Does your body need a cleansing spring fast?

Well, spring has come and now we start thinking about getting outside more, healthy eating, summer fun, and yes, a spring fast.

Why a spring fast?

Doing a spring fast has a long history. It’s not just a more recent food fad. And, sometimes taking a look back can help inform our present.

Historical Necessity

For most of history, the spring equinox meant a spring fast. When people were bound to the earth’s natural cycles of abundance and scarcity, springtime brought scarcity of food stores. All those stored carrots, beets, potatoes, squashes, and dried, salted meats were gone by then. But, they might have to wait a month or so before the first greens would appear. Thus, a time of fasting. This period helped people to shed the extra weight gained in winter and cleanse the body of accumulated toxins. Eating the fresh, young greens aided in this process and provided people with concentrated nutrition during these months of scarcity.

A Spring Fast Religious Tradition

While fasting was born out of necessity, in most cultures and traditions, it also came to be a spiritual practice (whether Christian or pagan). Spring is a time of rebirth and a spring fast honors this natural cycle. But, fasting was a regular part of Jewish and Christian cultural traditions, too. In Exodus, we read that Moses fasted while God gave him the Ten Commandments. In 2 Samuel, we find that the Israelites fasted when Saul and Jonathan died in battle. David, Daniel, and Esther fasted. And in the New Testament, we know that Jesus fasted in the desert, the priests regularly fasted, and the new church fasted. And, there are many more examples not listed here.

Fasting is an important type of prayer and worship, a way of physically crying out to the Lord through self-denial and purification. It also remains a component of Lent and preparing our hearts to celebrate Easter. Christians all over the world see fasting as a vital aspect of their faith.

Lots of leafy greens great for a spring fast

Fasting for health reasons

But, with the introduction of refrigeration, a spring fast was no longer a necessity and for the non-religious, went out of favor. However, some folks saw health benefits from abstaining from food for a period of time. They continued to fast while others enjoyed the availability of almost any type of food year-round.

Today, intermittent fasting has become a health trend. It simply means intentionally skipping meals or going without food for a day at a time for health reasons. Longer periods of fasting–such as a Daniel fast, juice fast, raw foods diet, detox diet, and other variations–also still enjoy popularity.

Springtime remains the best time to do a fast if you’re going to do one for health reasons. It makes sense to cleanse the body and slim down after winter, making it easier to enjoy summer activities. The kinds of foods available in spring and summer help the body get rid of toxins, shed excess weight, boost the immune system, and more. Research shows that intermittent fasting can help with blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

How do you do a spring fast?

If you decide to fast this spring, it’s important to prepare first and start slow. It is wise to consult with your doctor before you begin fasting to make sure you are healthy enough to do one. Some people should not fast. So, if you are diabetic, chronically ill, have an eating disorder, or have a serious medical condition, fasting is probably not for you.

Consider your goals for your spring fast. Are you doing it to:

slim down
cleanse your gut
prepare for Easter or another religious holiday
reset your metabolism
overcome cravings and food addiction

or another reason? Think carefully about this and set a time frame for your spring fast. You need to know when you’ve reached your goal or purpose. Don’t just do it without a good reason or you will feel deprived and easily give up. Your time frame should not be longer than 30 days. Then, instead of diving right into the fast, reduce your calorie intake for a week beforehand. This will help get your body used to fewer calories.

What to eat for a traditional spring fast

Remember, a traditional spring fast didn’t mean you ate nothing. People would have died if they ate nothing. So what did people eat? They ate what was seasonally available at the time and of course, that depends on where you lived. But, a spring fast would’ve applied most directly to people living in the northern temperate zones, like Europe, northern Russia, Canada, and half the United States. People moved around a lot, but they ate animals, birds, fish (if they were near thawed rivers or lakes), young greens, some roots and tubers, and maple syrup boiled into candy.

So, for your fast, eat:

salads made from bitter greens such as dandelions or watercress
cooked greens, such as collards or chard
wild greens, such as sorrel or purslane
young spinach
green onions and garlic
radishes
parsnips
rhubarb
asparagus
young green peas
mushrooms
strawberries

Sounds like a lot of salad, right? Add in some nuts, like pecans or walnuts, and you’ve got a nice dish. You’ll notice that this list includes cooked foods. Some people like to say that a spring fast is raw. That’s not correct. Raw foods are harder to digest and can cause long-term imbalances in the body. It’s better to mix it up, some raw and some cooked.

What about meat and other protein sources?

Well, definitely no dairy! As far as meat, that depends on your goals, but typically meat in spring is leaner. So, fish and fowl are preferable. If they agree with your gut, soaked and sprouted dried beans–black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo, pinto, etc.–can be a good option as well. It is not advisable to go without quality protein for too long. Keep that in mind when you are planning and make sure your spring fast includes some protein.