Best Way to Water Fast [2 Studies]
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References:
[1] doi: 10.1186/s12906-018-2136-6
[2] doi.org/10.1159/000357602
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#waterfasting #fasting #fastingforhealth
Note: The main electrolytes to focus on are sodium and potassium. Electrolytes like calcium are less susceptible to imbalance, because they have more mechanisms of regulation through a number of hormones.
+ magnesium
can you do Methylene Blue next??
Magnesium deficiency had me in trouble on a few of my early fast. Keeps calcium in balance as well. Fixed it with magnesium citrate, 50 mg 2-3 x a day.
hey, i've seen your previous video about ron, and im also currently water fasting. im currently on day 8 of a 60 day fast and i've already lost over 20lbs. i don't think your prob going to see this but is that normal ?? or should I probaly go get checked out or something ? from what i've seen i think im losing alot more than i should be.
@lifesinteresting7175 I doubt it's an issue. How do you feel? You can Google 10 bad signs to stop your fast". A lot of that 20lbs is water weight too.
At the end of last year, I ended a 120 day fast. I've fast multiple times over my life, but this definitely is the longest (by far) that I had every done. Normally, I would only do a week or two. I think the most important three things during fasts are electrolytes, electrolytes, and electrolytes. I may be able to add some practical advice for your viewers. STEP 1: Fasting Prep Depending on your current diet, you may be switching from glucose to ketones for energy. This is what can cause the "brain fog" and some of the discomfort during the initial days of fasting. I would strongly recommend doing three to four days (less if you are fat adapted) of a very low/zero carb diet leading up to fasting. And adding a tablespoon of good coconut oil on each of those days. The coconut oil is just an easy way to add some MCTs in your body since your brain will not have an energy source while your body is switching to ketones. Your brain needs glucose or ketones to use as energy and you have a gap there. MCTs are great because the smaller ones are small enough to pass the blood-brain barrier so your brain will have energy. Honestly, purposely addressing this switching of energy sources is far, far more important that reducing your calories leading up to a fast. I've never reduced calories leading up to a fast. I have no doubt that it would help some people, but directly addressing the switching of energy sources will help everyone. This will reduce the stress during the first couple days of fasting. Basically you are separating the mental stress of not eating and the stress of your brain not getting enough energy. This is why the first couple of days are so hard for some people... they are combining those stresses into the same time period. Lastly, you should have your supplies for the next two stages. STEP 2: Fasting Personally I think people should supplement sodium and potassium on any fast over a couple of days. Supplementation. One of the most easy ways to get your electrolytes is to go to the spice aisle in your regular grocery store and buy one of the "low sodium" salts. This typically replace the sodium with potassium and makes it a very convenient one stop for the two most important electrolytes. I also took a multivitamin (as a catchall and calcium), vitamin D3 with K2 (for health and immunity support), vitamin B complex (important), and a magnesium tablet (because powdered mg tastes like chalk.) I took one teaspoon of Morton Lite Salt which gave me around 1200mg sodium and 1400mg potassium. You needs may vary depending on your previous diet, activity levels, climate you are in, etc. I put that one teaspoon in a clear water bottle with one scoop of Dr. Price's electrolyte mix to add some flavor. You have to some flavoring so that you can consistently drink this over the day. At least a little bit of flavoring is non-negotiable - you will stop drinking your electrolytes everyday if you don't have some flavoring. Being in a clear bottle allowed me to judge if I was ahead or behind finishing that bottle for the day. I chose that product because it was cheaper than the others and one of the only ones that actually had more potassium(330mg) than sodium(200mg.) It's important to drink your electrolyte drink over the day. It's not a big deal if are just adding one scoop of electrolyte products on the market; however, in my bottle, I have my entire electrolytes for the day. Your body can't handle water that is too salty. It will just run through you and out the other end. This is how people die of dehydration when they drink seawater. There is a technique where you purposefully use this to your advantage with a salt water flush. Basically you dissolve two teaspoons of salt in warm water, drink it as fast as you can, drink two more glass of regular water, and then stay close to a toilet for the next couple of hours. The salt water flush essential fulfills the role of fiber in pulling everything out of your intestines to evacuate all of the waste products that are just sitting around inside you waiting to leave out the back. I would not do a salt water flush more that once per week and it needs to be understand that a salt water flush will have a negative effect on your overall hydration and electrolyte levels. But as with most things diet, think of your needs in weekly terms instead of daily. Mild exercise is important to keep your body active. Remember, you body has millions of years of evolutionary pressure focused on one thing: self survive. "Oh, there isn't any food around? Well, I'm going to conserve every bit of energy that I can until food is back." Mild exercise can help blunt your body's natural response to not having food. STEP 3: Re-feeding The term refeeding often refers to the medical condition where someone is reintroduced to food after a long time of not eating (most of these cases were not voluntary.) The main issue comes down to electrolytes. Your body wants a specific range of electrolytes in your blood and it will draw those electrolytes out of individual cells to keep it that way. Then when you eat, all those cells want their electrolytes back and your blood levels of electrolytes crashes. Most of what I read was potassium crashing leading to heart problems up to and including death. This is why it is so important to get your electrolytes throughout the fast. Most people are already not getting the RDA for potassium. This is why I think that supplementing electrolytes so important for any fast over a couple of days. If you don't have any pre-existing medical issues and you have been diligent about keep up on your electrolytes, breaking your fast should be smooth. It isn't a huge deal what you use to break your fast, but I would focus on a few things: (1) more than adequate protein (as your body has been living off of autophagy), (2) low fiber (your digestive system has been on a break, let's not overload it and give yourself problems; yes, I think those people's recommendation for high fiber foods to break a fast is utterly idiotic), (3) eat less than you want to ease back into eating, (4) include some lacto-fermented foods (start rebuilding that healthy