5 Things You Need to Know About Dry Fasting

1. The Skinny on Dry Fasting

Fasting is refraining from eating some or all food for a given period. Dry fasting, also known as water fasting, takes this practice to an extreme. It's the refraining from both food and drink for a specific period. A person undertaking a strict dry fast does not use any liquid at all; that means no washing of any kind or brushing your teeth.

2. A Multi-Purpose Process

Fasting has its origins in different religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Throughout history, people engaged in fasting to grow spiritually. By forgoing the earthly necessity of food and sometimes water, a person is better able to focus on questions of faith. Some people hope fasting will lead them to a better understanding of their lives and their place in the universe. Still others adopt different ways of fasting to cleanse their bodies from the chemicals and toxins they ingest over time.

3. Waterless Cleansing

Fasting allows your body to take a rest from the digestions processes and concentrate on its other functions. Some health professionals believe fasting is a good method of whole-body healing, and cutting out water only helps increase these benefits. When the body fails to take in any source of energy, it uses old, defective and diseased tissues to sustain itself, thus eliminating them from the body. Your body also digests other damaged cells within the body and produces new healthy cells to replace them.

4. Fasting or Starvation?

Some doctors equate dry fasting with starvation and do not recommend it in any form. Going for an extended time without some form of liquid in your diet will cause dehydration. Dehydration causes dizziness and tiredness and can lead to rapid heartbeat, seizures, brain damage and even death in extreme situations. If you dry fast for too long, medical treatment may be necessary for recovery.

5. Don't Make a Fast Exit

If you undertake a dry fast, be sure to take the same number of days you fast to break your fast. This will allow your body to ease back into a normal diet. Begin by drinking water with a little lemon juice to help cleanse your insides. Then move on to other fruit juices to flush the toxins from your system. Slowly reintroduce solid foods, beginning with raw fruits and vegetables, into your diet over a number of days until you return to your normal diet.