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Coconut Fat Bombs

Coconut Fat Bombs

  • 16 oz. package unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp. vanilla bean powder, or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Optional – Stevia, to taste (start with a very small amount, around 1/2 tsp. or less)
  • Optional – Ground cinnamon for dusting
  1. Blend shredded coconut in a food processor or high powered blender.
  2. Drizzle in coconut oil while blending until mixture is smooth like warm butter.
  3. If using vanilla and stevia, add them in now.
  4. Pour mixture into a glass measuring cup.
  5. Prep mini-muffin tin with paper liners.
  6. Fill each cup with coconut mixture, careful not to over fill.
  7. If using ground cinnamon, sprinkle on top.
  8. Place in refrigerator or freezer until hardened.
  9. Store in refrigerator between eating.

The Dangerous Truth About Breast Implants

The Dangerous Truth About Breast Implants: The illnesses and implications that can stem from breast implants are vast. This operation can drive autoimmunity and affect your mitochondria, effectively harming every aspect of your health, both short and long term. Today we will explore breast implant illness, as well as an in-depth look into reversing it through removal options and a multi-therapeutic approach to detoxing.

breast implant illness

Sarah Anne’s Story: Mystery Symptoms

Sarah Anne Stewart grew up in a holistically-minded home. She witnessed her father beat a terminal cancer diagnosis in seven months. He did so by refusing the standard of care and opting to heal himself by doing the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual work. He’s been cancer-free for over 20 years.

Despite her holistic roots, Sarah was scouted for modeling at the age of 15, which resulted in a childhood of eating disorders that lasted a decade. Ten years into her journey with modeling, Sarah was faced by her doctor who said that if she didn’t quit, she was going to lose her life. Sarah became addicted to Adderal and laxatives. She also became anorexic and bulimic. It was during this time that Sarah also got breast implants, to allegedly help further her career. She felt this enormous discrepancy between the knowledge she had about food as medicine and the way she was treating her body. Sarah decided to quit modeling and go backpacking.

During her travels, she eventually made her way to meditation, mindfulness, and worked on reprogramming her subconscious beliefs.

Despite healing mentally, Sarah also started to become very, very ill.

She had heard about breast implant illness on social media but continued to ignore it, going from doctor to doctor without any answers. Eventually, Sarah started asking doctors about her implants, and time and time again, they would say it had nothing to do with them. Finally, she met a doctor that stressed the importance of removing her implants if she wanted to heal. Within a year, Sarah’s symptoms wholly vanished, and she got her life back.

Sarah has made it her life’s mission to spread awareness about the genuine impact of breast implants on ill health and is helping women all around the world find self-love, safely remove the implants, and heal from the related illnesses. She preaches the importance of doing the inner-work to self-love now because the consequences are lifelong. “Your body's always going to be changing; through pregnancy, through aging, through hormones, through all of these things that we see as we naturally grow older.”

“No matter how well you take care of yourself and pursue anti-aging and longevity tactics: your body is going to change,” she explains. “Why not fall in love with your body right now as it is so that as your body changes, you can continue to love it.”

Breast Implants Can Impact Women Differently

Breast implants can impact different women in different ways, as it influences mitochondria health, hormonal health, and can cause the immune system to attack itself. Although a healthy woman might feel nothing for years, breast implants can prime the canvas for a wide range of problems in time, and compounded with other toxic exposures over time. Breast implants paired with different emotional, chemical, and physical stressors, can create the perfect storm for diseases ranging from autoimmunity, thyroid disorders, and even cancer.

The problem is rooted in mitochondrial health. Mitochondria create ATP, which is essentially energy that enables your body to live. The process of ATP creation also generates waste, which is removed naturally by the body thanks to an enzymatic process. Without those enzymes, the waste begins to bio-accumulate. You can picture the analogy of burning a wood fire for heat: the cell burns fire to create heat (ATP), and the smoke that comes off the fire is the waste. Without the proper evacuation (a chimney), the smoke will build up inside the room until everyone inside dies.

