Are you planning to fast in the near future?
This act of voluntarily abstaining oneself from eating and drinking indeed has a great benefit when done cautiously and moderately. It’s suggested that you approach the act of fasting mindfully while implementing essential tips for fasting.
These tips can help you stay energized and avoid fatigue during and after breaking the fast. So, whether you are preparing for religious fasting, detox fasting, or intermittent fasting for weight loss, this article offers holistic tips that suit all. Let’s explore!
For beginners, fasting can be a hard test that makes them feel lethargic only by the thought of it. But, when you proceed with care and caution, you sure can get through it easily. Here are the complete tips for maintaining a safe, easy, and healthy fasting.
If you ask about the ultimate key for successful and safe fasting, then there is only one possible answer for this: Be prepared! Preparation has always been the critical aspect for safer and healthier fasting.
It helps your body to adjust and adapt to fasting state more smoothly. Preparation also supports mental readiness, meaning you can plan ahead to improve intention, stay committed, and reduce the stress level during the fasting process.
For people who are under regular medication, it’s important to have a proper plan to prevent any serious health issues. Talk to your doctor about your current health condition and ask for personalized recommendations.
If your doctor isn’t against it, it’s, however, still crucial to preplan your medication. Discuss with your doctor about dosage adjustments or modified medication schedule. This preparation can help you have enough energy until the fasting period lasts.
Other than physical, mental, and medication preparation, getting enough sleep is one of essential tips for fasting that can help your body commit to the fasting process.
Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, can cause and increase fatigue during fasting. So, before you plan on doing a fast, schedule your sleep for 7-9 hours every night to stay energized and avoid sleeplessness.
Having a pre-fast meal before fasting is highly suggested to reduce intense hunger. But, instead of eating everything you are craving for, you need to eat mindfully with balanced meals, like high carbohydrates, high protein, and healthy fats nutrients.
High or complex carbs include brown rice, oats, and potatoes. High protein usually covers tofu, fish, eggs, and legumes. As for healthy fats, it consists of nuts, almonds, and avocado.
By balancing your pre-fast meals, you can also maintain blood glucose level and minimize glycemic impact to improve your energy level as well.
Certain types of fasting may also include refraining from drinking which can lead to dehydration. But, it will still be manageable once you stay hydrated before the fast period begins.
For effective tips for fasting, at least, you are suggested to drink 2 liters a day prior to avoid heavy dehydration.
On top of that, avoid drinking too many sweetened beverages, like sweet tea or coffee with milk. These beverages can increase blood sugar level and interfere with insulin response.
While you are doing a fast, it doesn’t mean you have to sleep all day long. It would be even better when you keep yourself busy with light activities, such as leisure gardening, reading a book, or light houseworks.
By doing such activities, you can keep your mind off from thinking about foods or drinks that can trigger you to break a fast before the period ends.
Fasting can feel even harder when you are actively exposing yourself to any disruptions and triggers like food contents or cooking shows.
As for our seventh tips for fasting, we highly recommend you to distance yourself from them, so it would be easier to commit with your fasting intention.
Whether you are doing a fast for religious reasons or maintaining weights, use this moment to reflect and meditate more. It is absolutely effective for spiritual benefit and helps you improve better mindfulness.
Once it’s finally the time for breaking the fast, avoid eating too much food at one time. Break your fast gradually and gently using water or warm food like soup. Don’t eat heavy foods right away because it can lead to bloating and even nausea.
Just as you are eating mindfully while breaking a fast, try to rehydrate gradually by drinking sips of water every 30 minutes or 1 hour. Don’t immediately drink too much water at once because it can cause electrolyte imbalance and water intoxication.
Consider adding hydrating foods into your menus, like watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, strawberry, or yogurt. These tips for fasting will help you raise daily fluid intake healthily.
While committing to your intention is important, you also need to be mindful of your body. When you feel extreme weakness or dizziness during fast periods, it could be a sign to break your fast instead of pushing yourself to the limit.
If you are fasting for intermittent and detox purposes, it would be a great help if you could track your fasting progress through a journal.
Write anything about your physical and emotional state during the period, so you can find out the best method that makes your fasting journey easier and safer.
Fasting has been shown to be a significant aspect in many cultures, but also proven to promote improved metabolic health and mental clarity. However, the benefits of fasting can vary for some people depending on their health and how they do it.
It’s important to implement the above tips for fasting to gain significant benefits and avoid potential risks. If you are still a beginner, make sure to start light and consume nutritious meals to sustain energy and prevent serious fatigue.
Also, consider always tracking your progress to identify patterns and learn how your body can effectively respond to fasting. To make it more practical, use a digital journal for convenience and accessibility benefits.
Customize the design using HansCo Studio’s font that can match well with distinct themes of your journal project. Try now and create an engaging fasting journal with us!
