Water Fasting

[Rosi]

Hi Nathan,

Can I ask how much you are working during this fast? you say your energy levels are normal which I'm quite surprised about. Are you doing office work or anything more strenuous?

I do office work which requires a lot of concentration but also have an active social life, with dancing, cycling and sport for example.

Would you, or anyone else, suggest trying out a fast during my normal working routine, or would it be better to try a weekend fast first to see how it effects my energy levels. Would 2 days be enough to notice any positive effects or would it have to last longer?

Thanks for any advice anyone can give me on these questions.

[Dimitry]

What about "semi-water fast" diet?

I'm currently going on a vegan fast for two reasons: I wanted to try and see the benefits of it for myself for a long time (well at least 6 months now). I was trying to do it during a normal period but had some problems sustaining it for a prolonged period of time. Right now a fast is starting in church for me and lasts until end of December. I usually just went off the meats and still ate cheese and fish. Since I already followed a someone limited fast during these periods, I decided to adopt the two together.

My plan is to start off the same way as my previous fasts for church and take off the meats (and cheese this time) for the first week but still eat seafood. Second week I'll limit the seafood greatly and third week I'll go fully vegan.

What I'm thinking of doing is a semi-detox at the same time. I probably can't fully jump from eating to just drinking water and want to moderatly approach it over the next few years. Can I do this: drink a "power shake" in the morning i.e: Soy milk, fresh fruit (berries usually) and one of those All Greens powders. Drink only tea and water during the day at work (IT Desk job, helps that I drink only tea and water at work to begin with), at 5-6pm have "dinner" mainly consisting of fresh veggies and some grains (i.e brown rice, whole wheat pasta/sauce etc.)?

Would that type of semi-water fast be beneficial? Or should I just follow a normal vegan diet, have veggie snacks and a lunch at work and do the similar dinner as mentioned above?

[Jamie Wilson]

I tried a 10 day water fast 2 summers ago. I was already vegan, I just wanted to try to get my body as "clean" as possible.

I lasted about 4 1/2 days, then finished the 10 days just eating steamed veggies (I do have a toddler to chase around and a husband cook for-- all that cooking for others will get your stomach growling!)

Although I did feel very clean and light afterward, I mysteriously lost my "female cycles" (not to be too graphic- you know what I mean) for over a year after... so I will never do that again. I think the damage it did to my body was far greater than the benefits I received, but that may be because of other factors-- I was not overweight and the weight I lost from fasting acually put me underweight.

So, fast at your own risk, and don't do it if you're hoping to get pregnant soon...

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Jamie Wilson

I tried a 10 day water fast 2 summers ago. I was already vegan, I just wanted to try to get my body as "clean" as possible.

I lasted about 4 1/2 days, then finished the 10 days just eating steamed veggies (I do have a toddler to chase around and a husband cook for-- all that cooking for others will get your stomach growling!)

Although I did feel very clean and light afterward, I mysteriously lost my "female cycles" (not to be too graphic- you know what I mean) for over a year after... so I will never do that again. I think the damage it did to my body was far greater than the benefits I received, but that may be because of other factors-- I was not overweight and the weight I lost from fasting acually put me underweight.

So, fast at your own risk, and don't do it if you're hoping to get pregnant soon...

HI Jamie

I'm glad you have gave us a concrete example of how wrong fasting is once you are beyond the detox stage. I believe that 24 hour non food fasting is fine every once in a while as long as plenty of mineral water is consumed during it.

Beyond 24 hours is insane in my opinion. If the fast is for weight loss then you need councelling: the fat is that anyone can achieve a normal healthy weight as long as they demystify their mind of all the westeromics of our food ( I suggest trying Allen Carr's easyweigh book)

If its is detox, then 24 hours is sufficient.

If its a ritual punishment then pack it in, take the afternoon off and go for a beer.

[Amadeus]

Well, the majority of people in the US (probably 9.99999%)and I'm sure on this site are not below 5% body fat, so I'm not worried about the people on this MB starving to death. Lol. Do you even realize how much stored energy is in one pound of body fat? The reason we store fat is so we can survive for long periods of time when food is not available, which by the way happened a great deal to our ancestors dating back thousands of years. We are digesting and breathing in toxins now that we did not have in our food and air then either. A great deal of weight we have are in stored toxins.

