If your body gets sick it naturally flushes you out and rejects food. 

If body doesn’t suit what you ate, it pretty much does the same. 

This is natural and necessary for your body to reset. 

Sometimes it happens without you knowing why … perhaps it required a restart a rest, a detox. 

We can initiate a similar function by changing what we give our body to process. 

If you are asking body to process 3 meals a day, plus snacks each and every day, then your body may be screaming for a reset… a well needed break, a rest. 

Imagine having to constantly digest. 

Churning through all that input day after day sometimes all day depending on your style of functioning/eating. 

Digesting uses energy, you need energy to digest. 

Often people say to me, that they are more tired than they would want to be, a way to kickstart your body and feelings about food, and boost your overall energy levels is to have a break, ask your body to do less. 

Choose a day or couple of days and in preparation stock up on some fruit you like, some frozen fruit too, and sparkling water 💦

Wake at your usual time… 

It’s more than likely you will feel bloated and already full even though you haven’t eaten for many hours during the night. This is because we don’t process and digest as heavily while body sleeps. Then, as we wake, we begin restoring those daily requirements and functions again. 

Depending on what and how much you ate last night depends on how you function as you wake and begin your day. 

Often not long after we wake and maybe have a warm or cold drink, we begin needing to use the toilet. We now can offload some of that food we have used. We have extracted every bit of nutrients possible and the rest is useless and so excreted. This feeling and part of the process often signals to some that it must be time to stock up again, however, body doesn’t always seek, want and require this. To begin eating, starts the digestion process off again and returns us to that previous state. For the many that come to me, have found that some part of this process is uncomfortable and requires adaption and change. 

When we begin listening to our body we notice different things. 

We must respect our circumstances and environment also. 

It would be interesting to notice that our body does adapt and thank us. 

Imagine an Olympian getting ready for action. They eat a full breakfast and then a couple of hours later, eats a lunch and is expected now to sprint. It wouldn’t be wise, or feasible and would ask the body too much under the circumstances you just fed it, naturally it wouldn’t perform as hoped. 

Now imagine the same Olympian doesn’t need the breakfast as such and chooses something light midway around brunch and drinks lots of fresh water to flush body out of toxins. 

I think the results would be clearer and faster and more beneficial.  

Now I’m not saying you should be Olympian of course, but I do want to to remind yourself and your body that you do actually probably have the capabilities, however you chose a different direction and now body has a different agenda. 

That’s mainly about your programming and what you require and expect from it. 

If a person rarely stops eating the body has the sport of digestion always to contend with. 

There are many important benefits to intermittent fasting that you maybe didn’t already know, so I thought i would share them so that you ARE now in the know,

Weight control

Reducing Hypertension

Lowering Cholesterol

Reducing Blood Sugar levels

Helping to prevent Diabetes & Cardiovascular disease.

Let’s look at some easy switches. 

If you are getting to the point where body is crying for a rest, some days you feel it more than others … you can choose to reset. 

So then, where were we, ok… Get up, have a glass of water, you shouldn’t need anything sweet as you wake, unless you are chasing a habit or something you ate that was super sugary last before sleep. Drink the water and add a few pieces of frozen fruit to it if you must. You can also drink tea or coffee without milk and sugar. Use the toilet as planned. If you struggle with activation and you want a healthy option, then drink boiling/warm water with a spoon of honey. Add lemon/lime or any citrus if you want to, or as I mentioned earlier tea or coffee without milk or sugar. This should help with bowel movement. Have more water to replenish yourself afterwards and during the day. 

Wait, listen and see how you feel, see what your body says and how it speaks to you. It may rumble and grumble as the day goes by but it’s unlikely to be in any physical pain. This tends to be more of a psychological connect thats occurring.

Drink water when you feel you could eat. 

Let’s notice that we all fast. When we stop eating at night to sleep most of us are already fasting for 8 hours, naturally and necessarily. We just extend this period. Start smaller if you need to but know it’s perfectly healthy to do, despite what you have probably been led to believe. 

I’m not great on times as I always take lead from body, but mind does like to calculate so, if you did another 8 hours during the day of water and feeling more free you could lightly begin refuelling at dinner time/late afternoon evening. 

This is most common. 

The biggest thing to remember is not to over fill or over eat and stuff your face with all the wrong stuff because you feel starving. 

You are not starving, body has enough supplies and reserves to sustain and support you. 

Feast and famine is not really the extreme idea here. But we can use the saying lightly. 

Choose light foods and fruits to begin the refuelling process. 

And gradually eat a little and see how that feels. 

You may as you listen to body feel satisfied or you may decide that body needs more and it wasn’t enough. Play with this and enjoy getting in touch with what’s required. 

Importantly, Listen!

You may choose on the next occasion to increase your fasting period, perhaps you want to accelerate weight loss and want to move into a more fat burning process. 

Body and it’s metabolic rate changes rapidly during a 24 hour fast. We begin to use up those fats on reserve. The fact is, unless they are burnt through exercise, through illness or fasting those reserves will sit there… waiting for famine…just in case.

