Foods To Eat When Ending A Fast

Fasting by not consuming anything but water is a poor choice for weight loss. Without the proper calories that your body needs to function, you could begin feeling dizzy, nauseous and faint. Besides that, a fast can result in a slowed metabolism as your body begins to retain calories for long periods without food. Still, if you've been fasting and you're ready to break that fast in favor of healthier diet options, take care that you don't eat normally too soon. Eating too much too soon can make you feel nauseous.

Dangers of Fasting

While short-term fasting of less than 12 hours for religious purposes is typically safe, not eating because you'd like to lose weight is a dangerous move. As you deprive your body of the nutrients that it needs, you put your body in starvation mode, where it stores any calories you do consume and burns muscle for continuous energy. The result is a slowed metabolism and weak body that may be slightly thinner, but much less healthy. Eating a healthy diet and getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each day is a much better way to fulfill your weight-loss goals.

Smoothies

Coming out of a fast too quickly can make you feel nauseous. The best way to ease back into eating normally is to start with foods that are easy to digest but still high in nutrients. A fruit or vegetable smoothie offers vitamins like A and C, without being difficult to digest. You can also add powdered whey protein to supply your body with energy as you end your fast.

Soup

As the day after you end your fast progresses and a fruit smoothie has agreed with your system, add in soups. Blended soups, like tomato or broccoli and cheese don't have any large pieces to digest, making them easier on your system. Soups, particularly vegetable-based soups, are high in fiber to help restore some regularity to your altered digestive system, which can help reduce your risk for upset stomach and constipation after your fast.

Yogurt

As you become ready to add more solid foods into your diet after the first 12 to 24 hours of your fast, yogurt can help fill your digestive system with the healthy bacteria L. acidophilus. L. acidophilus helps break down food in your digestive tract so that it's easier to digest, absorb and expel when necessary. Yogurt can also act as a snack to restart your metabolism. By eating five or six small meals per day, you keep your metabolism burning calories in preparation for the next meal, rather than storing calories in preparation for periods of starvation.