Mandatory Disclaimer: Make sure you read our consumer protection policy before you take any of my advice. I am not licensed as a medical practitioner, so make sure you consult with yours before taking any action based on what you read below.

Since the days of Kemet our Ancestors knew that the human Body and the soul were both connected. They knew that the body was both a reflection of – and a gateway to – the higher self.

Thus, an Initiate that seeks to transcend their physical limitations must possess a body free of toxins and blockages.

If you would like to participate in our monthly fasts, sign up for our African Spirituality FREE newsletter using the form below. We will also send you a short, illustrated PDF copy of this article that you can keep all year!

We live in a different world than our Ancestors did. We eat western diets that are high in sugar and processed foods – both of which have been linked to depression and other mental illnesses. We breathe in industrial chemicals, and put cancer causing soaps and lotions on our skin. Even the water that comes out of our faucets can be dangerous.

In a world filled with GMOs, industrial pollution, sugar packed beverages, and lead laced water, how do you free our bodies of all these toxins and blockages? By giving your body the chance to detoxify itself and rebuild its defense systems through Fasting.

Detoxification is your body’s process of eliminating toxins that you eat, drink, and breathe through your colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph nodes, and skin.

Fasting gives your organs the time and energy they need to repair themselves and clear existing toxins that may be backed up in your system.

What Happens When You Fast

A fast officially starts after 8 hours of no food or carbohydrate intake. After about 8 hours of fasting, the liver will use the last of its glucose reserves.

At this point, insulin levels in the body decrease and the body enters into a state called gluconeogenesis – marking the body’s transition into fasting mode. (Source)

Here are a few positive things that happen when you fast.

Your Body Flushes Harmful Cells

Autophagy is a natural process that your body uses to rid itself of unneeded, damaged, or harmful cells when you fast. Typically, autophagy begins anywhere from 36 to 72 hours into a fast.

The good thing about this process is that it allows your body to regenerate newer, healthier cells by flushing out or eating the old ones. In fact, the word ‘autophagy’ translates as ‘self-eating’ (“Auto” means self and “phagy” means to eat).

You can read more on the effect of fasting on autophagy by clicking here.

Autophagy has been shown to decrease the risks of dementia, cancer, as well as other age-related diseases. Thats because “Autophagy declines as we age, so this means cells that no longer work or may do harm are allowed to multiply, which is the MO of cancer cells,” explains Scott Keatley, RD, CDN and founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.

You Feel Better And Think More Clearly

If you can get past the first 48 hours of a fast, your body will start to adapt by releasing feel-good chemicals like adrenaline, norepinephrine and dopamine.

These chemicals make you feel more alert and give you an overall feeling of euphoria and well being.

If thats not good enough, fasting helps your brain function more effectively.

“Intermittent metabolic switching, repeating cycles of a metabolic challenge that induces ketosis (fasting and/or exercise) followed by a recovery period (eating, resting and sleeping), may optimize brain function and resilience throughout the lifespan, with a focus on the neuronal circuits involved in cognition and mood. “

Intermittent metabolic switching, neuroplasticity and brain health –
Nat Rev Neurosci. 2018 Feb; 19(2): 63–80.
Published online 2018 Jan 11. doi: 10.1038/nrn.2017.156

Personally, fasting has improved my focus and productivity. When my body uses energy to digest food, that leaves less energy for my brain. But when I fast, not only do I think more clearly, I am able to truly observe the world around me with a focus that I dont have during my non-fasted states.

Your Metabolism Changes

Metabolism is a process that all living things go through to convert food into energy.

When your body isnt breaking down food to use as energy, it breaks down fat. That process – called ketosis – increases your metabolism by 3.6-14% (Source). And with no carbohydrates coming in, the body creates its own glucose using mainly fat.

If you are concerned about losing muscle mass while fasting, dont be. Peter Attia is the Founder of Attia Medical, PC, a medical practice with offices in San Diego and New York City, focusing on the applied science of longevity. Here is what he had to say:

Fasting increases the production of ketones…and this may spare the body’s protein from oxidation. The primary driver of muscle protein synthesis (the body’s process of generating new muscle tissue) is the availability of essential amino acids (especially leucine) and that in the keto-adapted state, blood levels of leucine increase. In other words, the keto-adapted state spares protein and preserves lean tissue. But how can you synthesize muscle protein if you’re fasting?

