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What To Drink While Fasting and Praying
Long before intermittent fasting was used as a way to lose weight, people fasted all the time.
But not for the reason you may think.
Many different religions used fasting a way to get closer to their respective God, or to strengthen their faith.
They went without food, water, sex, and other things as a way to strengthen their bond with their savior.
As you know, a fast simply means that you abstain from food for a period of time. But you can’t live without some sort of nourishment.
Fasting and Religion
Fasting, as a religious practice, is abstaining from food and other pleasures to focus solely on God and increasing spirituality.
In the book of Matthew, 6:2:5-12, Jesus spoke these words:
“When you give…when you pray…when you fast…”
Jesus spoke these words, not as a reminder to give, pray, and fast…
…but also to understand the importance of finding God, and increasing their spirituality through prayer and the overall sacrifice of worldly pleasures!
Of course, we are living in a different day and time, but these teachings are still a part of many different religions around the world.
Depending on your religious preference, here are some guidelines you should follow when starting your fast:
Christian Fast
In order to prepare for your fast, start by eating smaller meals a week before your fast.
This will help prepare your body and signal your mind that you can survive on less food.
You should also wean yourself off caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugar prior to your fast to ease the initial hunger and discomfort during your fast.
The last few days before your fast, consider eating more raw foods (veggies and fruits), in order to fully prepare your body for the fast.
Also, you should have prayer meetings and walks scheduled ahead of time to take your mind off your hunger so you can get closer to God.
Judaism Fast
During Yom Kippur, fasting is used to “afflict the soul,” and as a means of repenting.
For some, this may be hard and for others it may be easy. But you shouldn’t make it any more difficult that it has to be.
A week before Yom Kippur, where you fast from the night before to the evening of Yom Kippur, you should start getting your body ready for the fast.
Starting on Rosh Hashanah, you should start to reduce your intake of caffeinated beverages, refined sugar, tobacco products, and anything else you compulsively use.
You should consume plenty of water and adjust your meal schedule to make it easier on your mind and body during the fast.
The meal before Yom Kippur should be a small meal that contains easily digested foods.
Eat plenty of proteins and complex carbohydrates to give you lasting energy during your fast.
Hinduism Fast
There are different ways to fast in Hinduism. You may fast half a day, one day, or more.
It’s also a very important time in Hinduism, and one should follow the ancient practices.
During a fast, you are able to eat one meal on the morning for one week, one meal in the afternoon for one week, then no food at all for a week.
During a fast, you are allowed to have certain foods and you are encouraged to have fruit or fruit juices during your fast to prevent fainting or drastic decreases in your blood sugar levels.
Fasting in Islam
Like other religions, you should start to prepare for your fast by eating smaller meals. Don’t splurge on foods or overeat at meals, as this may make it harder on your body during the fast.
You should also start eating breakfast earlier in the day (pre-dawn) as you are unable to eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset.
Do not snack, just focus on eating three meals a day. You should also try fasting a few days a week on your way to Ramadan.
Fasting For Buddhists
Buddhists monks and nuns follow the Vinaya rules, which forbids food intake after noontime.
This isn’t really a type of fast, but more of a disciplined regimen that improves health and strengthens meditation.
This fasting approach is used during times of intensive meditation or during a retreat.
During this time, most Buddhists monks and nuns follow a mostly vegetarian diet, limiting animal products, except drinking milk is encouraged. Buddhists also avoid the pungent foods such as garlic, welsh onion, garlic chives, and leeks.
What To Drink When Fasting
In a true and complete fast, you should abstain from having any type of food—if possible. Some fasts call for fruit and vegetables juices to help sustain them.
And some religions do allow for certain foods to be eaten. For example, for a fast for a Hindu, you can eat raw bananas, coconut milk, milk and milk products, amaranth grains and flour, and dry fruits and nuts.
But some religions, like Judaism, restricts and food or liquids during Yom Kippur.
If you’re confused by what you can and cannot eat during a fast, here’s a short list you ca refer back to:
These foods may include:
Fresh and dried fruits (berries, apples, melons, and stone fruits)
Fresh vegetables (spinach, kale, corn, carrots, and peppers)
Unprocessed grains (fiber will help stabilize blood sugar levels and eliminate toxins faster)
Nuts and seeds (unsalted almonds and pumpkin seeds)
Cooking oils (high-quality olive and coconut oil, grapeseed oil, peanut, and sesame oils due to the high-quality fat content and the vitamin E)
Fresh fruit and vegetable juices
Water (spring, distilled, and electrolyte-infused waters)
Amla Green Tea
As there are foods that you can eat, there are also foods that you shouldn’t eat. These fasting foods include:
Dried fruits and vegetables that contain added sugar
Meat, Poultry, fish
Fried Foods
Caffeine and coffee
Carbonated beverages
Foods that contain preservatives and additives
Refined sugar or sugar substitutes
White flour
Margarine or shortening
All breads
Dairy (milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.)
Remember:
Most of the fruits and vegetables that are used have high water content and also supply essential vitamins and minerals that your body may lose during your fast.