gut bacteria; my local grocery store has sauerkraut in the refrigerated section that has live bacteria.) My favorite meal to break a fast is basically egg drop soup with a few forkfuls of sauerkraut from the jar. This is great because it is nutritious and the bulk of fluid will help fill your stomach up making you feel full (it stretches the band around your stomach which will send a message to your brain that your stomach is full.) It's low in fiber which actually is a boon at the beginning and it is an amazing dish to slowly reintroduce fiber back into your diet by adding your favorite veggies. It's also lower in calories which helps you ease back into a normal caloric intake. My egg drop soup is simple: my broth, six eggs, black pepper, and a good pinch of garnish seaweed from my local ethnic store. My favorite for the eggs is to put them in a bowl and separate out two to three egg yolks. I will mix the eggs in the bowl, them pour them into my broth, and add the whole egg yolks in there as well. Having some whole egg yolks in there adds a nice treat. The garnish seaweed adds good nutrients and some texture to the soup. This is great base dish that you can add many things to so this meal can take you all the way through the refeeding process. Adding a spoonful of miso is amazing. Most garnishes (like sesame oil on top) will add a little something special that can keep it new and exciting. My broth is a pantry broth that I came up with. Here it is: 2tbsp Red Boat sauce, 2tbsp mushroom powder, 2 teaspoons of potassium chloride, 3tbsp Anthony's heavy cream powder, 3tbsp Anthony's butter powder, 3tbsp Anthony's collagen peptide powder, 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid. Red Boat is great fish sauce being just anchovies and salt. Look for an ethnic store as it often way cheaper there. You get umami, earthiness, and salt from the fish sauce and mushrooms. The fat from the butter and heavy cream powder will help the broth linger on your tongue longer making it taste better and slightly mimic the mouthfeel of a actual broth. The collagen is there because I'm older and it helps me. Citric acid is there to help my body with the collagen. The two teaspoons of potassium chloride are there as a safety measure. This broth doesn't have any herbs or spices in it. If you use this broth, I would highly recommend playing around with different spices and herbs to elevate this broth to something even more special. My egg drop soup is my favorite because it addresses most of the potential problems when breaking a fast, but I think there is a lot of freedom in how you break your fast as long as you address the base concerns. I've also broke fasts with canned sardines and a few forkfuls of sauerkraut. I definitely at more calories with the sardines, but it still worked out great. As always, nothing beats specific advice from a doctor who knows your personal medical situation. Well, hopefully that helps someone. Have a good day. Edit: If you make my broth, mix it into cold water first before heating it up. This will help greatly in getting it to actually mix.
Excellent comment. Got to save it for future reference. Thank you. :)
@@krashanb5767 Glad to help. If you are interested in trying that egg drop soup, I'd add it in as a regular weekly meal as soon as you get the items. It works great to use up any extra ingredients you have in the fridge. Extra veggies in the fridge? Little bit of left over ground beef? Lots of stuff can be tossed into the soup and still be tasty. This serves two purposes: (1) helps you get rid of those little bits of leftover ingredients instead of throwing them away when they go bad and (2) makes sure you have the needed ingredients for the soup on hand. Typically, I will just prefill 6 or so of the 16oz mason jars with the dry goods. Then I can just grab that mason jar and the fish sauce to make the broth. I find that much more convenient.
Thank you so much for the detailed guide. 🥳 Really appreciate learning from your expertise & experience.
Thank you! I fast periodically. This is very helpful.
Why would one fast for 120 days other than extreme obesity?
Thanks for the tip on water fasting I've recently loose some weight from 89 kg to 76 in just 6 days
I didn't feel well refeeding with fiber after my 15 day fast. It was quite hard on my digestive system and I felt lots of pain. The next time I did a 19 day fast I broke it with just protein with lots of fat and I felt more comfortable.
I also resumed eating with protein and fat (eggs) and some fermented foods (cabbage and cucumbers). My fast lasted almost 4 days. Refeeding was easy.
Wow 15 days is a long time.
I find it takes a few days to get back to normal digestion. But best to ease back into refeeding.
I am 78 years old and started my first water fasts around 1973 after reading Arnold Ehret's book Rational Fasting. I started with 2, 3, or 5 day fasts... Then in 1974 I did 30 days on water and some herbal tea. I have done very many extended water-only fasts over these 52 years. I never took any electrolytes or salt until just two years ago when I did a 16 day fast on water with a bit of salt. Now I just start a longer fast today after doing a liver cleanse yesterday. This time I decided to buy some electrolyte capsules and will have one of those each day. I am hoping to go at least 40 days this time. I have read many books on fasting and done many fasts, so I am confident I can do this. The first four days are challenging and then it all becomes effortless. After the 21 day mark the true Spiritual insights come in... that is the best part. I would not consume coffee or even herbal teas now that I know more from all my years of experience. I only drink filtered tap water. Resting is very important... no exercise other than perhaps a nice stroll walking my kitty on his leash... I am tiny at only 55 inches tall.
This channel truly is a beacon of light in an ocean of mumbo jumbo
From my reading about refeeding one of the most important things to do is to avoid high glycemic carbs for the first two days because the insulin spike can be detrimental to a lot of cells. I’m really surprised it didn’t mention anything about it, but then again, they didn’t mention anything about electrolytes, which is extremely important also.
Super interesting as always. Thank you!
Thanks for this.❤
I watched the first videos without knowing what water fasting was, I totally assumed it was abstaining from drinking water. I’m glad you’ve posted this
Thank u, good information.
i water fasted for almost 70 days over the summer few years ago,lost 15 kg pure body fat,felt amazing and looked 10 years younger because my skin was glowing....you were built to fast! everyone should do it two times a year
Did u take any supplement?
@@reifuTempest no i didnt even know about electrolites, i felt great,if i was to do it again i would use them
@@fvallo wowwww i am planning to water fast for 14 days. Did you workout or drank something else? 70 days is crazy!
@@reifuTempest like crazy,walking.biking...tons of energy,first 3 days suck after that you wont even think about it
@@fvallo Thankyou so much! for sharing i am new to this and didn't want to die😭 or risk my health. If u got some advice's let me know, again thanks alot.
Thank you!
Great video
Very good.