Super oxygen dismutase 2 (SOD2) is one of those agents that enables the body to get rid of waste, and this entire chain is destroyed when we introduce toxic chemicals into the body. Heavy metals inhibit SOD2 production, which interim prevents the body from evacuating the ‘smoke,’ and eventually, we bioaccumulate toxins to the point of cell death.

The type of implant is irrelevant.

Although silicone implants can be more prone to leaking and damage, all types of implants are full of harmful chemicals that have no place in the body. Between 1992 and 2006 silicone was banned by the FDA and removed from the market. Silicone was then re-introduced with more heavy metals and chemicals.

There are over 40 kinds of harmful toxins in silicone breast implants. Some of these toxins include carcinogens like methyl ethyl ketone, cyclohexane, acetone, toluene, xylene, and ethoxide. Silicone also contains heavy metals like aluminum and platinum. These toxins do not need to be ruptured to leak/ leech these toxins into the body– it happens gradually over time. Many of the studies on safety regarding the implants and leakage determined the materials to be safe. However, these studies were conducted at room temperature. The body runs much warmer than room temperature, which tells a different story.

Symptoms of breast implant illness include:

  • Brain fog
  • Migraines
  • Low immune system function
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Unexplained Weight gain or weight loss
  • HPA axis dysfunction (adrenal fatigue)
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue
  • Little or no libido
  • Hair loss
  • Body aches
  • Fibromyalgia-like symptoms
  • Poor muscle recovery
  • Joint pain
  • GI distress and poor digestion
  • Puffy ankles or face
  • Autoimmune issues

Reversing Breast Implant Illness

Changing breast implant illness requires an exact approach. If not done correctly, removal of implants can cause more harm than good. Leaching toxins must be safely removed. Many women don’t feel the effects of breast implant illness until they go to have their implants replaced. Most plastic surgeons cut into the scar tissue capsule, pull the implant right out of the capsule, and leave the scar tissue inside of the body. Surgeons often think that that scar tissue capsule is beneficial because it adds volume, and they also believe that it's completely benign.

This capsule that often forms around the implant is permanently closing in neurotoxic chemicals like heavy metals, mercury, lead, aluminum, and platinum. When a doctor goes to replace an implant without properly removing this sac of toxins, it can leach into the body and trigger serious illness.

Removing implants alone doesn’t fix breast implant illness. The capsule tissue full of toxins remains in the body, releasing a slow drip of toxins into the body.

Healing Takes Time

Healing isn’t black and white, and real long-term healing requires a multitude of therapies that address the mind, body, and soul. There is no linear way to heal that works for every person. However, this suggested progression can help prepare for the transition into removal surgery. You should always consult with your healthcare professional, and ensure you have the proper guidance. You will need mental and physical support during the process of healing.

Before Implant Removal Surgery

Breast implants are deeply connected to self-worth and body image, so addressing your relationship with yourself is an integral part of pre-surgery healing. The physical symptoms are real, but there is also work to do regarding self-worth.

“Getting breast implants warps your true identity,” explains ex-implant advocate Sarah Anne Stewart. She elaborated that you can't be entirely happy until you're functioning from your real identity. “There's just a non-authenticity that comes about when you're not functioning fully in your identity.” Sarah stresses the importance of reconnecting to your true, unadulterated self before physical healing can commence.

Healing may require going back and taking stock of the people and experiences that have negatively influenced your self-worth, all the way back to childhood. “Looking back on these experiences as an adult, you can re-write your understanding of the lessons you took on as a child,” Sarah explains. Forgiving those involved who may have harmed your sense of self as a younger person, and retrain your brain. Acknowledge the harmful events and begin to tell yourself a new story.

Meditation Practice

Meditation can help by taking you out of the physical body and into the inner self. Starting a meditation practice can help you reconnect with your true nature and divine inner beauty. Meditating can help sever the need to look a certain way. Meditation comes in many forms, from traditional methods of sitting in non-judgmental silence, to mantras, to walking meditations.

Some experts like Dr. Kayte Susse suggest being mindful of detoxing too actively before breast implant removal surgery. Specific techniques, such as infrared sauna therapy can cause implants to release toxins into the body. After addressing the mental health aspect of breast removal surgery, opt to remove them before embarking on a massive detox protocol.

