Fast to Lose Weight

Ideally the best weight loss methods include a combination of a healthy diet plus exercise, the proper amount of sleep, and reduced stress and anxiety. One way to kick start your weight loss program is to perform a fast. Fasts are believed by some to cleanse your body of toxins and mucus before the longer term diet is started, which may help make you more successful over the long-term. Speak with your physician before attempting a fast and do not fast if you are under 18.

Steps

Using a Weight Loss Fast

1. Determine how long the fast should take. This weight loss fast needs to be performed for at least five days to be effective in the long-term. But it should not be performed for longer than 20 days. You can repeat this fast more than once, but you should have 10 day breaks (at least) in between.
   • Speak with your doctor before attempting a fast, especially if you are on medication or have a health condition, such as kidney or liver disease.
   • If this is your first fast, start with a short one. Be very aware of how you are feeling. You should be feeling better, not worse.
2. Obtain or make a psyllium mixture. The following psyllium mixture is designed to help your body through the fast. It is a liquid mixture that contains psyllium husks, comfrey, whey powder, marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, echinacea, powdered bentonite, Shepherd’s purse, wild yam, kelp, and bayberry bark.
   • You can make the liquid yourself (if you’re familiar with herbal remedies) or you can purchase it at a natural health food store.
   • The psyllium husk, which is the main component of this liquid, causes a bulking reaction in your digestive system.
   • Comfrey, whey powder, marshmallow root and slippery elm bark all help to control the quantity and quality of the mucus in your intestines.
   • Echinacea, Shepherd’s purse, bayberry bark, and powdered bentonite help detoxify your body and digestive system.
   • Wild yams help control the spasms and cramping in your intestines.
   • Kelp helps to regulate the minerals in your digestive system.
3. Start your day with the psyllium mixture and a protein powder mix. For breakfast every day of this fast, consume 2 tablespoons of the psyllium mixture and 2 tablespoons of protein powder.
   • The 2 tablespoons of psyllium mixture and the 2 tablespoons of protein powder should be mixed in any type of liquid. The psyllium mixture tastes best in tomato, apple, or pineapple juice.
4. Include vegetable broth with lunch. For lunch every day of this fast, consume 1 tablespoon of psyllium mixture and 2 tablespoons of protein powder. You can also add a bowl of clear vegetable broth with lunch, as long as it’s made from non-starchy vegetables.
5. Add a salad to your dinner. For dinner every day, consume 2 tablespoons of psyllium mixture and 2 tablespoons of protein powder. You can add a salad of non-starchy vegetables to your dinner as well.
   • You can switch the soup and salad between lunch and dinner if you want.
6. Drink at least 12 cups of fluid every day. For every day of your fast you need to drink at least 12 cups (2.8 liters) of fluid. What fluid you drink doesn’t matter. These 12 cups are in addition to the fluid you mix the psyllium mixture and protein powder into.
7. Make sure to include 20 minutes of exercise every day. In order to ensure your diet is effective and well-rounded, make sure you include 20 minutes of aerobic exercise every day. This 20 minutes should be all at once and not broken up throughout the day.

