The Diets in Fashion in 2013 - Part 2 - The Fasting Diet

The Fasting Diet

The premiss of the fasting diet is to fast for short periods of time, such as 2 days of the week and then eat a healthy balanced diet for the other 5 days. I myself have tried fasting and it certainly work for me, I lost 5lbs and felt I had much more energy the days following.

Though it may not be the most practical diet, fasting can help the body to lose weight and to detox. How fasting is used for weight loss varies by diet. Some fasting diets involve drinking nothing but water or eating only raw foods for a period of one or more days, while others restrict food on alternate days. The fasting diet getting the headlines lately is the 5:2 approach as described above, so 5 days normal diet 2 days fasting - allowing yourself 500 calories on a fast day, for a women and 600 for a guy. When you fast, your body is forced to dip into energy stores to get the fuel it needs to keep going, so you will lose weight.

As you fast, your body will adjust by reducing your appetite, so you will initially feel less hungry. But once you have stopped fasting, your appetite hormones will kick back into gear and you may actually feel hungrier so the key is too eat one healthy balanced meal on fast days such as a lentil and squash salad and a glass of milk.

Fasting as a detox process.

Your body is naturally designed to remove toxins through the skin (by sweating), liver, colon, and kidneys. Although with today's environment and chemical, fat based diet our bodies are overloaded with toxins. Toxins from sugary drinks and processed food make out livers and kidneys work to the max but by fasting it gives our body a break from the digestion process and forces it into the healing and detox process. Clearing our bodies of toxins and giving us more energy and want for life.

Fasting For a longer life

Studies of fasting in both rodents and humans have indicated a connection between calorie restriction and length of lifespan. It is thought that by fasting and allowing the body to heal rather than process and digest, it can delay the onset of age related diseases such as stoke, cancer and heart disease.

Fasting is certainly the pop star of the diet world just now and information is widely available about the pros and cons of the diet. Check out the Michael Mosley documentary on BBC at www.thefastdiet.co.uk

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3 Great Tips to detox your Kidneys

In order to detox your body, you need to focus on detoxing your kidneys.

Your kidneys need to be healthy and working to maximum efficiency to detox your body of any harmful toxins ingested in food or from chemicals in the environment.

So how can you take care of your kidneys? 

1. Head for the fruit aisle.  

Eat natural, organic, healthy fruit and veg. Fresh fruits and vegetables are key, in addition to low-sodium foods. Try  a healthy papaya and melon smoothie with a great big chunk of ginger. Or start your day with a hot water and lemon detox drink. This will kick start your metabolism and get the kidneys working early on in the day.

2. Make it fresh - kick the salt.

Avoid deli meats and store bought soups, which are laden with salt. Salt will dehydrate the cells of the body and cause the kidneys to have to work harder to eliminate toxins.

3. Drink enough water.

This clears the mind, refreshes the body and helps flush any toxins out of the body.

It's  key to drink fresh filtered water slowly throughout the day, try to aim for at least 6-8 glasses daily.

4. Avoid high phosphorus foods.

Weakened kidneys may struggle to remove phosphorus from the blood. High blood phosphorus levels in turn can lead to calcium loss. Eating fewer phosphorous-high foods, such as the following, may be helpful:

• Dairy products such as cheese, milk, puddings, and yogurt
• Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, and split peas
• Nuts and peanut butter
• Beer, cocoa, and cola soft drinks

5. Give your body some help - add a supplement.

Most often, B complex and vitamin C are recommended, along with calcium and vitamin D3. Iron tablets are sometimes desirable, but only if your health care provider has suggested it.

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