Lose weight - this is how I do it. Part 5 Therapeutic fasting

The new year got off to a wonderful start. With a huge flock of coots that came swimming towards my boat right on time at midnight. I was very touched by it because it looked beautiful and also because there was a play on words in it. Blessing is the English word for blessing. And a whole flock of blessing chickens came swimming in.

A little later, the year became more strenuous. I got joint capsulitis in my head joint. Anyone who knows how painful this is in the knee can imagine how it hurts when it's in the neck. Everything tensed up, put pressure on my nerves and I was constantly sick for three days. After prayer and physiotherapy, it got better. And I then took the opportunity to go on a therapeutic fast for several days.

Therapeutic fasting with all the trimmings. Colon cleansing with enemas - that's funny, but it's really good for you. And lots of herbal tea. By the end of the period, I felt really energised again. I no longer felt sluggish as I had in the days and weeks before, but really wanted to get moving, tackle things and so on. And three kilos had disappeared.

The best thing for me: seeing my face again. A few extra kilos are immediately noticeable on my face. Now that they're gone again, the wrinkles are deeper (what a shame!), but I've (almost) got my usual face back. And I'm totally enjoying it. My waist is also back - I really enjoy that too. Being able to put my hands on my hips again and feel the curves and support.

I'm not quite back to my previous normal weight yet, but after the motivating 3-kilo jump, I'll take a more relaxed approach to the next stages: Lots more herbal tea, vegetables, lots of fish, less fruit and carbohydrates. What has really shocked me in the last few days. I read that a normal woman should only consume 50 - 60 grams of sugar per day. This doesn't just mean the evil industrial sugar, but all forms of sugar, even the healthy ones.

On a day when I had to go to an early meeting, I bought myself a green smoothie - or so I thought. But there were no vegetables in it, just pureed fruit, which contained 12 grams of sugar - per 100 ml. 1/4 or 1/5 of the daily requirement. I thought that was quite a lot. And in future I will pay more attention to the amount of sugar in food to get a better feel for it.

Tips for therapeutic fasting

If you want to do (therapeutic) fasting but have never done it before, you should know that

• The body can switch relatively easily from metabolism (drawing energy from food) to catabolism (energy from fat reserves). It does this every day, or more precisely, every night - when we sleep, the body draws energy from reserves. Fasting is nothing more than an extension of the catabolic phase. Once you have made the transition, you hardly feel hungry any more.
• Fasting does not cause you to lose as much weight as some diets - because the body does not use energy for digestion. Shorter fasts (1 - 3 days) are more helpful for cleansing and clarity, not for losing weight.
• For „beginners“, a gentle version with vegetable broth and juices is recommended.
• Suddenly giving up caffeinated drinks can lead to withdrawal symptoms - headaches. So either don't give it up or reduce it gradually before fasting.
• A bowel that has not been emptied can also lead to headaches. Enemas and Glauber's salt (pharmacy) are recommended for emptying the bowels. Drinking one to two litres of naturally cloudy apple juice over the course of a few hours also helps me.
• Drinking enough is important. Preferably filtered water or unsweetened herbal teas (a little honey is ok)
• Heat (hot water bottle or warm baths, e.g. in Dead Sea salt) can support the liver, which is stressed by the detoxification processes.
• Fasting makes the soul more sensitive - fasting periods should not be planned in the middle of a stressful phase, but when there is enough space for rest and relaxation. Many people feel a stronger connection to themselves and also to God during or after periods of fasting.

I fast relatively regularly (several times a year for a few days) and often experience it as an invigorating phase - things often become clearer to me during the fasting periods and I find it easier to develop perspectives. Therefore - a warm recommendation for healthy people who want to do something good for themselves and their bodies.