Fasting Made Easy!!
How to start fasting to lose weight and improve your health…..
You might have read about the amazing stories of celebrities such as Adele doing intermittent fasting and Keto to lose weight and wondered if you could do this too????
How do you start?? Will you be so hungry that you can’t work or take care of your family?? Will your body go into starvation mode and your metabolism slow to a crawl?? Will you just have to lie in bed all day unable to function??
Our bodies have evolved over the millennia to fast. Our ancestors faced times of famine, and their bodies would burn the extra stored fat from the times of feasting……. In fact, during a time of famine, people had to work harder to find food, so their metabolism would go up, not down…… Also, mental focus would increase to help our ancestors find a new food source….
Fasting will increase your metabolism and cause your body to burn fat!!
When you fast, your insulin levels go way down and hormones are released to improve metal focus and energy……… Your body will start to look for energy and will have to burn fat, not muscle!! Think of your body as a wood stove, you have firewood ( stored fat) and furniture ( muscle). Do you burn the firewood or furniture when you are cold?? In fact, you will notice that you feel thirsty and slightly chilled when fasting. This means your metabolism is going into overdrive and burning fat……. Make sure to drink lots of water!!!
You will only feel hunger when fasting a few times a day for 20 minutes!!
This is the amazing thing about fasting!!! You will eat your last meal in the evening around 7pm- 8pm, then wake up hungry. But, you can drink coffee ( I add full fat cream which does not increase insulin) and off to work you go……. Your hungry goes away……… Your stomach may growl occasionally, but cold tea, sparkling water, and a cup of chicken bouillon will stop the growling and hunger pains…….
Break your fast with a healthy salad….
When you fast for the first day, break your fast around noon with a healthy mason jar salad. The next day, wait for 15 minutes more until 12:15 pm. Each day add another 15 minutes until you get to 2 pm. If you eat your last meal at 8 pm, eating at 2 pm would be an 18 hour fast. If I can’t eat at 2 pm, I eat a small pack of Planter’s peanuts until I can eat my salad. Or I will try to go 24 hours until 8 pm.
Mason Jar Salads are easy to make and last in the fridge for days!!
I like to prepare my mason jar salads on Sunday. I chop up chicken, ham, bacon, or turkey and place in the bottom of the jar. Next, I add shredded cheese and boiled egg ( skip the egg if you want the salad to last a few days). Add chopped cherry tomatoes, mini-peppers, cucumbers, olives, mushrooms, etc……. Squeeze 3 cups of mixed greens in the top of the jar and tightly put on the lid ( I ordered plastic lids on Amazon).
Salad will taste so good when you are hungry!!!
You are soooo hungry!!! You will begin to crave your salad every day and your hands will shake a little as your pour the salad on your plate!! Drizzle your favorite full fat dressing on your salad or make your own dressing with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salad has never tasted so yummy!!!!
Homemade Italian Dressing is so easy to make!!
I would bring a bottle of extra virgin olive oil ( buy the most expensive in a glass bottle and cold pressed from Italy, HomeGoods has the best prices) and balsamic vinegar to work and drizzle on my salad. At home, I whisk the olive oil and vinegar in a small dish, add 1 tsp oregano, and 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt and a squeeze a half a lemon……..
Your healthy salad will help your immune system and fight cancer!!
Fresh spinach, kale, mixed greens, peppers, and tomatoes are high in vitamins A, B C, E, K, folic acid, iron, potassium, calcium, fiber, plant compounds and antioxidants. Antioxidants may slow down cancer growth and boost the immune system. It is best to get your vitamins and minerals from a fresh diet and not a multivitamin. Multivitamins may cause you to have an excessive amount of vitamins and minerals which can hurt your health. Please consult your doctor what vitamins you should take when starting a healthy diet full of fresh veggies and berries.