3 Ways how to fast, the right way!
There are 3 types of Raijon Fasting:
#1 Reset Fast
#2 Four Season Fast
#3 Regular Fasting
Fasting is for everyone. Especially for those who are taking on a new lifestyle of eating. Fasting is completely safe and healthy for your body! By taking a break from eating, this gives your body time to ‘catch up’ on loose ends. Our bodies use about 70% of our energy to digest food; no wonder we have that afternoon crash and think we need a toxic caffeine fix! If we even stop eating for 1 day, imagine what our bodies could do with that extra energy; have the energy to focus at work, catch up on bills, play with the kids, or go exercise! But most importantly because the body doesn’t have to spend energy digesting food, the body has a break so it can repair itself. For example, what happens to workaholics? They eventually break down, emotional, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Just as everyone needs a break from work, so does the body!
Fasting will keep you looking young. Yes, fasting will help those signs of aging! By fasting, the body will have more energy to rebuild and repair cells. The more food we put into our bodies, the harder the body has to work. Not only will you look younger, with a lower caloric lifestyle, you will also live longer! Studies on rats prove that those with a restricted caloric diet live longer than their counterparts who have ample access to a higher caloric diet.
“The observation that laboratory rats not only live longer but also have fewer age-associated diseases when their food intake is restricted dates back to the 1930s. Numerous subsequent studies have found that when the ad libitum food intake of mice and rats was reduced by 30 to 60 percent, the average life span and the maximal life span (the mean survival of the longest-lived decile) increased by similar amounts. In contrast, rats with nearly unrestricted caloric intake (92 percent of the average unrestricted intake) that were kept lean with exercise and weighed about 40 percent less than sedentary control rats with the same caloric intake had an increase in the average life span but not in the maximal life span. In all these studies, the life-extending benefits of caloric restriction depended on the prevention of malnutrition and a reduction in overall caloric intake rather than any particular nutrient.”
Please keep in mind these following important notes:
Fasting alone should never be a lifestyle! Those struggling with eating disorders should not adopt fasting as a way of eating.
If you have major health concerns or you are on medication that could negatively affect you without proper caloric intake, you should not try fasting until your body has healed and is ready to do so.
People who can benefit from fasting are those who want to heal, live longer, look younger, detox, seek mental and spiritual clarity, lifestyle change, need extra time, or for those who want to lose weight (should be sustained if eating habits are improved after fasting).
Fasting alone is never intended to be a lifestyle. Fasting is temporary, no one can live forever without eating!
The 3 Types of Raijon Fasting
#1 Reset Fast
Part One: 1 to 2 days of water & optional fresh squeezed lemon
Part Two: 3 to 8 days of Raijon’s Green Juice
Part Three: 3 to 10 days of Raijon’s Green Smoothie
The Reset Fast is mostly for those who need a eating reset. The option of the amount of days spent in each part depend your body’s needs and fasting experience and tolerance. If you have never fasted before, I recommend you start with a mini fast of 24hrs. Also the day difference can depend on your body, for example; if you are someone who is in their late forties or more then 20lbs over weight with low libido and are in need of a serious life change, I recommend the longer days. Or if you are a smaller framed 21-year old girl who is looking to fit into your shorts for the summer, I’d start with the minimum amount of days. The amount of days spend in each Part depends on your body; the unhealthier you are, then more days you should spend in each section. Over the years with practice, you will find the perfect amount of days for your Reset Fast.
This Fast should be done at minimum 1x a year, and max 3x year spread out evenly over 4 months. Everyone needs to clean out their body. I find New Years to be a perfect time to do it because everyone else seems to get into diet-mode anyway!
In Summary, you can do this fast between 7-20 days, depending on what your body needs. No matter the amount of days right for your body, it is important to go through each stage in order.
#2 Four Season Fast
24 Hours of Water & optional fresh squeezed lemon
This is the fun one! Fast for 24 hours every kickoff of the season: the first day of winter, spring, summer, and fall. I recommend start fasting at dinner the eve before to lunch the day of: this helps not to over eat at dinner time the day of. I really enjoy taking these days to reflect on the past season and prepare for the new. For example, for the first day of spring is a great time to get into spring-cleaning gear or the first day of fall is great for a leaf yard-clean up. No matter how you spend your day, fasting is a good reminder to be thankful and reflect on all seasons of life.
#3 Regular Fasting
Option 1: Once a week: of 24 Hours of water & optional fresh squeezed lemon
Option 2: Twice a week (not consecutively): of 24 Hours of low calorie intake (Men 500-600kcal, Women 400-500kcal)
Option 3: Once a month: 3 consecutive days of water & optional fresh squeezed lemon.
Everyone should do one of these fasts on a regular basis to gain the benefits of fasting. What is most important is that you find what works best for you. Also, a good rule of thumb is to fast lunch to lunch, for example: On Sunday eat lunch and skip dinner, then for a 24 hour fast, on Monday skip breakfast and start eating again at lunch time (I recommend fast Lunch to Lunch, because by dinner time after a day of fasting it’s so easy to over eat!)
Questions:
1. Where can I find Raijon’s Green Juice & Smoothie?
Click here for Raijon’s Green Juice Recipe
Click here for Raijon’s Green Smoothie Recipe
2. Should I take vitamins and supplements while fasting?
Ideally, no. Unless you are on some important prescription for health reasons. Your body during fasting is trying to detox; your body is going through a dumping phase, so even though vitamins have their importance, take a break from them during fasting. Besides vitamins on an empty stomach will probably make you vomit! Especially fish oil, been there done that!
3. How much water should I be drinking daily?
Divide your current weight in in half, and that equals the number of ounces of pure water you should drink. For example, if you weigh 140lbs, you should be drinking at least 70oz of water. However, if you are also trying to lose weight, you should drink an additional 4oz for every lb. you want to lose. Also, you should drink an additional 16oz of water for every 30mins of strenuous exercise. Happy hydrating!
4. Can I do all 3 simultaneously?
Technically yes, but don’t overdo it; listen to your body. For example, if you’re doing the Reset Fast and the first day of spring happens to be on day 12, if you want you can do water instead of smoothie, but again listen to your body.
5. Will I feel hungry?
Probably. Days 1-3 are usually the strongest hunger pains, but keep in mind your body is not actually hungry. The ‘hunger’ you feel is the excess stomach acid, your stomach shrinking, and your body’s cry for water; this is a good thing! If doing the Reset Fast, you may not experience true hunger until days 6-10!
6. Will I get sick?
You might, but it depends on how unhealthy your body is to begin with. If you get sick, this is another good thing! Your body is getting rid of the bad stuff! You might get a sore throat, coughing, fever, chills, etc. Everyone will have a different experience. Even if you don’t get sick, you may experience a ‘hot head’ mistakenly for a fever; this is a sign of detoxing and/or your pineal gland activating.
7. Can I fast while pregnant?
I do not recommend fasting while pregnant or nursing, however I do strongly recommend it before pregnancy to get a women’s body as healthy as possible.
8. Will sport drinks, coffee, tea, coconut water, or juice count as water?
No. Nothing can replace simple water. I recommend drinking either distilled, reverse osmosis, or spring water. The current water I’m drinking is a local Colorado spring sourced water. What I love about this company is that you can order your water in glass containers! The company is Indian Peaks Spring Water: http://www.indianpeaksspringwater.com/
