Extended Fasts Longer Than Two Days
Just for the purpose of understanding what I mean by an extended fast, I'm going to count anything past 48 hours (2 days) an extended fast.
Extended fasts are truly an incredible tool for so many things including healing, strengthened immune system, autophagy, increased growth hormone (helps with brain activity, cardiovascular health, skin health, and healing), becoming more sensitive to insulin (yes, you can actually reverse type 2 diabetes through diet and fasting), and losing excess weight.There are so many other benefits, but that is not the purpose of this post.
In this article I want to discuss what has worked well for me and others, with extended fasts.
I fast everyday. Most of those days are 16-20 hours. But occasionally when I'm feeling like it's the right time I will kick that up to 24, 48... all the way up to 5 days.
Actually, as I am writing this article I'm at 5 and a half days for the first time. I'm very excited about this! I've been wanting to get past 5 days for many years. I've done probably 8-9 five day fasts, but my body never wanted to go past that time. So this is a huge deal for me. The reason I'm more successful this time I believe has to do with some changes I've made. I'll explain below.
When to Do an Extended Fast
Extended fasts are no joke. People have died from fasting. There are such incredible healing benefits from fasting, but like all good things, you need to have respect for this. You need to understand that you can't just jump in this without preparing. Fasting is a tool that can be dangerous and we need to treat fasting with proper respect and consideration.
An extended fast can be compared to a marathon. There have been people that run a marathon and have died afterwards. Those people didn't train for the marathon well enough and thought they could just "push through" the pain and be fine. Well they weren't. Same goes for fasting.
Like a marathon, extended fasting needs to have a lot of preparation and practice. Lots of people talk about fasting like a fasting muscle. The more you do it, the easier it gets and the stronger you feel while doing the fast. I really like this analogy, because it's so true!
Start with intermittent fasting. Take it slow and easy. Listen to your body. As you build up to 24 hours, do that a few times. Then try 36 hours a few times, then 48, and so on. As you do this, you will build up your fasting muscle.
Breaking your Fast and Listening to Your Body
I think this is the most important point with extended fasting. Too many people set a goal to fast for a certain period of time and then "push through" when they start having warning signs. Don't push through! Your body is giving you warning signs and you need to listen.
Do not let a goal run your fast. Your body will tell you if you are okay. You need to listen to your body. Let your body signals run your fast.
If at anytime you have a pain that won't go away, or you just don't feel well you need to stop your fast!
I'm not talking about being hungry or the different waves of hunger. I'm not talking about occasional dizziness or fatigue. I'm talking about persistent symptoms that make you not feel okay.
For me, this includes anxiety. You should not be having anxiety about food or fasting and continue your fast. You don't want to traumatize your brain or your body. Fasting is about healing and connecting with your body, your spirit, and with God. Fasting allows this to happen really easily.
I can't even try and count the number of times that I was hoping for a 5 day fast, and only made it 24 hours, or 48, or 72 or whatever! Life happens. Our bodies sometimes are just not okay to fast at certain times. Our minds are sometimes not okay to fast at certain times. Sometimes things happen in our life in which fasting makes things weird or inconvenient. It's okay to stop your fast! You can fast later.
Fasting can be incredibly flexible way of life. That is how I do it. I listen to my body, and plan fasts around activities and holidays.
Fasting is a form of stress. It takes some extra effort to do this physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So if you have a lot going on and are really stressed, be easy on yourself and kind to yourself. Try and do your fasting goals, but be open to stopping the fast early.
On the other hand, I can't even begin to count the number of times I was planning on doing a 16 hour fast and it turned into 48 hours, or 72, or 5 days! I am currently on one of those fasts. I've got a lot going on right now physically and mentally. I really, really needed at least a 24 hour fast, but I'm always open to what my body wants to do. I got to 24 hours and felt motivated and great. So I kept going! I got to 48 hours and felt awesome... okay let's keep going! On it went and I'm now on the longest extended fast yet! I've just got to 136 hours. I'm overjoyed at this accomplishment! I'm feeling great and just seeing where this is going to take me.
