PLAN 3 – FAST FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Crash course on fasting
What is fasting?
Fasting means you willingly refrain from eating, for a period of time. The metabolic status of a person that hasn’t eaten overnight, is referred to as fasting.
Tips to help fast safely:
Stay hydrated
Keep fasting periods short
Don’t break your fasts with a feast
Go for walks or meditate
Stop fasting if you feel unwell
Eat enough protein
Protein list
What can I consume during fasting periods?
As a general rule, the body will remain in a fasted state, as long as when you drink something, it has less than 50 calories.
I usually try to stick to:
Water (still or carbonated)
Tea (black/green)
Coffee (hot/iced)
Soda water, helps when I have food cravings
Every person is different. If you feel like it, some people say that you can add:
Coconut water
Homemade broth
Green juice (extractor)
WATER
Make sure you drink sufficient water during the day when you fast. Flat, mineral or carbonated water.
What you are allowed to add to your water:
Lemon
Lime
Slices of other fruits (infused water, do not eat the fruits or drink the juice from the fruit)
Vinegar (raw/unfiltered, apple cider vinegar)
Himalayan salt
Chia seeds (1tbs)
Flaxseeds (1tbs)
What you’re not allowed to add to your water?
Sweetened powder/drops (sugar-free or not)
COFFEE
On a fasting day, you can consume up to 6 cups of coffee. Black coffee is preferable, it can be caffeinated or decaffeinated, or an unsweetened iced coffee.
What you are allowed to add to your coffee:
Coconut oil
MCT oil (medium-chain triglyceride oil)
Grounded cinnamon, for flavor
Butter
Ghee
Heavy whipping cream (35% fat)
Half and half
Whole milk
Avoid low-fat and skim milks, powdered dairy products, and natural or artificial sweeteners of any kind.
What did she say?
Butter? Ghee? Oil?
In my coffee?
I know right?!
Not my cup of tea either, although I have to admit my naturopath in Ubud suggested a drop of coconut oil. Which I followed, and my hunger cravings came later, and my bowel movement improved.
We are all unique in our own way, try it and see what fits best.
The recipe that follows is bulletproof coffee, and is mostly used by bodybuilders.
They call it fat burning coffee.
I tried it, again not my thing, but it might work for you.
The drink is designed to keep you feeling full all morning, it helps you get into ketosis, which is where you burn fat as fuel rather than counting on glucose from a normal heavy carb diet.
RECIPE BULLETPROOF COFFEE/TEA
It can be consumed once a day while fasting, it will help you feel satiated.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of coffee
1-2 tbs coconut/MCT oil
1-2 tbs butter
1-2 tbs of whipped cream (min. 35% fat)
DIRECTIONS
Add equal parts butter, oil, and cream to the coffee; blend until creamy.
HERBAL TEA
During your fasting period, you may consume an unlimited amount of herbal teas. Black tea is preferable, or an unsweetened iced tea.
What are you allowed to add to your tea:
Coconut oil
MCT oil (medium-chain triglyceride oil)
Grounded cinnamon, for flavor
Butter
Ghee
Heavy whipping cream (35% fat)
Half and half
Whole milk
Lemon
Avoid low-fat and skim milks, powdered dairy products, and natural or artificial sweeteners of any kind.
HEALTH-PROMOTING PROPERTIES OF HERBAL TEAS
Herbal teas naturally free of calories or sugar, come in a variety of delicious flavors.
While more research is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that:
Lemon balm tea helps in relieving anxiety. It improves heart, skin health, and antioxidant levels.
Passionflower tea relieves anxiety and improves sleep.
Sage tea benefits colon and heart health. It also improves cognitive function and memory.
Ginger tea stimulates the immune system, it’s a remedy against nausea, it relieves period pains and offers benefits for people with diabetes.
Green tea is a good appetite suppressant.
Black tea, oolong tea, and bitter lemon tea; can help lower blood sugar levels.
Cinnamon chai tea, can help lower blood sugar levels and is great for surprising cravings for sweet foods.
Peppermint tea is a good appetite suppressant and is good to relieve discomfort in the digestive tract.
Chamomile tea is calming and a great sleep aid. It helps relieve premenstrual symptoms and high blood lipids, blood sugar, and insulin levels.
HOMEMADE BROTH
To help you through your fasting days, you may consume as much broth as you need to. During your first few fasting periods, you might experience some lightheadedness. This is caused by dehydration and decreased levels of electrolytes. By consuming a nice homemade broth it can easily be remedied. Use either vegetable broth or broth made with the meat or bones of any animal or fish. Unlike vegetable broth, bone broth contains gelatin. If you have arthritis or other joint problems, it will be very beneficial for you. You’ll need less and less homemade broth during your fasts, as time goes on.
What are you allowed to add to your broth:
Onions or shallots
Carrots
Leafy greens
Any vegetable that grow above the ground
Animal meat
Animal bones
Fish meat
Fishbones
Himalayan salt
Any herbs (dry or fresh) and spices
Ground flaxseeds (1tbs per cup of broth)
Bitter melon
Avoid adding vegetable puree of any kind, potatoes, yams, beets, and turnips. Do not buy store-bought broths, even organic.
RECIPE HOMEMADE BONE BROTH
INGREDIENTS
24 cups water
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1-kilo animal bones (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, or other)
1 medium onion
3 large carrots
10 celery stalks
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 tbs Himalayan salt
Pepper to taste
Fresh/ dried herbs or spices of your choice (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Place bones into the water-vinegar mixture, and let it soak, while you cut the vegetables.
Add onion, carrots, celery, bell peppers, herbs, pepper and salt.
Bring almost to a boil, and then let it simmer.
Fishbones: 4- 8 hours
Poultry bones: 18- 24 hours
Beef/ pork bones: 24- 48 hours
Add any fresh herbs, if using, 30min before the end.
Turn off the stove, and let it cool down for 30min. Strain out veggies, bones, and fat.
You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. In the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to keep them in containers, ice cube trays, or muffin tins.
PRO FASTING TIP
Roast the bones on a baking sheet for 30min before making the broth, for more flavor.
Once your broth is ready, only drink the water.
HOW DO I BREAK MY FAST?
Generally speaking, you should break your fast with a light meal, that doesn’t contain calories. The best way to break your fast is to start off with a light meal:
– Tomato and cucumber salad, seasoned with some olive oil and parsley. Try and keep your protein source to poultry and fish
– An egg and a quarter of an avocado
– A cup of almonds
CAN I EXERCISE WHILE FASTING?
Certainly, benefits include:
Due to increased adrenaline, you can train harder
Due to increased fatty acid oxidation, you’ll burn more fat
Due to increased growth hormone, you’ll recover from a workout and build muscle faster
Perfect! Burn fat, build muscle, and train harder!
If you follow a very low carbohydrate diet, also known as a ketogenic diet. You’ll train your body to burn fat. During fasting, our body switches from burning sugar to burning fat.
