One Week， No Food 輕斷食：一次特別的禁食經歷

S+Abbas+Raza++譯+阿諾

為了保持完美的身材，相信多數人都曾嘗試過各種瘦身法。要論近來在全球哪種瘦身法最熱，那當屬“輕斷食”了。這種禁食方法是指一周或一個月中有幾天停止進食，只靠喝白水或蔬果汁來維持身體所需，以達到瘦身、健體的目的。這樣的方法真能達到所宣傳的效果嗎？文中作者用一周的時間體驗了一把輕斷食，我們來看看他禁食的效果如何。

It all began in March last year when I read an article by Steve Hendricks in Harpers magazine titled “Starving Your Way to Vigour.” Hendricks examined the health benefits of fasting1）， including long-term reduced seizure2） activity in epileptics3）， lowered blood pressure in hypertensives4）， and weight loss. He also mentioned significantly increased longevity in rats that are made to fast. Most interesting was his tale of undertaking a 20-day fast himself， during which he shed more than 20 pounds and kept it off for the two years since. I was fascinated， and I started reading more about fasting afterwards， although at the time I had no intention of doing it myself.

The benefits of fasting have been much in the news again， in part due to a best-selling book from the UK： The Fast Diet： Lose Weight， Stay Healthy， and Live Longer by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer. Mosley is a BBC health and science journalist who extols5） the benefits of “intermittent fasting.” There are many versions of this type of fasting that are currently the subject of various research programmes， but Mosley settled on the 5：2 ratio—in every week， two days of fasting， and five days of normal eating. Mosleys claim is that such a “feast or famine” regime closely matches the food consumption patterns of pre-modern societies， and our bodies are designed to optimise such eating. Mosley says that he himself lost 20 lbs in nine weeks on the diet. He also says that he feels much more energetic since.

Inspired by Mosley and Hendricks， I delved into research on fasting online. I happen to be a mild hypertensive myself and for various reasons have been off my blood pressure medication for a couple of months. I thought I might try fasting as an experiment， to see if it made any difference to my blood pressure， but also out of sheer curiosity about what the experience would be like. My wife said she would try it， too.

We decided on a seven-day fast—somewhere between Hendricks experience and Mosleys recommendation. The plan was to go a full week without eating or drinking anything except water. Lest our bodies react to this insult by trying to slow down our metabolisms6）， and we end up just lying around and not getting anything useful done all week， we also planned to stay energetic by engaging in vigorous physical exercise for at least a couple of hours daily during the fast. Neither one of us had ever done anything of the sort before.

Since my wife had a weeks break in February from her work， we decided to try our fast then. Our preparation was pretty minimal. I would keep a journal in which I would record my weight， blood pressure， activities and， several times a day， just note how I was feeling. We bought some emergency supplies in case one or both of us ended up feeling ill or fainting： some energy drinks， a couple of bars of Swiss milk chocolate， some fruit， and some bread and cheese， and put them in the refrigerator.

On our final day before beginning， we measured our weight， blood pressure， pulse rate， and waist size. My wife and I dont normally eat breakfast. That day we just had a light lunch and in the evening we had an early dinner of chicken， potatoes， and brown rice. And some chocolate pudding. And then we stopped eating.

The scientific data on the benefits of fasting are still thin and far from conclusive7）： Mark Mattson， head of the National Institute on Agings neuroscience laboratory， thinks it is possible that fasting is a mild form of stress that stimulates the bodys cellular defences against molecular damage. And even intermittent fasting can increase the bodys sensitivity to insulin8）， thereby decreasing the risks of diabetes and heart disease. Some nutritionists are sceptical， and especially worry about the dangers of compensatory overeating in the times one is not fasting. Even if we dont yet have enough data for clear conclusions， there was enough material from my research to intrigue me to try it for myself.

