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Drunkorexia: Fasting Before Drinking

In order not to gain weight and not to have to do without alcohol when partying, young people fast before drinking alcohol – and thus endanger their health. EAT SMARTER enlightens you about the dangerous phenomenon of drunkorexia.

What is drunkorexia?

The term drunkorexia is made up of the English word “drunk” (intoxicated) and “anorexia” (anorexia). A recent British study shows that more and more young men and women are giving up food before drinking to stay slim.

Alcoholic beverages are high in calories and hit the hips. For example, half a liter of beer has 200 calories, a glass of white wine (200 milliliters) provides 150 calories and glass (300 milliliters) of the Caipirinha cocktail contains 320 calories. For many young people, however, a party without alcohol is unimaginable. Instead of drinking a glass or two of wine with relish and enjoying the evening tipsy and fully conscious, many people get drunk to the point of intoxication. Excessive consumption of alcohol also means a lot of calories.

In order not to gain weight, it is better to forgo food than one or two cocktails in the evening. Often the aim is even to drink so much alcohol that you throw up. This is to get rid of the calories you have taken in. Very few are aware of how dangerous such behavior is and how much it damages the body.

That’s how dangerous fasting before intoxication is

It is still controversial among medical professionals whether drunkorexia is an independent clinical picture, but it is definitely dangerous and harmful to health. In order to stay healthy, our body needs nutrients, minerals and vitamins. We eat these when we eat. Substituting alcohol for food can quickly lead to acute malnutrition. In addition, alcohol damages the body. For example, it removes minerals from the body, inhibits the regeneration of skin cells, and can lead to liver damage in the long term.

Alcohol consumption in moderation

Having a glass of wine or a cocktail every now and then is okay. Aiming for a healthy body weight too. However, one’s health should not be jeopardized either.

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Healthy Fasting, But How? A Plant-Based Diet is Good For The Body!

Goodbye annoying kilos? Ideally, fasting should be healthy and varied: A vegan diet is very suitable for this.

What exactly does it mean to “eat vegan” anyway?

In a vegan diet, no animal products such as meat, cow’s milk and eggs are consumed. Contrary to popular belief, not eating animal products does not lead to malnutrition as long as you eat a wholesome diet. A wholesome diet means getting all the nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), vitamins, and minerals you need.

The main components of a vegan diet include grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and of course fruits and vegetables. Sound boring? But it doesn’t have to be. A vegan diet offers diverse and creative dishes – which are also easy and quick to prepare!

Benefits of a vegan diet

In brief: A healthy and balanced vegan diet can support weight loss in the case of overweight, reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and promote digestion.

1. High in fiber

Many plant-based foods are very low in fat (legumes and grains) and low in calories and can support weight loss. They also contain a high proportion of fiber, which is why plant foods have a very filling effect and at the same time promote digestion. These include, for example, whole grain oatmeal, dried apricots and salsify. Foods such as cheese and meat contain little fiber and can lead to constipation if consumed in excess.

2. Low cholesterol

Plant-based foods have a low cholesterol content. Knew? In fact, oatmeal and walnuts, for example, even lower cholesterol. According to scientific studies, a low-cholesterol diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as a heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, everyday mixed foods such as eggs, butter and cheese contain a lot of cholesterol.

3. Lower risk of cancer

The risk of cancer can also be reduced with a vegan diet. The plant-based diet reduces the risk of colon and lung cancer, as well as stomach and prostate cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), red meat (like beef and pork) and processed meat (like cured meats and ham) are classified as carcinogenic to humans. Processed meat and tobacco smoking are even on the same cancer risk level.

Disadvantages of a vegan diet

Since the consumption of meat and dairy products is instilled in many people and is therefore firmly anchored in our cultural values, the switch to a plant-based diet is difficult at first. This takes some getting used to and some research.

In a purely vegan diet, vitamin B12 must be added to the diet, since plant foods primarily contain no B12.

If you only eat vegan for a limited period of time (approx. 1 month), there is no risk of a B12 deficiency.

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Intermittent Fasting: Tips and Rules – Is Coffee Allowed?

Intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular. A study has examined how useful intermittent fasting is to lose weight – and found the answer to the question of whether you can still drink your coffee with milk in the morning.

Doing intermittent fasting correctly: You should pay attention to this

Many people can easily integrate intermittent fasting into their everyday lives. The body is given a break for a certain period of time during which it is not supplied with any calories.

Intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular for weight loss or general health and wellness. There are almost no regulations as far as eating is concerned – except that breaks have to be taken in between. Another form of fasting, for example, is therapeutic fasting, which involves fasting for several days or even weeks at a time.

For example, it is possible to eat only eight hours a day and fast for the remaining 16 hours (8:16 method).
Alternatively, one can eat normally five days a week and be largely starved two days a week, that is, consuming no more than about 500 calories (5:2 method).
With alternate-day fasting, you alternate between fasting on one day and eating without restrictions on one day (1:1 method).

Rules for intermittent fasting: is coffee with milk allowed?

For many, coffee in the morning is indispensable. But does the stimulant have to be left out during the fasting phase?

Basically, fasting people can drink coffee, unsweetened tea and water at any time during intermittent fasting. Caffeine even helps you get through “hunger time” by curbing your appetite.

But if you don’t drink your coffee black, you have to say goodbye to it during Lent: Milk and sugar are taboo during this period. Because the body should not be supplied with any calories during the rest phase.

Autophagy: Cell cleaning through intermittent fasting strengthens the immune system

In addition to its function as a diet, intermittent fasting should also strengthen the immune system of the person losing weight. dr Matthias Riedl explains to the NDR how regular breaks in eating can promote so-called autophagy.

Autophagy is the self-cleaning of cells, an intercellular process that breaks down defective or damaged proteins and organelles.

The temporary renunciation gives the body a break in which autophagy is stimulated and stimulated. Degradation can be understood as the body’s own recycling program, which generates energy from cellular waste. The more autophagy that occurs in an organism, the older it gets and the healthier it stays.

Study proves positive health effects

A recent study by researchers at the University of Graz, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, also shows that intermittent fasting has a positive effect on health. Not only did it lead to weight loss after four weeks, but it also regulated cholesterol levels, had a positive effect on blood pressure and abdominal fat, and reduced inflammation.

As part of the study, 60 healthy volunteers were divided into two groups. One fasted intermittently for four weeks, the second maintained the current lifestyle. “The study was supplemented by a further 30 subjects who had been doing alternate day fasting for more than six months,” the study directors explain. “It also gave us a first, unique look at the long-term effects of alternate day fasting.”

The goal of the research team was to study the effects of intermittent fasting on both body weight and molecular mechanisms in healthy volunteers. The strict observance of the fasting days was closely monitored by continuous glucose measurement.

Lost 3.5 kilos of body weight in four weeks

The results of the study paint a clear picture: “Within just four weeks, the study participants reduced their body weight by an average of around 3.5 kilograms, with the average starting weight being 76 kilograms,” reports Thomas Pieber. The researchers not only observed a significant weight reduction in the fasting participants, they also recorded an increase in ketone bodies. “These arise as a by-product of fat burning in the event of a carbohydrate deficiency and are suspected of having age-protective effects. In addition, the fasting cohort showed a reduction in specific amino acid levels, cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, abdominal fat and inflammation parameters .

These effects are associated with positive health consequences, Frank Madeo summarizes the insights into the molecular mechanisms. In addition, the researchers found a mild reduction in the thyroid hormone T3 in the fasting people while the thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH increased – a status that has already been linked to longevity in numerous studies.

“Intermittent fasting is a very simple but extremely effective dietary principle,” says Harald Sourij. Building on these results, the researchers will begin their second study in the fall, which will examine intermittent fasting in patients with type II diabetes mellitus who already require insulin therapy.

Intermittent fasting as a therapy for diabetes

In addition, the research team at the German Institute for Human Nutrition (DIfE) discovered a connection between the diet method of intermittent fasting and type 2 diabetes. The positive effect of intermittent fasting could be a promising therapeutic approach against blood sugar in the near future.

In contrast, another study found that there is not much of a difference between intermittent fasting and a regular weight-loss diet. Criticism can also be leveled at the study by the Graz researchers: It is not clear whether the positive effects of intermittent fasting are really due to the meal breaks or solely to the reduction in the number of calories. In addition, the study with almost 100 participants is not representative. This leaves the question open as to whether it is really better to fast or whether it is enough to eat less.

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Intermittent Fasting in Franconian: The Doctor Recommends The 3×16 Method

This method is supposed to help you lose weight: The Coburg chief physician Prof. Dr. Johannes Kraft recommends the 3×16 method. In this article we reveal what’s behind it and why it doesn’t just improve your weight.