But:
Some religions avoid fruits and vegetable juices, and instead, focus on water and tea in order to help them curb hunger while focusing on prayer and getting closer to God.
Most religious fasts allow for tea and medications (especially for those with chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes), so you can safely perform the fast without running the risk for serious health concerns.
One tea, in particular, could satisfy both needs during a fast. Amla, another name for Indian Gooseberries, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for the past 5,000 years in India.
This medicinal plant has been used to treat a number of different ailments, due to the antioxidant power of the berry. The extremely high level of antioxidants, found in this berry, could quell inflammation and repair cells that have been damaged by free radicals, or oxidative stress.
We have found a way to concentrate the power of Amla) with Oolong Green Tea leaves to make a powerful, medicinal drink to use while fasting and praying.
Amla Green Tea has no bitter or sour aftertaste—but still provides the highest antioxidant activity that you can only find with the “king” of antioxidants.
You Can Get Your 30 Day Supply Of Amla Green Tea Here
Final Thoughts
During a religious fast, you abstain from food and other worldly pleasures. But what can you drink while fasting?
Water and Amla Green Tea should be the drinks you turn to the most.
Not only will both curb your hunger, but Amla Green Tea contains the antioxidants and medicinal power of Indian Gooseberries, which have been use for thousands of years in Ayurveda medicine to lower inflammation and possibly reverse chronic diseases.
Article
Amla Benefits For Hair
Amla Health Benefits For Health And Your Hair
Turns out your grandmother had a secret when it came to full, lush, and stronger hair.
Her secret?
Amla, or Indian Gooseberry! This powerful plant has been used in Aryudevic medicine for the last 5,000 years to treat a number of different health ailments.
From jaundice to diabetes, Amla may be one of the strongest medicinal herbs around.
Why?
Amla contains plenty of nutrients your body needs to function at its best. It contains ample amounts of vitamin C, essential fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants, all geared to keep your body healthy and fit.
But it’s not just effective at improving your overall health. Amla contains plenty of benefits for your hair as well.
In fact, the powder and the oils obtained from the Amla plant, may help strengthen your hair, grow hair, and prevent premature graying.
Benefits For Hair
When it comes to growing strong, radiant looking hair, a lot of people turn to cosmetic companies, prescription shampoos, and expensive conditioners.
People spend BILLIONS of dollars each year looking for ways to take thin, brittle looking hair and making it full and lush again.
What they don’t know, however, is that all they really needed is a little bit of Amla to wash their hair worries away.
Some benefits for hair may include:
Although Amla has been used for centuries as a way to improve your overall health and cut down on your risk for certain diseases, this ‘king” of antioxidants may have many other popular uses—especially when it comes to your hair.
Even though it contains plenty of antioxidant power, Amla contains other vitamins, minerals, and oils that have so many other uses.
When it comes to your hair, all parts of the Amla plant may help give you a full head of strong, radiant, and vibrant looking hair.
Let’s take a closer look at Amla’s benefits for hair:
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Stronger Hair
Amla contains potent essential fatty acids that when applied to the scalp and hair, may strengthen hair follicles.
When you have stronger follicles, this may lead to stronger, fuller looking hair.
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Prevent Premature Graying
As you get older, your hair may start to lose its sheen and turn gray. And this causes many people to run out to buy hair dyes or coloring products that may damage your hair.
Amla may prevent this premature graying from occurring. Vitamin C, which is found in high concentrations in the Amla plant, may reverse premature graying.
Vitamin C helps normalize cell function that may be damaged by free radicals, which could stunt the production of key pigments that keeps your hair from going gray.
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Prevents premature Hair Loss
Statistics show that 1 in 5 people—or over 320 million—suffer from premature balding, hair. Companies have gone out of their way to stop this trend.
One of the reasons for premature balding has to do with an increase in 5-alpha reductase. Many different medications have been produced to inhibit 5-alpha reductase, therefore giving hope for millions of people around the world.
Popular medications, like Rogaine, inhibits this enzyme, therefore reversing hair loss and premature balding.
But there may be no reason for medication, when Amla may be just as effective. A 2012 study showed that Amla was a powerful 5-alpha reductase inhibitor as well.
Also, due to the high iron and beta carotene levels, amla may stimulate hair growth more effectively than over-the-counter hair products.
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Effective Treatment For Dandruff
Over 70 percent of people will experience dandruff at some point in their life. Dandruff, which is the dead skin that has been shed from the scalp,
However, due to a fungus (malassezia) the process of shedding dry skin from the scalp may increase, therefore causing large clumps of dried skin to fall off.
Although shampooing may eliminate dandruff for the short-term, you need a long-lasting solution to preventing dandruff from being a nuisance.
Amla is a natural skin conditioner, which could leave your skin soft, smooth, and flaky-free. Plus, with its antibacterial properties, it may also keep that scalp infection at bay.
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Paired With Henna, It Restores Your Hair’s Natural Beauty
People spend a lot of time on their hair. After all, it’s a natural extension of a reserved—or wild—personality.
