Review: Basen Fasting

Before I start my review, I would like to give you some information about 'basenfasten'. 

It was developed by the Wacker Family in 1997 and is meant as a treatment for detox and relief. When we talk about 'basen-fasten' we talk about the voluntary renunciation of acid food (animal proteins and corn) for a limited time to cleanse our body from acidic toxins. 

There are several methods for 'basen-fasten': you can do it only during a weekend (like me) or over months for which I would suggest to get more information. Talking about the foods you are allowed to eat, there are also some differences of course. But let's stay with this one. 

What you are NOT allowed to consume during this detox: 

• coffee, even decaf
• black,green and white tea
• mate, fruit and rooibos tea
• alcohol
• milk
• sugary drinks and foods
• sausage, lunch meats , hams and bacon
• smoked, brined or pickled foods
• shell fish
• garlic
• fast food

On a strictly 'alkaline' day (free from acid food) you mainly eat vegetables, ripe fruits, salad, sprouts, herbs and a few nuts and seeds. Complete shopping lists can be found on the internet or in books or you can check the list below. You should also drink 6 to 8 glasses of mineral water and diluted herbal tea. 

What you need: 

• mineral water
• herbal tea (like nettle tea) 
• lemons , grapefruits and apples
• vegetables like: onions, leek, parsley, white kale, celery, bay leaf, cucumbers
• hazelnuts , almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpink seeds
• 'basica' , which is a 'basen' product (available at your local pharmacy or at 'dm' in germany) 

Why I did this cleansing? 

Since I cut my finger weeks ago, I had to take antibiotics to prevent an inflammation. Unfortunately my body stored a lot of water which made me feel really bad, bloated and in some way very uneasy. 

So when my coach returned from a seminar three weeks, he told me about 'basenfasten' and how this can have an impact on the body and the overall well-being. Therefor I wanted to give it a try to purify my body and get rid of that retained water. 

What was my detox like?

It was mainly based on lemons, grapefruits, apples,hazelnuts, cucumbers, a self-made bouillon, boiled eggs and a 'basica'-'basen' product. 

If you want to know what my day looked like, you are welcome to check out my new movie on my YouTube channel (below). 

How I felt after this detox-weekend?

First I was a little bit concerned about the amount of food, which appeared as 'nothing' to me. I couldn't imagine that this would satisfy my hunger. Waking up on Saturday, I was curious about how I would feel during the day. My first thoughts were, 'well probably sluggish and grumpy'... 

Starting my day with a glass of warm lemon-water woke me up instantly, probably because of the sour flavor of the lemon. As I knew that I had to wait for 2 hours until my bouillon was ready, I had one of the three apples I was allowed to eat during the day. This really saved me as I probably wouldn't have survived another 2 hours without food. So far so good. 

I couldn't wait for my bouillon to be ready because it smelled so good. Meanwhile I prepared the cucumbers, the grapefruits and the hazelnuts, to have an equal apportionment over the day, just like the nettle tea that I already prepared in the morning. 

Despite the fact that I had to pee all the time, I didn't feel sluggish or hungry, which really surprised me to be honest. My body felt less bloated and I a lot better in my skin. I could clearly see that something has changed, which the scale also proved me. I lost 2 kilos, which should be mainly water. 

Unfortunately, at the end of Sunday, I had some headaches, which didn't surprise me. I think it's because I couldn't eat any carbs over these two days and my brain needed fuel again. 

So all in one, it was a great way to cleanse my body from acidic toxins. I definitely feel better now, and I think that I will do this detox-program again once in a while when I feel bloated and uneasy. 

It was by far tthe best detox I have done. The Nikki-Sharp 5-Days-Detox (review here) was great as well, but now that I've learned about alkaline food and its advantages I am more convinced about the 'basen-fasting' program. 

If you have further questions about my experience, don't hesitate to contact me via my facebook-page (here). 

Fitness 2.0

Hands up who's guilty : You enter your gym, while tying your nikes you check-in on Facebook, take some gym-selfies in the changing room and upload them straight into your Instagram and Facebook wall. Then you spend some more minutes looking at your social media to see if you received a new like or comment and then you're read to go hard... seems pretty normal to you, doesn't it?
May I call this fitness 2.0?

But let's go back to the early 2000's...
People hit the gym and the only thing they worried about was the quality of their training-routines. A fully-charged mp3 or mini-disc and headphones were a bonus.
A bottle of water, a towel and gym-clothes were the only thing a sports-bag contained. People didn't worry about their gym-outfit back then, even if it was the same from previous workouts because 'I will sweat anyway'--- What mattered was that it was comfy and somewhat functional.

These days, the tights are perfectly matching the sneakers,the ear-buds are color-coordinated with the smartphone-case and the neckline of the guys' tank-tops are lower than the ones teenage girls wear to go out at night.
Tracking workouts, meals and simply the everyday-life on the phone has become a routine to many.  Let's turn to the  #firstworldfitnessproblems :  You forgot to start your running-app while you worked your butt off on the treadmill, damn, how are you supposed to share this on Facebook now...?
Never mind, let's take a post-workout selfie instead, this will get you some likes anyways. 

Isn't it insane how our behavior has changed over the years?

Marketing and PR agencies found a new niche to sell all types of fitness-related items, because after all fitness has become a trend. And as we know, people automatically spend more money on something if it's considered popular. Entire gym-outfits, fitness-apps, accessories, eating- and training-plans are sold more than ever before. Just look around you :no matter what and where, there is ALWAYS a 'sports-edition' Even McDonald's now has a 'sports menu' which I find to be absolutely ridiculous.

However, the only difference between now and then is, once again, social media.
Back in the days, you didn't know if your friend was working out in the same gym as you until you met him there. Today, you can 'check-in' at your gym and let people know when and where you are hitting your sessions. You can even tell them through your phone how many reps you did.
In fact, the fitness-lifestyle has always been there, but it has become way more popular and exposed over the years.

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if people consider this kind of 'exposure'  good or bad.
Fact is: As long as it keeps you motivated, it serves its purpose. You can have the best training-program and the healthiest nutrition, but this doesn't help you if you are not motivated at all. Motivation is the key that helps you reach your goals.

Of course, there are always people that want to see you fail, but I am sure that you have friends that celebrate your success and push you with the one or other like or comment?

I don't mind if people like this current trend or not, because anyway, it has a very positive impact on everyone of us.
I am happy about every single one of you who works out and wants to get a healthier life. As long as social media helps you to keep going and stay motivated, go ahead.
While we're at social media: Don't forget to use‪ pumpingfairy to find the motivation you need.

let's go for some gymselfies