Is Fasting Like Beyoncé Healthy for You?

Had too much rich food and drink over Valentine's Day? 

You're not alone. 

The heavy meals, chocolate, alcohol, and lack of sleep can leave many feeling sluggish, bloated, and in need of a reset.

This is where fasting comes in. 

You may have heard the buzz around fasting and its potential health and weight loss benefits. 

Even Beyoncé turned to fasting, shedding 20 pounds in 2 weeks with maple syrup, lemon juice, water, and cayenne pepper for her role in "Dreamgirls."

While dramatic, this fast may be too intense for most people.

In general, when fasting is done correctly, it gives your digestion a break and lets your body focus its energy on self-healing and renewal. 

I like to think of it as hitting the “reset” button.

When fasting, your body can effectively concentrate on essential things like detoxing your liver and kidneys. 

Many underlying problems can heal when the body is given a chance to cleanse properly and be rebuilt. 

Cleansing yourself from the buildup of toxins gives the trillions of cells in your body a chance to cleanse and heal whatever might be negatively affecting your body.

Be Informed 

You do need to know how to go about it, as just diving into a fast without knowledge could mean you end up feeling really hungry and even experiencing unpleasant detox symptoms as part of the cleanse your body is going through.

Especially as individuals have various fasting responses and techniques to try.

With plans ranging from anything from intermittent fasting windows to more intense fasts of up to several days. 

Suddenly, restricting your food intake can be challenging without knowing what you are doing, so it’s always best to consult with a dietician or nutritionist to have all the information you need beforehand. 

One of the best things you can do is to gradually accustom yourself to healthy eating leading up to fasting. 

Work on small goals per week, such as adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet each day… or beginning your morning with a large glass of warm water and lemon. 

As you do this, you can work up to taking longer fasting windows, or include a day of the week where you only consume raw food, or raw fruit and vegetables juices and smoothies. 

In fact, deciding to follow a juice fast where you consume just juices rather than nothing at all is a deeply nourishing way to cleanse your body, as you will still be receiving all the nutrients you need without the work of digestion. 

You will experience a lot of discomfort if you suddenly decide to fast the day after over-eating a ton of refined carbs, or drinking a lot of alcohol or caffeine. 

The symptoms of detox could make you feel quite unwell. 

The Bottom Line 

Embarking on properly designed cleanses and fasts gives your body a chance to pause from dietary and lifestyle habits that can be causing health issues. 

Even if you don’t feel you need to do it, everyone has some level of toxic buildup – even without visible symptoms. 

Just make sure you follow a plan that has been created for you.

Don’t just decide to stop eating without knowing what you are doing or how it will affect your body. 

Listen closely to your body and go at your own pace. 

With the right approach, fasting offers cleansing and renewal precisely when needed.