Trying the 3 Day Juice Fast

1. Drink 8 ounces (237 ml) of prune juice. When you get up on the first day of your juice fast, drink 8 ounces (237 ml) of prune juice. Wait 30 minutes and drink another 8 ounces (237 ml) of prune juice.
2. Have as much apple juice as possible. Until 6pm on day one of your fast, drink as much diluted apple juice as you can. Diluted apple juice is a 50-50 mixture of juice and distilled water. From 6 to 9pm do not consume anything.
3. Make a special mixture for 9pm. At 9pm on the first day of the fast, make and drink the following mixture. Once you’ve had this mixture, don’t consume anything until 8 the next morning.
   • Pour the juice of two oranges and one lemon into a blender.
   • Add 5 to 10 tablespoons of olive oil to the blender.
   • Add one to three cloves of finely chopped garlic to the blender. (Optional)
   • Mix in the blender until smooth.
4. Start day two with a warm water enema. When you get up on day two of your fast, perform a warm water enema on yourself. Once completed, drink 8 ounces (237 ml) of prune juice. A warm water enema can be performed using the following instructions:
   • Purchase an enema bag from a pharmacy or drugstore in advance.
   • Fill the enema bag with approximately 2 cups (500 ml) of warm tap water.
   • Lie on your left side with your knees bent in towards your chest.
   • Before lying or sitting down, hang the enema bag approximately 12 – 18 inches (30 – 46 cm) above where your rectum will be.
   • Remove the cap from the end of the enema tube and insert the tip 3 – 4 inches (8 – 10 cm) into your rectum.
   • Open the valve on the enema bag and allow the water to flow slowly into your rectum.
   • Hold the water inside your rectum for at least 15 minutes before releasing it into the toilet.
5. Repeat day one instructions on day two. After your morning prune juice, start drinking diluted apple juice until 6pm — the same as day 1. Then fast between 6 and 9pm. Then drink the special mixture at 9pm again.
6. Continue the same process on day 3. The third day of your fast should be exactly the same as your second day. Start with the warm water enema. Drink 8 ounces (237 ml) of prune juice. Drink as much diluted apple juice as you can until 6pm. Fast between 6 and 9pm. Consume the special mixture at 9pm.
7. Take two lower bowel capsules three times a day. On each of the three days of your juice fast, take two lower bowel capsules three times a day (morning, afternoon, evening). Don't take any other vitamins or mineral supplements during these three days.
   • A lower bowel capsule contains cascara sagrada extract, buckthorn, ginger root, goldenseal root, raspberry leaves, fennel seeds, turkey rhubarb, lobelia, and cayenne pepper.
   • You can make the capsules yourself (if you’re familiar with herbal remedies), or you can purchase them at a natural health food store.
   • Cascara sagrada extract, buckthorn, and turkey rhubarb help control the motility of your colon, similar to a laxative; however, cascara sagrada extract also helps tone your colon.
   • Ginger root and fennel seeds reduce griping or nausea in the intestines while performing a cleanse or fast.
   • Goldenseal helps make mucous membranes stronger.
   • Raspberry leaves are a demulcent, which soothes the intestines.
   • Lobelia helps control nerve reactions in the intestines.
   • Cayenne pepper increases blood circulation.

Performing a "Lemonade" Cleansing Fast

1. Determine how long to perform the fast. This fast can be performed for as long as 10 days; however, in addition to the fasting days you also need to schedule days to break your fast. If you decide to do this fast for 10 days, you’ll need five days to break the fast; therefore, you’ll have to plan for 15 days of structured eating and drinking.
   • Absolutely no food can be consumed during the fasting period.
   • If necessary you can drink a cup of mint tea or some vegetable broth in the evenings of your fast, if you need some variety.
2. Make the "lemonade" mixture. The main part of this fast is the lemonade mixture consumed everyday. To make things easier, make up enough mixture to last for one day at a time.
   • Mix together 2 cups of lemon or lime juice (500 ml) with 1 cup (237 ml) of maple syrup and at least 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
   • The lemon or lime juice must be from fresh lemons or limes, not bottled lemon or lime juice.
   • The maple syrup should be either grade B or C as these grades have a higher mineral content (or grade A "Dark Color Robust Taste").
   • You can add more than 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you wish.
3. Drink between six and 12 glasses of lemonade mixture every day. Three tablespoons of the lemonade mixture should be combined with 8 – 10 ounces (237 – 300 ml) of purified water for drinking. The 8 – 10-ounce glass of water mixed with the lemonade is considered one glass of the mixture. You should drink at least six glasses of this mixture, but you can drink as much as you want.
4. Perform a warm water enema for the first three mornings. On the mornings of the first three days of your fast, perform a warm water enema on yourself. A warm water enema can be performed using the following instructions:
   • Purchase an enema bag from a pharmacy or drugstore in advance.
   • Fill the enema bag with approximately 2 cups (500 ml) of warm tap water.
   • Lie on your left side with your knees bent in towards your chest.
   • Before lying or sitting down, hang the enema bag approximately 12 – 18 inches (30 – 46 cm) above where your rectum will be.
   • Remove the cap from the end of the enema tube and insert the tip 3 – 4 inches (8 – 10 cm) into your rectum.
   • Open the valve on the enema bag and allow the water to flow slowly into your rectum.
   • Hold the water inside your rectum for at least 15 minutes before releasing it into the toilet.
5. Take two lower bowel capsules three times a day. On each of the three days of your juice fast, take two lower bowel capsules three times a day (morning, afternoon, evening). Don't take any other vitamins or mineral supplements during these three days.
   • A lower bowel capsule contains cascara sagrada extract, buckthorn, ginger root, goldenseal root, raspberry leaves, fennel seeds, turkey rhubarb, lobelia, and cayenne pepper.
   • You can make the capsules yourself (if you’re familiar with herbal remedies), or you can purchase them at a natural health food store.
   • Cascara sagrada extract, buckthorn, and turkey rhubarb help control the motility of your colon, similar to a laxative. However, cascara sagrada extract also helps tone your colon.
   • Ginger root and fennel seeds reduce griping or nausea in the intestines while performing a cleanse or fast.
   • Goldenseal helps make mucous membranes stronger.
   • Raspberry leaves are a demulcent, which soothes the intestines.
   • Lobelia helps control nerve reactions in the intestines.
   • Cayenne pepper increases blood circulation.