If you read the articles posted on the beginning of this thread, which by the way was done by doctors and dieticians under research study, you would know that it is healthy for the majority of people and you burn off bad tissue and fat before going to healthy tissue. Trust me when I say, YOU WOULD KNOW WHEN YOU WERE BURNING HEALTHY TISSUE. I would not base on the person's message about missing her cycle for a year after fasting. This is an isolated case and other things could have been a factor. At the same time, don't go by my experience with fasting to make your conclusion. Do your own research because there is a great deal of info about this subject on the internet. You'll do far more harm to your body to drink that beer than fasting for a day I believe.

[vuurstorm]

I completed a 3 day water fast followed by a 7 day juice fast about two weeks ago.

My experince is was the following :

I would not suggest to much excercise during the water fast as you are not putting any energy back into your body. On the second and third night of my water fast I was extremely tired and had to go to bed earlier.

During my juice fast I never had any headache's or other negative side effects. (I stopped drinking coffee three days before, used to drink about 7 cups a day). I slept between 5 and 6 hours during my juice fast.

The best advice I can give to anyone doing 10 day fasts is to follow the eating guidelines when going off the fast. I thought I was brave and started eating a lot more than suggested and had an upset stomach for the next week.

In total I lost 11kg (24 pounds) during my fast.

Currently I am following a Raw fruit diet and started running.It has been 2 weeks since the fast and my weight is remaining the same.

[Nathan]

Hi Rosi, to answer some of your questions:

My current job is in an office working for about 7-8 hours a day, although it does not require much concentration. I cycle into work every day which is roughly 30 minutes.

Today (on my 3rd day of fasting) I decided to stop. There is no doubt I could of kept going for a lot longer, because after about 30 hours I really didn't feel the need to eat at all, plus the hunger pains start to dissapear (or you notice them less). The reason I decided to stop was I was struggling to get up in the morning and I didn't feel like cycling to work.

After 2 1/2 - 3 days I haven't noticed any 'detox effects' at all. Maybe this wasn't long enough, I'd been keen to try it again over a period where I don't have much on and take it a step further. I lost about 1-2 kilos on the 2nd day, but no other weight changes on the 1st day or today.

A big realisation for me during the fast was how psychological eating is, rather then the physical need for it. I kind of felt like I was addicted to food (or sugar?) and was getting cravings on the 1st and 2nd days. I have seen huge benefits in my thought process towards food. I am so much more aware of what I am eating and saying no to food all together seems to have given me discipline to say no to those nasty foods which are so easy to pick at. My appetite has been reduced, probably due to the shrinking of my stomach and today I was content with just a tiny tub of rice salad and a tiny bowl of noodles for lunch and dinner.

Anyway, I'm definately glad I experimented with it mainly because of the insights into my eating psychology. I hope this helps

P.S If you talk to other people about your fast, expect to be hard pressed by their opinions on why you shouldn't fast :P

[escapee]

During my juice fast I never had any headache's or other negative side effects. (I stopped drinking coffee three days before, used to drink about 7 cups a day). I slept between 5 and 6 hours during my juice fast.

Same here .. i slept about 4-6 hours when i was in juice fast and didnt feel deprived of sleep. I also experienced a heightened sense of mental clarity during the fasting period .

I dare not venture into water fast due to the lack of nutrients ..

[escapee]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Hi Rosi, to answer some of your questions:

After 2 1/2 - 3 days I haven't noticed any 'detox effects' at all. Maybe this wasn't long enough, I'd been keen to try it again over a period where I don't have much on and take it a step further. I lost about 1-2 kilos on the 2nd day, but no other weight changes on the 1st day or today.

Hi Nathan , did you experience thickening of tongue (coating) on your 3rd day ? if you do then that's a pretty common detox effect of juice fasting . My painful and joyful juice fast experience ( this was way before i changed my diet to vegan )

[Nathan]

escapee, my only side effects were stomach growls and periods of low energy (mornings)

[escapee]

same here for my first two days .

[Rosi]

Thanks Nathan for your reply.
I think from your experience there is little point in me trying a longer fast with my current work schedule. I would need to find a quieter time if I want to fast for longer.

I also agree with what you say on people trying to disuade you. There are at least 2 people around me who would understand the ocasional 1 day fast but not many people would support me on more than that.

