An opportunity to get
the most from your detox retreat…
Before it even starts
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Pre-fast suggestions
There is no preparation that is essential for the fasting process, but several things (detailed below) make it that much smoother to transition into the fasting state.
Thus, the more of these suggestions you follow, the more you will assure greater levels of detox, relaxation and regeneration while you're with us.
Do what you can, and congratulate yourself for your accomplishments, rather than negating them by not feeling you have done enough.
1 Month Prior:
Try to eat as healthy and light as you can, and start replacing heavy parts of meals with lighter options, like fruit and salads.
For now, use the same sauces and condiments if you like.
Skip meat and dairy as often as possible, replace with salads, as above, rather than just another heavy bean substitute.
Breakfast can be a fibrous grain (oats, bran, etc.) rather than heavy cooked meat or eggs.
Better still would be entire breakfasts of fruit – it won’t fill you for as long, so be prepared to eat more in an hour or so.
Next step would be to take all the refined cereals from your diet (white bread, pasta, etc.) and replace with whole grain versions - wholemeal pasta, etc. (beware ‘brown bread’ is not the same as wholemeal).
If you feel hungry again sooner than normal – congratulations, not only does this mean you are eating better, but it also means you get to eat more ! You may need to be more generous with how often you eat, rather than how much !
If there are any soft drinks in your diet, get rid of them. These are a major source of dead-calories, as well as problematic chemistry. Drink lots of straight water and herbal tea – there are plenty of spicy ones out there these days, they’re not all flowers & fruit.
Find a source of probiotics – with as many different strains of bacteria as possible - they don’t have to be too expensive. These will inhabit the gut and help you digest food.
If you can, start using psyllium husks. Take a tablespoon morning and night with LOTS of water – it will suppress your hunger by filling your stomach, and provide fibre for the intestines to ‘chew’ on. This is key to getting the bowel moving.
1 Week Prior:
Try using fruit (and Yoghurt if you need more sustenance) for breakfast instead of cereals now. Once you are getting most of your energy from fruit, rather than grains, you will notice how much better you feel for it.
Now is the time to try – you WILL notice the difference, and start to lose weight.
Alongside your main dish of various salads, the occasional baked potato or side dish of a whole grain like brown rice, is an acceptable option, but try not to rely to heavily on them to feel full, better to eat more meals.
Introduce more raw veg in the form of a variety of salad leaves, etc.
IE: We are trying to speed up the bowel transit with fibre instead of slowing it with stodge. More nutrients in, more wastes out.
Try to replace ALL caffeinated drinks (coke as well as tea and coffee) with herbal alternatives. The less of a caffeine withdrawal you have to go through during the week with us, the easier the week will be.
1 Day Prior:
If you have fasted before, then today is a great day to get the most out of the retreat - you can buy yourself another day by fasting today. You could do this either on juice or water - your schedule will determine which is best for you.
If not, then try to keep your food intake especially low and light.
On the way to the retreat drink only water if you can, or if you are gasping, then some fresh juice.
Overall
Please bear in mind that none of the above suggestions are necessary. It is more a list of adjustments that will help your body slip into fasting mode with less fuss.
The closer you can stick to this light regime, the easier and more enjoyable will be your transition into the retreat itself.
Be careful to stay within your limits, and not go beyond what you can handle.
It is better to do half of the suggestions successfully, rather than pushing yourself to hard, and binging at the petrol station on the way down to us.
An opportunity to Know Thyself