LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — There is a way to enrich your life by the foods you eat. There is also a way to enrich your life by, well, not eating any food for a short period of time.
According to Angela Cooper, dietitian at Henry Ford and Sunset Wellness, eating a healthy diet is one thing, but fasting from an unhealthy diet is another.
Cooper said fasting can be beneficial because it lowers inflammation and blood sugars, helps promote weight loss, and improves insulin resistance.
But Cooper said the most important part about fasting is what foods you are breaking the fasting with.
She said you have to make sure your choices are a good variety of carbs, fats, lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits. She recommends a well-encompassed, nutrient-dense meal right after a 12-14 hour fast.
“You want to make sure you’re eating the right balance of foods. Avoid refined carbohydrates, stay away from added sugars, and most importantly add in fruits and vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats,” Cooper said.
She recommends when completing a fast, eating a meal such as oatmeal with nuts and seeds, chicken and broccoli, chicken salad, salad with beans, and a vinaigrette.
Cooper said it’s also important to make sure that during the fast, and upon finishing, to drink 60-100 ounces of water a day.
Cooper said if you’re eating a diet that is high in fat, processed foods, and sugar you tend to feel sluggish and tired, which brings you down.
So she urges people to run ‘fast’ away from those food types and recommends that if you want to try fasting, to do a 12-hour fast to start.