On average, women spend upwards of $55,000 each year on specialty shampoos, hair treatments, and hair coloring dyes.
But:
Most of these dyes are chemically-based, therefore damaging your hair.
One natural alternative to chemical hair dyes is the natural dye that comes from the Lawsonia inermis plant, called Henna.
This natural dye turns your hair a beautiful, reddish-brown color. But when mixed with other plants, like amla, you may see a variety of different colors and textures added to your hair.
Plus, as mentioned before, Amla is a natural conditioner, which softens your hair and adds body, shine, and brilliant highlights.
Although Amla has plenty of benefits when it comes to protecting your heart, preventing diabetes, and a host of other conditions, it also has plenty of benefits when it comes to your hair.
Get Long, Luscious Locks With All-Natural Amla
Amla, otherwise known as Indian Gooseberry, has been used for thousands of years to treat a number of different health conditions.
From improving heart health and lowering blood sugar to reducing your risk for diabetes, amla has a long history in Aryuvedic medicine as a potent herb that may prevent a lot of health ailments.
The reason: Due to the high levels of antioxidants (it’s called the “king” of antioxidants), vitamin C, iron, beta carotene, fiber, essential fats, and vitamin E, this small, tiny berry may provide a whole host of nutrition for your body—when it needs it the most.
But Amla’s benefits aren’t limited to your body…your hair may also be a beneficiary of Amla fruit.
Amla may strengthen and condition and regrow hair, prevent dandruff, eliminate dry scalp, and keep your hair from premature graying by enhancing your natural hair color.
The result: long, beautiful hair that has body, shine, and the most brilliant highlights—that you can’t get from a box.
As you can see, the Amla benefits are simply amazing.
Get Amazing, Strong, And Beautiful Hair With All-Natural Amla Green
Article
Can You Drink Diet Soda While Intermittent Fasting?
Diet Soda and Intermittent Fasting
Can you have diet soda while you’re intermittent fasting? In this article, we’ll teach you why the answer is “no”, backed by strong scientific research.
Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy in which periods of food consumption (the ‘eating window’) alternates with fasting periods (the ‘fasting window’).
Many studies have also demonstrated the immense power of regular intermittent fasting for weight loss, reduced insulin resistance, better cardiovascular health, improved neurological activity, and improved liver health.
The key to intermittent fasting is a biological process called autophagy. While fasting, cells in tissues throughout your body must continue to oxidize (or burn) glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids to produce ATP, the cellular form of energy.
However, during a fast, cells all throughout your body have limited access to nutrients from food, and instead generate ATP by oxidizing stored glucose from glycogen, fat from triglyceride, and amino acids from protein.
This process of autophagy is actually very beneficial to your body when done in short and controlled periods, and as a result the benefits of intermittent fasting include:
- Reducing inflammation
- Burning excess fuel stores
- Recycling old or dysfunctional cells
There are multiple methods of intermittent fasting -- the 16:8 method, the 24-hour method, the 5:2 method – and all are designed to allow for intentional, long periods between meals, specifically designed to improve many aspects of your overall health.
So why don’t we recommend drinking diet soda during a fast?
Well, even though diet sodas don’t have calories and won’t technically break your fast, these artificial drinks can counteract the health benefits of performing a fast in the first place.
We’ll explain the scientific reasons below, and also provide some ideas for other, health-promoting zero calorie beverages that amplify the health benefits of fasting.
The Problems with Diet Soda
We Know Regular Soda Has Detrimental Effects on Your Health
Numerous studies and reviews indicate negative effects from the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda or juice. This has become relatively common knowledge in recent years, and these negative effects include:
- Weight gain
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- And more
But what about diet sodas, which are marketed as the “calorie-free, sugar-free” alternative?
Some Truths About Diet Soda
Unfortunately, despite their lack of calories and sugars, diet drinks can be just as detrimental to your health as their sugar-sweetened counterparts.
While diet soda is often portrayed as a weight loss tool and an “acceptable” drink of choice for people with diabetes, the evidence shows some potential risks.
For example, one study found that zero-calorie sweeteners may alter insulin sensitivity, which negates the “zero-calorie” benefits, and could actually worsen your diabetes health.
A similar study from Purdue University showed that diet soda may stimulate insulin production, increasing your risk for high cholesterol, insulin resistance, and central obesity.
Work is being done to isolate the exact biochemical reason that these sweeteners affect your body, but the research is starting to show that consumption of diet soda increases your risk for many chronic diseases.
This correlation is evident in a study published in Diabetes Care, which examined diet soda consumption in a multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.
Researchers found that 1 daily serving of diet soda (at least 12 oz) correlated with a 36% greater chance of developing metabolic syndrome, and a 67% greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
These results were supported by another comprehensive study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Following 66,000 women for 14 years, researchers found that those who drank diet soda, or artificially-sweetened beverages, were just as likely to develop diabetes as those who drank normal sodas and sugar-sweetened beverages.
