Buchinger fasting with Laura Junge
Laura Junge is a medical nutritionist and medically certified fasting instructor with clinical experience. Keimling Naturkost provides insights into the effects of Buchinger therapeutic fasting.
Laura Junge is a medical nutritionist and medically certified fasting instructor with clinical experience. Keimling Naturkost provides insights into the effects of Buchinger therapeutic fasting. Laura Junge overcame her severe skin diseases through a combination of dietary changes and fasting. Some readers will already be familiar with her social media appearances "Lustesser" and "Club der leeren Teller". After countless unsuccessful visits to the doctor, her contact with a nutritionist led to a cure; the doctors saw no connection between her diet and her illnesses. She was completely cured after about a year of consistent change. The personal healing story inspired, motivated and made her grateful and led her to become more involved with healthy eating and therapeutic fasting and even to start a career in this field.
Laura Junge is currently writing a guidebook on the topic of therapeutic fasting, which includes the latest findings and is aimed primarily at beginners. The book is expected to be published in autumn 2022 and will of course cover the topic of nutrition as well as fasting, as the two go hand in hand.
Why is Buchinger fasting such an effective method?
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The fasting method should suit you and the goals you want to achieve, including the length of the fast, because the longer the fasting period, the greater the biochemical changes. Buchinger therapeutic fasting is easy to implement thanks to its fixed structure. The key point of fasting is the so-called Autophagy and, in simple terms, can be translated as the "self-healer within us". This is the body's own biochemical recycling process at cell level, which is responsible for promoting cell health. The changes that take place can be seen as an "anti-ageing" effect. In the process of autophagy, non-functional proteins, bacteria or viruses are enclosed in a shell and broken down into their individual components, which our body can then use again as building blocks. These repair processes start when we stop eating. More and more studies are also confirming the positive effects of therapeutic fasting on our mood and positive influence on our microbiome, i.e. on our intestinal health.
The positive effect of autophagy is already utilised in intermittent fasting, e.g. in the 16/8 method, but is of course more intensive if the fasting period is longer. Buchinger fasting is a 7-28 day programme. Of course, the duration depends on whether you are healthy and only want to fast as a preventative measure or whether you are ill and, of course, what your goals are. Sick people should prefer to fast in a medically supervised clinic, especially if the fasting period is longer. Healthy people can of course also practise preventive therapeutic fasting at home. In addition to the state of health, the constitution of the person fasting should of course also be taken into account, so a person who is already very slim should adjust the duration of the fast accordingly as well as the methodology, i.e. for such participants, for example, consume a little more juice. You should also take into account whether the participant is a beginner or already has some fasting experience. If you are just starting out and are unsure, you should favour a supervised fast. For beginners, 5 days is a very good starting point, because it is of course easier than overexerting yourself straight away and then being able to put more energy into building up after the fast.
What is the typical Buchinger fasting programme?
With a fasting period of 7 days, only the first day of fasting is slightly different to the other days. The special feature of the first day is the classic purging with Glauber's salt, which physiologically initiates the start of the fast. Emptying the bowels is so important because it is easier to enter a state of fasting and fasting side effects, such as headaches or hunger, are minimised. In addition to purging, there are certain rituals that are very important during fasting; these rituals serve to support our excretory organs during elimination. In terms of food, Buchinger fasting involves eating only liquid food, including 250 ml of freshly squeezed juice and 250 ml of vegetable broth, plus 2-3 litres of still water or unsweetened herbal teas. The increased fluid intake is important to support the excretory organs such as the kidneys. Walking in the fresh air is important to support the lungs. Exercise is also important for people who suffer from poor circulation or low blood pressure. The bowels can be supported during fasting by regular enemas. Alkaline baths and saunas have proved effective in supporting the skin. Liver wraps are used to promote blood circulation in the liver. Alternating showers (alternating showers of cold and warm water) or dry brushing are also among the classic supportive fasting rituals. For a little energy boost during Buchinger fasting, 1 teaspoon of honey is stirred into the tea to alleviate any side effects. In addition to the rituals mentioned, you should use the time to relax and let go. The clear mind during fasting also brings many participants to questions about life, where do I want to go in life, what are my goals, i.e. interesting mental processes. During a cure in a clinic or hotel, where I don't have to organise everything myself, I naturally have more freedom for this relaxation and the mental things.
Who should not do Buchinger fasting or only under medical supervision?
The official recommendations of the German Medical Association for Therapeutic Fasting and Nutrition are that fasting is not permitted during pregnancy and breastfeeding, after serious illness, in the case of severe overweight (obesity), eating disorders such as anorexia, advanced cancer, malnutrition, people with liver and kidney disease, severe nervous and mental illness and, of course, children are also excluded from fasting.
How should you eat after fasting or in general?
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For most people, therapeutic fasting is a strong impulse to change their lifestyle. This is why the so-called recovery days after fasting are part of the Buchinger therapeutic fasting method. As a recommendation, it can be said that the diet should be predominantly plant-based, e.g. you can try to include 30 different types of fruit and vegetables in your diet in one week. If you want to change your diet in the long term, it is advisable to do this slowly and cautiously, as you may not yet have enough choice or have familiarised yourself with the portfolio of healthy, vibrant and plant-based foods. Even if your diet should of course be as healthy as possible, your passion for food must not fall by the wayside, so you can consciously make exceptions so that the pressure doesn't get too high and you don't throw in the towel demotivated. Our body will react positively to healthy foods and we will intuitively crave them, but of course this doesn't happen overnight because you can naturally fall into old habits.
What should Laura Junge include in her daily diet?
Raw food is very important, so every meal should contain something fresh and vibrant, whether that's fresh cucumber or peppers, a few sprouts as a topping or a nice leafy salad. It is also important to drink enough fluids.
Tip from Laura Junge:
"Look beyond the empty plate and win by going without, everyone at their own personal pace"
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