I find your insights into the nature of eating very interesting. I am just recovering from a stomach virus earlier this week where I didn't eat for one and a half days. Now that I am starting to eat again I am trying also to take advantage of the situation and eat more consiously. I have to be aware of what I eat so as not to upset my slowly recoverig digestion and it would be good to make this awareness more of a habit.

[Andrew Brunelle]

Not that I have fasted for extensive times personally, but a plain water fast for thirty days just seems insanely long. I am not overweight anyway, and I eat a pretty healthy diet, but it would be nice maybe to juice fast once a week or something. I just couldn't see myself fasting for such an extended period of time, at least not at this point in my life. I think the main concern is that if I do a water fast, I'll have to be very careful with how I spend my energy, and if I do a juice fast, I'll have to spend so much time each day cleaning the damn thing. So it's more a question of practicality. If I want to juice fast, I'll have to do it for less than two weeks and I'll have to make my juice for the whole day in one sitting, as I do not want to clean my juicer multiple times each day. But I have a book called "Juicing and Detoxification," which I recommend, search those words on Amazon and you'll most likely be able to get some feedback on whether or not you think that book can help you. I'm still in the process of figuring out how I'm going to set time aside for a fast...but if you want tips, please read that book. Just don't stick with a fast out of pride or ego. If you need to eat at some point, eat. I don't want anyone dying on me now.

[Amadeus]

Yea, I experienced the same thing with sleeping during fasting. I think the body heals quicker during sleep because your digestive system is not requiring so much repair.

[TechnoGuyRob]

I haven't tried it, but my dad did a no-consumption (or whatever you call it) fast for two and a half weeks (no food or water, basically any consumption by mouth). (EDIT: Apparently it's called breatharian) He said he felt great (he did seem a lot more energetic), but then we went to California for vacation, and my aunt always cooks the best meals so he started eating again. :P I might try it sometime though; apparently you can go for years. I know a couple who hasn't eaten or drunk for three years. Because their digestive system is pretty much freed up, neither of them needs to sleep for more than a few dozen minutes a day, and they don't sweat at all (we took a rollerblading trip in the hot sun all day once, and not a drop; it was quite amazing). I don't think I would advise it if you don't know what you're doing, though. Apparently some woman in Hungary dropped dead trying to not eat or drink at all.

[ChefSalad]

I just got through the first two days of a juice fast last night and had to stop. I probably could have kept going but I couldn't think of anything except cheese. I was DYING for cheese. The worst part was that I was at work. My concentration was shot and my job is heavy into the concentration (I'm the technical half of a partnership that owns a cybercafé.). I could barely function at my post. I was supposed to be performing routine server maintenance and watching the counter. Ordinarily, neither of those tasks is very taxing at all, but on the fast I couldn't handle either of them, let alone both at once. I couldn't even calculate change in my head (something I can usually do without pause). I was quite surprised by this.

And, also weird, was that I was high for most of the time. The high was like a cross between opium and pot (I quit opiates three years ago and haven't used pot in two months (not that there's anything wrong with weed, I just got tired of paying for it)). It was very odd. As soon as I ate that string cheese log, hunger returned with a vengeance and I had a hard time restraining myself. My concentration fully returned in a half-hour, and the weakness in my legs was gone.

I may try doing another fast again, but I'm going to make sure that my second and third day don't involve work. I'll probably do it in about a month, when my schedule changes so that I have two days off in a row, as I can handle the first day of the fast just fine at work.

[DQueens]

no offense, but that idea sounds a little like bull.

there is another word for fasting "anorexia".

yes, it is true that you use energy for digesting (and for walking, breathing, thinking, fighting infections and everything else your body does). but that energy comes from your food, which is why you are eating in the first place.

of course you will lose weight, you are starving yourself, essentially. Your body, muslces and brains are running on nothing other than the fat stores in your body. What is happening is your metabolism is slowing. Your body is breaking down muscle tissues and essential proteins to fuel you. Your immune system is going to be functioning poorly, and you will be lethargic and fatigued, even if you dont realize it.

The body needs food to keep you alive. You are living off of your own bodily tissues, which is an unhealthy and unnatural, highly stressful state for the body to be in.

Maybe you feel "better" but that is because when other tissues such as fat and muscle are broken down, the byproducts that are produced can cause a feeling of eurphoria. This is an unnatural feeling, and does not mean you are being "cleansed" or healthy.

the digestive system needs fibre (from whole grain, fruits and vegetables) to function properly and keep the food residues and bacteria moving through it. Not encouraging intestinal motility is bad for the intestine because it affects the bacterial environment within your gut.

