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How to Break the FastAll Ireland
| Location: | Tullow, Virginia, Drogheda, Louth, Castlebar, Navan, Mullingar, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow, All Ireland |
| Date posted: |
2013-09-11 11:28 | |
How to Break the Fast by J Fuhrman and Neal Barnard FASTING-AND EATING FOR HEALTH
Breaking the Fast—Food Never Tasted So Good
Finally—what most fasters have been waiting for. Most fasters look forward to
this day, although a few always want to continue, to make sure they have
totally cleaned out their bodies. I reassure them that with proper eating, their
health will continue to improve. With that, they look forward to their first
meal. And what a meal it is! Although it is small, the taste is mighty. After
not eating, one's taste buds are extremely sensitive.
Correctly breaking the fast is very important. Foods must be introduced
slowly and certain foods should not be eaten soon after a lengthy fast. The
digestive enzymes need adequate time to restore themselves after a period of
quiescence. The body shuts down the production of digestive enzymes and we
must give it the chance to adjust to food again.
After about three weeks, most of my patients break their fasts with gradual
increments of fresh fruits or vegetables. They follow a precise eating plan
carefully designed for them for about five to seven days before going home.
They continue to eat conscientiously at home. If they have been chronically ill,
they usually follow specific dietary instructions that they take with them when
they leave. By the time they are ready to go home, they have had their first
postfastirig bowel movement and are usually feeling well enough to manage
on their own.
Typically, juicy fruits are the ideal food to use to break a fast. For the first
feeding, watermelon, about the size of a woman's fist, or one half of an
orange is given every two hours. The fasters are instructed to eat slowly and
chew the food very well. Either fresh-squeezed vegetable or fruit juice may
also be used, about 6 to 8 ounces every two hours on the first day.
On the second day I usually continue the "fruit only" diet with one mediumsized
piece of fruit or melon even, three hours. On the third day, four meals
are given. Lettuce is introduced with the fruit. On the fourth day after the
fast, the patients resume their three-meals-a-day schedules, but the size of
each meal is still smaller than the usual prefast amount. At this time foods
such as zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumber are added. A small amount of
cooked vegetables such as butternut squash or potato can also be added at
this time. Most of those who just completed a fast are overjoyed with each
new addition of food.
The stomach is very sensitive after a long fast. Therefore, individuals should
not be given pineapple or any other food that may be fermented or possibly
be under- or overripe immediately after a fast. Dried herbs or spices can also
be irritating to the lining of the digestive tract and should not be added to
foods. The protective layer of mucus lining the stomach has thinned with
fasting and takes a little time to restore itself. If the food is slightly rotten (for
example, a slightly overripe pineapple) it may irritate the stomach and cause
severe abdominal cramping. Dry food such as a baked potato, grains, or dried
fruit should not be eaten to break the fast. It is important to eat high-watercontent
food for ease of digestion at this time.
If the person has a weakened digestive capacity, such as in irritable bowel
disease, it is preferable to start with something gentle- on the bowel, like a
small, green zucchini, steamed until just soft.
Whole fruit is used more frequently than juice to break the fast because
eating the entire food, fiber and all, will encourage a bowel movement a little
sooner. Since fasters have not moved their bowels for quite some time, it is
reassuring to them to have a comfortable bowel movement before they head
home. It might be more appropriate to break the fast on juice if the
potassium level is getting a little too low and the physician wants to bring it
up quickly.
If a patient is overweight and has a tendency to gain weight easily, he or
she should eat very carefully after the fast. These individuals should eat only
raw fruits and vegetables with the addition of some lightly steamed green
vegetables until they check in with their physician again in two or three weeks
after the fast. Since their metabolic rate is low for the first month 'after the
fast, we emphasize raw food over cooked carbohydrates, as this will prevent
possible weight gain during this postfast period.
Find out more read this book
FASTING-AND EATING FOR HEALTH J Fuhrman and Neal Barnard |
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