Fasting is a method in which a person does not consume any kind of food and drink for a certain period. Fasting is done with the aim of cleansing the digestive system, to reduce weight, and of course for religious purposes. There are steps you can take to properly prepare your body for the sudden and drastic dietary changes your body experiences during fasting. Take a look at the first stage to start preparing for the fast.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Learning about Fasting
Step 1. Consult a doctor or health professional before fasting
There are many reasons to fast, but be aware of the potential health risks, even if you don't have any health concerns, it's still advisable to discuss with a certified professional before starting a fasting series.
- Medications that you normally take can have harmful effects on your body during fasting due to changes in chemical reactions in the blood.
- Fasting is not suitable for people who are experiencing health conditions such as pregnancy, advanced cancer, low blood pressure, and others. If you have certain health conditions, you should check with your doctor before fasting.
- Your doctor will likely do a urine test and a blood test before the fasting period.
Step 2. Determine the type and length of fasting you want to run
There are hundreds of ways to fast. Some are just drinking water, some are allowed to drink juice (or clear liquids), some are for religious purposes, some are even for reasons of weight loss or to help with medical conditions. You need to select the best option for you.
- Fasting by drinking only water is a more aggressive and more difficult type of fasting. You can do it for 1 to 40 days (40 days is the maximum and not recommended without doctor's approval). Ten days is the most recommended period for fasting by drinking only water. You need to start and end this fast by consuming only juice for a few days. Distilled water is the best type of water to drink during this type of fasting.
- Fasting by drinking juice is the safer type, because you still get nutrients from the juice you drink, so it is not as aggressive as fasting by drinking only water and is recommended. Thirty days is the standard for fasting by drinking juice. You can drink vegetable juices and fruit juices (don't mix fruits and vegetables) and you can also drink herbal teas and vegetable broths. Make sure you strain the juice to separate out the fiber that can cause your digestive system to work harder.
- The Master Cleanse is a type of fasting which is a mixture of fasting by drinking water and fasting by drinking juice. You will drink a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon, water, and maple syrup for about 10 days. This is an easier type of fasting because you're still getting your calorie intake (though not as much as you're used to).
- The fasting period can be terminated in a period of 1 to 40 days, depending on your specific goals and the type of fast you are observing (fasting by drinking juice, water, or clear fluids, etc.) as this will determine how your body copes with the reduced intake of most calories.
Step 3. Be prepared for the changes that can happen to your body
Fasting will flush out the toxins that have accumulated in your body (the same will happen even if you fast for religious purposes), so you need to be prepared to experience malaise and weakness, especially in the early days of fasting.
- Fasting can cause side effects such as diarrhea, fatigue and a weak body condition, increased body odor, headaches and many others due to the detoxification process.
- Try taking time off from work or trying to relax more throughout the day to accommodate the effects fasting has on your body.
Part 2 of 3: Preparing for Fasting
Step 1. Reduce consuming all addictive substances that you usually consume, approximately 1-2 weeks before fasting
The more you reduce the waste you consume, the easier it will be for you and your body to fast. So, gradually stop consuming alcoholic beverages and try to reduce or completely quit smoking.
- This step will reduce the potential rejection symptoms that you can experience during fasting, as well as reduce toxins in your body that will continue to be released during the fasting process.
- Addictive substances commonly consumed include alcohol; caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda; cigarettes or cigars.
Step 2. Change your diet 1-2 weeks before fasting
Like getting rid of an addictive substance, you also need to make a difference to your diet so that your body doesn't have to work as hard to flush out the toxins and bad substances that are also part of today's diet.
- It's a good idea to cut down on certain types of food each day (products containing refined sugar the first few days, meat the next, and then dairy, and so on.)
- Cut down on chocolate and other foods that are high in refined sugar and high in fat, such as soda, chocolate, candy, and oven-baked products such as bread or cakes.
- Eat smaller portions so your digestive system doesn't have to work as hard, and so your body gets used to operating on fewer calories than usual.
- Eat less meat and dairy products as these types of foods can clog your digestive system and make it harder for your body to digest.
- Eat fruits and vegetables, both cooked and raw, in large portions. This will help the process and reduce the amount of toxins that will be excreted by the body.
Step 3. Limit your diet 1-2 days before fasting
This is when you want to make sure your body is ready, which is also the reason why many people can't go on a fast without preparation (or if they do, they will find it very difficult to fast).