Intermittent Fasting: Get rid of belly fat with the 3×16 method

Unhealthy fats and proteins are only burned if no carbohydrates are consumed for at least twelve hours. Specifically, a 3×16 fast means that no carbohydrates are allowed to be consumed on at least three days per week for a period of 16 hours each. For example, you can skip breakfast or dinner on these days.

On the other days you can eat normally. But in order to successfully and consistently avoid carbohydrates, you have to know where they are found:
All grain products such as bread, muesli and flakes
All fruits, fruit juices and sodas
Alcohol and any kind of sugar
milk, potatoes and rice products
Processed products such as sausage or finished products
Play it safe with these products, which are guaranteed to contain no or hardly any carbohydrates:
Lettuce, cucumber and Chinese cabbage
Broccoli, zucchini, oils and nuts
Lactose-free dairy products such as hard cheese, eggs, fish and lean, unbreaded meat or ham
Seitan, lupins and tofu

For most people, the easiest thing to do is to drink only black coffee, tea, or water in the morning three times a week and skip the rest of breakfast. If carbohydrates were last consumed at 9 p.m. in the evening, fat burning does not start again until 9 a.m. In order for belly fat to be burned to a relevant extent, carbohydrates should not be eaten again until 1 p.m. at the earliest. Alternatively, instead of breakfast, dinner can be omitted. All that matters is that you get a 16-hour carbohydrate break.

The 3×16 method has a preventative effect against diabetes. But even if you already have diabetes, you can benefit from this fasting method. A significant reduction in the medication required is often achieved. However, before you start fasting, you should discuss your approach with your doctor. A fasting guide for diabetes can also be supportive. However, you don’t have to do without the enjoyment and joy of eating with friends and family. On the days when you are not fasting, you can eat normally.

Previous successes of the 3 x 16 method

Prof. Dr. Johannes Kraft observed benefits of “3 x 16” intermittent fasting are many. In addition to reducing abdominal fat and reducing insulin resistance, there are some other positive effects that should not be ignored. These are the advantages of the method:
Fast visible and noticeable success
Great reduction in belly fat
Physical and mental performance improvement
Simple fasting method that is individually adaptable
No ping pong effect
According to the current state of science, the risk of vascular diseases, dementia and certain types of cancer is reduced
The method costs nothing
Prof. Dr. The fasting method developed by Kraft and his team has been proven to be successful. Every year around 300 patients come to Prof. Dr. Kraft, who also gives lectures on the subject to around a thousand listeners a year. The success speaks for itself: the method is successful in over 80 percent of the subjects. Due to this high success rate, it is not only disseminated by patients, but also by doctors and universities.

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Fasting For 5 Days: This is What Happens in Your Body When You Don’t Eat

Hunger is not a nice feeling. It is triggered in the hypothalamus of our brain. As soon as the blood sugar level drops, it reacts. But what happens if this state is maintained for several days?

Consciously abstain from eating for five days: That sounds hard at first. You shouldn’t do it just like that and without informing yourself. There is the so-called therapeutic fasting: The withdrawal of food has positive effects on the body. In the meantime, the metabolism has to adapt strongly.

If the body is no longer supplied with food, although it is asking for it, it switches to emergency mode. He fears for his survival. First, the organism draws on its sugar reserves. These are stored as glycogen in the liver. But after 24 hours they are used up too. Next comes the egg white. It is broken down from muscles and also from the organs. The organs also lose size. At five days, however, the loss is still very small. From day four, the body falls back on the fat reserves and you start to smell unpleasant. Acetoacetic acid is produced when fat is burned. This is then transported away via sweat and breathing air.

Eating nothing: There are positive and negative effects

However, there are also side effects due to the lack of food. These include, for example, circulatory problems, headaches, freezing, water retention, sleep changes, muscle cramps, temporary visual disturbances and disturbances in the electrolyte balance.

In addition, the heart beats slower and blood pressure drops. After just a brief abstinence from food, the brain begins to produce more serotonin. Serotonin is also known as the happiness hormone. After a few days of fasting, serotonin stays in the blood for a longer period of time and your mood improves.

Under no circumstances should you just stop eating like that. If you want to cure fasting, you should get as much information as possible beforehand and possibly consult a doctor. Pregnant and breastfeeding women in particular, people with eating disorders or mental illnesses, type 1 diabetes, dementia or liver and kidney dysfunction should not fast.

