Dr. Samefko Ludidi - The Dr Ludidi Method of Intermittent Fasting

DR. SAMEFKO LUDIDI

THE DR. LUDIDI METHOD OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

Ubunda Publishers

Culinary Photography: Christophe Beaumont

Layout: Daan Hoogervorst

Design: Nandisa Ludidi

Translation: Bryony Mortimer

ISBN (paperback); 9789083094007

ISBN (e-book); 9789083094014

NUR 860, 450,

2020 Samefko Ludidi

2020 Ubunda Publishers

Instagram: @ubundabooks

Website: ubundabooks.com

Originally translated version of de dr. Ludidi Vastenmethode ISBN 9789000366491

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

Disclaimer:

This document is intended as a reference work, not as a medical manual. The information provided serves as an aid in making well-considered decisions about ones well-being. It cannot be used as a substitute for any medical treatment whatsoever. Consult a doctor if you have any questions or physical problems. This is especially essential for people with diabetes and other immune-related disorders. Intermittent fasting is strongly discouraged for pregnant women and children and does not cure diseases. The publisher and author are not liable for any adverse effects caused by the use of this book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Part I

The evolution of food: historical and cultural aspects

Food in development

Part II

Get to know your body and learn how to eat well

About nutrients

Metabolism

Hunger and fullness: the intestinal system and hormones

The human side of food: about more than nutrients

Intermittent fasting

Part III

How to fast

The fasting trial

This is how you fast!

Fasting: facts and fables

Recipes

Big thanks!

Appendices

Appendix I: Practical Help

Appendix II: Eating Guidelines

Appendix III: Exercise Guidelines

Appendix IV: Progression Tool

Glossary

Notes

S ince your health journey is an ever lasting one,

Id like to help you so that you stay inspired and motivated throughout the year.

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The Dr. Ludidi Method of Intermittent Fasting

Introduction

F asting. Its a harsh word which sounds pretty serious. However, if you look at its history and the way fasting has always been practiced, its not that extraordinary. People have been fasting for thousands of years, typically as a means to reflect on life, to cleanse the body or as some kind of penance. I come from the southern part of the Netherlands and the word fasting takes me back to my childhood when we lived with my grandparents who used to cook us a hot lunch every day. Fasting was an annual ritual. Each year Carnival was followed by forty days of fasting until Easter. In practice, that meant no sweets for forty days and no meat for our hot lunches on Friday - which was always a little disappointing. I didnt understand why we couldnt enjoy our usual delicious meals. As children, we sometimes asked, Why are we doing this? and the response was So that we can experience what poor people experience every day. I didnt get it. I thought it was a silly answer; after all, why would one deliberately want to suffer?

The answer to this last question came many years later when I discussed fasting with an Islamic client of mine. He told me that the poor peoples story was a tale told to children so that they could acquire the habit of fasting. My client told me

The Dr. Ludidi Method of Intermittent Fasting

that, for Muslims, fasting has a deep spiritual meaning and that, sooner or later when you fast, you are confronted with yourself. For believers, fasting symbolises their commitment to a higher power. It is a sign of their devotion, saying, Look what Im willing to do for You (divine power). I dare to refuse food because I know that You (God or Allah, if you will) will not let me down. You will make sure I am fine.

When I talked to my South African father about fasting, he told me that, when he was growing up in the Eastern Cape, his aunt used to fast every Wednesday before going to church. All year round. There is no point in fasting on just one occasion she told my dad and, even though I have never spoken to her myself, I certainly agree with her about that. Around Easter the children would join her in her weekly fast and the atmosphere was made more sombre still when the fire remained unlit - so when it was cold, it was really cold. It was the way my South African family expressed their confidence in a higher power.

My fathers personal experience of fasting dates mainly from the time he underwent his cultural initiation ritual as a very young Xhosa man. For three months he lived in the wilderness with as many as twenty-eight other young men from villages in his region. Exactly what happens during such initiation rituals is not revealed to the general public, but it included a form of fasting, combined with a very restricted diet and washing in the natural water sources available to them.

It was a ritual that was supposed to make him a man: tough and ready to take on his responsibilities in the big bad world. My dad still looks spry and fit at A slender man, he still does ten pull-ups a day.

Fasting goes way back. Hunter-gatherers often fasted before hunting for practical reasons. When they set out on a hunt in a state of fast, their body odour would not be affected

The Dr. Ludidi Method of Intermittent Fasting

by anything they had eaten. This gave them an advantage when going out to search for game. Because animals have such a well- developed sense of smell, having a neutral odour increased the hunters chances of not being noticed by their prey.

Fasting has been used as a way of cleansing the body for centuries and sometimes it has been used as part of a spiritual journey, as in the Ayahuasca ritual. (Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic natural drink). However, although this book may convert you, fasting, the way I use it, is by no means religious or spiritual. Fasting in accordance with my method - intermittent fasting - is suitable for anyone who simply wants to be in charge of their own health. As a nutritionist and a health expert, I see people with all kinds of ailments such as cardiovascular disease, gut disease and obesity; however, quite apart from those who are unwell, there are many others looking to live healthier lives or, more simply, to lose weight. For years now I have recommended fasting to help my clients improve their health.

Fasting is becoming more popular because it is a powerful tool with which to achieve a number of different health benefits, and yet very few people know where or how to start, which is why I am offering my method here: to help you make a good start on your fasting journey. It is a journey that may last the rest of your life. I have been fasting in this way cyclically - for eight weeks at a time twice a year, interspaced with a couple of normal months - for many years now, to regulate my health. Other people use different forms of fasting and some continue without interruption, for a lifetime.