Potato fasting is used by people who want to lose weight fast. Oddly enough, this high-starch, high-carb food makes a remarkable weight-loss tool when it is eaten exclusively and under the right conditions. If you are planning a potato fast, you should consult a doctor or a dietician before you begin to make sure that your body will be able to handle this unique diet.
History
Potatoes in and of themselves are not particularly fattening. However, when they are eaten as french fries, "fully loaded" with bacon, cheese, sour cream and butter or served mashed up with a full cup of cream, they do become remarkably bad for the waistline. The potato fast is based on the idea that when served correctly, potatoes contain a great volume of necessary vitamins and minerals and can actually help you lose weight by cleansing your system over the course of about 48 to 96 hours.
Significance
This particular fast is especially interesting to many people because it does not involve complicated cleansings or the consumption of strange and unusual foods or juices. When you do a potato fast, you simply eat potatoes for two days. They can be prepared any way you like as long as they are not fried and you can season them with just about any spice you like. However, you cannot add butter, bacon, sour cream or cheese. Hard core potato fasters go one step further and drink only potato-peel tea made from brewed potato peelings and mineral water during this period. However, this borders on "drinking strange things" so each faster can make that decision individually. At the end of your fast, eat only fresh fruits and vegetables for an entire 24 hours before reintroducing other foods.
Benefits
Proponents of the potato fast claim that it enables you to lose up to 10 pounds in as little as two days. Other benefits include a calmer, more reliable digestive system and probably a much weaker desire for French fries. Many even state that their minds are calmer and clearer after a potato fast, which is a common effect of properly conducted fasting.
Misconceptions
Many people think that fasting can only be done by refusing all forms of food or drink. However, most types of fasting actually allow you to drink water and take some form of sustenance if the fast is going to last more than 24 hours. However, the sustenance is strictly regulated by health or religious guidelines in most cases. If your fast is successful, you may be tempted to try it again immediately. This will not work, as over time your body will become accustomed to fasting and you will stop losing weight if you do not give yourself a break in between fasts.
Considerations
The potato fast is not for everyone. You should consider who all will be aware of your fast, particularly if you live with teenage or pre-teen girls who tend to find fasting fascinating and often try to emulate it with disastrous results. Also, most weight loss fasts require one or more enemas, which can be painful and uncomfortable and should be avoided if you have a sensitive gastrointestinal system.
Warning
Before doing any kind of fast, including a potato fast, consult a doctor or a dietician to make sure that you will be getting enough vitamins and nutrients during your fast. Never fast when you are pregnant or if you have diabetes or heart disease. Fasting of any kind can also adversely affect the way prescription medications and even some herbal supplements affect your health and your mental state, so ask your doctor about any medications you are on before beginning your fast.
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