Breast Implant Removal Surgery

The removal process plays the most significant role in ensuring you reclaim your health. Breast implant removal surgery can cause more problems if done improperly. The proper technique is en bloc which means that you’re removing the implant and the capsule together at the same time. You are not cutting open the capsule, pulling the implant out, and leaving that capsule in there. The capsule contains a lot of toxins, a lot of microbes, potentially even cancerous cells that could then go floating around through your lymph nodes.

An en bloc procedure will prevent future exposure and ensures that you have a complete capsulectomy. A capsulectomy means that every last bit of that toxic capsule is removed. Some surgeons will deter patients from the procedure because it requires a specific skill, and not every surgeon is trained to perform it. The method is very safe when performed by a skilled surgeon.

Unfortunately, it happens that women go in for an en bloc with a capsulectomy procedure and don’t receive a full removal. It’s important women get informed about the nature of the process and that they trust their surgeon. There are various groups online, including Sarah Phillipe’s Reversing Breast Implant Illness facebook group that provide resources to find a qualified doctor.

After Breast Implant Removal Surgery

Although working on mental health before breast implant removal surgery, it remains equally essential afterward. You may have distorted self-image due to years of artificial breasts, so the work ought to continue post-surgery. Surrounding yourself with supportive loved ones is one key to this transition. Joining a community of others who have undergone an explant surgery can help too.

Sarah Anne explains that “we also need to empower other women to make choices based on their health. When I got my implants out, 90% of the questions were, “How do they look? Are they saggy? Do you have scars? Do you like your doctor? Did she do a good job?” While maybe 5% of the questions were, “How are you feeling? Are you feeling better? Are your symptoms gone?” The focus needs to be continuously re-directed toward health.

Post-removal surgery also opens up the door to start a safe and effective multi-therapeutic approach to detoxification.

Detoxification

Toxins bioaccumulate in the body when the toxic burden is more significant than the rate at which the body can rid itself from these substances. Before detoxing, address the common sources of toxins.

Some of these toxins include:

  • Mold
  • Heavy metals in amalgam fillings
  • Cavitations from root canals or wisdom tooth extraction
  • Pesticides and herbicides in food
  • Toxic body care products
  • Poisonous household cleaning product

Once you have removed these sources from your life, it’s time to start detoxing the body at the cellular level. Like removing implant improperly, detox can be harmful if it isn’t done in a smart and safe progression.

PompaCore Cellular Detox

There are three main components that set apart a real detox from a harmful one:

  • Applying the 5 R's principles as a roadmap to fix the cell
  • Opening and supporting critical detox pathways
  • Utilizing real binding agents to remove toxins from the cell

The first component is that all detox must address toxins at the cellular level.

The second component is opening up the downstream detox pathways.

After the cell detoxifies the matter, there is an entire team of organs and channels required to help these toxins safely exit your body. Your gut, liver, and kidneys are the leading players here, and if they are not opened up (functioning correctly), real danger can occur. One of these dangers is autointoxication, whereby you start to recycle and reabsorb the toxins.

The third component is using real binders.

Unlike cilantro and chlorella (which are very weak binders), a real binder will hold on tight to the toxins. Weak binders mostly pull chemicals out of the body and then drop them somewhere else, which wreaks havoc on the system.

The Three Phases

Now that you understand the three components, we can explore the three phases of detox. Simply diving in without a plan won’t yield the best results, and might even be dangerous. These three phases ensure a smooth, safe, transition to help support the body through the detox.

These phases include (1) a preparatory step, (2) a body phase, and (3) a brain phase. The prep phase targets the detox pathways above to support and upregulate the cell function. The body phase is when we introduce a powerful binder to move toxins from areas of higher concentration to lower concentration. The body phase is introduced before removing toxins from deeper tissues, such as the brain. And finally, the brain phase is when we add a fat-soluble agent to support neurotoxin elimination. This final phase is the key to why so many “have tried everything” and still don’t feel well. The final phase is also a key to resolving the current hormone imbalance epidemic.

Cellular detoxification is needed by just about everyone—but it’s especially necessary in conjunction with breast implant illness. 

Our world contains more chemicals and stresses than ever before, and whether it’s internal sources (like breast implants) or external sources like metals in our water, air and so on— our bodies are struggling to keep up. 

