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Diets, fasts and healing injuries for runners
When most people think of diets or fasting, they usually have weight loss in mind. Even at the best of times this is a dubious practice. Changing the way you eat by reducing calories usually results in the body conserving energy and using calories more efficiently thereafter. Although a more efficient body is generally a healthier body (good!), the problem is that, as a...
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Journal for the spring retreat, 7-day water fast: Introduction
Tomorrow we set off for the forest and hills around Hungary’s Lake Balaton to begin this year’s spring retreat, which consists of a 7-day water fast. This year, in addition to the participants from here in Hungary, we have people coming from the U.S. and England. Everyone has now arrived in Budapest, the staging point for tomorrow’s departure. Some of the participants already began...
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Pills, powders and potions: the reality of taking supplements while fasting
One question which persistently recurs on waterfasting.org is whether or not you should take supplements while water fasting. The majority of people want to know about vitamin supplements and, occasionally, even protein supplements. In this article I’ll deal with both, as well as other kinds of pills, powders and potions… There are some people who take a hardline approach to water fasting – in...
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Telling friends and family about your fast (or not)
Whether or not to tell friends and family you’re fasting can often be a huge dilemma. Just this last week, several visitors to waterfasting.org have brought up the subject in some shape or form. It usually goes like this: “I can’t tell anyone I know that I’m fasting. They’ll think that I’m crazy…” Or something like this: “Yesterday my friend gave me some fruit...
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Fasting as a means to improve athletic performance in endurance sports
I’m sitting down to write this having had breakfast for the first time in a week… Lately, I’ve been practising “intermittent fasting”, which revolves around lengthening the time between your last meal in the evening and your first meal the following day. It’s one of several ways I involve fasting to improve my health – as well as my running. In this case, you’re...