During fasting, insulin and glucose plummet while counter-regulatory hormones increase (e.g., growth hormone, adrenaline), setting up a milieu that favors fat-oxidation and enhanced autophagy. While protein breakdown exceeds protein synthesis during a week-long fast, this does not necessarily mean that muscle protein breakdown exceeds muscle protein synthesis. All cells contain proteins, so when proteins are catabolized, this may be preferentially coming from skin and intestinal cells, for example, compared to muscle cells. It stands to reason that during times of famine, muscle preservation is favored over other cells that turnover more rapidly.

The bottom line is that when you fast your body burns fat, preserves and even creates new muscle, flushes itself of dead cells, and gives you the mental clarity and focus that you need on your spiritual path.

Why We Fast During The Full Moon

There are two reasons why we fast during full moons: to mark the end of an old cycle, and to achieve maat with Yah and Ra.

1. Full moons mark the end of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one.

In Kemetic Science, the beginning of the lunar cycle was considered to be the new moon, and it ended with the moment of the full Moon. The end of each cycle gives us the opportunity to cleanse our bodies and our souls of the toxins and pain accumulated over the previous cycle. We do that by fasting.

And in Yoruba religions the following is said:

‘Emotional cycles, the waters, the tides, the liquids in nature and the body, the Blood, that they all change like the phases of the Moon. That’s why in traditional cultures like the Yoruba or native America the woman says “I am in my Moon”

– TATA “A”, Emissary of Oduduwa.

So although our use of the moon in ifa is symbolic, studies have shown that the cycles of the moon have a measurable impact on our physical worlds. It is well known that ‘around each  full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon arrange themselves more or less along a line in space. Then the pull on the tides increases, because the gravity of the sun reinforces the moon’s gravity. In fact, the height of the average solar tide is about 50 percent of the average lunar tide.’ (Source)

And in the world of the living, a woman’s menstrual cycle – her cycle of renewal – takes place with the same frequency as the cycles of the moon (28 days and 29.5 days respectively).

So just as the Earth, Moon, and Sun are in perfect alignment during the full moon, we bring our bodies back into alignment during this phase with fasting. By releasing the toxins of the previous cycle, we then create conditions for new growth as we transition into a new cycle.

2. Full moons bathe us in auspicious energy

Our Shepsu in Kemet referred to the sun as Ra and the moon as Yah. They believed that it was possible to ‘see with the eyes of God’ if one was able to align oneself with the energies of both the sun and the moon. This belief was reflected in the story of the Ausarian Drama.

Read Also: The Greatest Story Never Told: Ausar, Aset, and the Battle For Kemet

Today, we are re-learning what our Ancestors knew back then. When the earth, moon, and sun line up—which happens at times of full moon or new moon—the lunar and solar tides reinforce each other, leading to more extreme tides, called spring tides.

This high energy day is said to reset the glandular system and metabolism. Your glandular system secretes your hormones. It is what in the most technical sense, creates our emotions. The adrenal glands are a part of this system which govern our motivations, impulses, metabolism, sleep, sex drive, menstruation, elimination and tissue repair.

But more deeply, it bathes us in the energies of both the sun and the moon in ways that don’t occur on any other day of the month.

How To Fast

To know and not to do is to not yet know – African Proverb

Now that you know why you should practice fasting, here is how to prepare for your fast, what to do during your fast, and how to transition out of your fast.

Preparing For Your Fast

There are a few mental and physical tools that you will need to fast successfully. Many of our Initiates fail because they do not properly prepare, and they break their fast in the first few hours.

If you mentally brace yourself for the first two days – if you can ride out day one and day two – you will likely make it through a longer fast. And I am not going to lie – the first two days are hell. Your body and brain will beg for carbohydrates, sugar, and the feeling of a stretched belly.

That’s because your stomach releases ghrelin – a hormone that makes you feel hungry. It’s secreted in greater amounts when your stomach is in a non-stretched state. The hormone drops off after about 48 hours and the feel good hormones we talked about above kick in.

While you wait for the hunger to pass, you need to have the following items on hand that you will lean on. Here is your shopping list.

Stock Up On African Teas

Buy enough to make about 5 cups a day.

You will be carrying tea with you everywhere you go, so make sure you have a reliable, spill proof tea tumbler that is not made with BPA or other harmful chemicals.

Have Coconut Oil Extract On Hand

You cant just buy any oil – you need medium-chain triglyceride oil that is extracted from coconuts. Here is what MCT oil will do for you during your fast:

• Curb hunger pains
• Boost your energy
• Regulate your blood sugar levels
• Enhance your brain function

I take MCT oil every morning before I start writing long, detailed articles like this. It is a natural way for me to boost my performance, and you will notice the same during your fast. Here are my recommendations.