute or degenerative disease.
