BY AYOUB OUBARKA
Some experts warn that fasting is no way to lose weight. But proponents of
fasting claim that taking a break from food can have all sorts of health benefits.
They credit fasting for giving them everything from increased energy to elevated
mood and even clearer skin.
Here’s the secret: Fasting is not the same thing as starving. There are different
levels of fasting. Some even allow you to eat solid foods. Of course, you can also
restrict your intake to just liquids, or to just water, but such fasts shouldn’t be
sustained for very long.
Fasting is usually done for detoxification purposes. Think of how many processed
foods you eat each day. All of them contain chemicals designed to extend shelf
life or enhance flavor. Those chemicals can build up in your system, making it
hard for your body to function normally. Fatigue, achiness, and depression can
result.
Now consider how many toxins you pick up from other sources. How many
chemical cleaners, pest control sprays, cosmetics, and other chemicals do you
come into contact with? How is the air quality in your area? How is the tap water?
You could be polluting your body simply by eating, drinking, and breathing.
You can kick off your 14 day diet plan and give your body a break by fasting. To
do this, you should first determine how extreme of a fast you’re willing to try.
Here are some popular types to choose from.
Sugar Fast
A sugar fast is a relatively mild fasting technique. All it requires you to do is give
up sugary foods and white flour products. Those foods will be replaced with
healthier carbohydrates in the form of low-glycemic fruits, fibrous vegetables, and
whole grain products.
Prepare for some adverse effects in the first few days of your sugar fast,
especially if you’re something of a sugar addict. You might experience
headaches, lethargy, and even nausea while your body cleanses itself of sugar.
Just take it easy for a couple of days and drink plenty of clean water to flush the
toxins from your system. You can do a sugar fast pretty much indefinitely, as long
as you continue to eat healthy carbs.
Raw Food Fast
Food loses a lot of its fiber and nutrition when you cook it, so proponents of raw
food diets insist that their way of eating delivers the most nutrients and the
highest fiber content.
Obviously, there are many foods which should be cooked before consumption. A
raw food fast will limit you to safe raw foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and
grains. Some people eat raw for life, but if you’re a meat fan, you should probably
make it a temporary weight loss technique.
Juice Fast
Juice fasts gained notoriety among the Hollywood set. Now they’ve gone
mainstream, with hundreds of web sites devoted to the merits of fresh fruit and
vegetable juice.
Juice fasts can be healthy when they’re done right. To get enough vitamins and
fiber, you’ll definitely want to do your own juicing using fresh produce. Pre-
packaged fruit juices are typically high in sugar and lack fiber content.
Some of the most popular homemade juices include “green” smoothies, which
blend fruits, vegetables, and silken tofu; fresh orange and carrot juice for a
massive dose of vitamins C and A; and cucumber melon smoothies to keep you
hydrated at a very low calorie cost.
As long as you’re getting a variety of fruits, veggies, and soy protein, a juice fast
can last for several days or even a week. The nutrient-dense drinks are easily
digestible. You might feel revitalized right away as your body absorbs the
vitamins and macronutrients.
Water Fast
For some, only a total water fast will do. As the name suggests, a water fast
means giving up food altogether and drinking pure water instead.
While this doesn’t provide nutrients like eating solid food does, fans of water
fasting insist that the process gives them mental clarity, clearer skin, and
increased energy.
Due to lack of nutrition, water fasts should not be sustained for more than a few
days at a time. Ask your doctor for permission before you embark on a water
fast.
The Master Cleanse and More
The Master Cleanse gained notoriety because several high-profile celebrities
used it to shed extra pounds. Beyonce Knowles lost a fast 25 pounds in
preparation for her role in Dreamgirls, thanks to the Master Cleanse.
This plan is a liquid fast that requires you to drink several cups of juice made
from lemons, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. Salt-water drinks and laxative
teas are sometimes incorporated for a full-body cleanse.
The Master Cleanse is effective for cutting weight, but not for long-term loss. It
just departs too radically from normal eating. It’s also possible to become
dehydrated while following the plan, so dieter beware!
The Final Word on Fasts
A fast that cuts out junk food but leaves you with plenty of nutrition is the most
sustainable type of fast. Kick off your 14-day plan with a sugar fast or raw food
fast, and see how great you feel!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Do not deprive us of the beautiful comments.