I have never been able to go past 5.5 days of fasting before, until now. Usually I would get a pain in my abdomen that would not go away. It just felt wrong. Other times I would get heart palpitations like I just had a pure huge shot of caffeine with my heart racing (this was when I was NOT taking proper electrolytes by the way... see more about electrolytes below). Other times I was light-headed and just didn't feel right. My body was screaming that it wasn't okay.
So bottom line here... listen to your body! Don't be ashamed or afraid to break that fast early. Your life might depend on it.
Going to the Bathroom
We all have to poop. It's a subject in fasting that lots of us giggle at, but it's something that needs to be talked about. Some people will get diarrhea during a fast, or when they start refeeding. I'm one of those people. I used to get diarrhea from hour 28-35 of a fast like clockwork. Talk about a cleanse! LOL! 😂 Sometimes you just need to laugh about these things.
I would be going to the bathroom 6-8 times a day. I would also use a menstrual pad because it was VERY liquidy and some spotting was happening. I know... tmi... but seriously you need to understand what this is like! I learned VERY quickly that if I thought a fart was coming... get on the toilet! Most every time it was not a fart but liquid!
I have no idea why this used to happen to me. Some people said it was if you ate sugar or carbs before the fast then it would happen. I had extended fasts with lots of carbs before, and hardly any carbs on others. This didn't make a difference for me. I ALWAYS had it.
The only thing that has seemed to help is getting my electrolytes balanced (salt and magnesium, see the info below) and also taking a multivitamin. See the info below for that as well.
So until you know what your body is going to do, make sure you have a bathroom nearby.
What is interesting for me, I have never had ANY diarrhea issues with refeeding. I know that lots of people do. With all my extended fasts (20 or so when you count my 3 and 4 days fasts as well as the 5 day ones). Everyone is different.
Salt Capsules
So during extended water fasts, you really need salt everyday. Here is an article that explains why we need salt. If you cut out processed foods like I have, then you need to make sure that you are adding some salt to your foods. Put some salt on those veggies smothered in butter! YUM!
The first 6 times I did 5 day water fasts, I did not use salt. I drank just water and herbal tea. The fasts were still very successful, but I think your body cannot deal with anything past 5 days without salt to support your body systems. I had more headaches, and got dizzy more than I do now that I take salt.
Fasting experts recommend taking salt during long fasts, so I knew I needed to do something about this.
I tried to drink salt in some water. Lots of people on fasting forums talked about doing this and liking it and being successful with it. This did NOT work for me! I tried a couple of times, but I would get incredibly nauseous and even gag when I would drink it. My belly was already feeling different and a little off just without food in it. To start retching because of this was just not okay!! I couldn't stand the viscosity (how thick the water felt... kind of like it was slippery and thicker) of the water either. Salt water was a no go for me.
Some people will chew a small tablet of pink salt. Nope. Same deal. Yuck! Some people put salt under their tongue. Ummmm... no.
At one point, I saw that some people made their own salt capsules. I thought that this sounded like something I could do. Swallow the salt bypassing the taste and feeling of salt in water.
So I ordered everything I needed to make the salt capsules. This is what I use:
- Size 00 empty capsules - I use the vegetable cellulose ones (part of fiber). It will just come out in your waste like plant fiber does. You are not breaking your fast if you take cellulose in a the form a small capsule. If you want to learn more about vegetable cellulose click here. The capsules I purchased were from amazon. Click here for the link to what I purchased. The size 00 works well for me. I wanted it large enough to fit as much salt in there as I could, but small enough that I can swallow it easily. This size fit the mark!
- Capsule Filler - make sure your filler matches the size of capsule you are ordering. There are lots of types of fillers out there. The one I ordered is no longer on amazon (I'm sure this is related to all the weird supply chain issues going on right now). I did find it here though. It's one that you can fill up 100 capsules at at time. I really like this capsule filler. It was efficient, easy to use and actually really fast to do. It's called Coffe Tea Plate Size 00, or Capsu-fil. It's helpful to watch a video first how to use it. This is the video that I watched, and really liked.