That’s why the best route is the 90 Day PompaCore Cellular Detox™ system — which includes the world’s leading detox formula, CytoDetox. This entire process is specifically designed to support the detoxification organs, detox the cells, and remove toxins from your body and brain. 

The 3 phases of PompaCore Cellular Detox (prep, body, and brain) were formulated to heal the trillions of cells in your body and decrease chronic inflammation.

Your body has its own innate ability to detoxify. 

To get well, you simply need to support your detox — which is what the PompaCore Cellular Detox process (with CytoDetox) helps you do. 

References

Adams, Simon T, Julie Cox, and G Sam Rao. “Axillary Silicone Lymphadenopathy Presenting with a Lump and Altered Sensation in the Breast: a Case Report.” Journal of Medical Case Reports3, no. 1 (October 2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-1947-3-6442.

Balk, Ethan M., Amy Earley, Esther A. Avendano, and Gowri Raman. “Long-Term Health Outcomes in Women With Silicone Gel Breast Implants.” Annals of Internal Medicine164, no. 3 (October 2015): 164. https://doi.org/10.7326/m15-1169.

Brawer, A E. “Destiny Rides Again: the Reappearance of Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implant Toxicity.” Lupus26, no. 10 (2017): 1060–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961203317690241.

Brawer, Arthur E. “Breast Implant Toxicity.” Annals of the American Thoracic Society13, no. 6 (2016): 992–93. https://doi.org/10.1513/annalsats.201601-036le.

Brawer, Arthur. “Mechanisms of Breast Implant Toxicity: Will the Real Ringmaster Please Stand Up.” The International Annals of Medicine1, no. 9 (June 2017). https://doi.org/10.24087/iam.2017.1.9.249.

“Breast Implant Illnesses: What's the Evidence?” National Center for Health Research, September 6, 2019. http://www.center4research.org/breast-implant-illnesses-whats-evidence/.

“Breast Implants: The View From the FDA.” Medscape, July 17, 2013. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/807689_2.

Breiting, VB, LR Holmich, and B Brandt. “Long-Term Health Status of Danish Women with Silicone Breast Implants.” Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2004. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15220596.

Brinton, L. “Cancer Risk at Sites Other than the Breast Following Augmentation Mammoplasty.” Annals of Epidemiology11, no. 4 (2001): 248–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1047-2797(00)00223-4.

Brinton, L. A. “Risk of Connective Tissue Disorders among Breast Implant Patients.” American Journal of Epidemiology160, no. 7 (January 2004): 619–27. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwh272.

Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Breast Implants – FDA Breast Implant Consumer Handbook – 2004 – TIMELINE OF BREAST IMPLANT ACTIVITIES.” Wayback Machine. Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Accessed September 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20170118090812/http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/BreastImplants/ucm064242.htm.

Commissioner, Office of the. “Statement from Binita Ashar, M.D., of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health on Agency's Commitment to Studying Breast Implant Safety.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA. Accessed September 10, 2019. https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm620589.htm.

“DeLauro Calls for Investigation into Safety of Breast Implants.” Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, August 16, 2013. https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-calls-investigation-safety-breast-implants.

“Holistic Health Coach.” Sarah Anne Stewart. Accessed September 10, 2019. https://sarahannestewart.com/.

“Home: Now Wellness Collective.” Dr Kayte. Accessed September 10, 2019. https://www.drkayte.com/.

Hölmich, Lisbet R. “Incidence of Silicone Breast Implant Rupture.” Archives of Surgery138, no. 7 (January 2003): 801. https://doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.138.7.801.

Johnstone, Bruce, Katrina Read, and Wendy Dick. “Poly Implant Prothèse Silicone Breast Implant Rupture, Gel Bleed and Fatigue in a ‘Blinded’ Patient.” ANZ Journal of Surgery83, no. 3 (2013): 192–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.12057.

Koot, V C M. “Total and Cause Specific Mortality among Swedish Women with Cosmetic Breast Implants: Prospective Study.” Bmj326, no. 7388 (August 2003): 527–28. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7388.527.