If you want to go on a "fast" to cleanse your body from the toxins you have been putting in it or if you want to shed some extra weight i propose eliminating all saturated fats, simple sugars, fast food, processed foods and drugs such as caffeine and alcohol from you diet. For three weeks eat a diet rich in whole grains (try quinoa, couscous, brown rice, oats, whole wheat pasta... the longer it takes to prepare the less processed and the better). Lots of fruits and vegetables (the darker or more colourful, the better) choose a large variety or something you havent eaten before to give your body a wide variety of nutrients, and protein (if you are going vegan or vegetarian that is fine, but try unprocessed soy products, legumes such as kidney beans etc.) and polyunsaturated fats such as omega three fatty acids. You will be shocked at how much better you feel.

the bottom line is, do what you want with your diet, but keep in mind that fasting for three weeks is not doing your body one ounce of good. all the "evidence" you have written about, stating the benefits of fasting have no scientific or real merit. if you diet is poor to begin with, then make changes to make it healthier, but do not eliminate food altogether and think you are being healthy. The average person needs roughly 2000 calories a day to stay alive and function properly. by denying your body this, you are denying it the right to perform to it's potential and putting it in a state of starvation or metabolic emergency in which it must rely on other unnatural ways to obtain energy.

[kmr321]

In one of tony robbins seminars he promotes a product the Alkaline Green drink in combination with fasting for a maximum fast of 7-10 days.

Anyone used this product?
i was thinking of ordering a couple of buckets.
The effects is a significant energy boost since you clear out all the crap in your body and increase your alkaline levels. Which has many positive effects mainly being the high energy.

[Athena]

kmr: no, but a product called The Ultimate Meal is probably much better

Chef: this might be a stretch, but I've heard of people releasing old toxins from their tissues during fasts, even years after contact with those drugs, and getting effects like they were on the drugs again, while their body releases the toxins (eg happens with nicotine stored in tissues to people who used to smoke).

maybe, if you want to detox, you can do a clean diet instead? seems a bit more reasonable.


Rob: huh? the link you posted basically discredits all claims of 'breatharians'.


==
to everyone here, fasting sounds interesting, but maybe it should really be done under supervision. a clean diet sounds a lot better and more reasonable for cleaning the body.

be safe!!!

[Dilman]

Does your energy go down when you fast? I'm a very athletic person, and I'm on a soccer, basketball, and tennis team, yet I'm very interested in fasting. Do you think this would interfere with my ability to play sports?

[Stolper]

About Nine months ago I did a 3 day water fast. I ate my last meal on a Thursday afternoon so that day 2-3 would fall on a weekend when I would not be working (less stress & strain). I felt good the first two days, the last day was the hardest. I wasn't physically hungry but I couldn't get my mind off of food. Eating is very enjoyable/psychological/addictive for me. I physically felt poorly the last day and I think this might have been attributabe to the "Healing Crisis". In hind sight, I wish I would have gone past the three days to see if I could have gotten past the healing crisis. The whole experience was very positive for me. I enjoyed the sense of accomplishment. I think there are many benefits to a water fast.
I did a lot of research online before I started and here is a story (albeit a very long story), that I found very fascinating and inspiring.
Triumph Over Disease ( ulcerative colitis ) by Fasting

[Atom]

Just an update. I stopped my fast Wed. night (after about 3 days). A salad, two small veggie taco's and a glass of cabernet never tasted so good! (Yes, I know you're supposed to gradually taper off a fast, and I blatantly ignored that.) Here's a few notes to wrap up the experience:

Jim, thank you for your skepticism. I was going to question the Falcon Blanco material, as the site also appears to advocate sun gazing, which is completely beyond me.

In regards to body fat, I have an ample supply, and lost little, if any, of it - but that wasn't the intention.

One thing I took from this is that my hunger, that I normally perceive as a dire need, is really not so urgent, and if I skip a meal, I'm not going to pass out and die.

I gained a heightened appreciation for food (absence makes the heart and stomach grow fonder).

