Last week, I attended a seminar on "enzyme fasting".
This is quite a trend in Japan right now but since there is so much "information" out there, I don't know where to turn to or what to trust.
By chance, a friend of mine had started incorporating enzymes into her daily diet since last year and has been doing much better since then. She herself is quite slim to start with so this "enzyme fasting" didn't help her loose weight but instead, make her stronger, healthier, and gain the appropriate amount of weight!!
I learned at this seminar that incorporating enzymes into your daily diet and doing a fast doesn't necessarily mean you will loose weight. Some people may gain necessary weight, some may loose considerable amount of unnecessary weight, and some may only see a slight change in weight.
First of all, let's make this clear; "fasting" does not mean "going on a diet to loose weight". The purpose of a "fast" is to rest your digestive system and to clear out your intestines of impurities. Weight loss is basically an end result of this process.
Also, fasting is not for everyone and should never be done alone. What I mean is that you should be in a proper state of mind and health to start a fast. In addition, you should have a "partner" who has some training in enzyme knowledge and fasting knowledge so that they can be there for you during the fast to keep an eye on your progress.
When fasting, there are some side effects that can appear at the beginning and during the fast. Some physical side effects are headaches, nausea, and dullness. The mental or emotional side effects are severe irritation and some depression. Basically, these all occur due to a drop in sugar levels in the blood. We must remember that our bodies are being "starved" so the body it will work to protect itself by burning the calories we have stocked in the fat in our bodies. So, most of those who do a fast experience one or another of these side effects.
But the danger is that many just assume that if we "don't eat", we "loose weight". That is true to a point but then the body tries to protect itself by stocking more into the body once food re-enters the body. This is the well known "rebound" effect. The cycle is, you suddenly stop eating or start skipping meals and then you loose some the weight. But after that you start to eat again but the body panics after the sudden lose of weight that it will not try to burn the food that has entered the body but instead, replace what was lost and to stock up more so that when the same thing happens again, it won't feel panicked. As you can see, it becomes a never ending cycle that increases each time. Weight loss in the form of body fat is desired but usually muscle mass is lost and mistaken for body fat loss.
Normally, to avoid this, a well balanced meal and exercise is the key to healthy weight loss. Body fat can only be reduced properly when the muscles are active and use this fat as energy to be able to function properly. This, of course, is the ideal way.
So like I said earlier, fasting is not a diet but a cleansing of the intestines.
But then what am I getting at?
My point is, doing a fast properly will help one flush out the impurities in the body that has accumulated and create a healthier intestine so that it can absorb the necessary nutrients. By limiting the amount of food coming in to the body for a short period of time, the body will burn the stored calories (fat) to create energy and to keep you going. Also, a cleaner intestine means it can absorb nutrients better so some gain necessary weight that they should have to maintain a healthy body.
Let me give you an example of a "one day fast".
This "one day fast" actually consists of three days.
Day one, eat a normal sized breakfast. For lunch, take a very light meal such as porridge or just soup with a few crackers plus the appropriate amount of enzymes. Do the same for dinner. This will make the body accustomed to having less in the stomach.
Day of the fast (day two), all three meals should be enzymes.
Day three, for breakfast, eat something very light and easy to digest with some enzymes. For lunch, the same or something a bit heavier with enzymes. For dinner, just have a normal sized dinner like usual.
But for some, this may be a bit of a challenge to do right away. So replacing one meal during the day with enzymes is a good way to get used to taking only enzymes.
So far, I've been doing this. I replace either breakfast or dinner with enzymes and the other two meals I have normal portions of a balanced menu. Of course in the beginning I did feel irritated and tired so drank a lot of water and snacked on unsalted variety of nuts to curb the hunger.
Also, one other key point is to drink plenty of water. Not fluids but "water" and if possible, "room temperature water"!! The ideal amount is about 2 liters per day but 1.5 liters would be enough too. At first, it was difficult to drink just water and on top of that, 1.5 to 2 liters of it but now, that's pretty much all I drink. But I now enjoy drinking fruit and vegetable juices too!! I hardly ever pick up any kind of soda pop or tea at the convenience store now. Instead, I have a dozen 2 liter bottles of water delivered to my home once every two weeks. I also have a sports drink called "Aquarius" or "Pocari Sweat" sent once a month too to help deal with dehydration.
Let's see how this enzyme lifestyle and fast works for me. I'll keep you posted!!