I’m 76 and fast well. I never considered doing it with out being Fat Adapted. 3or 4 days was my limit. But I learned why it was difficult for me to go further so lately I finished a event free 5 day fast and my refeading went really sensible, now that I learned the idiosyncrasies of fasting longer. I will now do at least seven days and then maybe 20 but I feel so good being totally low carb totally fat adapted that I don’t want to overdo it but I’m getting better all the time. I ride a electric Unicycle for transportation. I’m carful but every time I fall down I get up again. 🎉😎
• I believe as we fast more often, our bodies adapt better. My first 5-day fast was more difficult than the third time 👌
"I ride a electric Unicycle for transportation" bro what lol
So...why was it difficult for you to go longer, and what are the idiosyncracies of fasting longer??
Love your videos
Thanks!
Hi Nic, could you do a video on dry fasting in the future? I know that it is promoted in some niches of the youtube health and fitness community, and I see a lot of anecdotal reports about impressive improvements in health and body composition, but I am unsure of the science and would love to see a qualified analysis! Especially since you tend to hear that it seems to be safe and more effective than water fasting etc. - thank you for your work, it‘s really fascinating.
More interesting information 👍
When I did a long fast, using electrolytes, especially Potassium Chloride (which is sold as low sodium salt 50/50), helped me a lot I reckon (headaches stopped as soon as I started the salt).
The double quarter pounder line made me laugh because that was my plan. I'm on day 43 of an extended water fast and I have never felt better down 36 lbs.
My experience is 3 days of runnup and get in to ketosis ( happens within 2 days now ) and then i go for 7 straight days and extra if i feel like it .. for losing weight this is perfect .. 7 kg lost and before any averse effects happen you go back to eating. I noticed that getting into ketosis happens way faster then when did my first fast . And also les food on the mind my first fast i was obsessed with watching competitive eaters 😅 and i was planning all kinds of feasts for after the fast .. 😂 it amazing if you are working on a cookbook 😊.. and having a day job helps too .. makes it so much easier if you have something to do .. start de prefast on friday and fast the the rest of the week . Edit : only thing i supplement is pottasium/sodium salt after day 4 .. and lots of green tea with ginger or whatever blends feel nice
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee daily in my normal diet. On day 1 and 2 of water fasting I had 1 cup of coffee but was sensitive to the stimulation on day 2. At day 3 my taste changed and I no longer enjoyed the coffee and could not tolerate the taste of my stevia. I drank my tea with salt and a touch of spice for a "soup" in the evening but by day 4 and 5 I could no longer tolerate the taste of the spice. I used Prolon for the pre-feed and the re-feed days.
cover other forms of fasting! Curious about the effect of caffeine specifically.
We need a videos about dry fasting please and tightening the skin!
Dr. Boz strongly recommends preparing oneself for a water fast with what she calls a sardine fast.
Saved by the bell! I am on my fifth day with water fasting when this came out. I am afraid that I did not do the preparations this way, but ate fibre rich and protein heavy last day before. However I was curious about the refeeding since I have not done it proper earlier and now I have a plan! Once I even broke fast with burger and fries I am shamed to admit… but not from McDs! I do this personally to lose weight, as a ritual to end my summer holiday and to ”control” my IBS symptoms. Feeling good at the moment and considering aiming for 8 days or more, but we have a small baby and work starts so this hasn’t been the best timing anyways, but I am happy it has been working out so far. Btw, I am curious about diet sodas and artificial sweeteners during fasting. I wonder if there is research about this. I am so happy about your content because I feel 90% of fasting content is shady or anecdotal at best.
I love you so much for 7:57 !
Nice!
you’re great
Hi, thanks for the video! I’m currently on day 3 of a 5 day fast. I have done 5 day water only before, and water only plus 1 cup black coffee, and my first 5 day fast was with Valter Longo’s FMD pack. This time I’m being less strict and allowing some milk, apple cider vinegar, tea, coffee and marmite in hot water. May have some olives or avocado on latter days. I’d like to think that as this is
Water fasting is no calories. Period.
Can I ask why you didn’t repeat the Longo FMD pack? I’ve fasted a few weeks without it but wonder if it would help me to be able to “eat” with my family at dinner. Rituals matter to me. The price of the box is high and the items don’t sound very appetizing, especially introducing snacks again.
@spakchitown I live the UK and the FMD pack is very expensive, more so than if living in USA. I used it once for my first extended fast, but now I know I am okay to do extended fasts (I’ve done 4x 5 day fast nil calories, and 1x 7 days fast where I had a bit of milk and some AC vinegar). So I don’t use it because of the cost and also because I’m a 5ft 1 woman and I don’t think the FMD calories are low enough for someone of my size. When Valter Longo and the other scientists did the FMD in their research they customised the calories/macros for each individual to ensure certain pathways were not activated by calories/carbs/protein. The commercial FMD pack is not so customised, the only customisation calorie wise is this drink where you determine how much to dilute in water based on your body weight. If money isn’t a factor and it will help you eat with your family then go for it, or you could look at the research and create your own FMD meal using the principle of keeping calories, carbs and protein under a specified level so it mimics nil calorie fasting. All the best
I truly enjoy your breakdowns, and how accessible you make the information for the general population. I know this isn't quite your normal video, but I was wondering if you might be able to breakdown the studies and science Lindsay's talking about in her video here [I've been told links don't show, so just copy and paste FI_XNfQau1U into a KZhead search bar and it will bring up the video as the first result]. She's said a few times that she and biochemistry are not good friends, and I am quite curious about the deeper breakdown of the studies she provides an overview of regarding the Tully monster.
Solid video. 1. My recommendations: start fasting after at least a few days of keto diet 2. sodium, potassium and attention magnesium, vitamin b 3. brake fast with lean meat
Lean meat is a bad advice to break a fast with. Bone broth / vegetable soup is better
I agree with everything except lean meat! Why would someone break a fast with meat? What about bone broth? What about boiled eggs?!