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Juice Cures – Fasting with Juices as a Cure for the Body

Fasting allows you to get to know your body better. Fasting can also be the start of a healthy diet. If your garden provides you with an abundance of fruit and vegetables, an exciting processing alternative is to use a juicer to conjure up delicious juice creations. The convenient alternative to this are ready-made juice cures that you can buy. Natalie from the meine ernte team has discovered the topic for herself and has repeatedly noticed positive effects. After she has tested both methods several times, she can report on her experiences and has tips on what you should consider.

Fasting does not mean starvation!

Classic fasting describes the renunciation of solid food and calories. Only water or herbal teas are drunk. In addition to classic fasting, many other methods are known: base fasting, therapeutic fasting, interval fasting, Schroth cure.

These fasting regimens do not forego 100 percent of the intake of food, but limit certain foods or certain times at which they are eaten.

Tip for fasting beginners: Guided therapeutic fasting provides security

There are guided therapeutic fasting courses (usually during Lent, i.e. in the 2-5 weeks before Easter). Here you will get instructions on which foods you can eat and which you should avoid. There you will be checked by a doctor every day and you can adapt the treatment individually to your body.

Juice fasting with fruit and vegetable juices

Juice fasting is also a suitable method for beginners. Here, only liquids are consumed over a certain period of time. This gives your digestive system a break. These include freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, water, herbal teas or clear vegetable broths. Solid foods are not consumed during this time. The juices provide important vitamins and minerals. Although more calories are consumed with juice fasting than with other forms of fasting, the basal metabolic rate cannot be covered. That is why the fasting metabolism also occurs during the juice cleanse, in which the body has to fall back on its inner values ​​due to a lack of calories.

Start slowly – three days is enough

If you are doing a juice fast for the first time, a maximum period of three days is recommended. Anyone who has developed a taste and tolerates the fasting cure well can extend the period to a week next time. As a rule, you should not fast for more than three weeks.

Fasting Rules

Nutritionist Ina from the meine ernte team advises:

The proportion of vegetables in your juice should always be greater than the proportion of fruit. This is how you reduce a high intake of fructose from fruit.
Take as much time drinking juice as you would eating solid food. Otherwise, the digestion step through the contact of the food with the saliva is missed.
listen to your body There is a risk that your body will not tolerate the high intake of raw fruits and vegetables well. If you get stomach problems, stop the fasting cure.
The juice fast is perfect for all healthy vegetable gardeners. We have compiled a list of the best vegetables and fruits for juice fasting:

Vegetables for juicing:

Leafy greens like chard, spinach, and kale
carrots
Beetroot
tomatoes
cucumbers
paprika
zucchini
Kohlrabi
Leek
celery
parsnip

Fruit for juicing:

Oranges and lemons without peel
apples
pineapple
blueberries
pears
blackberries
apricots
plums
raspberries
grapes

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Base Fasting: Concept, Effect and Criticism

Alkaline fasting is intended to bring an overly acidic body back into balance and thus help against numerous civilization diseases. But how does alkaline fasting work and do you need it at all?

Alkaline fasting was developed in 1997, but the concept of alkaline nutrition is much older. What’s behind it? The organs of the human body can only work properly under certain conditions. This includes a certain acidity, which is also known as the pH value. According to the advocates of alkaline nutrition, the wrong diet can “overacidify” the body. Then the organs no longer work properly and diseases threaten. Base fasting should help to restore the correct acidity.

Base fasting: This is how the diet works

The basic idea of alkaline fasting is simple: you only eat alkaline foods for a period of your choice – i.e. foods that supply your body with bases instead of acids.

So no more lemons? But. An acidic food does not necessarily make your body acidic. Because the body can easily break down many acids, such as citric acid. Instead, compounds with sulfur or phosphorus in particular are said to form acids during digestion. Sulfur and phosphorus occur naturally in some amino acids. These are often found in animal and vegetable proteins.

That’s why you mainly avoid animal products during base fasting. You eat a lot of fruits and vegetables because they are supposed to have an alkaline effect in the body.

Alkaline fasting: the most important foods

According to the SWR, these foods are particularly alkaline-forming:

fruit
many types of vegetables, especially lettuce
Herbs
Mushrooms, seeds and nuts are also part of base fasting.

The following foods are considered particularly acidic:

meat
sausage
hard cheese
Fish
seafood
eggs
Grain products, legumes and most dairy products are also supposed to form acids rather than bases and do not belong on your menu when you are fasting on bases.

In addition to alkaline foods, you should drink two to three liters of water or unsweetened herbal tea every day. Both should not only quench thirst, but also have an alkaline effect. You should avoid alcohol.

