Going without food for days is hard, and it can tempt some people to eat something. Especially with side effects like headaches and the like, the pull to end the fast early is strong. We explain what "cheating" during a fast means and when it can make sense to bend the rules a little.
Reasons for a fasting cleanse
There are various personal reasons why someone decides to fast and do a juice cleanse: for one, healthy people fast to maintain or even improve their physical and mental performance. Many people who fast also report becoming more mindful of themselves and their eating habits with the help of a juice cleanse. Fasting is also sometimes suggested for people with risk factors, for example with a metabolic disorder, to help counter genetic predispositions. Last but not least, people with health conditions fast because, for some conditions, going without solid food may boost well-being and ease the course of the illness. Fasting may have an easing effect particularly with coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or allergies and migraine.
What do you give up in classic fasting?
If you decide on a juice cleanse, during that time you give up all food except the products made specifically for fasting, such as juices, broths and teas. You should avoid stimulants such as caffeine, theine, guarana in coffee as well as energy drinks, alcohol and nicotine during the fast. So you don't overload your body while fasting, you should also drop intense strength and endurance training from your plan.
You can also give up other things during your fasting cleanse, for example adding a so-called "digital detox" alongside the cleanse: no screens, meaning no phone and no TV. A milder version is giving up social media. You'll notice how much time you suddenly have to use for yourself!
"Cheating" while fasting - what does it mean?
The English word "cheat" originally comes from the world of computer games and stands for fraud and trickery. In relation to fasting, it means the forbidden consumption of food and stimulants. Physically, cheating usually ends the fasted state, because more energy than "allowed" is supplied to the body.
Ideally, you should therefore neither "cheat" nor end your fast early! After all, the point of fasting lies in going without and in the catabolic (= breaking down) metabolic state.
When is "cheating" allowed after all?
As explained earlier, you should avoid breaking your fast early. Side effects such as headaches, feeling the cold more and tiredness are normal and ease off again as the fast goes on. So these are no reasons to stop fasting.
With circulation problems such as dizziness and nausea, or if your hunger becomes unbearable, cheating can make sense! With medical symptoms such as fever, chills and aching limbs, or heart rhythm disturbances, it is not only sensible but necessary to end the fast: your health comes first, of course.
What is suitable for cheating during my fasting cleanse?
Do you notice your body can't go on and you need something solid besides the juices to get your energy back? If you're used to drinking quite a lot of coffee, often, and you notice you're very tired and drained, you can start with a black or green tea. The strength of the theine can be controlled by the steeping time: the longer you leave the tea bag in the water, the stronger the tea gets. So black and green tea are one way to feel more awake and fit during your fast. For example, our Re-Charge tea can give you the energy you need, since it also contains guarana, among other things. If your hunger is unbearable, you can fall back on a vegetable broth or oats cooked in vegetable broth. Steamed vegetables such as courgette and broccoli are also good for getting your strength back. As a general rule: very low in fat and easy to digest!
Cheating doesn't mean giving up
You don't start a fasting cleanse in order to cheat or to quit it. Always keep in mind why you are doing the cleanse and what your goals are.
In exceptional cases a little cheating is allowed and doesn't mean failing. What matters is that you don't give up completely, but use small tricks to counter your side effects. In these cases, drink black or green tea, for example, or ease your hunger with oats cooked in vegetable broth. Keep going and don't let these small exceptions drag you down. The next day you can carry on as usual and finish your cleanse successfully. We're sure: you can do it!
Going without food for days is hard and can tempt one or two of us to eat something. Especially with side effects like headaches and the like, the temptation to cut the fast short is big. We explain what “cheating” during a fast means and when it can make sense to bend the rules a little.
Reasons for a fasting cleanse
There are various personal reasons why someone chooses fasting and a juice cleanse. For one, healthy people fast to maintain or even improve their physical and mental performance. Many people who fast also report becoming more mindful of themselves and their eating habits with the help of a juice cleanse. Fasting is also recommended to people with risk factors, to work against genetic predispositions, for example with a metabolic disorder. Last but not least, people with health conditions fast because, with some conditions, going without solid food is reported to boost wellbeing. For people with coronary heart conditions, type 2 diabetes, or allergies and migraines, fasting may support wellbeing, but it is best to talk to your doctor first.
What do you give up with classic fasting?
If you decide on a juice cleanse, you give up all food during that time, except the fasting products made for it, such as juices, broths and teas. Stimulants like caffeine, theine, guarana in coffee as well as energy drinks, alcohol and nicotine are best avoided during the fast. So you don't overload your body while fasting, you should also cross intense strength and endurance training off your plan.
You can also give up other things during your fasting cleanse and, for example, add a so-called “digital detox” alongside it: no screens, so no phone and no TV. A toned-down version is giving up social media. You'll notice how much time you suddenly have that you can use for yourself!
“Cheating” while fasting - what does it mean?
The English word “cheat” originally comes from the world of computer games and stands for deception and trickery. In relation to fasting, it means the forbidden consumption of food and stimulants. On a physical level, cheating mostly ends the fasting state, because more energy than “allowed” is being supplied to the body.
Ideally, then, you should neither “cheat” nor end your fast early! After all, the point of fasting lies in going without and in the catabolic (= breaking down) metabolic state.
When is “cheating” allowed after all?
As described above, you should avoid breaking your fast early. Side effects like headaches, feeling the cold more and tiredness are normal and ease off again as the fast goes on. So these are no reasons to stop fasting.
With circulation problems, such as dizziness and nausea, or if your hunger becomes unbearable, cheating can make sense! With pathological symptoms such as fever, chills and aching limbs, or heart rhythm disturbances, ending the fast is not just sensible but necessary: your health comes first, of course.
What works for cheating during my fasting cleanse?
Can you feel your body has had enough and you need something solid alongside the juices to get your energy back? If you're used to drinking quite a lot of coffee, often, and you notice you're very tired and drained, you can make yourself a black or green tea to start with. The strength of the theine can be controlled by the steeping time: the longer you leave the tea bag in the water, the stronger the tea gets. So black and green tea are one way to feel more awake and fitter during your fast. For example, our Re-Charge tea can give you the energy you need, as it contains guarana, among other things. If your hunger is unbearable, you can turn to a vegetable broth or oats cooked in vegetable broth. Steamed vegetables like courgette and broccoli are also good for getting your strength back. The general rule: very low in fat and easy to digest!
Cheating doesn't mean giving up
You don't start a fasting cleanse in order to cheat or quit. Always keep in mind why you're doing the cleanse and what your goals are.
In exceptional cases, a little cheating is allowed and doesn't mean you've failed. What matters is that you don't give up completely, but use small tricks to counter your side effects. In these cases, drink black or green tea, for example, or ease your hunger with oats cooked in vegetable broth. Stay on the ball and don't let these little exceptions get you down. The next day you can carry on as usual and finish your cleanse successfully. We're sure of it: you've got this!