- Redmond Salt - I'll explain later about why I chose this salt. But here is the link to order from their website.
It works so well for me!!! I love salt capsules!! I take one at a time, 3-4 time a day with lots of water.
Real Redmond Salt
Why do I use Redmond Real Salt? Simply because it has other trace minerals in it. There are over 60+ minerals in it!
This chart is from their website. I thought it was really interesting to see the differences in the kinds of salts we use. If you notice table salt is not even on the list! If you want to read a fantastic article that explains the differences between all these salts, click here.
Issues With Salt
Some people have problems when they take a salt tablet or salt capsule. They will get a stomach ache or get diarrhea. I was worried about this.
So I only take one capsule at a time, and I drink plenty of water with it. This has really worked for me. I take 3-4 capsules in a day.
I think my body needed to get used to taking salt, because I did get some diarrhea the first couple of times that I took the salt capsules. It wasn't a lot, but there was some belly rumblings, and then things got out and I was good. Then the next day the same thing happened with the first morning salt capsule. So make sure you plan things accordingly. I'm now on a 5.5 day fast (hoping to get to 7!) and I have not had any diarrhea for 3 days.
If you take a salt capsule and you never have before, be sure you have a bathroom nearby. Until your body gets used to things, and you know how your body reacts, know that this is a potential side effect.
Magnesium Oil
Besides salt, it's helpful to supplement with magnesium. Magnesium is tricky. It can be chemically hot, and irritating to the gut and skin. So you need to choose your magnesium wisely. Here I go again giving another plug for Redmonds Real Salt. There are some trace amounts of magnesium in that salt as well. So taking those salt capsules will also help you get enough magnesium.
I take a multivitamin when I fast, and it does have some magnesium in it as well. However, I have found that I still have muscle spasms or charley horses if I don't do something about my magnesium levels. Those spasms are mostly in my calves but I have also had them in my feet, my back, my ribs, and my abs. They are not fun.
Again, I didn't use this for the first 4-6 of the 5 day fasts that I've done. But now I do at least once a day on my extended fasts. Sometimes twice a day.
I prefer to use the oil. I've tried the magnesium salt baths, but I do not like the feel of the salt all over my body, and I get a feel of chemical burns happening. They say it's because I'm short on magnesium and it will go away, but it never did. So sometimes I still do a magnesium foot soak right before bed, and I don't get that skin burning sensation. It helps relax me and also gives me the magnesium I need.
I like the oil because it's easy and convenient and I don't feel any of the burning sensation on my skin. I usually spray and rub it on my calves and my feet right before bed.
Magnesium can help you sleep during your fasts. Sometimes you can get over-energized during a fast because your metabolism is on fire! You are kicking out adrenaline and noradrenaline, growth hormone and cortisol. If you want to watch a simple video to understand more about this click here. So I love magnesium for that reason too. It helps me stay asleep all through the night.
Other people get magnesium from pickle juice. I've tried this as well. This was actually what I used for several extended fasts before I started using the magnesium oil, and it does work really well. The problem with pickle juice for me is that it tastes REALLY good. It makes me really, really, want to eat. And as I get longer into the fast, my stomach starts to cramp a little when I drink it. So that doesn't work for me as well. But it did help me stay on track with my fasts, and support my body with those essential minerals. I like that there is a lot of salt in there too. Before I started using salt capsules, this was the best way for me to get more salt as well. I also started running out of pickle juice!
The magnesium oil I use I got from Amazon here. It does leave a film on your skin because magnesium chloride is a salt. So it takes a little getting used to, but it's been the best source of magnesium I can find for me and my body.
Multivitamin
I highly recommend taking a multivitamin. Get the purest one you can find, and make sure that it doesn't have stuff in it that will break your fast. The above picture is the vitamin I take. This has actually helped my diarrhea issue. I'm not sure if the iron in the multivitamin helps plug things up, but I'm incredibly grateful! The first 4 to 6 extended fasts I did, I had diarrhea everyday from day two and onward.
