Every once in a while, I’ll get a call from someone who wants advice on how to go on a short-term fast.  My first response is always the same – “Why?”  Usually, I’ll hear one of two things:  there are those who want to drop a couple of pounds quickly, and then there are those who – for want of a better analogy – want to “clean out their pipes”.  In either case, I suppose part of the appeal of a short-term fast is the sense that, in effect, you’ve “wiped the slate clean” – kind of like changing the oil in your car, or cleaning out your closet. 

A short fast – that is, not eating for a day or two -  probably won’t do you any harm as long as you’re healthy and you keep yourself well hydrated.  Most people will sip on water, broth, herbal teas and 100% fruit juices in the process.   And yes, you might drop a couple of pounds along the way – not unexpected if you eat little to nothing for a couple of days – but most of the weight loss is water, and your weight will probably bounce right back when you start eating again.

I’m not sure why the idea of giving your digestive tract a rest is so appealing, unless perhaps you feel like your system has been abused or overused.  I suppose if you’ve been eating recklessly, then simply not eating is going to bring the bad behavior to a screeching halt.  Of course, not eating badly in the first place makes a lot more sense to me.

So here’s a thought: rather than putting your digestion on hiatus for a couple of days, you could adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle every day, for life.  Start with a diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and high fiber whole grains to help keep the digestive tract running smoothly, and make sure to give your body adequate fluids to help your kidneys do their job.  Then take a regular trot around the block to give your cardiovascular system a workout, and help you work up a sweat.

We don’t ever consider giving our heart or our lungs a time out, so why do we feel the need to shut down the digestive tract for a day or two?  Cleaning up your act temporarily to atone for your dietary sins doesn’t make much sense if you’re just setting yourself up to do it again.  Rather than swinging wildly between ‘feeding and fasting’, wouldn’t it just make more sense to put the right stuff into your system in the first place?

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.

10 Responses to “Digestive health: Facts about fasting”

1. Discover Good Nutrition says:

   November 8, 2011 at 4:35 pm

   Hi Jeff-
   Herbalife shakes are categorized as “Meal Replacements” in all 78 countries where we operate. This means by government standards, people can replace up to two meals a day with two shakes. We do not suggest that people Replace more than 2 meals a day.
   Basically, this means that people can have a shake for breakfast and a shake for lunch, but they must eat a dinner which would provide a balanced diet, such as chicken, fish, rice, beans, fruits, and vegetables. People can replace any two of the three meals they want everyday.

   If an individual wants to have more than 2 shakes in one day, that’s ok, but we do not recommend that they have shakes only. Any additional shakes after the 2 shakes/day is called a “snack”. For example, a person could have a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and healthy dinner around 6pm, and an additional shake around 9pm before bedtime. If someone chose to have even more shakes, then they would be considered additional snacks, but NOT meal replacement shakes.
2. jeff segal says:

   October 31, 2011 at 10:19 pm

   Good morning Susan,
   another question for you? taking formula one shakes more than 3 times a day for more than 3 days is recommended or not, i know some at herbalife take the shakes more than 5-6 times a day. can i have an official stance on this as i was blocked from a discussion on facebook with a group of american herbalife people, because i cared to disagree with taking more than 3 shakes a day.
   thanks …jeff
3. Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD says:

   October 24, 2011 at 2:31 pm

   Hi Deborah-

   We missed your comment but hope to catch up with you now. Your body is designed to effectively eliminate waste – primarily through the digestive and urinary tracts, as well as through the skin. By consuming a healthy diet that includes plenty of plant foods that contain an abundance of fiber and phytonutrients as well as adequate fluids, the body is very effectively able to eliminate waste products. The digestive system does not “divide its energy” expenditure into digestive processes vs. “toxin elimination” – the digestive process itself includes the elimination of waste products. Some people do lose their appetites when they become ill (which can be related to factors such as fatigue, depression or decreased energy expenditure) but that does not support your claim that fasting allows the body to use its energy to, as you say, “fight invading organisms”. In fact, when an individual has a fever, calorie needs can increase by as much as 7% per degree (Fahrenheit) increase in body temperature.
4. Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD says:

   October 21, 2011 at 4:23 pm

   Hi Kathleen-
   Please be sure that your husband discusses his plans with his personal doctor before making any changes to his diet or taking any supplementation. Due to the medical nature of his condition we are unable to provide you with more specific recommendations regarding which products would be best suited for him. There are no specific products or programs that treat or cure any medical condition. The information on the Herbalife Nutrition Institute http://www.herbalifenutritioninstitute.com/en/ and labels available online at http://www.herbalife.com may be helpful for his doctor in determining if any of the products may work for him.
5. Kathleen says:

   October 12, 2011 at 7:37 am

   I am looking for help directly with the kidneys, my husband is wanting to try and use the soy protein to assist in his weight loss program. Too much protein has a backward affect on his creatinine level. Being a stickler with his fruit, vegtables,fish and walking 3 x’s a week we have lowered his levels. His weight on the other hand is not decreasing very well. Have not been able to find any bloggs in reference. Could you please assit?
6. DeborahK says:

   June 9, 2011 at 1:21 pm

   While I agree that people should eat a healthy diet on a regular basis, a healthy fast does more than “wipe your slate clean”. No matter how healthy someone eats there are going to be toxins building up inside their body. Constant intake makes the digestive system have to devide its energy between toxin elimination and food digestion. By temporarily reducing the intake, the digestive system is allowed to shift all of it’s energy to toxin elimination. The body is an amazing thing; when people get the flu and cannot eat for a day or two, the body shifts it’s energy to fighting the foreign invading organism so the body has the ability to shift its energy where needed, if needed and (in the case of fasting) if it is sllowed to do so. Just because people fast for religious/spiritual purposes does not mean that there are no health benefits to fasting.
7. CarolineH says:

   March 29, 2011 at 5:49 am

   Thank you Susan for the information. I thought the article was extremely interesting, and I certainly take your advise for many nutritional topics. Thanks for the facts!
   Caroline from Australia :)
8. Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD says:

   March 24, 2011 at 3:18 pm

   Thanks for writing. While I recognize people do fast for religious or spiritual reasons, this aspect of fasting was beyond the scope of this article. As I mentioned, occasional short-term fasting is fine but to alternate between eating poorly and ‘cleaning up your act’ through fasting, is not the best long-term strategy for healthy eating..
9. Dr. C. Robinson,DC,CICE says:

   March 21, 2011 at 6:37 pm

   I would think that a registered dietician would know something about fasting other than “I’m not sure why the idea of giving your digestive tract a rest is so appealing”. I think I actually squirmed in my seat while reading Ms. Bowerman’s article. There is a book by Paul Bragg (of the Bragg Healthy Lifestyle fame…the guy who basically started health food stores) on fasting that would expand your knowledge vastly above and beyond that of Ms. Bowermans. Fasting is a healing practice both for the physical body and for the human spirit. It has been for thousands of years. Go get the book and some real answers…and have a healthy day!
10. Kathleen Goldson Clarke says:

    March 11, 2011 at 10:05 am

    I totally agree with you here.I make it a lifestyle change to have more vegetables and fibre in my diet and to exercise in order to keep regular, which for me, is the more important thing