Hi Jon:

<< Is there a point where you drink too much juice, and the body doesn't know
it's fasting? >>

This was an interesting post, with intelligent questions. I will be interested
to hear other list members' responses.

In answer to your question above, it is my understanding that the body is not
in fact fasting when there is any intake of food whatsoever, because it is not
forced to revert to an alternative form of ATP synthesis (ketosis), or, the
burning of fat for fuel rather than using glucose from food or the small
amounts stored in the liver. It may, though, be forced to use the glucose
stored in the form of glycogen in the skeletal muscles, if your friend is
eating vey little and excercising very much.

<< If I eat one salad everyday for 60 days then I am not fasting, right? But I
lose tons of weight. >>

Right, as far as I understand. You lose tons of weight because your daily
caloric needs exceed your daily caloric intake, especially if you are
physically or mentally or emotionally active.

<< Is the body more apt to go into starvation mode when it is getting
some--but not enough--nourishment than when it is on a true fast? Or is there
a grey area between fasting and
 severe under-eating?>>

Well, first of all, fasting is not just the abstinence from food. Fasting is
rest - from food, but also from other exhaustive stresses on the body (such as
physical demands, emotional or mental demands, climate and environmental
stresses (which is why it is easier to fast in warm weather than in cold), and
other stresses.

By starvation mode, do you mean the use of vital organ tissue for energy
requirements?

As far as I'm concernced, there is no grey area between fasting and severe
under-eating. Fasting, real fasting that is done properly, is entirely
beneficial to health. Starvation diets, anorexia, other severe eating
disorders that limit food intake, or starvation due to poverty, have
practically nothing in common with fasting. These are all dangerous
conditions, with complex ramifications and long-term consequences.

<< Also, how much exercise is too much, when you don't have resources for
building?>>

Overtraining is a common concern among athletes as well as ordinary
excercisers. The best guide is your body - it definately will tell you loud
and clear when you are approaching overtraining. If you listen to it, then you
won't have to get to the point of coming down with a cold or flu, or suffering
an injury, or getting depressed and foggy and heavy and exhausted feeling. If
you do end up having to suffer these consequences, then you know you're not
paying enough attentiion to your body's more subtle signals of too much
stress.

Excercise should be invigorating, fun, varied, playful, energizing,
stengthening of body and mind, put you in a good mood, make you look forward
to it (not dread it) , things like that. If you're hating it, something is
wrong.

Is your friend looking lively, cheerful, rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed, well-
rested, can beat you in a quick race across the field, laughs a lot, and wants
to wrestle you and romp and play - and isn't hungry? If so, I wouldn't worry
about him!

I'm looking forward to what others have to say on this subject.

Lots of Love, Liza
[log in to unmask] (Liza May)