Eat only fruits and vegetables as they will cleanse and flush out toxins from your body in preparation for fasting
Step 4. Drink plenty of fluids
Drink water, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, raw fruits and vegetables. You will need to increase your fluid intake during the pre-fast period, to help keep your system hydrated and prepare for a time when you only consume fluids.
Step 5. Do light exercise
You don't want to be overly physically active, but you still need to do enough to keep the lymph fluid moving and keep the circulatory system working properly. Try slow yoga or a leisurely walk.
You will feel tired, even during the fasting preparation period, so be careful, but don't worry. Adjust your daily activity level to accommodate the fatigue
Step 6. Get plenty of rest
How much sleep and rest you get will determine your ability to fast and recover afterward. Make sure you get enough sleep at night and make sure you carry out your activities in a relaxed manner during the day.
This is the reason to prepare for the fast, as opposed to running straight without any preparation. You'll also need time to recover and rest, so you need to make sure you're not on a very busy schedule of activities
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Challenges of Fasting
Step 1. Make sure you know the physical effects you will experience
Fasting tends to be uncomfortable and difficult in the early days and that's when most people usually give up. But if you persist in that period, you will feel better from day three onwards, of course with occasional bouts of uncomfortable suffering as your body works to restore and cleanse the body of toxins.
- In the early stages of fasting (usually the first and second days), you will experience headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, and a sticky tongue. These are signs that your body is clearing your system of toxins. You will also likely feel very hungry at this stage.
- In the second stage (approximately days 3-7, depending on the type of fasting) your skin will become oily and start to breakout slightly, but your body will begin to adapt to the fasting process. Your sinus passages will go from clogged to smooth over a period of time.
- And finally, at a later stage, your intestines will release their load, which is through diarrhea (or loose stools) that contain a lot of mucus, especially after you haven't eaten anything for a few days. Your breath will continue to smell bad until your body cleanses itself of the toxins. You're also likely to continue to experience a lack of energy because your body is getting only a few calories (or none) to keep working.
Step 2. Persist during your fasting process
Often people give up in the early days of fasting because of discomfort and they think the condition will not change for the better. Unless you have a serious medical issue (which you need to discuss with your doctor), breaking your fast before it's over will not do your body any good. There are several things you can do to convince yourself to complete the fasting process.
- Set your goal. Before you start fasting, make a clear statement of why you want to fast. Is it for health reasons? Is it for religious reasons? Or do you want to try cleaning your system? Make this statement clear and remind yourself of that goal in the tough times of your fast.
- Make a commitment. Sometimes it's helpful to involve a friend or family member you trust to keep your commitments. It will be more difficult to stop fasting if someone is watching you.
- Record your fast. Starting from the moment you prepare for your fast, keep a journal every day: what you ate, how you felt, and what your goals were. Do the same while fasting so you can see how your body is changing and processing those changes, and also to keep you focused on why you are fasting.
- Prepare yourself physically. This means following your doctor's advice, and specifically following the rules for fasting preparation and fasting according to your type of fast. If you deviate from this rule, your fasting period will become increasingly difficult and uncomfortable.
Step 3. Make sure you know the health problems you will face and the benefits of fasting
While fasting has good health reasons, it is not a good way to lose weight, because often you will easily return to your original weight after fasting and you will also be unable to add healthy exercise.
- Fasting can remove toxins from your body, especially for people who have a diet that is low in nutrients, such as processed foods. Fasting will burn fat, a place where your body stores a lot of toxins. Fasting when combined with a better diet can reverse lupus, arthritis, and chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, it can also aid digestion in people with colitis and Crohn's disease, and help lower blood pressure.
- The thing to watch out for is heartburn (stomach will produce more acid during fasting when you think about food or smell food), so if you are used to taking medication for indigestion, you should continue. You will also experience dehydration problems while fasting, so make sure you drink more water and fluids. Constipation will also be a problem, because you can't exercise as usual (or can't eat foods that can help with constipation).
- People who should not fast are those who have impaired immune systems, diabetics, have kidney problems, pregnant women, people with heart arrhythmias, and others.
Tips
- Change the type and portion of your meal gradually as the time approaches when you start fasting.
- Change your eating schedule 1-2 weeks before fasting to help relieve hunger.
- Replace tougher foods with softer, easier-to-digest foods and fruit.
- Don't over-prepare for fasting. If the duration of your fast is three days, prepare for three days, and so on.
Warning
- If you are diabetic, do not fast. Fasting can cause dangerous drastic spikes in your blood sugar level.
- You should do the fasting process under the supervision of a doctor, especially if you want to have a longer fasting period or you have health problems.
