There is a long tradition in several different cultures of fasting to help with spiritual growth.
In my experience, fasting for a few days if done correctly does increase your magical ability. It increases your spiritual focus and increases your energy level. Most people eat too much anyway. Fasting for a few days is a good way to cleanse the system.
If you choose to fast make sure you stay hydrated. I recommend drinking lots of water. Some types of fasts involve going without water, but those can be dangerous. Be careful.
I love fasting before a ritual. I always feel much more spiritually focused and energized. I also plan a small feast to break my fast after I work my ritual, which is fun. Fasting makes you appreciate food more.
And plus, you'll save money if you fast. Food is expensive. Save money, lose weight. I don't know why more people don't fast every now and then for a few days.
One of the safest "fasting" ways is a juice fasts. If you are not 100% healthy, authentic (just water) fasting can hurt you. Underlying health problems could rear their ugly head. Drinking 100% natural (preferrably organic or freshly made at home) juice will allow you to gain nutrients your body needs. There are different kinds of juice fasts, some are more balanced to give you all essential vitamins (one I would recommend) and some stick to one juice only.
Fasting is in quite a lot of cultures surrounding magick, but as most things in magick, it has a common sense answer behind it. Fasting is a detox. And detoxing removes impurities from our bodies naturally on a physical level, helping our entire body, including our mind, work more efficiently. Mind, body and spirit are connected, so with a more healthy mind and body, our spirit will also be effected in a positive way.
Just don't overdue it. I would recommend only 2-3 days the first time. And then after a few weeks, you can try a few more days added on. Don't go more than two weeks on juice or you can lose weight too fast or make yourself sick.
I personally can't fast. My weight is below average due to a fast metabolism (runs in the family). But I do not eat many processed foods, drink, or take medication, so I have very little need to. Back then, people didn't have very clean living conditions and their was no such thing as a "health department" lol, so the chances of toxins being consumed through water or food was high. This is why fasting was a big part of many cultures. It was a way to stay healthy or at least try to. Now our biggest threat in modern times is processed foods, chemicals and drugs.
There is a type of fast you could try even with a quick metabolism. I don't have a name for it specifically, but it works the same way as a normal fast and is much easier on the system. You spend a few days to a week eating only specific purification foods.
Bread (home made from scratch, no preservatives), cheese, yogurt, milk and fruit are all good examples of things to eat while on this fast. The important part is no flesh. If you can manage it without hurting yourself, it also helps to go without any animal products at all for a bit, and only eat bread and fruit. The difference between this and just being vegan is that usually most vegan food still has a lot of chemicals in it. The idea is to cleanse your body of impurities. I usually choose 1 or 2 things to eat (just bread and cheese or just yogurt). Going for a few days like this usually won't hurt you even if you have a fast metabolism. The experience is not entirely pleasant, you'll be hungry. If you go for a few days like this, you'll start to notice a change in your mental processes. It does make rituals and spell casting much easier and more potent.
As always, be careful when fasting. If you start to feel genuinely ill, stop your fast by gradually introducing more food till you adjust. Don't do this if you have a medically required diet as in with diabetes or hypoglycemia. Make sure you practice safely.
Interesting. I never heard of that before. Yogurt is very good though because of the probiotics to help maintain the flora in your digestive system, but it would need to be all natural plain yogurt with your own added fruit for taste. Most yogurts use artificial sugar (aspartame was discovered while trying to discover a new pesticide) and scientifically altered ingredients.
I also have hypoglycemia and a heart valve defect, so its generally not a good idea for me to fast. I stick with my organic/natural foods, no artificial sweeteners (I'm actually allergic to some) and ingredients I can pronounce overall lol. My daughter gets to eat some processed foods, I don't deny her from "fun kid food" but it's only a treat not an every day thing. Even my household cleaners, toothpaste and deodorant is free from nasty chemicals. It all makes a difference. Not everyone can afford the lifestyle change, but if you can, there is very little that doesn't have an "all natural" option. It just takes a little time to read labels.
My only vice once in a while...Oreo Cookies =)
No one can make a better cookie.
