Deficiencies during fasting?

[J Raw]

If I'm doing a fast for 7 days or so, how is it that I won't get some sort of nutrient deficiency? I have to take flax oil almost every day or I get an EFA deficiency where I feel tired and run down and my throat gets dry and scratchy. I've pinpointed it to EFA's because I've tested it a few times and each time I feel the symptoms, I take flax oil and I'm better the next day. Does this happen to anyone else? And how would I avoid this on a fast?

[Advid]

Hi, how are you doing? in general, people don't have problems with defficiencies. But if you need to supply something regularly, it can be different. So take care.

[misslinda]

IMO, it is more of a concern that you would need to take the EFA everyday to reslove your "symptoms."

With fasting, the practice, is to allow your body to divert its energies and enzymes into detoxifying,repairing,healing and rejuvenating. Getting down to the [root] cause of your deficiency rather than coat the symptom. Those detox symptoms can be irritating or intolerable.

You may consider doing fasting every few days if you wish followed by your raw foods.

Best wishes.
:)

[Raine]

I completed my 30 day juice fast about 2.5 weeks ago -- I encountered no problems with deficiencies. My body was highly energized and it was a very rewarding experience.

[Sharon in Colorado]

It doesn't sounds like a deficiency, it sounds more like a dependancy.

If your body has become dependant on something, you are going to experience detox when you stop using it, and of course if you use it again while you are detoxing, the symptoms will cease temporarily.

Try not using the oil at all for several weeks and see how you feel.

It would be nearly impossible to become deficient in any nutrient during a fast, or on raw food. If you want to be convinced of this, you could always take a blood test.

[LightLover]

* Most important: supply enough nutrients before a (long) fast

LL

[honeybee joy]

It would be nearly impossible to become deficient in any nutrient during a fast, or on raw food. If you want to be convinced of this, you could always take a blood test.


I think I have read several posts on here that said they had deficiencys. I even remember one from someone saying they had been 100% raw for an year. She had an B-12 deficiency. I had a vitamin D, B-12 and magnesium deficiency. I HAD to supplment those. They were REALLY LOW. I agree that there could be deeper reasons for this that fasting would help with, but if you haven't healed yet..then you could have a deficiency even though your raw.

Could she be needing EFA's? I didn't think our body made those. I thought we had to get them from an outside source. I know we can get them from nuts and seeds...but her body could be having problems digesting fats....and if so....you could eat nuts all day and it wouldn't matter. Am I not correct on this? Maybe the flax seed oil is easier to absorb?

I am really curious on why some think that could not happen? To call it a dependency...is that not like saying food is a dependency? What I am saying is it's flax seed oil...not a box of oreos.

Would it not be more prudent to recommend fasting and supplementing until there is healing?

[misslinda]

If I'm doing a fast for 7 days or so, how is it that I won't get some sort of nutrient deficiency? I have to take flax oil almost every day or I get an EFA deficiency where I feel tired and run down and my throat gets dry and scratchy. I've pinpointed it to EFA's because I've tested it a few times and each time I feel the symptoms, I take flax oil and I'm better the next day. Does this happen to anyone else? And how would I avoid this on a fast?


Honeybee, that was a great question you had and here is my own personal view.

Fasting is a time of rest for the body. the purer we are, the less detox we experience. There's no doubt that the OP "feels" better after taking the EFA--but in light of the sequence that [everytime] she feels the symptoms, she [takes] the EFA's which leads to an "indication" that the body is NOT abosrbing nutrient(s). That is where the ultimate concern is, we can eat or drink all we want but if we are not abosrbing, we are never getting to the heart of the matter.

Sure, the OP can keep taking the EFA but taking the EFA while fasting doesn't make sense. Couple of reasons, FATS, slow down healing and FATS require digestion which hinders the definition of fasting. FASTING is not a method of starvation or depletion, it is merely allowing the body to focus,rest,detox,replenish and divert all its energies into healing.

What I am ultimately saying, is b/c the OP is interested in fasting---it would offer the body a chance to RID the toxicity and matter that is blocking or hindering the body from absorbing nutrients to ward off these chronic symptoms.

If detox and healing symptoms are intolerable, faster may be better off doing fasting on juices vs water fasting. It doesn't have to be a long fast. Every few days until he/she is ready.

That was a great point/question Honeybee and I hope I offered my personal view clearly. :)