In all, there is a strong, growing body of research that diet sodas do increase your risk for many chronic diseases, comparable to the consumption of regular sodas.
How Diet Sodas Interfere with Intermittent Fasting
So the question still remains – can you drink diet soda while intermittent fasting?
One popular rule of thumb for intermittent fasting is that you shouldn’t consume more than 50 calories, otherwise your fasting period will end prematurely. Others recommend not eating or drinking more than 100 calories. However, the exact number of calories isn’t clear in the evidence-based research.
But since diet soda has zero calories, technically speaking, it should be an acceptable drink when intermittent fasting.
Even though diet sodas contain zero calories, perhaps a better question to ask is whether drinking diet soda while intermittent fasting is health-damaging or health-promoting?
The Purpose of An Intermittent Fast
The goal of intermittent fasting is to dramatically lower your calorie intake for an extended period of time.
In the post-prandial state following a meal, tissues are in a high-energy state in which energy uptake and storage is prioritized.
While in a fasted state, tissues oxidize stored nutrients, recycle amino acids, and detoxify harmful molecules.
Intermittent fasting is a conscious process you take to improve your health, allowing tissues to recycle damaged and dysfunctional proteins while burning stored energy.
Meanwhile, diet sodas are packed with artificial sweeteners and other chemicals to give them their sweet taste, like aspartame, stevia, sucralose, and many others.
So while a diet soda may not technically break your intermittent fast, it may have short and long term negative effects that counteract the benefits of intermittent fasting in the first place!
That’s why we recommend that you choose other, zero calorie beverage alternatives during your intermittent fast that promote your health, like the ones listed below. They can provide you with key nutrients, stabilize your blood glucose, and even enhance the benefits of your intermittent fast.
And always remember, if you have to eat or drink calories because you’re irritable, feeling weak or lightheaded, or going hypoglycemic (as is possible if you have insulin-dependent diabetes), then that’s okay. A small, whole-food snack won’t entirely negate the benefits of intermittent fasting as long as you keep your calorie intake as close to zero as possible.
Some Recommended Drinks for Intermittent Fasting
Putting your body into a fasting state means keeping your calorie balance as close to zero as possible, to take advantage of the benefits of autophagy.
So we’ve put together a list of recommended beverages for intermittent fasting. The drinks here can help keep you full and refreshed, curb your appetite, taste great, and may even accelerate weight loss.
Water — Our first suggestion is also our simplest. Drinking water is the easiest way to stay hydrated, and also reduces your hunger and feelings of craving by making you feel full.
Carbonated Water — Much like still water, carbonated water keeps you hydrated, curbs your appetite, and makes you feel full. The added carbonation can provide the crisp sensation many enjoy with a soda, but with none of the negative effects.
Green Tea — Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages on Earth. Evidence-based research has consistently demonstrated that green tea helps reduce your risk for cancer, improves artery function, and protects against cardiovascular disease.
Note: Research has also shown that even adding small amounts of milk to green tea can block its protective action, so we recommend enjoying your tea plain or with a squeeze of lemon juice
Herbal Tea — Herbal teas like black tea, Oolong, and many others can be an excellent addition to a low-fat plant based whole-food diet because they are packed with valuable antioxidants. In this regard, one tea stands above the rest — Amla Green. Thanks to amla (Indian gooseberries), the strongest pound for pound antioxidant on the planet, this tea offers a tasty mix of hibiscus or Oolong Green Tea that can also enhance your intermittent fast.
Green Juices — Green juices are juices made from leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables such as cucumber, celery, lettuce, and tomato. These juices can be extremely nutrient-dense additions to your diet, but also do not contain enough carbohydrate energy to interrupt your fast. A great solution if you’re looking for something that tastes satisfying and filling.
Apple Cider Vinegar — Often referred to simply as “ACV”, apple cider vinegar is packed with natural nutrients that can help stabilize your blood glucose, shutting down hunger and cravings before they start. It doesn’t take much — usually one or two tablespoons — for this natural remedy to have an effect, which makes it an excellent quick fix during your fast.
The Final Word
With the options above, you’ll be able to stay hydrated, curb your hunger, and give your body crucial nutrients that may even help accelerate your intermittent fast.
Our personal favorite is Amla Green, due to its vibrant flavors and the many metabolic benefits of amla. If you’re interested, you can click the link below and try your first batch entirely risk-free.
Amla Green is available in both regular and decaffeinated versions, and our newest hibiscus flavor has many people raving about the smooth taste. Try one today!
References
Amla Green has strict guidelines for scientific references in our articles, and we rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, governmental organizations, and reputable medical organizations. We do our best to avoid using non-evidence-based references in all articles. The references in this article are listed below.
