3-Day Honey Water Fasting Tips

Lessons From My 3-Day Honey Water Fast

I first learned about fasting with honey from a Chinese book on slimming, authored by a Taiwanese. After my discovery of honey benefits in late 2006, I did my very first honey fast and gained a newfound respect for my body. Now taking just honey and water has become a daily regimen for me; I try to do it several times a year to cleanse the stomach and intestine, and detoxify the body system. While fasting with honey is kind of unheard of in most countries, it is very popular in Taiwan and Japan. Give it a shot to find out the effects on your body, you will be in for a sweet surprise.

Fasting with honey water makes a lot sense to me. Honey contains fatty acids that promote intestinal muscular contractions and has easily absorbable contents such as vitamins and minerals that keep the body in good nutrition balance. And water helps flush out the toxins from the body system. Not only does this recipe help in cleansing our system, it also promotes the ease of slimming and improves our skin condition.

Below records my personal thoughts on the fasting process which I believe would help those who are learning how to detox to form some expectations and better prepare themselves mentally for the three days.

Basic Principles to Stick to in the Fast:

1. You can start the first day by cleansing your system with cinnamon and honey in the morning if you wish.

2. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of pure honey with water or mild tea whenever you feel you need that relief, but don't exceed 200g of pure honey per day. 100gram of honey contains about 300 calories, so even if you take 200g per day, it's only 600 calories.

3. Replace all meals with honey and water or tea. No other food is allowed.

4. Take at least 8-10 glasses of liquid every day.

5. If there's really no way you can imagine yourself tolerating the three day program, you might want to try replacing one or two meals with honey for a start.

Day 1

Starting out can be trying. You feel hungry all the time and constantly think of food, especially food you love. The urge to give up on the fast is strongest on the first day; in fact you will miss food more than you actually feel hungry, so assert your will power. It's normal to feel restless and withdrawn as you feel like you have lost a big activity (eating) in your daily routine. You may even start to feel very apprehensive about not being able to handle the second day of fast. Looking forward to the next two days may make you feel depressive, so just take one day at a time, keep yourself occupied with work.

Stay away from the media featuring cuisine and eating places and people who are having their meals. Occasionally, I feel moments of gastric discomfort, but they go away in minutes.

Day 2

You wake up feeling especially energetic and clear-minded. The body has had an easy time and recovered much during your sleep when there isn't the usual food to digest. Feeling fresh and raring to go, I usually continue with my morning run. It is easier than you actually imagine.

In the afternoon, the hungry pangs will continue to attack and you begin to feel lethargic. Avoid places that you can find food as your sense of smell is especially acute during a fast and the temptations of eating can become even scarier. Motivate yourself by telling yourself that you have already completed half the race, don't lose it to the frequent rumblings of the stomach.

Closing the day with a warm glass of honey water (at about 40 degrees C.) is especially comforting during a fast.

Day 3

You begin to get used to the state of feeling hungry. Exposing yourself to the sight of food and people eating becomes less of a mental torture. Sensations of bloatedness, dizziness, weakness, nausea, or fatigue are effects of detoxifications and are normal. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Your sense of smell also becomes formidable. For instance, from 2-3 metres away, I can smell spring onion from someone's breath and detect if my 8 year-old daughter has washed her hair thoroughly after her bath.

At the close of the day, you begin to feel that you are able to see the light at the other end of the tunnel. But you need to remind yourself not to rush into eating normally the next day. Breaking fast gradually the right way is crucial in completing the fast successfully. To get your digestive engine started again, be prepared to take just soft, non-oily, non-spicy food for the next one to two days.

1. This healthy juice formula is known to be extremely helpful in healing a plethora of sicknesses. Get recipe in: Japanese Juicing Formula for Body Detox.

2. Detox is practised by many cultures for centuries for the maintenance of good health or even overcoming of chronic ailments. More in: 8 Powerful Ways to Detox.

3. Get great tips on how to fast successfully from my 3-day honey water fast experience: 12 Do's and Don'ts on How To Fast With Honey.

4. Sharing with you my first experience with honey water fast: My First 3-Day Fast with Honey (6 Days of Wins and Woes).