How to fast healthily and safely, for weight loss or religious reasons: expert tips on starting and breaking fasts, optimising nutrition, avoiding cravings, and more
- With both Lent and Ramadan currently under way, and fasting for health gaining popularity in general, it helps to know how to fast comfortably and healthily
- Expert tips range from making every calorie count to what foods to avoid and how to keep hunger cravings at bay
Fasting is an important ritual for many faiths. Catholics, for example, are required to fast during the holy season of Lent, specifically on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Muslims have to abstain from food and liquids between dawn and sunset during the month of Ramadan.
Consider these expert tips to optimise your nutrition and prevent overeating during non-fasting periods, deal with hunger and food cravings, counter dehydration, and more.
1. Make every calorie count
When you have a meal, focus on nutrient-dense foods that provide the vitamins, minerals and energy you need to get you through your fasting hours, says Sally Shi-po Poon, a Hong Kong-based dietitian.
She recommends eating balanced meals containing:
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Complex carbohydrates. Whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa and wholemeal bread provide a steady release of energy. These high-fibre foods also help with satiety and digestion.
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Lean proteins. Grilled chicken, fish, lentils, legumes and tofu help repair and build tissue and maintain muscle mass.
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Healthy fats. Unsaturated fats, like avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil, provide energy and are essential for the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K.
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Fruits and vegetables. Besides hydrating your body with their high water content, these provide essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