Now I get a time or two of diarrhea as my body is shifting from having food to no food, but it's really made things a lot more comfortable. Right now I'm at 5.5 day fast, and I have not had diarrhea for 3 days. That is a HUGE deal for me!
Herbal Tea
Herbal tea is totally okay on a water fast, just don't put anything in it! I mainly use peppermint and chamomile tea. It takes a little getting used to not having a sweetener or milk/cream in it.
I usually drink a cupful of herbal tea each night before bed. I often get a little cold when I'm in an extended fast, so this helps my tummy feel warm, and ready for bed. I will often couple this with a magnesium salt foot soak, and I'm ready for a good nights rest.
Refeeding
Any fast past 48 hours really needs to have a refeeding time. The general rule for fasting is that whatever amount of time that you fasted, half of that time will need to be used for refeeding.
So if I fast for 6 days, for three days I need to focus on refeeding. If you fast for 3 days, then for a day and a half you need to make sure you are refeeding.
Refeeding is the process of reintroducing food after fasting, undernourishment, or starvation. Refeeding syndrome is a serious and potentially fatal condition that can occur during refeeding. It’s caused by sudden shifts in the electrolytes that help your body metabolize food. If you want to understand more about this please click here.
What that means is refeeding is important. What you eat before and after a fast is important. Be sure to read about the risk factors of people that can get refeeding syndrome before doing an extended fast.
Refeeding is super important for being comfortable and keeping your body safe. But it's also a time that hormonaly some really incredible things start to happen. When you start eating, your body is flooded with pleasure hormones. These hormones are related to relieving mental illness problems. One of the side effects of extended fasting is a dramatic lessening of depression. This is actually what got me into fasting in the first place.
So when you start eating... ENJOY IT!!! Do not inhale your food. Taste every single bit and eat it slowly. Notice the color, the texture, the layers of flavors. Notice how that food makes you feel and just revel in it!
Food has never tasted as good as it dose after an extended fast. 😋
How to Refeed
So how do you go about this business of refeeding?
Lots of people have lots of suggestions. I'll give some of them here that I've heard and the ones that I have used and have been successful for me.
First rule is to go SLOW! Remember, your body has not had food in it for a very long time.
Second rule is to eat VERY LITTLE the first few hours.
I'm a big fan of listening to your body. Make sure you do that.
Now for food choices. Lots and lots of people have different ideas about this. I try my best during the refeeding time to really bring in lots of variety of food. My body is short on nutrients and so I try to replace those.
Remember to fuel your body with nutritious homemade food. You can find some good food in restaurants, but it's much harder. Stay away from processed foods (bread, pasta, cereal, anything that comes in a box). Read your labels. Don't do sugar. Otherwise you will undo all that healing your body just did with the fast. You will immediately introduce crazy amounts of inflammation into your body. Inflammation causes pain and it causes heart disease.
Lots of people end their water fast with a homemade broth. I think this is a fantastic way to go! I can't stand to have something like that simmering for days, smelling my house up with those amazing aromas! The best way to do this would be to make it BEFORE your fast. Maybe freeze it so you always have it on hand. As I'm writing this, I'm feeling inspired by this idea. I think I'm going to do that!
Homemade bone broth is incredibly healing to your gut, and also VERY easy on your system. It's got so many nutrients in there and some protein and fat as well. It's an incredibly great way to start waking up your GI tract.
A simple liquid soup, or a veggie smoothie would also be a great way to end a fast. The food is mostly broken down, so it's going to be easier on your GI system.
I start usually with a simple salad... some greens, a couple of cherry tomatoes, some slivers of carrots, and a few cucumber slices. I always crave vinegar after an extended fast. I'm not sure why, but I think it's because it might help the acid balance in my stomach to help with digestion. So I follow that craving. I drench the salad in vinegar and olive oil. When I say drench, I mean drench! After I finish the salad there is usually a few tablespoons of the vinegar and oil. I will drink that nectar of the Gods right up!
