Help With Healthy Fasting
When I was introduced to fasting, all I learned about it was the religious aspects. I still fast for religious purposes, but I know now that there are health aspects as well. I found out because I gained weight. So if you fast or you’re considering fasting, there are some things you have to know.
1. Most important: CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR. Okay, I didn’t check with my doctor. Then again, I’m 20 years old and my only health downfall is asthma. If you have health downfalls that make you uneasy about fasting, check with your doctor. If you regularly take medicine, check with your doctor. Even if you have the tiniest doubt about fasting because of your health, check with your doctor. Ask if you’re body can handle it. Ask for recommendations on how long to fast. Just make sure you would still be alive and breathing afterwords.
2. Know what you’re getting into. Fast with a purpose and a timeline. Have a reason to fast. That reason should keep you motivated. Set starting and ending dates. Set times or number of meals. Maybe you’ll only fast from 9am to 3pm, or maybe you’ll fast dinner. I suggest that you don’t fast breakfast if you have a full day ahead because you need the energy.
3. Watch what you eat before the fast. Don’t stuff yourself right before thinking that the food will keep you sustained, or because you want a last blow-out before depriving yourself of food. In the first place, it’s not healthy to eat more than you need. Secondly, when you’re hungry again, your body will crave the food. Before the fast, start limiting what you eat to prep yourself. This tells your body that the amount of food you intake is becoming less and less. If you don’t prep, when you fast, your body will panic thinking that it’s going to starve to death.
4. Watch what you eat after the fast. Again, don’t stuff yourself for whatever reason, and don’t eat the same amount of food you normally would eat. This is how I gained weight. My church went into constant fasting, and I was not aware that I should not jump right back into my normal routine. If you do what I did, chances are you’ll gain weight too. You have to ease your way into eating normally just as you ease your way into eating less. Why? During your fast, your body knows that you are not intaking as much food as before. As I said, it goes into panic mode thinking that you might starve to death. When you end your fast and eat normally right away, your body, as a survival plan, stores more carbs and all that good stuff from the food you intake because it thinks that it will again go through a period of time when there is no food, but what if you don’t fast again until for some time? What happens when stored carbs go unused? It becomes fat and you gain weight. You would think you’ll lose weight after fasting, but if you’re not careful, just the opposite would happen.
5. Drink lots of water. Every time food enters your mind quench it with water!
6. Do something. In my church, when we fast, we replace food with prayer. When you fast, replace food with something. Don’t just sit there! Maybe it’s prayer. Maybe it’s meditation. Maybe it’s a hobby. Whatever it is, occupy yourself so you wouldn’t think of food. Just don’t do something strenuous that would only make you hungrier.
7. Have fun! There is a saying that goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” The mentality is that fasting is solemn and dreaded. Fasting really is a serious thing, not only for religious reasons, but also because there are many factors you have to consider since you’re depriving yourself of food. However, don’t kill your mood because of it. Don’t kill the mood of others around you either. Smile! Laugh! It will bring ease into your day.
Whatever is your reason for fasting, remember that your health is affected in more ways than just gaining or losing weight. Make sure that you fast healthily.
