How To Break A Fast
I often have people ask me how to break a fast and it’s a really important question. Often you feel so amazing on your juice fast, and what you choose to eat afterwards will either help you maintain that or make you feel tired and heavy.
Basically, if you start overloading your body with junk food, you will probably feel sick. So, the period after the fast is also important, if not more important, if you want to really experience all the benefits of the fast.
I believe the best way to break a juice fast is to really go into a fresh fruit market and look at what’s in season. Maybe it’s mango, avocado, or tomato. Let your body tell you what it is attracted to. I often feel like something light - like a salad or fruit. I find that I will start to crave something just before I finish fasting. One time it was the creamy mushroom soup (recipe is on here), another time it was tomato and avocado. Be guided by what you feel like - as long as it's not to heavy (like a big steak) you will be fine. Take it slow and don't be in a hurry to get back to full eating.
You can have five small meals a day but focus on simplicity until your digestive system is getting full and you start to have bowel movements again. This may be a bit funky for the first couple of days, but don’t freak out. Your digestive system (by the way, there is 30 feet there) needs to be filled back up before you start having solid bowel movements.
As your digestive system is feeling full, you can add back in a variety of fruits or solids. When you reintroduce food bring in fermented foods, fresh veges and a good probiotic. By day two or three you may have a soup or steamed veggies, for example, but this depends on how you feel and how everything is moving. Sometimes, you may feel sick even when you have something fresh. If that happens, don’t panic – just cut it back and slow down the whole process.
Remember too, that the end of a fast is the perfect time for you to reset what you eat. If you take your time reintroducing food you will begin to feel what your body likes and what it doesn't like. For me it was the realisation that bread was not something that my body responded well to - in fact it sat like a lump in my stomach and felt very heavy. Although I love bread I now know that it doesn't love me the same way so on the odd occasion I might have it but more often I decide not to have it. So take time to notice what feels right and what doesn't. Your body will soon tell you what is not good for it. It's like those night snacks - a good time not to have them as your used to not having them while you were fasting.
Now you might be wondering when next to fast? Well, easiest way to know is to notice when you start not feeling too good. Maybe you get some aches and pains, maybe you feel tired or washed out. When I start feeling like that I know that it is time to do another fast. On average I probably do 7 days every 2 months or so. Again, your body will tell you when it's time.
Basically, if you start overloading your body with junk food, you will probably feel sick. So, the period after the fast is also important, if not more important, if you want to really experience all the benefits of the fast.
I believe the best way to break a juice fast is to really go into a fresh fruit market and look at what’s in season. Maybe it’s mango, avocado, or tomato. Let your body tell you what it is attracted to. I often feel like something light - like a salad or fruit. I find that I will start to crave something just before I finish fasting. One time it was the creamy mushroom soup (recipe is on here), another time it was tomato and avocado. Be guided by what you feel like - as long as it's not to heavy (like a big steak) you will be fine. Take it slow and don't be in a hurry to get back to full eating.
You can have five small meals a day but focus on simplicity until your digestive system is getting full and you start to have bowel movements again. This may be a bit funky for the first couple of days, but don’t freak out. Your digestive system (by the way, there is 30 feet there) needs to be filled back up before you start having solid bowel movements.
As your digestive system is feeling full, you can add back in a variety of fruits or solids. When you reintroduce food bring in fermented foods, fresh veges and a good probiotic. By day two or three you may have a soup or steamed veggies, for example, but this depends on how you feel and how everything is moving. Sometimes, you may feel sick even when you have something fresh. If that happens, don’t panic – just cut it back and slow down the whole process.
Remember too, that the end of a fast is the perfect time for you to reset what you eat. If you take your time reintroducing food you will begin to feel what your body likes and what it doesn't like. For me it was the realisation that bread was not something that my body responded well to - in fact it sat like a lump in my stomach and felt very heavy. Although I love bread I now know that it doesn't love me the same way so on the odd occasion I might have it but more often I decide not to have it. So take time to notice what feels right and what doesn't. Your body will soon tell you what is not good for it. It's like those night snacks - a good time not to have them as your used to not having them while you were fasting.
Now you might be wondering when next to fast? Well, easiest way to know is to notice when you start not feeling too good. Maybe you get some aches and pains, maybe you feel tired or washed out. When I start feeling like that I know that it is time to do another fast. On average I probably do 7 days every 2 months or so. Again, your body will tell you when it's time.