Note: You should avoid processed foods such as sweets or fast food during an alkaline fast, even if they are not necessarily all acid-forming. Because many ready meals contain sulfur or phosphorus compounds as additives.

Base fasting: the state of the art

In fact, the acid or base-forming effects of certain foods have been proven. This is confirmed by the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) in Spiegel. Accordingly, the composition of the urine after eating clearly shows whether a food is acidic or alkaline.

But regardless of whether the body forms acids or bases after eating: it has numerous mechanisms at its disposal to keep the pH values ​​of the individual organs constant. According to the Association of Independent Health Advice (UGB), the blood in particular must have a pH value of 7.4 throughout. Even small fluctuations affect the processes in the body. The body can therefore dispose of excess acids, for example via the kidneys. Or he exhales more CO2 – also an acid.

According to Spiegel, a life-threatening hyperacidity (“acute metabolic acidosis”) can only be caused by certain diseases and must be treated immediately by a doctor. So is alkaline fasting superfluous?

Base fasting against “latent acidosis”

Scientists suspect that a highly acid-forming diet can cause “latent acidosis”. This means that the pH of the blood is constantly at the lower (acidic) limit of the healthy range.

The blood then has to balance the acidity by using the body’s own minerals – including calcium from the bones. This is said to increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Der Spiegel adds that a long-term acidic diet increases the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood. This could potentially lead to high blood pressure.
According to the science program Quarks & Co, the risk of kidney stones should also increase.
However, the show also notes that all of these connections have yet to be proven. Experts from Stiftung Warentest come to the same conclusion. In fact, it is very difficult to find meaningful studies on this subject.

Regardless of that, you would have to eat extremely unhealthily to permanently acidify your body. According to Der Spiegel, there is no risk if you eat a balanced diet and eat fruit and vegetables regularly. Base fasting is not necessary – especially not with the help of dietary supplements.

Base fasting: healthy or questionable?

According to the current state of research, you do not have to protect your body from acidification by alkaline fasting. Base fasting for a limited time is not harmful to health either.

Compared to other diets, base fasting has the advantage that you can basically eat when and how much you want. Choosing the right (alkaline) foods is not always easy. The UGB complains that the information on how which foods work varies greatly depending on the source – and is not always backed up by scientific findings.

However, alkaline fasting is unsuitable for a permanent change in diet: According to the DGE, the body lacks important nutrients in the long run. You should eat a varied diet over the long term rather than going on short-term diets. The ten rules of the DGE for a balanced diet and the Utopia seasonal calendar for fresh fruit and vegetables from your region offer good orientation.

Important warning: Alkaline fasting is unsuitable if you suffer from an eating disorder, are pregnant or have an advanced chronic disease. In this case, seek medical advice.

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Intermittent Fasting: What Does This Form of Fasting Really Do?

Intermittent fasting should not only make you fit, but also slim, healthier and more powerful. Proponents argue that the energy that would otherwise be “lost” in digestion would be available to the body for other activities. What’s up with the trend?

In contrast to therapeutic fasting, intermittent fasting does not generally refrain from eating for a longer period of time, but only for certain periods of time. Several intervals are possible with the form of nutrition, also known as “intermittent fasting”. The variants “2:5” and “16:8” are popular. One involves fasting moderately for two days and eating normally for five days. In the second, there is no food intake for 16 hours, and eating is allowed for the following eight hours.

The variants and permitted calorie intake seem endless here, because everyone should be able to adapt their form of intermittent fasting individually. The idea behind this is the notion that centuries ago the human body didn’t have regular access to food either. That is why intermittent fasting is the original form of nutrition.

With intermittent fasting against insulin fattening

Nowadays we have constant access to food. Most of these are far from healthy because they contain too many unhealthy fats or sugars or are made from white flour. The oversupply of food means that the proportion of overweight people is increasing and it is becoming increasingly expensive for us.

Constant supply of calories through snacks, between meals and high-calorie drinks lead to so-called “insulin fattening”. Due to the almost non-stop consumption, insulin is released from the pancreas almost continuously in order to metabolize the food. However, if insulin is constantly available to the body, it builds up fat mass. Many small meals or high-calorie drinks throughout the day therefore lead to excessive body fat being formed.

In addition, a constant release of insulin leads to fatigue of the pancreas. In addition, the body cells are becoming less and less sensitive to insulin, so that over time diabetes type II can also develop from insulin fattening. A constant calorie intake of any kind is really fundamentally harmful.

Intermittent fasting as a way out of the insulin trap?