Our weeklong fast was a little unusual as we also engaged in strenuous9） exercise every day. Sometimes a little too strenuous： One day we did a 14 km trek through Alpine snow at a place called the Rodenecker Alm near Italys border with Austria. This was almost four hours of climbing and descending after three days of total fasting， and it left us quite exhausted and sore. But the odd thing was that to both of us it actually felt easier in this fasting state than it would have under normal conditions. So one does indeed seem to have a lot of physical energy while fasting， as Mosley has argued.

Things were not perfect， however. My wife had to break the fast at the end of day six because she neither felt nor looked well. I did make it through the whole seven days without any physical problems but I was psychologically exhausted by the end of it and euphoric10） that it was over. In everything that I had read about fasting， days two to four were supposed to be the most difficult. I had also worried about getting headaches or other physical discomfort， and especially about being unable to get restful sleep： I thought I might be awakened by hunger pangs. As it happens， none of those troubled me. Which isnt to say it wasnt an odd experience.

First of all， every single one of the seven days felt exactly the same： Mornings were completely fine and I felt pretty much as I normally do until about lunchtime. I tried to pack in any work， especially work that required mental concentration， into this period of each day. After midday， I became a little fidgety and found it hard to concentrate on anything. I had much more than usual amounts of physical energy and did all kinds of household chores happily. But my mind flitted from one thing to the next， and my reactions were slowed down very noticeably by evening. If my wife asked me a question， it took about five seconds for it to register and another five before I could formulate and deliver a reply.

So the days were hazy11） at times， but very bearable. Not so the evenings. By far the worst time was between 6 pm and 10 pm in the evenings. It was in this window12） every day that my wife and I both felt a physical and mental unease resulting in great difficulty in just passing the time. We tried to watch TV or movies but it was hard， and the evening seemed strangely empty.

In fact， the biggest surprise was just how much more time we had on our hands. I was struck by how much of the day I normally spend attending to my digestive needs： thinking about what I would have for lunch or dinner； shopping for groceries； cooking； then actually eating， washing dishes， cleaning up， even moving ones bowels13）. Eliminating the simple act of eating frees up much more time than youd think. In addition to the couple of hours of daily exercise we kept up throughout， we took long walks in the mountains， did crosswords， surfed the net and fooled around14） on Facebook， and we still always had more time to fill. I realised that meals provide needed punctuation to the day， and without them our days seemed strangely lacking in structure.

So what about the medical benefits？ In the end， both throughout and after the fast， my blood pressure remained at exactly the same， slightly elevated level it had been before I started. So much for controlling it by fasting， at least for me. I lost 11 lbs （5 kg） over the week and gained 7 lbs （3 kg） back within three days. I experienced a phenomenal increase in physical energy but at the expense of a lack of mental concentration. These effects lasted only while I was actually fasting： One day after breaking the fast， I felt completely normal， with the same appetite and level of physical energy as usual.

Did I feel any different from normal in the days immediately after the end of the fast or since？ No， not really. Would I do it again？ I doubt it. Though it was fun in its own peculiar way. Well … maybe. But I think Ill at least wait for more controlled clinical evidence to come in.

一切始于去年3月我在《哈潑斯》雜志上讀到的一篇由史蒂夫·亨德里克斯寫的題為《餓出你的活力來》的文章。亨德里克斯調查了禁食對健康的益處，包括在長期內減少癲癇患者的發(fā)病次數、降低高血壓患者的血壓以及減輕體重。他還提到，被動禁食的老鼠的壽命得到了顯著延長。最有趣的部分是他自己禁食20天的經歷，在此期間他的體重減掉了20多磅，并在其后的兩年內一直保持這一體重。我為此感到著迷，之后開始閱讀更多有關禁食的文章，雖然當時我還沒有親身嘗試的打算。

