I’ll tell you something the big food companies and the pharmaceutical giants hope you never figure out: You don’t have to eat three times a day to survive. In fact, sometimes the healthiest thing you can do for your body is to not eat at all. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying go starve yourself into oblivion. What I’m saying is this: When you are sick, whether it’s a cold, flu, or something far more chronic, the smartest thing you can do is stop feeding the sickness and give your body a break. Stop feeding what ails you. I call it healthy not eating. The body knows what to do if we just stop interrupting it with constant meals, snacks, and supplements.
Why Fasting Works: Focus on the Real Problem
Your body is like an overworked factory. When it’s busy digesting food all day long, it doesn’t have enough workers left over to repair the machinery. But stop putting food down your throat, and suddenly the whole crew clocks in for repair duty. The body can finally:
- Clean house by breaking down toxic build-up and junk protein,
- Fight infection without splitting energy between digestion and immunity,
- Regenerate tissues, rebalancing itself from the inside out.
If you catch a cold, flu, or even a more serious chronic disease, try giving your digestive system a rest. That energy gets rerouted to your immune system, where it can start working overtime on fixing you instead of breaking down your last meal.
But What About Juice Fasts and Green Smoothies?
I’ll be honest. Those aren’t fasts. Juice fasting, smoothie fasting, or “green fasting” is better than eating a cheeseburger, sure, but you’re still feeding the system. You’re still giving your body something to digest. The only true fast is a water fast. Pure, clean water. That’s it.
How to Do a Water Fast the Right Way
Water fasting is simple, but like anything worth doing, you need to do it right. If you’re new to fasting, start slow. Here’s a basic rundown:
✔ The Right Water
- Use pure water, distilled or clean spring water is best.
- Avoid tap water loaded with chlorine, fluoride, and other poisons that your body is going to have to filter out anyway.
✔ How Long Should You Fast?
- Start with 24 hours and work your way up.
- If you’re sick, keep fasting until your energy returns and your body signals that it’s ready to eat again. Listen to your body, not your cravings.
✔ How Much Water?
- Drink enough to stay hydrated. Don’t overdo it, your body will tell you.
- Sipping small amounts frequently is better than gulping large amounts.
✔ Rest
- Fasting is your body’s repair time. So stop running around like a squirrel on caffeine. Rest. Nap. Sleep. Meditate. This is your healing time.
✔ Breaking the Fast
- Don’t break your fast with junk. Start with something light and clean, fresh fruits or steamed vegetables. No fried foods, sugars, or meats right away.
A Few Warnings
- If you are on medications, pregnant, severely underweight, or managing certain health conditions, consult someone who actually understands fasting, preferably not your average drug-pushing doctor.
- Emotional eating cravings can mess with your mind. Hunger is normal at first, but passes after a day or two. Don’t confuse cravings with your body’s actual needs.
I did a 20-day water fast, and the only bad thing about it was the boredom. You would be amazed how much of our time is spent, planning, preparing food, and eating it, you will have more idle time on your hands. As far as the fast goes; it was not a problem.
Your Body is the Healer
No doctor, no pill, no herb, no treatment can do what your body can do for itself if you just give it a chance. You were designed to heal. But if you’re always digesting, the healing crew never gets to clock in.
So next time you’re feeling under the weather, instead of reaching for food, reach for a glass of water, sit down, and let your body do what it was created to do: heal itself.
Healthy not eating. Who knew the best medicine was already inside you?