Proponents of intermittent fasting cite, among other things, insulin fattening as evidence that intermittent fasting is the most original and healthiest form of nutrition. Animal experiments with mice should also show that intermittent fasting could prevent the onset of type II diabetes. However, the extent to which this result can be transferred to humans has not yet been scientifically researched. This also applies to claims that high blood pressure, Parkinson’s disease or dementia can also be prevented with intermittent fasting.

Only: Even nutritional recommendations such as “in the morning like a king, at noon like a king or in the evening like a pauper” have the same positive effect on the pancreas and insulin levels as intermittent fasting. And if you don’t eat from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. with the 16:8 variant of intermittent fasting, for example, you are doing nothing other than the once popular “dinner cancelling”. So the idea of ​​intermittent fasting as a way out of the insulin trap isn’t all that new.

Criticism of intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting therefore has positive effects on the metabolism, but there are also risks behind intermittent fasting. It is suggested that during the permitted “meal times” all foods are generally permitted. Despite the fasting period, the calorie intake can still be higher than is actually healthy. Nor is there any recommendation as to what a healthy meal should look like. Anyone who fasts intermittently does not learn anything about healthy eating apart from not eating.

On the contrary: You run the risk of taking in too many unhealthy calories in the allowed period of time in order to get through the fasting period better. Especially with the 2:5 variant, unhealthy eating habits that can lead to insulin fattening are neither changed nor sensible diets learned.

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) is therefore very clear about intermittent fasting: “The DGE does not consider this method to be useful for regulating weight in the long term. This does not result in a switch to a health-promoting diet.”

For whom is intermittent fasting nevertheless suitable?

First and foremost, intermittent fasting should not be about losing weight, but about normalizing and optimizing your metabolism. Weight loss is usually a pleasant side effect, but should not be the focus – also to prevent malnutrition or malnutrition.

If you want to do something to prevent insulin fattening and the secondary diseases, you can achieve the first results with the 16:8 variant and “Dinner Cancelling”. However, it is important that the remaining two meals (i.e. breakfast and lunch) are balanced so as not to provoke malnutrition.

At best, however, a healthy diet should consist of three balanced, healthy, wholesome meals with no caloric intake in between: no in-between meals, no snacks, no fruit in between, and no high-calorie beverages. A kind of “mini-intermittent fasting” in the daily rhythm with three wholesome meals.

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Fasting Properly: Instructions and Tips for Healthy Fasting

Proper fasting can be interpreted in very different ways depending on the nutritional approach. We will show you which forms of fasting there are and how you can implement them yourself at home.

Proper fasting: There are these types of fasting

Fasting is originally a purely religious ritual that believers practice to free themselves from any distraction and thus establish contact with God. The interpretations are very different, but mostly the renunciation should serve the purification of the soul, penance, the defense against evil, the striving for concentration, enlightenment or salvation.

In addition to religious fasting, there is so-called therapeutic fasting. The Greek doctor Hippocrates is said to have spoken of this healing method almost two and a half millennia ago. The therapeutic fasting cure is intended to purify the body and/or cleanse the soul.

Therapeutic fasting has become a trend in recent years and fasting cures are becoming more and more popular. In Germany, some hospitals and clinics offer therapeutic fasting as fasting therapy. Today, many people resort to fasting, primarily to do something good for their health.

Different types of fasting have become established:

With so-called full fasting, the body is not supplied with any calories at all. The fasting drink only water and tea. This form of fasting is extremely risky and therefore not recommended from a medical point of view.
Buchinger fasting also integrates vegetable broth and juices.
Juice fasting focuses on various fruit and vegetable juices that you consume throughout the day.
While you should only go through the types of fasting mentioned so far for a limited period of time, you can firmly integrate what is known as intermittent fasting into your everyday life. You’re still eating regularly, but there are longer periods when you don’t eat at all and really fast. This includes, for example, dinner cancelling.

When is Lent in 2022?

In Christianity, people traditionally fast the 40 days before Easter, i.e. from Ash Wednesday up to and including Holy Saturday.

This year, the six-week Lent begins on March 2nd and ends on April 16th, 2022.

It is not advisable to strictly fast for the entire duration of “Lent”. Anyone who takes a fasting cure, a fasting holiday or a fasting day usually does so independently of the traditional fasting period.

What does fasting bring?