@@Pauliesha exactly
Great job thanks for sharing. I am sure after tongkat ali and taurine, the gym/ nootropic environment would be happy to hear more about your analysis of AGMATINE benefits(if they exist and its legal status etc)
I found that I need to avoid carbohydrates on the day of breaking my fast, since they would induce food cravings. Hard boiled eggs worked great as an easy way to take in calories again. Then some soup for dinner.
When I fast, I usually do it with lemon water and a little pink salt and/or herbal teas. Lemon juice has very little calories, but is rich in electrolytes minus sodium. The bit of pink salt adds that in. The longest I've done so far is 10 days. It wasn't that hard after like the 3rd or 4th day, and towards the end, I felt like I had more energy, was more awake/aware, and needed less sleep to function well. (Also had some interesting and intense spiritual/guidance dreams).
how much water did u drink a day, and how much weight did u lose ?
@@stezing The amount of water tends to vary, but just a little more than my normal on average. Weight is trickier, because with any fasting longer than a couple to few days, you lose some initial water weight via a combo of lower sodium intake and glycogen stores in muscles etc being used up. In a 10 day fast, I think I lost about 10 lbs, but at least a few of those was water weight (which is regained quickly back after breaking the fast). The rest would be mostly fat, and then a very small amount of muscle. So around 6.5 to 7 lbs of fat in the 10 days. Everyone is going to be from slightly to moderately different though, because we all have different metabolisms. Males tend to have faster metabolisms then women, people with more muscle tend to have faster metabolism than people with less, hormonal balance or lack, nutrient levels, etc all affect it as well.
@@justinw1765a guy named Angus from Ireland fasted for 384 days on water and supplements, he went from 490lbs to 180. He was monitored weekly by a doctor, his net muscle loss was 7%.
How weight you lost?😊
@@im_attracted_to_my_4yo_sister I already talked about that in a reply.
my present experiment: I'm old, 78, and have done extended water fast several times and they have always been really hard. I've had 2 minor strokes and 4 yrs ago 2 stints so my arteries are clogged. I'm blaming my age but my will power seems pretty low. They say that bulletproof coffee keeps you in ketosis and doesn't stop autophagy soooo I'm on a coffee and whipping cream "fast" It's easy and fun at day 7 and probably about day 10 I'll get blood work and a sonogram to to see how my carotid arteries are doing and will quit when I want to
whipping cream during a fast? So you are not truly fasting as you are taking in calories and glucose. That is playing hell on your bodies insulin
One thing that isn't discussed enough about fasting is missing the social aspect of eating. Eating meals with the family is a very important part of my day, and when I'm fasting, I still sit with my family at the table and have a large green tea. It's sometimes hard to watch everyone eat, but it's less depressing than missing the quality time with the kids
I take Magnesium, Sodium and Potassium daily during fast. 400mg, 500mg and 3g. Be careful not to take too much sodium as some daily recommendations suggest. There are lots of different information about the amount of sodium needed a day. I think it's best to stick to the low side. The hardest is how to take adequate potassium as you cannot take all 3g in one go since potassium concentrated is not good for you and why pills only comes in 99mg. I put in 2g of potassium chloride in water (1g potassium) and drink over time 2 to 3 times a day. I stick to short fast of 3 to 4 days but vary my fasts to different length is important so the body do not adjust to going long without food or your body will hold more fat in anticipation you won't get food for a long time.
Sorry, but I think the advice to keep the sodium on the low side is dangerous. Sodium is necessary for life and LOW sodium can cause high blood pressure. During fasting your body loses enormous amounts of sodium during the first 8 days of fasting. That doesn't happen as much with potassium and magnesium, although I would still recommend taking some of those also. After one fast my blood work showed my sodium levels way to low and potassium levels way too high, even though I was only supplementing a little potassium and a lot of sodium. We are not all the same, but unless you have kidney disease you need more sodium while fasting than potassium. I fast rather frequently, sometimes for just a day, sometimes for 3 or 5 days, up to 11 days. I don't generally have any negative symptoms unless I let my sodium intake drop too low. I also usually exercise while fasting.
I think people should think long and hard before doing a long fast. If the goal is health/weight loss, consider that multiple shorter fasts equaling the same total length should actually prove more effective, not hamper your metabolism as much long term, and have a lower risk of serious complications. Hyponatremia and dehydration can kill quickly and can effect your decision making, sneaking up on you, especially dangerous in hot weather, when alone, or in remote areas.