Krishnamurthy, S. “Pathology of Regional Lymph Nodes.” Breast Cancer, 2005, 137–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-06634-4.50014-5.

Macrae, Fiona. “Thousands of British Women in Dangerous Breast Implants Alert.” Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, June 18, 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1287564/Thousands-British-women-dangerous-breast-implants-alert.html.

Miglioretti, Diana L. “Effect of Breast Augmentation on the Accuracy of Mammography and Cancer Characteristics.” Jama291, no. 4 (2004): 442. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.291.4.442.

“Report of the 2017 Statistics.’ American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).” ASPS. Accessed September 10, 2019. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2017/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2017.pdf.

Sanchez-Guerrero, J, and M H Liang. “Silicone Breast Implants and Connective Tissue Diseases.” Bmj309, no. 6958 (January 1994): 822–23. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.309.6958.822.

“Symptoms and Complications from Silicone Gel Breast Implants FDA's October 2003 Summary of Research on Inamed Implants.” Breast Implant Information, December 4, 2018. https://breastimplantinfo.org/symptoms-silicone-gel-breast-implants-fdas-2003-inamed-implants/.

Watad, Abdulla, Vered Rosenberg, Shmuel Tiosano, Jan Willem Cohen Tervaert, Yarden Yavne, Yehuda Shoenfeld, Varda Shalev, Gabriel Chodick, and Howard Amital. “Silicone Breast Implants and the Risk of Autoimmune/Rheumatic Disorders: a Real-World Analysis.” International Journal of Epidemiology47, no. 6 (2018): 1846–54. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyy217.

Zucchini Nut Fritters

Zucchini Nut Fritters

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 2 pastured eggs
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 cup almond flour (or 3 Tbsp. coconut flour)
  • 2 cups raw macadamia nuts
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)
  • 1/2 cup filtered water
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried basil leaf
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Grate the zucchini with a cheese grater  or food processor.
  3. Add the salt and squeeze very tightly with paper towels to get the excess liquid out. Then place in a medium size bowl.
  4. Grate the onion and add to the bowl.
  5. Place macadamia nuts, sea salt, lemon juice, and water in food processor and puree until smooth. Should resemble ricotta cheese.
  6. Add the eggs, macadamia nut puree, almond (or coconut) flour, and spices to the bowl with the zucchini and mix until evenly incorporated.
  7. To bake: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture onto the baking sheet.
  8. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until tops and sides are starting to brown.
  9. Enjoy!
  10. Makes 10-12 servings.

Kale Caesar Salad

Kale Caesar Salad

For the Caesar Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, or placed in very hot water for about an hour
  • 1/4 cup filtered water
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 whole lemon (about 2-3 Tbsp.)
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 small garlic clove (you can add another if you like it super garlic-y)
  • 2 tsp. capers
  • 1 tsp. dulse or kelp powder
  • 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt and pepper, or to taste

For the Nut and Seed ‘Parmesan Cheese':

  • 1/3 cup raw cashews
  • 3 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • Fine grain sea salt, to taste

For the Salad Base:

  • 1 medium bunch lacinato/dinosaur kale, de-stemmed
  • 2 small heads, or 1 large head of romaine lettuce
  1. Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight, or in hot (near boiling) water for about an hour. Drain and rinse.
  2. Prepare the dressing: Add the cashews and all other dressing ingredients (except for the salt) into a high-speed blender, and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. You can add a splash of water if necessary to get it blending. Add a generous amount of sea salt to taste and adjust other seasonings, if desired. Set aside.
  3. Prepare the ‘Parmesan cheese': Add cashews, pumpkin seeds, and garlic into a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined. Sea salt to taste.
  4. Prepare the lettuce: De-stem the kale and then finely chop the leaves. Wash and dry in a salad spinner. Place into an extra large bowl. Chop up the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and then spin dry. Place into bowl along with the kale.
  5. Assemble: Add dressing onto lettuce and toss until fully coated. You may have extra dressing, depending on the volume of greens you are using, and how well-dressed you like them. You can store the extra dressing in a sealed container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
  6. Season with a pinch of sea salt and mix again. Now sprinkle on the ‘Parmesan cheese.' Serve immediately.
  7. Makes 6-8 servings.