This is unlikely to be what you want especially if your objective has been to lose weight. 

I want you to close you eyes and think for me for a few moments…Why do you eat?

Imagine that baby breast feeding.

For thirst, for hunger, for contentment. 

It doesn’t have the selection of temptations at this stage and the objective is to grow. 

Is your objective to grow? 

Let’s say for instance you want to be more healthy and nutritious. 

If you add in all of the fabulous vitamins and minerals, your body upon processing, has less work to do to extract them. Body rests and recovers more. 

Let’s add in a fast again, another reset, let’s detox from all the times food without nutrition has been stored up within the system. Let’s look at releasing some of that for body to give it a helping hand. 

Listen to body. 

If it’s thirsty – drink 

If it’s hungry – wait and question it 

Chances are just because it called you it could be thirsty again. 

It could be screaming at you for vitamins and nutrition. 

Listen. 

Detoxing or/and fasting is not a fad 

Fasting is controlled and not dangerous, it can only be dangerous if you are doing too much and you are not listening and providing for yourself. 

Listen. 

The sounds of my tummy rumbling reminds me I’m alive. I like the feeling, it also is a fab anchor to remind me to check my environment and status at that time … what do I need versus what do I want. 

These forms of control and self discipline are good and they are healthy. 

Never go too far to the point of exhaustion or pain and illness. 

I always recommend writing things down, how you are feeling, make notes of timings if you want to… and certain foods that make you feel cleansed, suppressed in a good healthy positive way. When my clients ask about what to eat and when and begin working with me, I recommend my Food Mood Support Journal which has all the places to add in where you are up to, road mapping your journey and individual story.

Here is the version I created just for you, for ease.

 

First off before the fast fill your tummy to a comfortable point, with nice healthy ‘good for you’ foods…

Show yourself Love & Care in other ways rather than eating.

Make a list of these ways in your book before you get overwhelmed and reach for something you wouldn’t want to…Think about this in advance.

Remember it is natural to feel hunger pangs/phases and sensations. This does not mean you have to eat right away, its a bit like needing a wee, it comes on but if you distract yourself a little because its not a convenient time for you then it goes off and then returns later.

When we think about fasting, Some basic fasting formulas are this :

Time frames for fasting tend to be as follows:

8 hrs 

16 hrs 

24 hrs 

32 hours 

There are methods you can use also to develop patterns and shifts with your lifestyle.

One version that seems to suit me mostly on a day to day basis is the I CAN Warrior way (thats what I refer to it as) where I will only eat for a 4 hour period at night…when I do this, as the warriors used to, I will only tend to eat unprocessed, nutritional foods that my body can use properly for fuel.

Some prefer to fast one day on and one day off and that works for them. I do think this requires extra discipline to see if it could be build properly into your lifestyle. Again you never have to stick fully to anything fast… if you excuse the play on words here.

All variations should have ample water and fresh fruit available, the idea is not to try to limit yourself to the point of death so keep going with water and take it easy. Remember, you are safe to have tea or coffee without milk or sugar.

Remember you don’t have to go all the way!

You can take it easy and play with the amount of hours that suit you and your work/rest routine. Also remember that eating a standard breakfast, lunch and dinner, lets say 8am, 12noon, and 6pm approximately is a typical for here in the U.K. However that regime is set up for a system of a 9-5 style schedule … and thats worth bearing in mind and perhaps needs adjusting to enable you to have your best day!… and night of course!

When the time for you comes again to eat… The best thing is fruit, especially the juicy ones, water melon etc. Fresh Vegetables are a great way to begin eating again now too as it’s full of good stuff, plus they taste different after a rest. Try it!

Limit your activity/ exercise as it’s not always ideal to exert yourself on little fuel and enjoy taking it easier all around. You might just look forward to exercising a little more on the days of eating, or you may find you work better without, it really is personal preference.

It really is a well deserved break that can be needed, check your body and ask it. 

Also, after you complete your fasting period, well done in advance by the way! It does get easier I have to say. Here’s some of what I call safe foods, so that you don’t feel like you have done it all for nothing, by bingeing afterwards. 

Water 

Fresh fruit – especially and particularly water melon

Frozen fruit 

Veg after the main fasting process and eat which ever varieties you like

Eat small amounts and really taste everything and stop regularly to check how you feel. 

After a few sessions it will become much easier and providing you stick to the above you will notice your body shape changing. 

Use these age old methods of intermittently fasting alongside a nutritious healthy daily plan for amazing results … 

I CAN Nourish does just that. 

A plan that nourishes and nurtures you every step of the way. Moving you from out of control and overweight, to in charge and slim. 

If you need a simple new system to replace your old pattern look no further, use this to support all of your mind and weight requirements.

What are you weighting for … 

Ps. when the doors open, it will be a first come first served to receive a complimentary physical copy of I CAN Cook secret recipe book with every course!!!

Enjoy…Much Love Sj