who in their right mind is going off alone in the wilderness to voluntarily fast? If you are alone in the wilderness and fasting, you are probably lost, out of food and trying to survive until help arrives 😂
I'd been reading and hearing about fasting experiences, in particular that 'the hunger disappears,' which I wasn't sure what to make of. So I figured; 'I, too, have a body. Let's try.' At the time, I was into 16/8, and had noticed how my hunger followed my habits. I.e. I got hungry when I usually ate, but if I stopped for a few days, I stopped getting hungry at those times. So I figured I'd make things easier for myself in the week leading up to my then-planned 7 day water fast, by increasing 16/8 to 20/4, thereby reducing the amount of time I'd be hungry. But I was a naïve fool, who'd recently read about some tribe in the amazon somehow subsisting on 200mg salt per day, and had /that/ in mind when considering salt intake. Potassium? What's that. I mean, I knew its function in the body, but where do you even buy /potassium/ salts? So I didn't get any. I think we can all see where this is going. Anyway, the first day I'd describe the hunger as 'half a headache' in how displeasing the experience was. I.e. Easy to ignore, but annoying to experience. I had the weirdest feeling in my jaw muscles; I've felt aches of many types before, but this was distinctly unlike anything I'd ever felt. It wasn't pain, so I shrugged it off. The second day I'd describe the hunger as 'quarter of a headache.' Half as annoying as the first day, and even easier to ignore. The weird feeling had now migrated from my jaw muscles to my quadriceps. I wondered whether it could be exercised away, so I did a few bodyweight squats. No effect. I figured that it was perhaps some manner of deficiency, and thought there was no harm in grabbing a multivitamin/mineral pill bottle from the store. It wasn't pain, so I shrugged it off. The third day was the most interesting, for me. The hunger was gone. Nothing. The weird feeling first in my jaw, then in my quads, had disappeared. 'Maybe the pills did something?' It was the most interesting, because the day felt quite ...long. Not in a 'I'm bored' sense, but in a 'I've done everything as usual. Where did all of this extra time come from?' I'd never truly considered the /time/ spent on both preparing, and consuming, food. Turns out it's quite a lot. Every day. Food for thought. I believe this day also changed my perspective on hunger, now coming to view it as an ...obviously transitive experience. Because it'd obviously go away if I just waited a bit. Another interesting experience was how warm I felt. My entire life, my hands and feet have been perpetually cold. Not in a 'this is unpleasant' way, but instead a constant presence. They just always are. I feel that they are. If I touch anything above my wrists or ankles, the difference is quite stark. They're cold this very moment. Except for during this fast. I'd started getting quite hot at night, and slept comfortably without any covering during the night between the second and third day. Everything about me was warmer. I didn't have a thermometer, so I don't know whether I had a mild fever or not, but I felt energetic and warm. Not sick. It was pleasant. The fourth day, I felt like crap. Difficult to think; The most similar experience I can recall would be shortly after awakening from anaesthesia. Physical exhaustion. Merely standing up led to elevated breath. Not in any extreme sense, but enough to be noticeable. Something was obviously wrong. So, time to stop. Something easy on the stomach, perhaps? I ordered some sushi. Didn't have anything at home to eat given the plans to, well, not eat for 7 days. The question I'd set out to answer had been; Hunger does indeed disappear. How peculiar. But the experience left me with new questions. 'What went wrong?' After this experience I learned much more about salt and was a naïve fool no longer. I figured I'd try the fasting thing again some time in the future. With salt. Heaps of salt. Mountains of salt. Trust in the mighty kidney; It knows best. Lots of potassium too. That aside, I'd thoroughly recommend the experience (plus salt) for figuratively every person on this planet, if only because it puts hunger into perspective. It made the difference between 'hunger' and 'cravings' extremely stark, and I no longer mistake one for the other. Strangely, most of my hunger has disappeared. I am unsure whether it is because what I viewed as 'hunger' before was merely cravings. Certainly, to some extent. But to this extent? I'm almost never hungry anymore. Literally, I get up, have a cup of tea (artificial sweetener, 1.5% fat milk), go to work, don't eat anything at work, get home, still not hungry, but make something to eat anyway. Nowadays I mostly eat due to cravings, rather than hunger. But I know they're cravings, and they're trivially easy to resist. I feel like they must have been harder to resist in the past. Yet, were they? Was I merely giving into the phantom 'hunger' and the excuse that 'the body needs it'? I don't know. == Some slight video commentary. I watch your videos at 1.5 or 2x speed. That works for me, so no need to change anything on my account. Make of it what you will. Best wishes to you, stranger.
Its probably safer than crossing the road, and it's about 7% as difficult as you might expect. Fasting for a reasonable stretch like 5 days is pretty much the perfect crime with no downsides.
how about taking suppliments while doing the fasting?
Hi Physionic, do you plan to have a video about the good and bad of eating eggs?
I've fasted for about one month's time, 30 days, over the last 13 months, but never longer than 5 days. It would be crazy for someone to start by trying a 5 day fast, as I first did. A few shorter attempts would help with acclimation to the experience and dialing in electrolytes, which should include sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Optimum daily amounts for those are tricky to identify; even researching decent guidance I keep adjusting that. Refeeding after a 5 or 7 day fast is no problem; it's my understanding that real risk applies to longer fasts. Even if extreme weight loss is a goal people should consider rotating shorter fasting periods, alternating a 2 or 3 day cycle. To maximize autophagy and minimize impact 5 days seems ideal; this research shown clearly supports why. For a lot of people starting way back with a limited daily eating window would be best, not even one meal a day but two instead. Fairly intense hunger and energy disruption is normal early on.
Buchinger Heilfasten, that's a form of fasting from Germany. Healing-fasting.
I started a waterfast, currently I am in my third day as I am writing this. I will make a report by the end of each day and update this post through out my journey. Currently I planned to go for at least 30 days. Afterwards I'll see if I will go for 40 days and more. Day 1: I felt good, I didn't feel any challenges and I started to feel more focussed and motivated Day 2: Woke up after good sleep, I felt motivated through out the day, towards the end of the day my body was craving for food, starting to feel a little weaker. In the evening as I was getting to sleep I felt an electric shock through my brains. It literally felt like I had a spiritual reset. Day 3: So far the hardest day physically and mentally, I woke up with a clear mind and feeling good, but through out the day my body is getting in survival mode, a little dizzy nothing extreme or crazy. I probably layed too long in bed scrolling through my phone and nonsense. I have noticed I have to keep myself productive. After drinking 2 glasses of water I 'm feeling much better. Water is now becoming my fuel. Drinking hot water is even better. I am mentally strong. Even though this is the hardest day so far, I am also become mentally stronger. I can feel my body reacting and changing. At this point I can see myself achieve this mission easily.
Keep taking care of yourself. All the best, Mason.
@@Physionic Thank you very much. I subscribed! I see you make a lot of educational content of value! 😁
Take some electrolytes, even just salt helps if you don't have one. Everything else in this video mentioned is right (I have 3 times water fasted for 30 days in my life, i'm 55 now.). Good luck.
I wonder if you would consider the topic of GFR and longevity. Also kidney stones and oxalates in terms diet/lifestyle soon please 🙏
Now if only I could muster the necessary self discipline for fasting 🫤 I did several 3-5 day fasts a couple years ago. But these days...I tried, but can't seem to get through the first day, even. The urge to eat is too strong. Will watch the other video and see, if that inspires me!
It’s not easy for some. I can understand that.
@@Physionic I think, I'll have to bite the bullet and go to some kind of fasting retreat, to get through the first couple days. I'm pretty sure, getting away from my normal surroundings and 'food triggers' would help a bunch. Sounds kinda nice, anyway. 5 days of taking walks and doing yoga, no phone, no distractions... although it sucks, that it costs just as much as an 'all inklusive' holiday, basically 😆
Any research on guided water fast on different chronic diseases?
