8 Tips for Successful Fasting
Fasting can be a little intimidating at first, but there are a few easy ways you can make your fasting experience much more enjoyable! Here are 8 tips to help you stay on track during your fast.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated with filtered water is absolutely essential while partaking in a fast. Not only does it make it easier to fast when you’re filling up on water, but you’ll feel a lot better if you’re properly hydrated, not to mention avoiding potentially serious complications of dehydration. You can enjoy black coffee or plain teas. Just make sure you’re not consuming any sweeteners or additives whatsoever and that the majority of your liquids are coming from pure water. Also, remember that coffee is a diuretic, so you’ll have to drink double the water to make up for it!
Add Sea Salt
Adding himalayan salt or celtic sea salt (not table salt!) to your water or drinking a small amount of homemade bone broth with sea salt, will provide essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium. The electrolytes found in broth and sea salt will help your body hold onto water, support your nervous system and can help alleviate mild dizziness or headaches.
Take Magnesium
Taking a magnesium supplement, especially before bed, can ward off any cramping and help you avoid constipation while fasting.
Use Fat To Sustain Your Fast
Consuming pure fat is technically breaking your fast, but because it doesn’t raise insulin much, you can use fat in your coffee or tea if it will help you sustain your fast. If you’re going to use fat, make sure it’s high quality, such as coconut oil, MCT oil or grass-fed butter or ghee, if tolerated. Blending these into your drinks will provide the best consistency.
Stay Low-Key During a Fast
If you’re planning a fast, choose a time where you know you’ll be less busy and take adequate time to rest. Fasting during particularly stressful or busy times can make it more difficult to stick to, plus the added stress can inhibit results.
Stay Busy
On the other hand, staying busy while you’re at home can make the time go faster and keep you distracted from thinking about food all the time. Find things to keep your hands and mind busy during your fasting days. Download a few new books, go for a walk or start up that art project you’ve always wanted to do! If you’re feeling well enough, you can even add in some of your usual exercise to stay active and keep things interesting.
Fit Fasting into Your Lifestyle
Fasting can be a regular part of life, but it’s not something we should be forcing on ourselves. Try to fit fasting into your lifestyle and not the other way around. It can be done in many different forms, including intermittent fasting, which allows for much more flexibility with all the benefits!
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods on Your Non-Fasting Days
What you eat and drink on your non-fasting days is just as important, if not more important, than while you’re fasting. Your meals should consist of nutritious, whole foods and include lots of colourful vegetables, healthy fats, clean protein and some fruits and spices.
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Sources:
The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jason Fung, MD, and Jimmy Moore
