Original photograph of a Sioux Indian Fasting. The photo is by Curtis, and was taken in 1907. The image is captioned, "Fasting".

Neglectful Medicine?

I was reading the site below on Fibroids and what medical professionals have to say about the condition and treatment. If I had not been convinced, I am now sure that the medical professionals are either completely neglectful of woefully and willfully ignorant about how to really heal us.

If we do not do our own research and understand the critical importance of a healthy diet cutting back on ALL estrogen producing foods, ie. meats and dairy products), cleansing, and maintaining balance physically, emotionally and socially , we will suffer from maladies as easily preventable and curable as fibroids - or worse - forever.

Let me know what you think of the information and treatment recommendations made in the article.

I am amazed that they would rather give women a drug that prevents our bodies from making estrogen (introducing new toxins into the system as well as halting natural processes) rather than tell a patient to alter eating habits that are causing estrogen levels to skyrocket. 

They are killing me. Literally.

EveryDay Health - Fibroids

Fasting in Hinduism

We find that so many faiths have a common connection when it comes to the practice of fasting.

The Sanskrit word for fasting is Upavasa. Upa means "near" and vasa means "to stay." Implicit in the word is that fasting means "to stay near (the Lord)," to keep the Lord close in your heart and mind. In the Hindu faith, The very word for fasting has in inbuilt orientation to the Divine.

The Connection Between Fasting and Slowed Aging

(MORE Model Joyce Larkin - 42 and Emanuelle 16 mo.)

It makes perfect sense when I think about it. The thing we make note of most often when someone looses even a small amount of weight is how much younger they look. The basic theory and math is, the more calories you take in (especially empty calories that don't contribute their fair share of helpful nutrients) the more work the cells have to do in processing the waste associated with these calories. When it becomes too much work for the cell, wastes begin to accumulate inside the cell, breaking it down and causing cell damage.

This excessive and often toxic overload of substances causes the cell to age and as we learned in basic biology, the body is made of – at its most basic level - nothing but cells. When the cells age, the body ages. This accumulation of waste in the cells is a progressive process which is why it seems that collectively, most people begin looking older at a certain age. We eat the same foods as a nation and so we age at approximately the same rate.

When we fast, not only do we ease the burden the cells bear in the accumulation of so much waste, but with the newly available energy transferred from the digestion process, the body can begin to repair and rejuvenate worn cells; extending cellular life. Extending our life.

The critical need for study and intuition

Many American’s believe that products advertising themselves as “low-fat,” are healthier food selections than ones that do not. But despite the proliferation of low-fat offerings in grocery stores across the nation, Americans are increasingly fatter, sicker and experiencing significant decreases in Whole Life health.

Here is the problem in nutshell; America’s rich diet, heavily loaded with animal products, pre-packaged, over-processed and hyper sweetened foods, is so exorbitantly high in fat and empty calories that bringing the fat content down by ten, twenty or even thirty percent, still leaves us in the range of too much fat in the diet to achieve optimum health.

This misguided track also has the added psychological effect of allowing people to feel better about eating “low-fat” food, which inclines them to have a just a little more, a little more often. The result is a sum total of zero benefit to the millions who make the low-fat choice. This leaves us in the position we find ourselves in today, wondering how we could be abiding by all of the rules and still be sick and overweight.

A great example would be the doctor who tells a three-pack-a-day smoker, “I can help you live a longer, healthier life. Instead of smoking three packs a day, simply smoke one.” At this point in our history, with all that we know about smoking, we know that this advice is nothing more than a delay of game. In accepting this misguided prescription, the smoker is still in danger of developing serious and even life threatening diseases. She will continue experience declining energy and the ill effects of so much damage to her circulatory, lymphatic and nervous systems. The advice the doctor has given will pretty much ensure that her health never improves but in fact continues to decline until her habit finally kills her. Despite her doctor’s recommendation.

Rational Recommendations Vs. National Recommendations

If the lists below were food pyramids, the bottom levels being foods we should consume in greatest quantity, we can see the vast difference between what the Federal Government recommends compared to what is recommended by doctors and scientists who have studied the disastrous effects, including chronic disease and premature aging, of over feeding and rich, high fat diets.

Rational (Healthy) Recommendations:

No more than 4 times per month

Fats/Oils/Sweets/Meat

Eggs

Poultry/Fish

No more than 4 times per week

Low-Fat Dairy

1-2 servings daily or 5%-20% of daily calories

Beans, other legumes, nuts and seeds

2-4 Servings daily or 15%-30% of daily calories

Fruits

Whole grains, Brown rice, Bulgar, Quinoa

6-10 servings daily or 30%-60% of daily calories

Vegetables – ½ raw and ½ cooked including:

Lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, string beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and many more

National USDA Recommendations

Use sparingly

Fats, oils, sweets

2-3 Servings daily

Milk, Yogurt, Cheese

Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, nuts

2-4 servings daily

Vegetables, fruits

6-11 servings daily

Breads, cereals, rice, pasta

Even if everything we see and hear about food choices confuses us, we can trust what we know to be true; more Americans need healthcare than have it, more drugs are being created now than ever in the history of the United States, more women are dying of heart disease and cancer than of any other causes and more children have diabetes, autoimmune diseases and nervous system maladies than is conceivable for a nation of our wealth and resources. If food is our fuel, then it stands to reason that our current approach to energy and wellness is woefully insufficient and even counter-productive.

It is critical that we study more closely the effects of what we take into our bodies and the impact it is having on every aspect of our lives; physical, mental and spiritual.

Pamela Serure writes in her book “The Three Day Energy Fast,” “The whole key to personal transformation starts on a cellular level. It’s about rejuvenation of your cells. When we clean out and rebuild our cells they give us new messages. New cells have new meaning. New cells have new stories to tell. New cells don’t follow the same old programming.”

If we are to refashion ourselves from the inside out, we must first begin with the cells. By fasting and minding what eat, we can allow for healing of old ills and a rebuilding which rests on a foundation that can create and sustain optimum health.

Fasting in Islamic Religion and Culture

Fasting is integral to Islamic culture and religion. Like all of the other five pillars, fasting has both an internal and external dimension. As it relates to the internal dimension the Prophet Mohammad says, "Cultivate within yourselves the attributes of God." It is believed that those who do not eat, drink or have sexual intercourse during the Ramadan fasting period can strengthen themselves and cultivate the qualities of God - to become more truthful, less angry, more loving. It is also said that those who fast but do not observe moral behavior, are not truly fasting. "There are many," said Prophet Mohammad, "whose fasting is nothing beyond being hungry and thirsty."