The Morning After

I know that at least one of my Holidaily readers is planning to fast today. I'm betting that, at least, at this moment, many of you are saying, "I'm fasting, too!"

I actually believe in the occasional (less frequently than once a month) fast as a way to clean out and recharge the system. If you're going to do it, though, do it right.

#1 Decide why you are fasting. Fasting is NOT a tool for healthful, long-term weight loss. At best, it's a way to clean out the pipes, physically (and you may quite reasonably decide that once the pipes appear to have emptied, the fast is over). If you are hoping to starve off the pound of calories you ate yesterday, this will NOT work, so don't even try. If you are fasting for spiritual reasons, that's another animal and you follow different rules.

#2 Drink water. Lots of water. When your stomach growls. When you are obsessing about food, drink. Don't drink high-sugar juices--your blood sugar will be on a roller-coaster as it is (and of course, if you are diabetic/hypoglycemic, you are much too smart to even THINK of fasting, aren't you?) If you need caffeine to stave off headaches, drink it sparingly. Otherwise you will set yourself up for a rebound and be jittery all day.

#3 Exercise early and lightly. Take your walk, oh, now.

#4 Rest, rest, rest! Do NOT shop and do NOT drive the car. Black Friday is stressful enough (no matter how much you love it--happy stress is still stress) without passing out in Kohl's or having an accident. If you will shop today, do not fast. Neither your body nor your mind will be in tip-top condition.

#5 Limit your fast to 24 hours (starting last night if you haven't eaten breakfast). More than that won't help.

#6 Plan your "break-fast" now. You will gorge. Your body will insist. So set aside your two apples and 2T of peanut butter, or your pile of cauliflower and broccoli (and 2T of dip), or whatever large heap of produce you are going fall upon in a frenzy when it's over. After you've stuffed your stomach with fibrous produce, you'll be less likely to dive headfirst into leftover pie.