As always, the first weekend of any kind of fast is difficult for me. When I am at work, I can distract myself with any number of things; the internet, work, chatting with people, and food is not that easily available. If I don't bring it, my options are limited and not usually stuff I find all that appealing when I am really hungry.
On the other hand, if I am at home, the kitchen is right there and easily accessible. All I have to do is walk into the kitchen, open the fridge or cabinet and food is at my finger tips. Oh, the joys...oh, the heartbreak.
It isn't like I need to eat, I am not going to die of starvation in 10 or 11 hours, but I still find myself needing to be constantly distracted by thoughts of food.
This weekend, I put on an audio book, I listened to my school lectures, I played video games, and I read an article about the health benefits of fasting in Harper's Magazine.
I want to talk about this article a bit. It's in Harper's, so there isn't a large bibliography (or a bibliography at all), and unlike a scientific journal it isn't heavily footnoted or what not. The journal publications mentioned aren't referenced and titles and authors aren't given, so it is next to impossible to verify the claims of the article.
The article made some pretty persuasive statements about the health benefits of fasting. Making claims that fasting had aided in cancer treatment, epilepsy, diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure...the list goes on and on. The article claims to have research to back up the statements, but a quick google search reveals that there is evidently some spin on just how much research is available and what the research claims.
Given all the research into food and drugs and health treatments, it is a wonder to me, that there are documented cases of long term fasting and along with it documented times when health has improved. Fasting would be a relatively inexpensive treatment option for people who can't afford or don't want the synthetic chemicals used to treat disease now. So I have to wonder why fasting isn't more researched for potential benefits to health. I have to wonder if it is because there is little money to be made from it.
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