Breaking Your Fast

1. Know how long you need to spend breaking a fast. All fasts need to be broken carefully and slowly. Breaking a fast, in general, should take half as long as the fast itself. So if you fasted for 10 days, you need to spend five days breaking the fast.
   • Fasts longer than three days are harder to break than short fasts. This is because your body gets used to not having food and begins to feel really good. Consuming food at this point can actually feel wrong (but necessary).
2. Start breaking your fast in the evening. The key to breaking a fast slowly is to make sure you don’t suddenly consume a large amount of food too early. In order to help yourself break a fast slowly, start in the evening so your sleep interrupts you and prevents you from eating more than you should.
3. Break your fast with melon. On the first day of breaking your fast eat a small amount of melon (or another really juicy fruit) for breakfast. Drink diluted apple, grape, or orange juice throughout the day. Have another small amount of melon for dinner.
4. Eat three small meals. On day two of breaking your fast, eat three small meals of fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Drink fruit juice throughout the day.
5. Add vegetables to your meals. On the third day of breaking your fast, eat fruit for breakfast. Then have a raw vegetable salad for lunch and dinner. Drink fruit juice in the morning and vegetable juice in the afternoon and evening.
6. Perform the inner cleanse diet for the remaining days. Starting on the fourth day of breaking your fast, plan your meals based on the ‘inner cleanse’ diet.

Following the Inner Cleanse Diet

1. Avoid eating certain foods for the duration of the diet. For the length of this diet you cannot eat the following (unless specifically mentioned): dairy products, potatoes, avocados, dried fruits, grains, beans, tomatoes, baked goods, eggplant, sugar, honey, maple syrup, bananas, pasta, preserved food, meat, coffee, black tea, or alcohol.
   • You should also eat as little salt as possible.
   • Do not consume any vitamins or mineral supplements while on this diet.
2. Start your day with yogurt and fruit. Before breakfast every day, drink a glass of hot water with the juice of one lemon in it. For breakfast, drink at least 8 ounces (237 ml) of apple or grapefruit juice. Eat up to 5 tablespoons of plain yogurt and at least half a pound of fresh fruit.
   • In the case of the fruit juice and fruit, you can eat more than specified, but you must eat at least the amount specified.
3. Have vegetable mineral broth with lunch. For lunch drink 2 cups (500 ml) of vegetable mineral broth with a salad of at least 8 tablespoons of raw vegetables. You can put olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger or kelp on your salad if you want.
4. Cook vegetables for dinner. For dinner drink another 2 cups (500 ml) of vegetable mineral broth. Also, eat at least three different types of cooked vegetables (either steamed or stir-fried). You can have another salad with dinner if you want, or you can have one medium slice of wholegrain bread with butter.
5. Drink as much juice as you want throughout the day. This diet allows you to drink as much fruit juice as you want throughout the day. It also allows you to eat as many raw vegetables or fruit as you want in between meals.
   • Don't eat the vegetables and fruit within 30 minutes of each other.
6. Make your own vegetable mineral broth. The vegetable mineral broth is easy to make and includes the following items: 2 cups of carrot tops, 2 cups of ¼ inch thick potato peels, 2 cups of beet tops, 3 cups of celery (including leaves), and 2 cups of fresh parsley.
   • If you can’t find one of these vegetables, you can just leave it out or increase one of the other items to make up for it.
   • Put all the vegetables into a saucepan and cover with distilled water. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes on the stove.
   • Strain the broth from the vegetables and discard the vegetables.
   • You can add garlic, onion, other vegetables, miso, or other seasonings if you want.

Tips

• While most fasts can be performed anywhere, you may want to plan your schedule such that you’re at home during a fast in case you don’t feel well or lose too much energy. Some fasts are designed not to reduce your energy, but everyone will react differently to each fast so it can be hard to predict.
• Pick a time when you will be busy and occupied, not a time when you are sitting on the couch and thinking about how hungry you are.

Warnings

• Always check with your doctor before you attempt any new diets or fasts to ensure they’re right for you. Also check with your doctor or pharmacists to ensure any medications you’re taking do not have any negative interactions with the various herbal supplements you’ll be taking during the fast.
• Do not fast if you are under 18.

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Sources and Citations

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• Stay Away from Junk Food
• Choose Low FODMAP Foods As a Vegetarian
• Count Macronutrients
• Eat Properly
• Stop Being Hungry Quickly
• Develop Healthy Eating Habits
• Make Yourself Less Thirsty
• Avoid Food Triggered Seizures
• Cut Down on Junk Food
• Add Flavor to Quinoa

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