UpClose & Personal - Dr. John Carp

One of the most unique and effective healing experiences available today, but the least understood, is fasting. Fasting is not starving. It is a method used since ancient times-and today at select clinics-to affect profound changes in one's health. Also, when properly used, it is one of the most effective anti-aging tools. Among the ancients, fasting was used as a method of attaining peak mental and physical efficiency. Socrates and Plato fasted regularly to keep their minds sharp. Pythagoras fasted and when he began teaching he would have his students fast before they could enter his class. In the ever-growing world of alternative healing, nothing is more effective in reversing chronic and acute health conditions, yet nothing is as misunderstood or underutilized as fasting.

The fasting process is extremely safe. Most people have reserves of thirty days before they would begin starving or breaking down important body tissues. Aged and toxic matter in the cells and tissues is broken down first and eliminated. The body, in its innate wisdom, knows what to do when food intake is stopped, just as it knows what to do when one gets a cut on the skin. During a fast the primary source of fuel for the cells is fat which, of course, is expendable! An often heard comment about fasting by those that haven't fasted is that it's too difficult due to prolonged hunger. The hunger reflex actually disappears after the first 24 hours, and fasting is quite comfortable with respect to hunger and digestion.

When there is a disease in the body that is a result of an accumulation of anabolic waste that has gone on for possibly decades, the fasting process is a most efficacious way to remove such debris. Many times in arthritic conditions, there is a buildup of carbonic or uric acid in the connective tissue of the joints. On a fast, these acids become food for the body and as these are consumed, the pain in the joints fades away.

Many times people will try different foods and/or supplements to help heal a chronic condition when a fast would allow the body to discharge toxic cell debris that is causing errant metabolic processes. There are hundreds of different toxic chemicals and pathogens in the environment today that accumulate in our tissues. The fast can allow the body's own enzymes to start breaking these toxins down and safely eliminating them through the kidneys and/or bowels. A fast will not only detoxify and cleanse your system internally, but it will result in external rejuvenation including noticeable signs of the reversing of aging, particularly with the skin and hair.

Everyone can fast. Yet not everyone can do the same type or length of fast. Strictly speaking, fasting is going without any food intake, utilizing only water for a period of time. But modifications are used depending on one's health condition. Juice fasts, herbal broths and teas, and monofood diets are used for various conditions. As everyone is biologically unique, everyone has different needs and capacities to fast. Thus a professionally supervised fast is ideal.

Over the centuries there have been a few institutions that preserved the tradition of therapeutic fasting. Currently there are about a dozen fasting clinics in the world. Most people can undergo a short fast of one to three days on water or fruit juice with great benefit. Longer fasts should be done in a supervised setting. If fasting was used every time someone developed cold or flu symptoms, the healing process would resolve much quicker. The immune, digestive, cardiovascular and glandular systems always improve their function after a proper period of cleansing. The effect of fasting on health can seem amazing, as patients who have been told that they need to take lifelong medications for specific conditions are able to discontinue its use. To sustain the fast's positive results, one must follow through with a health-promoting lifestyle, including proper diet, sleep, exercise and emotional healing.

The key to a beneficial fast is the ability to have almost complete rest while fasting. There are five types of rest: physical, physiological, mental, emotional and sensory. These states correspond to the muscles, organs, brain, glands and sense organs. Fasting done under strenuous or demanding conditions is not beneficial, as all the body's energy has to be used for physical demands and little deep-tissue cleansing is achieved. Furthermore, beyond three days imbalances can result from fasting while working. This is a primary reason for fasting in a residential retreat setting. When the body is allowed rest, deep-tissue detoxification, repair and rejuvenation will occur.

If you are considering a fast to remedy a particular health condition, phone the Wellness Center at Golden Ratio for guidance that is suited for your condition.
John Carp, chiropractor, has been practicing in Bozeman for twelve years. Prior to that, he was in Sydney, Australia for six years at the Hope-wood Fasting Center.He recently moved to Paradise Valley to work at the Wellness Center at Golden Ratio. He uses various chiropractic techniques along with nutritional and tissue-cleansing methods. Call Dr. Carp at 406-333-4190.

The Wellness Center at Golden Ratio is a full-service residential wellness facility including salon and spa. Clients may stay at the center for extended periods to undergo individualized healing programs. Phone 406-333-4455 for more information or visit www.GoldenRatioRiverRanch.com.