新聞里又開始大談禁食的好處了，部分歸因于一本來自英國的暢銷書：由邁克爾·莫斯利博士和米米·斯潘塞撰寫的《輕斷食：正在橫掃全球的瘦身革命》。莫斯利是BBC的健康和科學欄目記者，對“間歇性禁食”的益處贊不絕口。這種禁食方式有多種不同的版本，目前各類研究項目都在對之進行研究，而莫斯利選定以5：2的比例進行禁食——每周禁食兩天，其他五天正常飲食。莫斯利聲稱，這種“饑飽交替”的進食法與近代之前人們的飲食模式極為接近，而人體的設計可以最大限度地利用這種進食方式。莫斯利表示，經過九周的間歇性禁食，他的體重減輕了20磅。他還說從那以后他感覺自己的精力更加旺盛了。

受到莫斯利和亨德里克斯的啟發(fā)，我開始在網上深入研究有關禁食的話題。我本人剛好患有輕微的高血壓，并且出于某些原因已經停藥幾個月了。我想我可以嘗試一下禁食，當做實驗，一方面看它對我的血壓是否有影響，一方面則純粹出于好奇，想體驗一下禁食會是個什么滋味。我妻子說她也打算試試。

我們決定禁食七天——這個時長介于亨德里克斯的實踐和莫斯利的推薦之間。我們計劃在整整一周內除了喝水不進食其他任何東西。為了避免我們的身體用減緩新陳代謝的方式來對抗禁食造成的損害，以及我們整個星期只能在臥床休息與無所事事中度過，我們還計劃在禁食期間每天至少進行幾個小時的高強度體育鍛煉，以保持活力。以前我們倆誰也沒做過這類嘗試。

因為妻子在2月可以從工作中抽身出來，休假一周，所以我們決定在她休假期間嘗試禁食。我們事先幾乎沒做什么準備。我打算寫日記記錄我的體重、血壓、運動情況，還會每天幾次寫下自己的感受。以防我們其中一個或兩個人都感到身體不適或虛弱暈倒，我們買了一些應急用品——能量飲料、幾條瑞士牛奶巧克力、水果、面包和奶酪，把它們放在了冰箱里。

在開始禁食的前一天，我們稱了體重，量了血壓、脈搏和腰圍。我和妻子通常都不吃早飯，那天我們午飯稍微吃了點兒，晚飯吃得比較早，吃了雞肉、土豆、糙米飯，還吃了一些巧克力布丁。然后，我們就不再進食了。

現在有關禁食的益處的科學數據依然很少，還遠不能得出定論。美國國家老齡化研究所神經科學實驗室主任馬克·馬特森認為，禁食可能是一種較為和緩的壓力形式，能夠激發(fā)身體的細胞防御機制，阻止分子層面的損害發(fā)生。即使是間歇性禁食也可以提高身體對胰島素的敏感性，從而降低患糖尿病和心臟病的風險。有些營養(yǎng)學家則對禁食持懷疑態(tài)度，他們尤其擔心的是禁食結束后補償性過度進食所帶來的危害。雖然從現有的數據還不足以得出明確的結論，但是我所讀到的資料已經足以誘使我親自嘗試一番了。

我們這次禁食一周的特別之處在于我們每天還要進行高強度的運動。有時運動強度的確稍大了些：有一天，在意大利和奧地利邊界附近一個名叫羅德耐克阿姆的地方，我們在阿爾卑斯山的雪地里跋涉了14公里。在完全禁食三天后，我們用了將近四個小時上山下山，最后累得筋疲力盡，渾身酸痛。但奇怪的是，我們都覺得在禁食的狀態(tài)下走這一趟實際上比在正常情況下還輕松?？磥?，真就像莫斯利說的那樣，人在禁食期間好像體力確實很充沛。

