Tips To Safely End Your Fast Physically
As we end our 21 day progressive fast, please be careful in how you reintroduce foods to your system. Most should be able to return to normal eating within 2-3 days. There is a period of adjustment. This is because two things have happened to the digestive system during a prolonged fast.
1. The stomach has been slowly shrinking. By the end of the fast, the stomach’s capacity for food is nothing like it was at the beginning. Even the smallest amount of food can make you feel full.
2. The organs in the body that are usually involved with assimilating food have taken a rest. You could think of it as if the organs have gone into a kind of sleep which became deeper as the fast was extended.
Therefore, when you break your fast, be careful:
How much you eat
What you eat
How you eat it
Give your stomach time to return to normal size and the digestive organs time to “wake up” fully. When breaking a fast, some foods are more suitable than others. Start with a small quantity, diluted if necessary. Drink it every two to three hours the first day. Increase the quantity gradually and you’ll soon be able to take the fruit itself. At this point, milk can be taken. Milk in the form of yogurt taken with fruit would be beneficial.
Gradually return to regular eating with several small snacks during the first few days. Start with a little soup and fresh fruit such as watermelon and cantaloupe. Advance to a few tablespoons of solid foods such as raw fruits and vegetables or a raw salad and baked potato.
Fresh salad (no dressing), vegetable soups (no fat), and cooked vegetables may be included at this point, always starting with a small amount of anything new and gradually increasing.
Next, you could include a little toasted bread with a small slice of butter, but no cakes, pastries or cookies. Starchy foods are not good at this stage. Introduce protein first in the form of cheese or eggs (or Greek yogurt), with fish and meat last of all.
Eat slowly; chew thoroughly. Chew your food well so that it is reduced to liquid before swallowing. When you begin to feel full, stop eating.
Rest as much as you can during the period of reintroducing food to your system. It will let your body concentrate on digestion and assimilation. Try not to become too active too soon.
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