“6 Reasons Why Drinking Water Can Help You to Lose Weight,” June 28, 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322296
Healthline. “10 Evidence-Based Benefits of Green Tea,” April 6, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea
“10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting.” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting#section2
Amla Green. “Amla Green DECAF.” https://amlagreen.com/products/amla-green-decaf
Amla Green. “Amla Green Hibiscus.” https://amlagreen.com/products/amla-green-hibiscus
“Amla Green Regular.” https://amlagreen.com/collections/all/products/amla-green-regular
Amla Green. “Antioxidant Rich Green Tea Powder Superfood.” https://amlagreen.com/
Healthline. “Autophagy: Definition, Diet, Fasting, Cancer, Benefits, and More,” August 23, 2018. https://www.healthline.com/health/autophagy
“Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) | Diabetes Care.” https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/4/688
“Drinking Green Tea with Milk Is Bad For You - True or False? - Green T.” https://www.japanesegreenteain.com/blogs/green-tea-and-health/drinking-green-tea-with-milk-is-bad-for-you-true-or-false-green-tea-quiz
Fagherazzi, Guy, Alice Vilier, Daniela Saes Sartorelli, Martin Lajous, Beverley Balkau, and Françoise Clavel-Chapelon. “Consumption of Artificially and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Incident Type 2 Diabetes in the Etude Epidémiologique Auprès Des Femmes de La Mutuelle Générale de l’Education Nationale–European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Cohort.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 97, no. 3 (March 1, 2013): 517–23. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.050997
Fanello, Scott. “How Many Calories Break a Fast?” Medium, January 12, 2019. https://medium.com/@scott_3017/how-many-calories-break-a-fast-24266a22e8d6
“How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight.” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-and-weight-loss
Healthline. “Intermittent Fasting 101 — The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide,” April 21, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide
“Intermittent Fasting Can Be Good for Heart Health - The Washington Post.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/intermittent-fasting-works-for-many--not-only-for-weight-loss-but-also-for-heart-health/2020/06/12/11420c1c-a4d5-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html
Malik, Vasanti S., Barry M. Popkin, George A. Bray, Jean-Pierre Després, and Frank B. Hu. “Sugar Sweetened Beverages, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Risk.” Circulation 121, no. 11 (March 23, 2010): 1356–64. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.876185
“Metabolic Syndrome | NHLBI, NIH.” https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/metabolic-syndrome
Nettleton, Jennifer A., Pamela L. Lutsey, Youfa Wang, João A. Lima, Erin D. Michos, and David R. Jacobs. “Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).” Diabetes Care 32, no. 4 (April 1, 2009): 688–94. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc08-1799
Palmer, Julie R., Deborah A. Boggs, Supriya Krishnan, Frank B. Hu, Martha Singer, and Lynn Rosenberg. “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in African American Women.” Archives of Internal Medicine 168, no. 14 (July 28, 2008): 1487–92. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.168.14.1487
Phillips, Matthew C.L. “Fasting as a Therapy in Neurological Disease.” Nutrients 11, no. 10 (October 17, 2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102501.
Purohit, Vikas, and Sundeep Mishra. “The Truth about Artificial Sweeteners – Are They Good for Diabetics?” Indian Heart Journal 70, no. 1 (2018): 197–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ihj.2018.01.020
Stanhope, Kimber L., Jean-Marc Schwarz, and Peter J. Havel. “Adverse Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fructose: Results from the Recent Epidemiological, Clinical, and Mechanistic Studies.” Current Opinion in Lipidology 24, no. 3 (June 2013): 198–206. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0b013e3283613bca
“Study Discovers Novel Ways Intermittent Fasting Improves Liver Health.” https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/intermittent-fasting-liver-metabolism-protein-health/
Amla Green. “Supercharge Your Intermittent Fast with Amla.” https://amlagreen.com/pages/supercharge-your-intermittent-fast-with-amla
Swithers, Susan E. “Artificial Sweeteners Produce the Counterintuitive Effect of Inducing Metabolic Derangements.” Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM 24, no. 9 (September 2013): 431–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2013.05.005
“The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting | UCI Health | Orange County, CA.” https://www.ucihealth.org/blog/2020/01/intermittent-fasting
“The Obesogenic Effect of High Fructose Exposure during Early Development | Nature Reviews Endocrinology.” https://www.nature.com/articles/nrendo.2013.108
Thresher, J. S., D. A. Podolin, Y. Wei, R. S. Mazzeo, and M. J. Pagliassotti. “Comparison of the Effects of Sucrose and Fructose on Insulin Action and Glucose Tolerance.” American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 279, no. 4 (October 2000): R1334-1340. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.2000.279.4.R1334
Wang, Meng, Min Yu, Le Fang, and Ru-Ying Hu. “Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Diabetes Investigation 6, no. 3 (May 2015): 360–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdi.12309
Article
Natural Alternatives To Statins For High Cholesterol
In case you didn’t know, heart disease is the number one killer for both men and women around the world.
Each day, over 2,100 people die from heart disease-related issues, which is one person every 40 seconds.
Statistics show that 1 out of every 4 people will suffer a heart attack—and most will die from that heart attack.
There are many different reasons why people suffer from heart disease. It could be poor diet, genetics/family history, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Unfortunately, many doctors are more than willing to prescribe different medications to treat a number of risk factors for heart disease.
