By Judy Davie
**”I was thinking of going on a two-day fast to detoxify the body and kick start my weight-loss diet. Do you think it’s safe to do that and if so, how do you recommend I approach this?”
— Gillian**
While fasting is a tradition with many religions and, properly managed, does not present any long term health risks to our bodies, it is not necessarily the best approach for weight loss. You may lose a kilo or so during a fast but most of it will be from fluid and then there’s the tendency to return to old eating habits as soon as the fast is over.
Our bodies have a natural mechanism to detoxify every day. The function of many of the body’s organs is the process of detoxification and each day we eliminate waste through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands and skin. Having said that, if you over-burden the liver it may become sluggish and unable to fully detoxify so a partial fast to give the liver a rest is a terrific compromise.
Breakfast is the meal that ‘breaks the fast’ between the last meal of the day and the first meal of the new day. Eating late at night just before going to bed is one of the worst things you can do for weight loss, digestion and aiding a good night’s sleep. In contrast, the earlier you eat and the more hours you allow between eating and sleep, the better it is for weight loss, digestion and a good night’s sleep. Most people have great success with weight loss when they have their main meal later in the afternoon and either eat nothing or have a light soup no later than 5pm in the evening.
Instead of not eating anything for two days why don’t you try a purer diet for seven days?
This eating plan in not suitable for pregnant and lactating women and should not be used for more than seven days.
Between 6 and 7am
On rising drink a glass of warm water with fresh lemon juice
Between 7 and 8am
Large glass of fresh vegetable juice slightly sweetened with green apple
Between 8 and 9am
Large bowl of fresh fruit with 2 tbsp LSA (mixture of ground linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds which can be bought from a health food store)
Drink filtered water or herbal teas during the day
Between 11am and midday
Two to three rice cakes with sliced avocado and lemon juice
Between 2 and 4pm
Lunch: large salad made with rocket, snow peas, cucumber, sprouts, sliced fennel, celery, mixed with steamed beans, kidney beans or lentils. Add ½ cup brown rice with ½ tsp ground sesame seeds and 150g steamed chicken or white fish, served with a lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil dressing (1 dessert spoon of oil only)
No later than 6pm
Bowl of miso soup
After seven days, slowly return to more normal eating habits, increasing your fiber and protein intake with each meal but maintaining small portions. If you can continue to eat only small meals in the early evening, all the better for your health and your weight.
What you must not do is return to rollercoaster eating habits — eating excessively one day and like a mouse the next. Eating modestly every day is a guarantee for healthy weight maintenance. When we are easy on our digestive system and lighten its load by cutting back on the amount we eat, our body can divert its attention from the digestive system and focus on improving metabolism and the immune system. Eating less is known to extend life and promote good health but there’s a vast difference between under-nutrition and malnutrition. Therefore it’s important to always make sure whenever you eat, you eat well.
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