Fasting in various forms has been shown to have a number of health benefits and can not only prevent, but even reverse certain diseases. It gives your body a break, so that it can reset the digestive system and flush out accumulated toxins, leaving you feeling overall lighter and energized. On top of these main benefits, it can help you break unhealthy eating habits and stimulate fat loss.
While it is true that our bodies are naturally detoxing every day through our livers & kidneys, a fast can take the stress off your digestion for a bit and therefore make it even easier for your body to do its job.
I have experimented with different forms of fasting (for instance intermittent fasting), but the first thing I ever tried was a 3-day smoothie detox by Dr. Oz. It consists of a breakfast, lunch and dinner smoothie, which add up to about 3L of smoothies per day, and which I would make on each of those 3 days (I don’t take the supplements or do the recommended baths, I just drink the smoothies). The images below feature the exact recipes, but you can also download them here.
Instructions:
- Wash the produce and peel wherever it makes sense (cucumber, celery, pineapple, avocado, mango).
- Cut everything up and throw the ingredients for one smoothie into the blender.
- Do this for all 3 smoothies and then refrigerate. I usually make them at night and take them to work the next day.
The smoothies you need for this program are made with a blender – in contrast to a juice cleanse, which is using a juicer. I am experimenting with juicing right now and will write a separate blog post about it. The main difference between smoothies & juices is that when juicing, the machine extracts all the juice from the fruits & veggies and leaves the pulp as residue. When you make a smoothie in a blender, there is no residue because you blend everything together. You can find more information on the differences and benefits of both methods here.
If you think “I could never go without food for multiple days”, do not despair because that is exactly how I felt! The first time I did it, it was extremely hard for me not to eat anything for 3 days and I felt really hungry – especially since I usually eat very often. But the second time around it was already easier and by now it is not such a big deal for me anymore. I can assure you that with each time you do it, it definitely gets easier (just like almost everything in life). Fasting does make you aware of how often and in which situations you want to eat, which can be quite surprising.
If you’re not sure whether to do the fast over a long weekend or during the week, I can say that from my experience it’s slightly easier to do it on a weekend. Not only can you make the smoothies fresh (and therefore conserve the most nutrients), but you can better distract yourself from thinking about food (for example go for walks outside, spend a day at the spa, watch movies…). I have also tried it during a work week, however, and found it alright!
If you have any more questions, please leave a comment down below, and I will reply as soon as possible!
It is recommended that you consult a doctor before any type of fast or detox, especially if you have special medical conditions.