不過，事情并非進展得完全順利。在第六天快結束時，我妻子不得不結束禁食，因為她感覺不舒服，氣色也不好。我倒是堅持了整整七天，身體上沒有出現任何問題，但結束時精神上卻感到非常疲憊，而且對禁食終于結束感到異常興奮。在我讀過的所有關于禁食的資料中，第二天到第四天被認為是最難熬的。我也曾擔心會出現頭疼或其他身體不適的癥狀，尤其擔心不能睡安穩(wěn)：我覺得自己說不定會被餓醒。不過事實證明，我并沒有受到以上這些問題的困擾。但這并不表示這不是一次奇特的經歷。

首先，那七天中每一天的感覺都完全相同：上午一切都非常正常，直到午飯時間之前，我都感覺跟平時差不多。我盡量把工作，特別是需要集中注意力的工作，安排在每天的這個時段做。中午過后，我開始變得坐立不安，發(fā)現注意力難以集中。我的體力比平時充沛得多，愉快地干各種家務活。但我的注意力卻飄忽不定，到了晚上，我的反應速度明顯下降。如果妻子問我一個問題，我需要大約五秒鐘才能反應過來，需要另外五秒鐘才能組織語言，做出回答。

因此，在白天，我有時過得恍恍惚惚的，不過完全可以忍受。但晚上就不一樣了。晚上6～10點之間是最難熬的。每天到了這個時段，我和妻子都感到心神不安，渾身不自在，結果僅僅是消磨這段時間都成了大難題。我們試圖看電視或電影，卻看不進去，夜晚顯得異?？仗摗?/p>

實際上，最令人意外的是我們多出來那么多可自由支配的時間。我驚訝地發(fā)現，原來我每天都把那么多時間花在了滿足自己的口腹之需上：考慮午飯或晚飯吃什么，買菜，做飯，開始真正吃飯，洗碗，收拾桌子，甚至還要算上排便的時間。光是省略掉“吃”這一簡單行為就能釋放出遠超你想象的大把時間。除了我們始終堅持的每天鍛煉幾小時之外，我們還去山上遠足，玩填字游戲，上網沖浪，在Facebook上消磨時間，但我們仍常常有大把的時間需要打發(fā)。我發(fā)現一日三餐為一天的時間提供了必要的停頓，少了它們，我們的日子仿佛莫名其妙地亂了章法。

那么禁食在健康方面的益處如何呢？結果是，在禁食期間和禁食結束后，我的血壓毫無變化，和之前一樣處在略高于正常的水平。至少對我來說，靠禁食來控制血壓的效果也不過如此。禁食一周，我的體重減輕了11磅（5公斤），在隨后的三天內又長回來7磅（3公斤）。禁食期間，我的體力顯著增強，代價則是注意力無法集中。這些效果只在禁食期間才能維持：在結束禁食一天后，我就完全恢復了正常，我的胃口和體力又和平時一樣了。

在禁食剛結束的那幾天以及隨后的日子里，我感覺和平日有什么不同嗎？基本上沒有。我還會再次嘗試嗎？恐怕不會，盡管這段經歷自有其獨特的樂趣。嗯……也許會再試試。不過，我想至少還是等到更多受控的臨床證據出來后再說吧。

1. fasting [?fɑ?st??] n. 禁食

2. seizure [?si???（r）] n. （疾病的）突然發(fā)作

3. epileptic [?ep??lept?k] n. 癲癇患者

4. hypertensive [?ha?p??tens?v] n. 高血壓患者

5. extol [?k?st??l] vt. 贊揚；贊頌；贊美

6. metabolism [m??t?b??l?z（?）m] n. [生理]新陳代謝

7. conclusive [k?n?klu?s?v] adj. 無可置疑的；確定性的；結論性的

8. insulin [??nsj?l?n] n. [生化]胰島素

9. strenuous [?strenju?s] adj. 費力的；耗費精力的

10. euphoric [ju??f?r?k] adj. 狂喜的；異常興奮的

11. hazy [?he?zi] adj. 朦朧的；模糊不清的

12. window [?w?nd??] n. 能做某事的一段時間

13. move ones bowels：排便

14. fool around：閑蕩