Blood pressure medication, arrhythmia medications, and statins for cholesterol are prescribed routinely to reduce some of the most common heart attack risk factors.
When it comes to cholesterol, statins are often the preferred method of doctors and cardiologists for reducing cholesterol levels.
But:
Are there natural alternatives? There sure are…
Heart Disease And High Cholesterol
In order to reduce your risk for heart disease, there are a number of things you need to do.
You should:
- Exercise at least 30 to 60 minutes every day
- Eat a balanced diet consisting of low-fat, plant-based sources
- Lower stress levels
- Maintain normal blood pressure readings
- Lower your total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol numbers
For those suffering from high blood pressure and cholesterol, who haven’t been successful changing those numbers with diet and exercise, may be prescribed medications to help control these risk factors.
Although all medication carries certain risk factors, statin medications seem to carry more than other.
Side effects of statin medications may include:
- Abdominal pain
- Abnormal heart beats
- Accidental injury
- Allergic reactions
- Muscle aching and weakness
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Chest pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Indigestion
- Insomnia
- Joint pain
- Weakness
- Rash
Although these can range from mild to severe, these may not be the worst side effects of statin medications.
The Food and Drug Administration has warned the public of a significantly increased risk for developing diabetes due to statin medication usage.
A study, published in the journal Lancet, analyzed 14 different trials, following over 91,000 people. The researchers found that statin use resulted in a 9 percent increase in type 2 diabetes risk.
Another study, this one published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed a 12 percent increase in type 2 diabetes risk associated with statin medication use.
After seeing these results, don’t you think it’s about time to uncover natural alternatives?
The Most Powerful Natural Alternatives
Although statin medications are often prescribed for lowering cholesterol, it may carry certain side effects that could make living nearly impossible.
For example, a client of mine, who started the popular statin, Lipitor, started to suffer immense joint and muscle pain immediately after she started taking it.
Her doctor wrote it off as her being inactive for so long, but the pain got worse over the next week. After getting a second opinion, her doctor took her off of Lipitor and she started to feel better and more “normal.”
After she experienced this, we started looking for natural alternatives to statins for lowering her cholesterol.
We found quite a few, including fish oil, green tea, nuts, and many others.
But, each one only took care of one issue, either total or LDL, but there was no perfect solution.
Until we stumbled on Amla…
Amla, another name for Indian Gooseberry, may be one of the strongest natural alternatives for lowering total and LDL cholesterol, raising HDL cholesterol, and lowering inflammation.
I had never heard of Amla before, as it wasn’t a superfood that was on my—or anyone else’s—radar.
But people in India have been using this ancient medicinal berry for over 5,000 years, as a natural way to treat a wide-range of ailments.
And when it comes to cholesterol, it may be better than statin medications and it doesn’t carry a whole laundry list of side effects.
So what can it do for cholesterol?
Amla has been shown to reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels by 82 and 90 percent, respectively.
And:
A prior study, conducted on men with normal to high cholesterol levels, showed a significant drop in their cholesterol numbers when supplemented with Amla.
A more recent study, comparing Simvastatin, a popular statin medication, with Amla, showed some very surprising results.
As expected, both total and LDL cholesterol levels dropped with the statin medication, which was not surprising.
But what was surprising is this:
The patients, who were supplemented with amla also showed significantly reduced total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
So why aren’t more people using Amla?
That’s a great question…
One Downside of Amla
Amla which has been used for over 5,000 years in Ayurvedic medicine, is one of the world’s lost superfoods.
Although it may be gaining in popularity as a potent superfood, people have reported that it tastes awful—like vinegar and dish soap combined into a nasty drink.
And some forms of Amla are contaminated with pesticides and fungus, which could make them taste even worse.
Many manufacturers, looking to improve on the taste, add sugar and other artificial ingredients to the formula in order to eliminate the sour and bitter taste.
This could negate any of the powerful benefits of Amla, rendering it useless for the person taking it. So you may not see the benefits of lower cholesterol and heart disease risk using most common types of amla.
The Final Thoughts On Natural Alternatives
Heart disease is the number one killer for both men and women around the world. One in every four people may suffer a heart attack, or even die from that heart attack.
Recent statistics show that every 40 seconds someone will die from a heart-disease related event.
One of the main reasons why people develop heart disease may be due to high cholesterol. And those with high cholesterol often are prescribed statin medications.
These medications often carry many different side effects, which could make using this medication unbearable for the user.
That’s why people look for natural alternative to statin medications for high cholesterol. Although there are different kinds, one stands out as the leader at lowering cholesterol naturally.
Amla Green, which has been concentrated 20x and combined with oolong green tea leaves may be a natural alternative for lowering high cholesterol and reducing the risk for heart disease or having a heart attack.
Article
Liquids to Drink While Fasting
Have you ever wondered what you should drink while fasting? Well, you’re not alone.
When it comes to eating and drinking on a fast, many people find it to be very confusing.
We want to clear up that confusion, and give you some good ideas on the specific liquids to have while doing a fast—and how they can benefit your health, and make your fast wildly successful.