The salad is crazy small. It's like a very small side salad at a restaurant. Remember, your stomach is really small, and you don't want to put too much food in there or you are NOT going to be happy! So my salad will be about 5 or 6 bites total.
After the salad, I will have 2-4 bites of unsweetened full-fat greek yogurt. I know, I know, I'm sure you are thinking how bitter and yucky that must be! But you have to remember, you have not had sugar for a VERY long time. Your taste buds are a little different, and the yogurt always tastes fantastic!
I do yogurt because of the pro-biotics. An extended fast will change your gut flora dramatically. Your gut could use some good pro-biotics for support and help get back on track with all this new food coming in.
You might start feeling not-hungry by this time, and maybe the first sensations that your stomach might be getting full. That is totally normal! This is when I stop eating. DO NOT KEEP EATING!!!
If you are feeling like you want to binge (this is quite unusual for me) keep telling yourself that you WILL get to eat, you just need to wait an hour or two.
I will let an hour go by or two. Whenever I feel hungry again is when I will eat again.
Check in with yourself. How are you feeling? How did that food go down? Any abdominal issues? How is your energy level? Do a body check. Close your eyes and see if everything is okay.
By this time I will have some nuts, maybe some eggs, maybe some watermelon. I've had homemade veggie soup, and curry at this time. I've had shrimp, pickles, chicken, beef, whatever I have in the fridge really.
Still keep in mind eat SLOW and SMALL amounts. You do NOT want to gorge yourself. It will make you sick and probably give you diarrhea.
I found this out the hard way. It was my second 5 day fast. I was learning more about sugar and wanted to break my fast with some meat.
As a nurse, I know that meat is harder to digest, and not the best choice as a very first food to introduce after fasting. I should have listened to my nurses gut. Some youtube video I saw recommended it and it SOUNDED so good, and it doesn't have any sugar or grains so I thought it would work out.
I ate a bunch of sliced steak. I ate past when I was starting to feel full. It felt great the first 10 minutes or so. Very satisfying and yummy!
Then... oh goodness... the belly ache came on. My abdomen started spasming. It literally felt like I had swallowed a BRICK! That feeling stayed with me for 4 hours or so. I didn't get diarrhea, but I got the cramping and aching.
Please learn from me and make sure you take it slow with small amounts. I don't wish that kind of experience on anyone.
There will be time to eat. Enjoy it!! You will get more food later.
Jumping Into Another Fast
I'm in a bunch of fasting groups and forums. I see people on there do a 5 day fast, eat a few meals, and then jump into alternate day fasting (36-42 hour fast), or even another really long extended fast of 3 or 5 days.
Please don't do that. You are sending signals to your brain that you are starving. After a time of fasting, there should be a time of feasting. Your body likes balance. Listen to your body. Don't let a goal of loosing weight or any other goal stop you from listening to your body.
I only do one extended fast a month (5-7 days). If I throw a 3 day in there I don't really count that. But the reasoning behind that is that your body has been depleted of many nutrients, micro nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. You need to let your body recuperate and restock.
I use the word feasting above, but please don't think that means you should go and pig out. It means that you should re-fuel your body with healthy and nutritious foods including healthy fats (olive oil, coconut, ghee, animal fats, dairy, avocado - seed oils and vegetable oils are HIGHLY inflammatory! Stay away from them!).
Listen to when your body is hungry. After an extended fast you stomach is much smaller. You won't and can't eat as much. That is okay! Just listen to your body and don't over think it.
Typically on a normal day I only eat 2 meals a day. Many times I also do just one meal a day. After an extended fast, I pause this type of fasting. I make sure I have at least 3 solid meals a day during the refeeding time. Your body needs fuel. Your body needs nutrition, fat, protein, nutrients, and minerals.
So after a 5 day fast, for 3 days I will have 3 meals a day. On day 4 of refeeding, after the 5 day fast, if my body feels right, I will start into my 16-20 hour fasts again.
Do You Have Any Ideas?
If you have anything to add to this, please leave it in the comments below, and I will add it to this article.
