There are many benefits to water fasting.
A fast is a specified period of time where you go without food in order to give your body a break from digestion and to detoxify.
Water fasting requires eating or drinking nothing but water, although small amounts of lemon or lime in the water are acceptable due their alkalizing effects if desired.
Even those who follow an extremely healthy diet can benefit from a water fast, because our bodies accumulate toxins that need to be flushed out periodically. When your body is given a break from the day to day tasks of breaking down the food you ingest and balancing your blood pH, it is easier to detoxify.
How and When to do a Water Fast
Water fasting can be done in whatever time period you feel comfortable with. You may start with one day a week or a weekend and leave it at that, or eventually work your way up to a week or even a month or more. As with anything, the longer you are able to endure a water fast, the more noticeable your results should be.
Because we naturally tend to eat less during the summer months, now is a great time to try a water fast, provided that you don’t schedule it during a vacation, BBQ or birthday party where you will be tempted to indulge in yummy food, or a particularly taxing event on the body like running a marathon or moving house.
How to Prepare for a Water Fast
It’s best to ease into a water fast by building up your vitamin and mineral reserves and drinking only fresh unprocessed juices in the days leading up to the fast. Gentle colon cleansing before and during the fast with enemas is also recommended. Taking it easy and getting lots of rest during the fast is also essential so that your body can fully utilize its energy to heal itself from the inside out.
Benefits of Water Fasting
Jennifer Thompson, author of A Comprehensive Guide to Water Fasting, notes that she was able to dispel over 21 feet of intestinal round worms and lose 33 pounds during her 40 day water fast, as well as feel “clearer in the mind and spirit and more balanced and peaceful” afterwards.
Nedalee Ruiz of Chanson Water USA says, “As a person who has done many water only fasts, my first one being 9 days and my longest being 21 days, I can say that the greatest benefit is the enhanced flavor of food when I return to eating. Not just the joy of having food, but that it tastes so much better than before I detoxed with the fast.”
Breaking a Water Fast
When it’s time to break a water fast, you will want to ease out of it just like you eased into it. Indulging in comfort foods right away can lead to illness, as it is a shock to the system, particularly if you’ve been on a long water fast. Fresh juices and other liquids like blended soups are ideal foods to use to break a water fast.
The Best Type of Water for a Fast
As a general rule, we recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces daily to replace the water you lose naturally. During a water fast, you may need to drink more in order to feel full.
But the quality of the water you drink is just as important as the quantity. Ionized alkaline water from a Chanson water ionizer is believed by many doctors and scientists to be the best kind of drinking water shy of a natural unpolluted spring. Ionized alkaline water is full of bioavailable alkaline minerals and antioxidants which can nourish and energize you while helping you get and stay pH balanced. It has amazing detoxification properties and is supercharged for better overall health.