In my experience, the refeeding does not take more then 2 days no matter how long you fasted. And it does not make a difference if you consume coffee or not. Sport is also really helpful just keep it at a moderate level. Drinking bone broth is a must if you do sport. I do feel the effect if I don't consume any form of broth. The effects I can't avoid is having chills and fatigue, no matter how I fast, but knowing that I can counter it (coffee or mate helps).
I'm doing a 500-1000 calorie/day restricted keto diet to lose 20lbs in 2 weeks through ketosis. I'm continuing to do my normal 750 calorie workouts every 2 to 3 days. Total water fasting causes stomach acid sensitivity issues within 24 hours. And I'm down 10lbs so far, about 1.5-2.5 lbs/day
Wow thats very smart to do a low calorie diet but keto so you dont feel tired and drained and you can even eat more protein but how much weight did you gain after
Can you make a video on refeeding syndrome? I assume slowly increasing calories like proposed in this video is already enough to prevent that. But I am still curious about it, especially in the context of fasting and doing it at home. Most information about it are for people with diseases or involuntarily starved people with a BMI < 18.5 and is targeted for medical personal and recommends watching electrolyte levels in the blood, which is pretty hard to do at home. I'd be more interested in the symptoms instead, so you can notice if you are in danger. My guess would be that it's the symptoms of hypophosphatemia, but I am not really qualified in that field. I find it generally confusing, that phosphate are seemingly so important there and pretty much neglected everywhere else. "Electrolytes" usually mostly means sodium. Next up is potassium and maybe calcium and magnesium. Even in medical electrolyte solutions like Ringer's solution there's no phosphate.
SO here's what i do when i start a 1 week or 2 week water fast. Make sure you're medically fit, no infections and not on any medicine. 3 days before stopping food intake try to eat mostly plants or fermented cabbage and no fried meat as your last meal will stay in you until you start eating and meat rots in your gut but plants ferment into vitamins. Drink at least 1 liter of water, any kind of tea is acceptable, you may take grains of hymalayan salt once a few hours if you feel fatigue that's your electrolytes going down and this is a solution for it. Do not over exert your muscles because this will lead to a decrease in muscle mass instead of fat mass. Muscles are more easily and faster turned into energy than fat so in a crysis of energy the body will break down your muscle mass for energy. Simple aerobics are good, stretching is good. The re-feeding process starts for me with a grapefruit or something similar, avocados are also good.
Is this fast continous without eating anything or there is a point during the day when you eat something
The assumption is always weight loss or diabetes but I am considering this for cancer. My weight going in is slightly below normal weight, I have a high level of fitness. My lifestyle is excellent in every way.
Hey man. No matter where i search, I couldn't find proper information on lifting while water fasting. Some say you shouldn't train and others say you will lose muscle if you don't. I'm currently on my day 3. I really don't want to lose my muscle. Could you reply to this ?
I am interested in trying a water fast but have many questions/concerns and looking for feedback: - I do not usually have a lot of willpower when very hungry. How many days does it take to get past this? After a week or so, do you just not feel hungry anymore? - Significant calorie restriction really destroys my energy but also my ability to sleep (in part from being hungry). Does this also pass? - I have a cognitively demanding job where I have to think clearly. How does a fast affect this? Is it also something that is tough for a few days and then improves?
Almost every person who water fasts reports increased mental clarity after 3 days. Honestly, I think you are finding excuses not to fast, I'm not trying to be rude but trying to be honest. Some of the most morbidly obese food junkies have documented their fasting journey on KZhead. If a 500lb man from Ireland can water fast for 384 days, you really have no excuse
I get headaches and fatigue with intermittent fasting more than 18-19hrs, havinh pink salt dissolved in a bottle of water helps
Nic maybe do video based on fresh juice fasting (mostly green leafy/veg) ie doc video Fat Sick nearly Dead. I did 3 wk water fast. By end was weak but not hungry/interested in food. Refeed was fresh veg juice (min fruit) then bit of fruit. I had electrolytes only to replicate saline IV vs expensive brand name drinks. MD was watching due to other health issues. I felt great but would do longer refeed. I don’t get a lot of calories and mostly clean plant based. My blood profile and vitals were good but as I’ve caved to pressure to add some animal products and powders my gut health and gen feeling has gone down incl blood. Only correlation not causation but def my experience and similar in past when I’ve done same. I’m going back to real food plant based. For me it seems to work. Sorry for diatribe. I tried to keep short. ✌️🌏
Can you drink coffee and water with lemon or salt
I always stop fasts after around 76 hours, because the keto breath waking up is just too unbearable. Also, I don't want to think about refeeding. The way I initiate it is by setting a timer for 60 minutes when I feel hungry, and lying to myself that I'll have a snack when that timer goes off. But then I just keep doing new timers whenever I feel hungry. After a while ghrelin stops bothering me. On the day I eat it's nothing crazy, mostly keto, but since I'm trying it vegan style currently I eat nuts, cabbage and cauliflower dishes. I'm not too afraid of onions and carrots even though they have some carbs in them, but for soups it's pretty essential.
I just finished a 17.5 day water fast... goal was 21 days but ended sooner because I was very weak; hard to mange electrolytes and vitamins. reason for fast was to get rid of fatty liver, lose weight, and help reduce insulin resistance. here is my protocol: 1) 2 day before fast starts do a fat fast (only eat fat and 40 grams of protein to get yourself in light ketosis before you start) 2) 2 days before fast overdose on fat soluble vitamins seeing you will not be able to take them once fast starts 2) day 2-5 use activated charcoal to remove dead gut bacteria to prevent headaches from toxins in the blood 3) take fasting electrolytes in warm water to get your electrolytes 4) test blood morning and night for blood glucose and ketones (I use keto mojo device; cost about 50 bucks and strips cost 2 bucks a day) 5) take trace mineral and water soluble vitamins once a week to make sure you get enough 6) walk/sit in sun for 30 to 45 minutes a day to get vitamin d my issues was the last few days I was getting very weak due to electrolytes... my stomach got upset every time I took them ... couldn't manage
You might like Plantiful Kiki and or high carb Hannah (on KZhead). It will help you achieve your goals easier and stick with it more long term. Good luck
You should take less. I was shitting my pants off and thought it couldn't be normal. Turns out a lot of recommended amount are far too high. 400mg Mag, 500mg Sodium, 3g Potassium in drinks over a day.
