RE: Effect's of sugar on Our Mood.
The longest supervised fast was in 1965-66 by Angus Barbieri of 382 days. He went from 456 pounds to 180 pounds. Once you realize that hunger "pangs" are not real hunger it gets very easy. Hunger pangs are like a child in a shopping cart placed just out of reach of the candy rack next to the cash register. The child whines and cries and the mother hurries to complete the purchase or she scans a candy bar and shoves it into the brat's mouth. That, sir, is a hunger pang. The first two days of a water-only fast will see periodic typical hunger pangs. They don't get worse or more often as the day passes. On the third day hunger pangs cease and your stomach feels all the time like it feels between hunger pangs. Not hungry, not full. On the 4th day you will experience a state of euphoria a sort of freedom if you will. 5th day same as the 4th except turned down a notch. I read about this phenomenon and then experienced it during a 5-day water and black coffee only fast. Avoid diet pop. Unless you like feeling hungry every day. The best of 12 books I read on therapeutic fasting was by Dr. Herbert Shelton. If you read up on this you will find that there is nothing new in fasting. A book written in the 1800's reads like a book written in 2016 except for outdated terminology. However, today's books like Jason Fung's The Complete Guide to Fasting 2016 provides physiologiccal proof. The fact that fasting has been used to allow the body to cure itself has been known for thousands of years. It will never be mainstream due to fear and if you had a six figure student loan, a house payment, and mouths to feed would you recommend a proven therapy that is free to the patient? Shelton's book is a free read at: http://www.loveandtruth.net/shelton-fasting.html
Other big names in the today's therapeutic fasting scene are:
Cancer prevention/management: Dr. Thomas Seyfried
Prevent/cure/manage cognitive decline: Dr. Mark Mattson
Reverse Type 2 diabetes: Dr. Jason Fung
In Dr. Shelton's book you will learn that the first intentional reversal of type 2 diabetes took place in the early 1930's less that 10 years after they discovered insulin and started saving the lives of people with type 1 diabetes.
Something beneficial that's not been taught anymore is only "new" because its dangerous to the system :) Amazing how society is fed with the idea that anything non western medicine is deemed most as "hippy bullshit" and laughed off and forgotten about. I saw a documentary about how the body is designed to heal itself , one that I should find again and download ;)
When I was 15 I knew a man who studied karate for many years and had been invited to stay with shaolin monks, he showed me how energy can be formed and burnt my hand just by holding his hand over mine, it went so hot that I had to pull my hand away. Then he was of work as he broke his arm, went to the hospital to see the xray, then signed himself out and went home, 2 weeks later he had healed it himself and was back as normal!
I like to learn alot about chinease methods of healing, such as reflexology as an extension on learning stress relief massage techniques and the its astonashing how little information we get taught to us on health - (Obviously its how it is for reasons you stated above) but im thankful we can read information on the internet that otherwise most likely wouldn't have been found (unless you go live with them "hippys"!)
Man is the only mammal on the face of the earth who eats when he is sick or injured. All other lifeforms fast until healed.