You forgot to mention vague references to "toxins" and "detox" as well as anecdotal feelings of mild euphoria (edit: or subjectively elevated mood following/compared to a reduced baseline mood induced by initial hunger) given as evidence of health benefits.
I have read Eat Stop Eat, and do a 24-hour water/coffee/tea fast once a week. I had my annual medical exam recently, and I mentioned to the nutritionist that I fast once a week. Her response wasn't positive or negative, just "you can fast if you like, but no longer than 24 hours, and don't let your hunger cause you to over-eat following the fast". The health benefits of my weekly fasting are probably not as great as I think. We'll see how my blood chemistry has changed from my last physical.
I have read Eat Stop Eat, and do a 24-hour water/coffee/tea fast once a week. I had my annual medical exam recently, and I mentioned to the nutritionist that I fast once a week. Her response wasn't positive or negative, just "you can fast if you like, but no longer than 24 hours, and don't let your hunger cause you to over-eat following the fast". The health benefits of my weekly fasting are probably not as great as I think. We'll see how my blood chemistry has changed from my last physical.