After all, if you’ve taken the time to learn, decipher, and plan your fast…
…you don’t really want to screw it up by doing something that could ruin it! One of the most common questions that come up when preparing for a fast is:
What am I allowed to drink while fasting and why?
This is a great question that we are about to get to the bottom of…
Should You Drink While Fasting?
Despite what the name entails, fasting is not a way to starve yourself from nutrients your body needs. It’s about strategically planning your meals, in order to reap plenty of health benefits.
Fasting has been associated with:
But there may be questions you have before you start your fast. Like, “what can you drink during your fast?”
Before we get into that, let’s briefly go over what intermittent fasting is.
Feeding vs. Fasting
Intermittent fasting alternates between a feeding and a fasting window. Depending on which protocol you follow (16/8, or 24 hour), you may skipping one or two meals.
But there are rules to what you can eat and drink during each stage. During the feasting stage, you basically eat two meals, and possibly some snacks.
You can have water, tea, or anything else during this stage that you may like (eating healthy, low-fat, plant-based food options may be best for stabilizing blood sugar, lowering heart disease risks, and possibly preventing cancer).
During the fasting stage, there are more stringent rules on what you can eat or drink.
When you’re fasting, you should refrain from eating any type of food or drinking anything that contains calories.
Even though you’re unable to eat any food, there are plenty of liquids available to you that could enhance your fast and make your experience much more pleasurable.
That’s why we have come up with a list of…
Liquids You Should Drink For Fasting...
The first thing to understand is this: Even though you are fasting, you do need to stay properly hydrated.
The reason for this is pretty simple:
Avoiding water may be detrimental to your health—and could cause adverse health conditions to occur.
That’s why, on most fasting diets, water is highly recommended.
Here are some of the top liquids to have if you are fasting:
1. Water
Water is the best option when you’re doing a fast. It has zero calories, therefore automatically making it fit in your plan.
It helps fill up your stomach, therefore making you feel full. This sends a signal to you brain that helps cut down on your hunger and food cravings.
You can infuse your water with lemon, lime, cucumber, or berries, which adds a natural sweetness to it.
Stay away from artificial sweeteners and enhancers, as they may cause unsafe spikes in insulin, which could lead to cravings.
On a complete fast, men are recommended to drink 15 cups and women 11 cups a day.
2. Tea
Tea is a great addition to any fast. Black tea, oolong tea, and others, have been shown to reduce hunger, provide beneficial antioxidants, and may increase the benefits of your fast.
Amla Green tea powder is a go-to choice for many who are following an intermittent fast. This is because it blends dark green oolong tea with amla. Amla, commonly known as the indian gooseberry, has the highest concentration of antioxidants of any fruit on the planet. The antioxidant content in amla berries dwarfs that of acai, goji, pomegranate and even turmeric.
People fasting have been buzzing about Amla Green because it helps them fight hunger and gives them a jolt of antioxidants when their bodies are ready to absorb nutrition the most.
3. Coffee
By itself, coffee is a great drink. It’s filled with powerful antioxidants that your body needs to repair cellular damage caused by free radicals. Some studies even show that coffee may increase the production of ketones, which could accelerate your weight loss and body fat burn.
It’s another calorie-free beverage, and one that many people use during a fast. However, some people have reported adverse reactions when drinking coffee on a fast.
Since is nothing in your stomach to absorb the coffee, some people may experience an upset stomach, acid reflux, or get the shakes.
If coffee is your go-to drink during your fast, be sure to keep the cream and sugar out of it to avoid blowing your fast with excess calories.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
For years, people have been turning to Apple Cider Vinegar as a way to fix almost every health ailment. And if you currently use it, there’s no reason to stop just because you’re on a fast.
Apple Cider Vinegar may help regulate blood sugar, therefore aiding in proper digestion and maintaining healthy insulin levels. This could keep your blood sugar in check and preventing common digestive issues.
Final Thoughts On Fasting
Although many people start a diet plan, they may fail because the plan may be too complex, confusing, or could be way too restrictive. The intermittent diet plan can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to lose weight and improve your health.
Drinking the right liquids during your fast is a great way to fight off hunger and boost your results - but knowing what to choose can be confusing.
Alma Green Tea can curb your hunger, stabilize your blood sugar, and infuse your body with the powerful antioxidants it needs stay health and vibrant.
Infuse Your Body With The Antioxidants It Needs To Stay Healthy And Strong.
Article
The Ultimate Intermittent Fasting Tea
Yes, there is finally a fasting tea that has been approved for any IF type meal plan.
It’s better than green tea…
Herbal tea…
And even black tea leaves. It’s stronger…more powerful…and has a smooth, yet great taste that dances on your taste buds.
In a minute, I will reveal this powerful fasting tea that may accelerate your weight loss, stabilize your blood sugar, reduce heart disease risk factors, like high blood pressure and cholesterol, and may keep cancer at bay.
Before we talk about the tea, we need to discuss…
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Every trainer, doctor, and nutritionist will tell you, the only way to lose weight is to start your day off with a healthy, well-balanced breakfast in your diet plan…
Eat five to six small meals throughout the day...