The supposedly positive effects of proper fasting have not yet been adequately scientifically proven. So far, there have mainly been studies that are based on animal experiments or a comparatively small number of participants. However, according to the Federal Ministry of Nutrition, there are indications that (intermittent) fasting has a positive effect on the brain, heart, fat cells, muscles, intestines, liver and blood.

Possible effects are, for example:

Reduce and prevent inflammation in the body
improved cognitive functions
higher muscle effectiveness
higher stress resilience
However, fasting is not a way to lose weight in the long term. During a zero diet, the body first reduces muscle mass and not fat. In addition, our organism wants to replenish its stores as quickly as possible after a zero diet, so that the well-known yo-yo effect easily occurs here. According to the DGE, only certain forms of intermittent fasting may prove to be a favorable aid for weight reduction.

Strict fasting methods are not suitable for older people, children, young people, pregnant women or people who suffer from certain diseases – they could even worsen the health situation. Uncontrolled fasting should also lead to a nutrient deficiency, cardiac arrhythmia or other complaints. So if in doubt, talk to your doctor. You can also inquire if there are reputable facilities in your area where you can practice proper fasting under supervision.

Correct fasting according to Buchinger: the basic rules

The so-called “Buchinger fasting” was developed by the doctor Otto Buchinger and is one of the most well-known types of fasting today. If you do the program independently at home, you should do it for about seven days.

Proper fasting according to Buchinger includes the following rules:

Lent begins with a day or two of rest to prepare you physically and mentally for the days to come. You take in about 600 kilocalories, mainly in the form of carbohydrates. For example, you can eat mostly brown rice or oatmeal with some fruit and vegetables throughout the day.
The first day of fasting is followed by defecation with the help of Glauber’s salt, laxative drops or laxative tea.
During the fasting period of about five days, you drink about 250 milliliters of tea with a little honey in the morning and afternoon. A quarter liter of fruit juice (freshly squeezed if possible) is on the menu for lunch and 250 milliliters of vegetable broth in the evening.

In addition, you should drink at least two liters of mineral water or unsweetened tea every day.
In some cases, you can also integrate oat or rice gruel as well as buttermilk and skimmed milk (or plant-based alternatives) into the fasting plan.
Use the time when you really fast to calm down inside. So you can do relaxation exercises and breathing exercises or meditations every day.
You should also move every day. So you can do light sporting activities such as walks, yoga or a short jog. Make sure not to overexert yourself physically, especially now, but to listen to your body’s signals.
To avoid a yo-yo effect after fasting and to slowly reintroduce your digestive system to solid food, you should only slowly increase the number of calories each day for the next five to seven days. At the beginning, use foods that are gentle on the stomach, such as potatoes and (steamed) fruit and vegetables, and later also whole grain products and yoghurt or quark. Animal protein should be reintroduced slowly.
Proper fasting also includes avoiding coffee, alcohol, sweets, and nicotine.

This is how intermittent fasting works

You have various options for designing intermittent fasting and adapting it to your lifestyle. The 16:8 method is particularly popular, i.e. fasting properly for 16 hours and eating within a period of eight hours. You simply extend your nightly fasting period, for example by stopping to eat at 7 p.m. the day before and having your first meal at 11 a.m. the following day.

Another well-known strategy involves eating as usual five days a week and then fasting two days straight. The Federal Ministry of Nutrition provides the following information for the fasting days:

Drink at least two liters a day. Use (warm) water, tea, vegetable broth or highly diluted fruit juices or spritzers.
Eat lots of vegetables on fasting days.
Also, include healthy sources of fat, such as vegetable oils (like olive oil or flaxseed oil), nuts, and seeds, in moderation in your fasting diet.
Avoid fatty animal foods. Instead, opt for protein sources with fewer saturated fats, such as legumes and nuts.
Replace white flour products with whole grains if possible. You can use oatmeal, whole grain pasta, spelled or brown rice, among other things.
To enhance your meals and save salt, you can use dried and fresh kitchen herbs, balsamic vinegar, mustard or horseradish, for example.
Also, make sure you get enough sleep and moderate physical activity.
In order to fast properly, you should also avoid stress as much as possible or develop strategies to better cope with stress.

8 tips for sustainable fasting

Instead of giving up all food, you could simply use the fasting period to avoid certain foods.