Butternut Ginger Soup

Butternut Ginger Soup

  • 1 Tbsp. ghee, butter, or coconut oil (plus more for baking the squash)
  • 4 shallots, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 quarts chicken broth (vegetable broth works great too)
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 lbs. butternut squash, halved and seeded. (This is around 1 large or 2 small butternut squash. You can't really use too much!)
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
  • A drizzle of extra coconut milk for garnish
  • A sprinkling of ground cinnamon for garnish
  1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease baking sheet with desired fat. Place squash, cut-side down, on baking sheet. Bake until squash is very soft, about 50 minutes. Using a paring knife, remove peel from squash; discard peel. Cut squash into 2-inch pieces.
  2. Saute shallots in ghee (or preferred fat) with salt and pepper.
  3. Add remaining ingredients (including cooked, cubed squash) and bring to a simmer.
  4. Puree, adding more broth or water if necessary.
  5. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  6. Garnish with parsley, a drizzle of coconut milk, and a small sprinkling of cinnamon.

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting: Beyond The Physical

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting: The physical benefits of fasting have vehemently swept the health industry over the past few years. This ancient ritual has been revived thanks to the modern scientific backing and an ever-increasing awareness of terms like autophagy and cellular healing. Today we explore fasting from another angle: the spirit.

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting: The History of Fasting

Fasting is truly a fascinating act that has been used by humans for an array of purposes for thousands of years. It is used in healthcare, both in ancient times and in modern times, for physical and for mental health. Fasting has been used to enforce a political stance as a tool for protest. Fasting has also been used in religious context across every religion across the globe, for as long as faith has been alive on earth.

Fasting is one of the oldest therapies in medicine, used both preventatively and retroactively in healing the human body. It was used therapeutically in the 5th Century BCE during the ancient Greek era of Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine. He advocated fasting as a way of self-purification and healing. Another founding father of medicine, Paracelsus, referred to fasting as “the greatest remedy–the physician within.” [1]

Fasting is a very natural occurrence when the body is sick due to loss of appetite. Animals naturally fast when they are ill or injured, allowing the body to focus all its energy on repair and rebuilding, and this wisdom has permeated various types of healthcare both ancient and modern. Fasting is used therapeutically in one of the oldest Eastern healing modalities out of India, known as Ayurveda. [2] But even in modern Western medical medicine, fasting is used methodologically like prior to surgeries or blood tests.

Fasting is also used in functional medicine clinics, commonly in Europe, as a tool to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western medicine. Clinics in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Russia use clinically supervised fasting as a healing modality for detox, health, cancer treatments, and general rejuvenation.

Fasting has taken a front seat in the modern health and wellness scene, with various studies highlighting the benefits it can have on cellular renewal, autophagy, stem cell production, immune system boosting, brain health, and weight loss. [3-5] These studies explore an array of different ways to fast, including intermittent fasting, alternate-day fasting, and prolonged fasting. Fasting encompasses various styles too, including juice fasts, mono-fasts, and water-only fasts.

Although fasting and physical health go hand in hand, the benefits also extend themselves to spiritual health and exploration. In fact, the roots of fasting may actually be in spiritual growth, since the pursuit of fasting and religion go back.

The Spiritual Benefits of Fasting

Nearly all the religions of the world use fasting as a tool for spiritual enlightenment, connection with the divine, as well as a tool for penitence, and self-control. Roman Catholics and Eastern orthodoxy take on a 40 day fast during Lent to mimic the period where Christ fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert. Judaism incorporates several yearly fasts including Yom Kippur and the Day of Atonement. Muslims fast during the holy month of Ramadan, Buddhist monks and nuns follow Vinya rules whereby they do not eat after noon, and Hindus have fasting deeply imbedded in spiritual practice as they fast for holy days, religious festivals, and in honor of their favorite deities. [6-9]

Understanding the benefits of spiritual growth when it comes to fasting is ultimately a highly individual experience since spirituality is an internal world. Physical benefits are measured, tested, compared in a lab, but spiritual growth is something only you can experience. Having an awareness of some of the commonly shared benefits of spiritual growth and fasting may help you connect dots between your own experience.