Eat frequently to keep your metabolism elevated all day long—so you will never have trouble lose weight.
The bottom line: Just eat a healthy breakfast, a few small meals throughout the day, and you’ll magically lose weight.
And that’s the final word…or is it?
Does A Fasting Diet Work?
Countless studies show, and PROVE, that intermittent fasting—the process of consciously skipping certain meals—could be a very promising weight loss strategy.
The benefits are astounding! Studies show, intermittent fasting could lower blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, blood lipid levels, cancer risk, and diabetes risk.
Other benefits you may see with intermittent fasting (IF):
- Improved mental clarity and concentration
- Reversal of type 2 diabetes
- Increased energy
- Increased fat burning (and fat loss)
- Increased growth hormone
- Better immune function
- And much, much more
What exactly is it? As I mentioned before, it’s the process of skipping entire meals—on purpose—to elicit a certain result.
It could be to lower your risk for diabetes….
Weight loss…
Perhaps to prevent age-related brain disorders that could destroy your concentration and memory.
More About The Diet...
Basically, you’re choosing to eat your calories during a specific window (feasting), then consciously stopping yourself from eating for a much longer window (fasting).
For most people, this intermittent fasting diet works! There are a few different protocols you can follow when it comes to intermittent fasting. It’s important to note: In order to say true to the intermittent fasting rules and requirements, exceeding 50 calories (or more) in your fasting window, means you’ve broken your fast.
Solve Hunger And Stay Within Your Calories With This Fasting Tea
The specific protocols are:
16/8 Protocol
During this stage, you’re fasting for 16 hours a day, and keeping your meals (your feasting time) to an 8-hour window. This is a very popular approach, and one that most people generally use during intermittent fasting.
Generally, you will skip breakfast (or one meal) during this fast and will break your fast with a small meal.
For example, if you were to follow the 16/8 protocol, you would break your fast at noon (12pm), with a small salad and another meal a few hours later. You would end your feasting window at 8pm, and continue your fast until noon the next day.
You can adjust your window to start anytime you would like, but you still need to stay true to the 8-hour feasting time, and the longer 16-hour fasting time.
The 24-Hour Fast
This is a more rigorous fast, and one that should be performed only once a week. Generally speaking, you’re will skip two meals in one day.
For example, you eat your last meal at 8pm on Friday, so you wouldn’t eat again until 8pm on Saturday--skipping breakfast and lunch the following day.
These are the two most popular intermittent fasting protocols, but experimenting with different times, longer or shorter fasts, or different variations of the program to best suit your needs, is highly recommended.
But what if you can’t make it through the day without something in your stomach? I am so glad you asked…
Get Your Complete Guide To Intermittent Fasting
The Ultimate Fasting Tea For An Intermittent Diet
One of the hardest parts about intermittent fasting is the hunger. For the first few days, as you start changing your eating habits, you’re going to have cravings, hunger, and irritability.
In order to keep hunger and cravings at bay, you’re encouraged to drink water (or tea), that causes your stomach to distend. Distending your stomach could turn on satiety hormones that tell your body you’re full, therefore keeping hunger in check.
This mental trick gives off the appearance that you’re full, when you’re actually full of water and not food. The other option is drinking green tea.
Green tea comes highly recommended in many intermittent fasting plans, since it acts as a natural appetite suppressant and curbs those hunger feelings.
BUT:
There is an even better fasting tea, one that packs more antioxidant power than some of the most popular superfoods.
The answer is Alma Green Tea for your intermittent fasting diet. This antioxidant-rich green tea is made with Oolong Green tea leaves that are blended with the “king” of antioxidants—Alma, also known as Indian Gooseberries.
This powerful tea, packs more antioxidant power than Turmeric, Black Raspberries, Blueberries, and Acai berries, just to name a few.
Alma Green Tea helps take the “edge” off hunger and food cravings, and gives you a natural boost in energy, due in part, to the antioxidant power of the “king” of antioxidants, and naturally-occurring caffeine.
My Intermittent Fasting Diet Story...
When I first started intermittent fasting, I was hungry all the time—even after the first few days. I wasn’t just hungry, due to low blood sugar I was “hangry,” too often to count.
My family avoided me…my co-workers thought I was crazy and laughed at me…and my boss often avoided conversations with me during the first two-weeks of any fast.
After finding Alma Green Tea, I found a renewed energy that helped me push through those first few days of the fasting diet. I had more energy…and a renewed sense of focus…
Plus, I just genuinely felt better…
I knew I found something to get me through the initial “hungry” stages of my fast. And, the tea tastes great.
Unlike other teas, I don’t have to pinch my nose when drinking it…
Alma Green Tea—my intermittent diet tea—has a smooth taste (not sour at all) and hits the spot every time.
As you can see, I’ve been there, and that’s why I recommend this powerful intermittent diet tea—to curb your hunger, keep you focused, and increase the success of sticking with your intermittent fast.