I have been seeing some amazing benefits with a carnivore way of eating and want to do a 7-21 day water fast. I'm wondering if doing bone broth for the first day or 2 and then small amounts of fatty red meat (increasing the amount daily for a few days) would be a good way to break the fast without eating veggies or carbs. FYI, I still have about 50-60 lbs of fat to lose, so even a 21-day fast doesn't scare me on the length.
After four days of fasting while continuing to work the fatigue and inability to concentrate is such that I cannot honestly take my employer’s money, and usually break the fast. Timing the fast to end over the weekend is a good strategy. I discovered that lo salt has what is considered to be a good ratio of sodium to potassium. The taste is however quite unpleasant, and mindful of Dumbledores experience on the cave island.
Doc you got anything on why eye colour changes? When I finished my 30 fast 2 months ago my eyes went from brown to hazel (brown with green patches all around)
John Whitcomb, MD in a vlog about a year and a half ago mentioned that often on day 7 of a water fast the blood is flooded with cloresterol, which he thought was caused by massive release from the arterial plaque. your thoughts???
I have done several extended fasts, and I disagree with the characterization of "problems" (such as fatigue and insomnia). Most of those mentioned are simply part of your healing process. If you fast, you need to be calm, when you exercise you will indeed feel fatigued! You will need much less sleep so you may mischaracterize this as insomnia.
So...which is it with refeeding: sat. fat as Ron did with his oxtail broth which he stated included a lot of fat, or this recommendation for unsat fat? Eating or fasting, the same old disagreement, sigh...
1) Before fasting 3 days to a week of meat only, 2) Drink plenty of water and take electrolytes, mostly sodium, as your body will lose enormous amounts of sodium in the first 8 days of fasting. Magnesium and potassium are necessary, but don't over do it, too much potassium can cause heart problems. 3) Breaking a fast requires more care the longer you fast. Three days or less just use meat, eggs, and fats. Avoid refined carbs at least for the first few hours after breaking your fast. Longer fasts I recommend breaking your fast with bone broth and not adding solid food till you have been drinking the broth for approximately of one third the time you fasted. Ease into food with gentle things like boiled eggs and small bits of meat. Nothing hard to digest like raw vegetables till it has been about half the time you fasted. I don't ever recommend eating refined carbs and sugars again, but definitely not till more than half the time you fasted has passed. I had high blood pressure before I started fasting. It is never high now. Good luck and God bless.
Wrong about potassium, a cardiac study found that you would have to eat 127 bananas a day to suffer heart problems from potassium overload. Bad advice on your part
@@TheRoadhammer379 I have no clue what you think you are talking about. I never made any mention of "bananas." I am talking about a fast and using supplements during a fast. You can easily overdose on supplements when no food source would do it. Just the facts.
should i take a multivitamin like centrum while fasting or pink himalayan salt would do the job?
@@nourhanmohamad294 The multivitamin is better than the Himalayan salt. The trace minerals in H salt won't do you any more good than the harm the trace poisons will so I would leave the expensive pink stuff alone. I just get bulk magnesium powder and potassium salts, mix it will pickling salt and use it on my food and add it to the water I drink.
so adorable omg 7:57
Oddly i found the best way to break my fast was with beef! These were 4-6 day fast. I'd cook a ¼ pound 80\20 beef patty and cut it into ⅛'s. Eat a piece every few hours, next day double it, next day triple it ect... until im back up to 2 lbs a day.
Why is it odd to eat beef?
I've done 40 days and it went well. The only adverse effect was early on the going #2 was wild. It was like a poop demon coming out. Lastly the only I felt was annoying was the rash/itchy skin.
I think getting the correct amount of electrolytes is my main problem. Once I get a week in, even when supplementing sodium, magnesium, and potassium. I still experience the extreme fatigue.
We need one about dht and hair loss
I've seen many researchers recommend preparing for a water fast by eating lower carb/keto prior to the fast. Also breaking the fast with protein (and easy to digest protein shake or broth/collagen), then well cooked vegetables with a protein source or a soup style meal. Plus fats such as olives or avocados
I’d be most interested to hear your take on protein ingestion (nitrogen bal etc) during a fast. I use 40g protein on 50kg person (whey, canned tuna) to avoid hair loss and muscle loss. I did a 14d water fast a few months before covid and had extreme hair shed for months after. Lost 50% of hair density. It’s coming back in (spastically) so makes sense to tie it to an event rather than genes. I blame the fast tho it could have been covid issues or some combo. The protein does not seem to take me out of ketosis but perhaps it is mucking up other things? I started using fasting to combat future parkinsons and cancers which run rampant in my family. Ive already had years of electrical misconduct which seem best controlled by low plant diet. I also walk 5-8/hrs split AM, PM on fast days. Excellent appetite suppressant.
This is almost hearsay, but maybe do more research on this topic. I remember hearing that covid had hair loss symptoms on some and I haven’t heard that before happening with fasting… this is just relying on my flacky memory, but maybe googling this more would be beneficial for you.
I did 2 14 day fast and yes hair fell out.
Are there any studys on metabolism rebalencing after loosing a LOT of weight?
i havne't had a mcdonalds in 6 months...stop with the torture lol - i used to eat takeout 6 days a week now i'm an OMAD/3dayer and loving it. don't think i'll do a 40 day or whatever that's a bit much for me. Keep up the good work!
I would like to do a 5 day fast. I have done 3 day fasts many times. My concern is with maintaining not only electrolytes, but gut biome health. Can you add a powdered PREBIOTIC to a fast ? Im concerned that an extended fast might negatively impact “good” bacteria.
