Alkaline fasting is fasting where you eat until you are full. Instead of going hungry, for a week you eat only vegetables, fruit, herbs and sprouts. For many, it is the ideal introduction to fasting. Here you find out how a week at a hotel works, what is allowed and what science says.
- You eat until full, but only plant-based: vegetables, fruit, herbs, sprouts.
- Meat, grains, dairy, sugar, coffee and alcohol are left out.
- The idea of acidification is disputed; the benefit of plenty of vegetables is not.
What alkaline fasting is
Alkaline fasting was made popular above all by the German naturopath Sabine Wacker. The idea: many people eat too much meat, white flour and sugar. A week of purely plant-based, so-called alkaline food is meant to relieve the body.
Unlike therapeutic fasting, you eat three proper meals a day. That is why alkaline fasting also suits people who cope badly with hunger.
How a week at a hotel works
It usually starts with a medical consultation. After that you get three meals a day: in the morning perhaps fruit or a warm vegetable porridge, at lunch the main meal with steamed vegetables and herbs, in the evening something light. Plus plenty of water and herbal tea.
Between meals there is movement, treatments and rest. Many houses offer cooking classes so you can carry on at home.
- Allowed: vegetables, fruit, herbs, sprouts, potatoes, a few nuts
- Not allowed: meat, fish, grains, milk, sugar, coffee, alcohol
No hunger, no giving up pleasure, just a week without what usually weighs us down.
What science says
The assumption that the body is generally over-acidified is scientifically disputed. The body keeps the pH of the blood very precisely stable by itself. What is undisputed: plenty of vegetables and avoiding alcohol, sugar and highly processed food do you good.
Honestly, alkaline fasting is less a de-acidification than a week of very healthy eating. And that is exactly what makes it valuable.
Who alkaline fasting suits
Anyone who wants to try fasting without going hungry. People who want to change their diet. And as a gentle alternative when classic therapeutic fasting would be too strict.
If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor first because of the high potassium content.
Frequently asked questions
Do you lose weight with alkaline fasting?
Often a little, because the food is light and sugar and alcohol are dropped. But it is not a diet in the strict sense.
How long should alkaline fasting last?
Usually one to two weeks. Five to seven days are enough for a first impression.
Is alkaline fasting real fasting?
No. You eat normally, only exclusively plant-based. The name is more of a label than a description.
Luxly does not provide medical advice. Whether a programme suits you is something to discuss with the house's medical team or your own doctor.
