Thursday, October 4, 2012

Fasting is Good for You!

Once in a while it's great because it allows the body's resources to operate without being bogged down with digestive preoccupation. Here's an anectode to support this fact:
Is Fasting the Secret to Mitt Romney's Good Health?
By Charlotte Libov
At age 65, Mitt Romney is in remarkably good health, according to his doctors. While maintaining a grueling schedule on the campaign trail, he continues to look trim, energetic, and robust.
What's his secret?
It's true that he follows tenets of his Mormon faith, which forbids smoking and drinking alcohol. But it is another practice of Mormonism that may be the key to Romney's excellent health, a top doctor says.
Mormons often fast on the first Sunday of each month and donate the money they would have spent on food to the poor and needy.

"Fasting offers an array of health benefits", says Chauncey Crandall, M.D., one of the nation's top cardiologists. "Studies show that it works, and I recommend it."

Dr. Crandall, chief of the cardiac transplant program at the world-renowned Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., says he used to fast one day a week for religious reasons, and he still does, although less often.

Fasting is the way of giving the body a short rest. It puts a small stress on the body, to which the body reacts favorably. Fasting decreases cholesterol, it wakes up the immune system, and it lowers overall calorie intake, which is why people who fast may live longer, Dr. Crandall said.
Read the rest here.