1. A Surrender to the Higher Power

Modern society revolves around food, and the mentality that we must eat three meals per day is a commonly held belief. When one breaks free from this construct, it requires a large degree of surrender to the unknown. This type of surrender is the same devotional surrender that occurs in spirituality; an acknowledgment of the unknown, to a higher power.

2. A Sensitivity to the SuperNatural

Anyone who has participated in a prolonged water fast can attest to the incredible sensitivity that increases for all the senses. Sight, touch, smell, sound: all the ways in which we interact with the world become heightened when we stop consuming food. Upon reintroducing food, taste as well takes on a completely new meaning. Foods taste more vibrant, more alive. We reset our tastebuds to truly experience flavor in a totally renewed way.

This sensitivity extends itself to our spiritual awareness too. Our connection to God, to the divine, to spirit, becomes much more sensitive. A clear mind and body, brought on by a fasting period, help us become much more in tune with the messages coming through us from above. We are able to trust our knowledge in a much deeper way. Many people express high degrees of clarity, even regarding issues that have previously brought them much confusion and pain.

3. A Renewed Appreciation for the Subtle Beauty of Life

Heightened senses also enable us to see life for the wonder that it is. Colors become brighter, smells become stronger. Many people report more sensitive touch to their skin and even a heightened awareness of other people’s energy. When we take a minute to slow down and abstain from food, clarity comes through in ways that aren’t comprehensible with a logical mind.

Appreciation for the creation is an appreciation for the creator: for they are one and the same. Simply to praise the creator (God, spirit, the universe, whatever you want to call it), fails to acknowledge that the creation is an extension of the creator. When we have a renewed sense of appreciation for the world, our relationship with God is strengthened too.

4. Creating Space for Miracles

When we live life at high speed, it can be difficult to see the magic in the mundane. In a materialist modern world, many people focus their day’s on generating income, and/ or what they will spend their money on. When we fast, everything slows down. Taking an extended water fasting period to just rest and be can create a powerful space in which you can learn to observe the miracles that are happening every day around you.

We have gotten accustomed to nature, for example, to the point where we don’t stop to smell the roses. Trees, grass, birds, and animals all become just another part of life. This often changes while you fast, because slowing down creates space for awareness, which enables us to see life for the miracle that it is. It enables us to see the extraordinary nature of this human existence, that too often we are rushing past without a second glance.

5. Heightened Intuition

When we surrender to a fasting period, we let go of our mental constructs and let the wisdom of our bodies take over. This is the place where intuition is born: inside of you. Intuition is an intrinsic knowing, that occurs without a rational explanation of the mind. In today’s highly scientific world, it can be scary to make decisions based simply on a “knowing”, but this faith-based way of making choices is indeed what humans relied on for centuries before modern institutions of knowledge were propagated.

When you fast, you trust the body’s wisdom. This is especially true during longer fasts when a deep surrender must occur. Many old habits and patterns must be dropped, like the tendency to over-exercise, in favor of rest. We must let go of our long-held beliefs about what our bodies ‘need’, and just let it be. This process of fasting increases our sensitivity to the messages being communicated from within called intuition.

6. Humility and Kindness

Longer fasts are a highly humbling experience, as we get to witness how soft and vulnerable we can be as humans. For people who rely heavily on a go-go-go mentality of achievement, and usually over-caffeinating, over-exercising, over-thinking: taking a break from it all to rest is incredibly humbling.

Watching the body experience ebbs and flows of energy, weakness, and an array of emotions can be a gateway for compassion towards others. Seeing yourself in such a vulnerable state, with lots of time for self-reflection, can be a powerful reminder about how precious life is, and how important it is to be kind and compassionate with all beings on the earth.

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting: Summary

The benefits of fasting extend themselves far past physical health. Although they may be more difficult to measure in any scientific method, the spiritual benefits of fasting are profound. Fasting has been used in nearly every religion on the planet as a way to purify the mind and get closer to God, and indeed fasting can encourage an array of spiritual benefits including humility, kindness, heightened intuition, creating space for miracles, a sensitivity to the supernatural, and a renewed appreciation for the beauty of life.

Want to Boost Your Fast to the Next Level?

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References

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