In general, I believe that going to extremes in life is not a good idea. (though I would agree extreme avoidance of things like heroin or crack cocaine is a good idea.) Life is about balance. Our bodies either evolved or were deliberately created with the ability to digest food. Therefore I don't believe we were intended, by God or nature, to subsist on sunlight or water alone. However, thousands of years ago, humans didn't have the luxury of regular meals every day, in every season. It was feast or famine. So perhaps a balance of fasting, or light eating, in concert with increased levels of eating, is really best. I wonder if there is any hard scientific data on the effects of fasting on a healthy human compared to those in good health on a regular diet. The studies on worms are interesting, but come on, they're worms! They also subsist by eating dirt!

Most interestingly, it gave me a clean slate, from which to renew my diet. Like cleaning your garage works better when you empty it entirely and put back just the things you really want, rather than trying to pick out the things you don't want. I look at food with a more critical eye now, and I haven't had a bite of Halloween candy since.

[Nathan]

Atom, that is exactly how I feel about food after my 3 day fast. My self discipline to say no to bad foods even when they are sitting in the house and are going to be wasted has improved massively.
I lost a couple of kilo's on the fast but they just keep coming off, while my energy is better then it was pre-fast because I am eating so well.

[PhoenixOwl]

Schweet. I think I'm going to have to do this. I've cut down my diet for periods of time, and noticed increased mental clarity, and lack of hunger. I think I'll try a water fast next week, and see how it goes.

[yasi_joy]

for people who want to go on a juice fast and live in us or canada
the store named Booster Juice is AGREAAT GREAT GREAT place to get you started,iwas in charge of one of their stores for three months and i have to say it offered the healthiest stuff possible

why you shoudl try it?

1)the juices are fresh squeez that means that they juice it right in front of you so you are getting actually 'FRESH' juice
2)they add vitamine supplements to your drinks such as calcium(for women) protein(for weight lifters) vit c and etc
here is the list Booster Juice
3)they also have smoothies made with naturaL Juice sorbet(non dairy) and fresh fruit,,,if you dont like sobet they can make you smoothies with pure juice and fruit,,so there is no problem for vegetarians or vegans
4) they also have weathgrass which is the healthiest thing you can possibly try..check this wikipedia article on wheat grass
Wheatgrass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
30 ml shot of wheatgrass is as nutritionally valuable as a kilogram of green vegetables
5)they give you a pecise nuritional break down so you know what you're eating Booster Juice
6) you can also have you own smoothie or juice by choosing the fruits and juices that you like mixing togther
7) it really tastes good and your diet would not be painful at all

[Dilman]

I've been thinking about it, and I think I'm going to juice fast until sunday or Monday after Thanksgiving. Or I'm going to try...

Do you guys think it'd be wise to fast after such a large meal, or what?

And, sorry for bumping the topic.

[Amadeus]

It would be best not to start fasting after a big meal. It would be better to eat lightly the day or days before a fast.

[Amadeus]

Does anyone have any updates on how their fasting is going?

[Amadeus]

Jesus concludes his discussion of piety for God's eyes only with a section on fasting. We are not to make sure that people see us suffering and think of how pious we are. Rather, we are to face the world groomed so that our fasting will not be obvious. Fasting is to God, not to men.

Note that Jesus doesn't say, "If you fast..." but "When you fast...." Though he and his disciples didn't practice fasting as a discipline of their band (9:14-15), Jesus himself fasted in preparation for his ministry (4:2) and he implied that Christian disciples would fast following his time of earthly ministry (9:15).

While this is not the place for a thorough discussion of fasting, it is important to determine why we are fasting. It is not to go on a hunger strike to force God to do something. That is foolish. Nor is a Biblical fast in order to go on a diet or lose weight. Fasting is to purify the believer, to spend time focusing on God, to learn to deny the physical in order to grow the spiritual. Fasting is for repentance, for sorrow, for purification. Fasting helps us become more sensitive to God. Fasting is a discipline designed to help us draw closer to God.

In all our deeds of righteousness and piety -- and we should expect to find these in the sincere believer -- we are to be careful to do these for the proper motive, for the Audience of One, not for the acclaim of others. Worship is for God, and for him alone.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I just dont think water fasts can be very beneficial. A liquitarian fast is most likely to be the most beneficial. Fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, vegetable broths, nut and rice milks, and definitely plenty of pure water. I can almost see a diet like this, along with blended solid food, being a very beneficial long-term diet, but just water seems a little too restrictive. After a week or so, how could you possibly sustain any energy whatsoever?