Some experts warn that fasting is no way to lose weight. But proponents of
fasting claim that taking a break from food can have all sorts of health benefits.
They credit fasting for giving them everything from increased energy to elevated
mood and even clearer skin.
Here’s the secret: Fasting is not the same thing as starving. There are different
levels of fasting. Some even allow you to eat solid foods. Of course, you can also
restrict your intake to just liquids, or to just water, but such fasts shouldn’t be
sustained for very long.
Fasting is usually done for detoxification purposes. Think of how many processed
foods you eat each day. All of them contain chemicals designed to extend shelf
life or enhance flavor. Those chemicals can build up in your system, making it
hard for your body to function normally. Fatigue, achiness, and depression can
result.
Now consider how many toxins you pick up from other sources. How many
chemical cleaners, pest control sprays, cosmetics, and other chemicals do you
come into contact with? How is the air quality in your area? How is the tap water?
You could be polluting your body simply by eating, drinking, and breathing.
You can kick off your 14 day diet plan and give your body a break by fasting. To
do this, you should first determine how extreme of a fast you’re willing to try.
Here are some popular types to choose from.
Sugar Fast
A sugar fast is a relatively mild fasting technique. All it requires you to do is give
up sugary foods and white flour products. Those foods will be replaced with
healthier carbohydrates in the form of low-glycemic fruits, fibrous vegetables, and
whole grain products.
Prepare for some adverse effects in the first few days of your sugar fast,
especially if you’re something of a sugar addict. You might experience
headaches, lethargy, and even nausea while your body cleanses itself of sugar.
Just take it easy for a couple of days and drink plenty of clean water to flush the
toxins from your system. You can do a sugar fast pretty much indefinitely, as long
as you continue to eat healthy carbs.
Raw Food Fast
Food loses a lot of its fiber and nutrition when you cook it, so proponents of raw
food diets insist that their way of eating delivers the most nutrients and the
highest fiber content.
Obviously, there are many foods which should be cooked before consumption. A
raw food fast will limit you to safe raw foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and
grains. Some people eat raw for life, but if you’re a meat fan, you should probably
make it a temporary weight loss technique.
Juice Fast
Juice fasts gained notoriety among the Hollywood set. Now they’ve gone
mainstream, with hundreds of web sites devoted to the merits of fresh fruit and
vegetable juice.
Juice fasts can be healthy when they’re done right. To get enough vitamins and
fiber, you’ll definitely want to do your own juicing using fresh produce. Pre-
packaged fruit juices are typically high in sugar and lack fiber content.
Some of the most popular homemade juices include “green” smoothies, which
blend fruits, vegetables, and silken tofu; fresh orange and carrot juice for a
massive dose of vitamins C and A; and cucumber melon smoothies to keep you
hydrated at a very low calorie cost.
As long as you’re getting a variety of fruits, veggies, and soy protein, a juice fast
can last for several days or even a week. The nutrient-dense drinks are easily
digestible. You might feel revitalized right away as your body absorbs the
vitamins and macronutrients.
Water Fast
For some, only a total water fast will do. As the name suggests, a water fast
means giving up food altogether and drinking pure water instead.
While this doesn’t provide nutrients like eating solid food does, fans of water
fasting insist that the process gives them mental clarity, clearer skin, and
increased energy.
Due to lack of nutrition, water fasts should not be sustained for more than a few
days at a time. Ask your doctor for permission before you embark on a water
fast.
The Master Cleanse and More
The Master Cleanse gained notoriety because several high-profile celebrities
used it to shed extra pounds. Beyonce Knowles lost a fast 25 pounds in
preparation for her role in Dreamgirls, thanks to the Master Cleanse.
This plan is a liquid fast that requires you to drink several cups of juice made
from lemons, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. Salt-water drinks and laxative
teas are sometimes incorporated for a full-body cleanse.
The Master Cleanse is effective for cutting weight, but not for long-term loss. It
just departs too radically from normal eating. It’s also possible to become
dehydrated while following the plan, so dieter beware!
The Final Word on Fasts
A fast that cuts out junk food but leaves you with plenty of nutrition is the most
sustainable type of fast. Kick off your 14-day plan with a sugar fast or raw food
fast, and see how great you feel!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Do not deprive us of the beautiful comments.
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