The thing is that gut bacteria are living organisms, and if they don't get sustenance they'll die out. I'd guess that speed at which it happens depends on the architecture of your own unique guy microbiome, but I'm sure that if you keep it going for long enough you can deplete it somewhat significantly. That said, you can try to counteract it by taking probiotics, although it seems that research is a bit underwhelming on their effectiveness / if it's worth it.
This is excellent info. Thank you for taking the time to write it all out. If I may, why did you do the 120 day fast? Is there something specific you are correcting/working on?
I conducted a water fast without consuming any electrolytes for about 10 days. I developed a serious ulcer which caused me to stop. I drink water every day l, but I don’t know if I actually drink 2.5 L of water each day, maybe less. Does anyone know what could’ve caused the ulcer?
Lost 56 lbs. since May 1st - Aug.16 doing strict intermittent water fasting and only Low to No Carb meals. Started w/a 8 Day Water Fast and done a few 4-5 Day Water Fast besides intermittent fasting schedule. Start 5/1/2023: 60 yrs old, 6'-0", 250 lbs. Currently 8/16/2023: 194 lbs. Take a Complete Multivitamin and drink one Gatorade Zero everyday from the start.
Great work. :)
👍@@Physionic
I'm guessing a beer fast is not a good idea? I would like to learn about all other types of fasting. I'm lean with a poor appetite. I used to believe fasting was a toxic cleanse, although I know this is a myth. I'm particularly interested in fastingfor anti-aging and health. Is minimal food intake at all equivalent to a fast? If so, fruits and veg over pasta and protein? Thanks.
I’m curious if people who do extended water fasts live with other people. Its hard to fast around people who are eating
Why is it recommended to avoid water fast for someone with hyperthyroidism?
>mild physical activity The last time I did an 8 day fast, I did calisthenics for 6. It was quite nice. Then on day 7 I was absolutely shattered.
One of the best foods to end a fast with is eggs cooked in butter. Eggs, if you are not allergic or don’t like them, are one of the easiest foods to digest.
Im 29 and have fatty liver from drinking and eating crap. I'm about to do a 50 day water fast. Am i cooked?
How do I avoid gall stones
Water fasting is ok, but Dry Fasting (no food or water for more than 24 hours) should be considered advanced fasting that gets greater results. Cole Robinson on youtube is the fast master, and knows more than anyone else about fasting. Studies are one thing, real world experience is quite another. My experience with dry fasting has been wonderful. The health benefits amazed me. Now I'll practice this for the rest of my life.
That refeeding schedule is really important. Someone i know died from eating too much after doing a 5 day fast.
"Someone i know died from eating too much after doing a 5 day fast." - rather unbelievable.
Didn’t happen.
Went on a 24 day water fast recently and broke it with mostly eggs, broth, and beef and I was shocked that I had no stomach issues. Day 5 after breaking I had some pizza at an event and that night I had stomach cramps. Go figure
I have done a long term water fast every year annually since 2020. The first 3 were 21 days each, and the 4th this year was 25 days. This video purports to guide people on the "best way to water fast". My question for the maker of this video, have you ever actually done this yourself? No offense to you, but I ask because it seems to me like a lot of people opine on this subject without ever having any personal experience with it themselves.
What would cause heart problems?
I have been doing random water/coffee/pink salt "short fasts" for the last year in tandem with low carb & exercise. I have bottomed out at my optimal weight, and now my doctor says I am "slightly anemic." This is common from my understanding. Looks like it's time for me to increase carb consumption 👍🏻 My "adverse events" were blood glucose levels going < 60 between 4-5 days into the fasts. I would lose a lot of energy and breathing became laboring. This is when I would break my fast. The more weight I lost the sooner my blood glucose would get this low.
those table salt that has less salt are close to 50/50 sodium chloride and potassium chloride with a small amount of magnesium and iodine as well i just yolo 1 teaspoon of it in 1.5 liters of water drink when thirsty never do more than 3 days, 0 point whatsoever (unless you care about fat loss or something ) IMO the only good reason to fast is to reset your appetite if you feel like you overeating or for mental clarity boost at least that's the only good reason for me
What about dry fasting?
I do a diet soda fast. It is like 99% water and some other stuff. Salts & flavors, same as black coffee but easier. It annoys me when people say diet soda is not water. It is mostly water. Whatever. The important thing is it is zero calories. No sugar.
Is it possible to do this without losing a significant level of weight? The weight number you cited in your video will probably kill me as it is a substantial portion (40%) of my weight. I want to implement some of these procedures for the health benefits but I don't want to risk my health. I am not underweight.
same here. with BMI 20,5 I was pretty afraid to start... but still do a 24 hours water fast once a month. It feels great so far, however I seem to have lost some weight. But as a woman I have a very significant health marker - and the fasting I'm doing so far has not affected fertility ( or has affected it only positive hehehe). I am also interested in longer options but afraid of losing healthy body mass or damage the cycle, so I stick to 24 hours.
If you aren't doing it for weight loss, I will say yes, you will lose 6-10lbs in a 7 day fast but you can regain the weight if you are worried. The reason to fast other than weight loss is to allow your vital organs to rebuild and repair, cleanse toxins and the biggest benefit... allow the body to attack and kill cancer cells. Yes, your body kills millions of cancer cells every day but the body is at a disadvantage due to the terrible diet we have. Look at it this way... the cancer cells thrive on sugars, our bodies are waging war on cancer cells, it's like to evenly matched football teams except the cancer team is using steroids in the form of sugars. By fasting, you deprive the cancer cells of those "steroids" and allow your body to kick ass
So adding an electrolyte supplement would make water fasting less detrimental? I can see that. I use intermittent fasting as is and honestly when I’m up to longer fast windows I’m usually not that hungry. Can focus on something else. I get the concept of water during a fast to prevent dehydration. So do you think fasting would help with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease? Why does it say if you have kidney or liver disease not to water fast? I thought water was the easiest thing for your body to process.