Here are eight sustainable suggestions:

Eat only regional foods – preferably only those that are in season or come from regional storage. Think about which region you want to limit yourself to: your district, a radius of 150 kilometers, your federal state or the whole of Germany? If you are consistent, you will have to do without a lot – but you can also use this opportunity to consciously find out what is growing and being produced around you and when. Take a look at our seasonal calendar to see what’s freshly available!
Don’t eat meat. Eating less meat is good for the environment and doesn’t harm your health either. Here are 10 tips to go a little more vegan.
Or you can go one step further and try out the vegan diet for a few weeks. It’s worth a try, isn’t it?
Buy only organic products. Far too expensive, you might think now. But is that really true? Just try it.
Don’t eat processed products. Fresh home-cooked food is more environmentally friendly, tastier and healthier than ready-made meals. And you can also easily make finished products such as vegetable broth yourself.
Stick to the 5-a-day rule: two handfuls of fruit and three handfuls of vegetables every day. It’s actually a very simple rule!
Only buy fair trade products. Surely your purchase will be a bit more complex and maybe you have to do without a few things. But fasting is about conscious renunciation!
Only buy unpackaged groceries – plastic fasting, so to speak. This requires a little bit of effort and preparation, but with these 4 simple tips for bulk shopping it will definitely work. Also interesting: plastic-free shopping in online shops

Proper fasting: It’s in your hands

In the end, you have to decide for yourself what “properly fasting” means for you personally and adapt it to your individual situation. If the conventional types of fasting are too radical for you, you can only do without sugar, alcohol, ready meals, meat or cigarettes for a certain period of time.

Fasting doesn’t have to be just about diet either. In the sense of a “digital detox”, you can do without social media, television or your smartphone for a while and thus consciously make time for other things that are often neglected in everyday life. Such a “strict” fasting period can then be the beginning of dealing with yourself and your fellow human beings more consciously and mindfully.

Many people also want to combine fasting with a break from everyday life. A fasting holiday offers the opportunity to consciously calm down and find oneself without the stress of everyday life – for example fasting hiking: for a few days you go without food and hike through nature. Fasting is often done according to Buchinger, but some organizers also offer raw food fasting, smoothie fasting or alkaline fasting. Just do some research on the internet.

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Food

Water Fasting: How Healthy Is It Really?

Water fasting is the simplest and most radical form of fasting: for a few days, you “live” on water alone. This is intended to cleanse your body of toxins, among other things – but this has not been scientifically proven.

From base fasting to intermittent fasting: there are numerous ways to fast. The simplest and most radical of these is probably water fasting. For several days you don’t eat anything, just drink at least three liters of still water a day.

However, water fasting is a bit more complicated, because there is a preparation and a follow-up.

This is how water fasting works

Water fasting does not start with the first day without food, but three days before: During this time, fasting people should eat less and only easily digestible foods.

For the first day of the fasting cure, it is often recommended to completely empty the bowel, for example with an enema or with Glauber’s salt. Both methods will leave you with severe diarrhea, so drinking several liters of water is recommended.

However, purging can also have side effects such as dehydration, nausea and poor circulation. In general, the water diet and the effect of “detoxification” are controversial – you will find out more about that in a moment.

Water Fasting: Does It Really Make Sense?

As a rule, water fasting lasts up to two weeks – during this time, fasting people should drink at least three liters of water per day. Those who have never fasted before should limit themselves to five days. Many websites recommend that the project be discussed with a doctor.

Whether medical professionals would agree to a water fast is questionable. The diet is similar to full fasting because you do not supply your body with any calories or significant nutrients during the fasting period. This means that your body switches to starvation metabolism and uses up available energy reserves. This will make you lose weight quickly, but you will also lose muscle mass. Fasting people are considered to be very susceptible to the yo-yo effect.

Netdoktor also warns of the first signs of deficiency when fasting. These can lead to poor concentration or cardiovascular problems, among other things. Gout attacks can also occur.

Water fasting as a detox method: do we really need to detox?

Like many other fasting methods, water fasting is designed to rid your body of toxins, especially if you’re initially laxing. However, this so-called “detox” is controversial.

According to the consumer center, there is no scientific evidence that the body needs to be helped to detoxify. The kidneys and liver take care of that. A 2014 review came to the same conclusion. As a result, there are few and inadequate clinical studies to suggest that a detox can detoxify the liver.

Water fasting: There are gentler alternatives

According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), certain fasting cures can have beneficial effects on health. However, it is questionable whether this is also the case with the extreme form of water fasting.

There is no indication that water fasting in particular is supposed to be healthy. Instead, it is associated with some strong side effects. Other fasting methods such as Buchinger fasting, interval fasting, or dinner canceling are less stressful on your body. Also try our alternative fasting plan with unusual ideas.

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