I tried fasting for five days… And this is what happened (results).

Fasting. Sounds crazy, right?

I recently did one myself, voluntarily! And I would 100% do it again.

I documented my first experience of doing a long fast on Instagram, and I received a lot of questions about it, so I’ll do my best to answer those here.

I found water fasting to be an extremely challenging experience, mainly because it was such a huge jump from my usual fasts; 16 to 24 hrs. But I felt amazing afterwards (when I could eat again).

I must emphasise that this is MY personal experience after doing a lot of research. I’m not suggesting anyone else try fasting, at least without talking to a medical professional and doing the same due diligence. Fasting is generally considered safe for short periods of time, but not everyone responds the same, and some may find that they can’t or shouldn’t do it.

This is my experience and what worked for me.

What is Water Fasting?

As the name reveals, it requires fasting on water, and ONLY water.

Herbal teas, black coffee, supplements, broth, and calorie-free drinks don’t come under a water fast. You can only drink plain water. The results can often be more profound than other types of fasting. This form of fasting is also known as long-term fasting.

There are so many types of fasting and they can vary in duration from 12 hours-30 days, though 24-72 hours is usually considered safe for most people. The longest I’ve personally fasted is 5 days.

Why I Started Fasting

In our primal days, our ancestors would have fasted naturally during times of famine or when access to food was limited. It’s what’s allowed us to survive throughout millennia. The fat stores around our body are used for food and energy. This form of energy is also a fantastic way to reduce inflammation (but more on that later).

In our modern day lives, the idea of choosing to go without food seems absurd, though to many people throughout history, the notion of eating 4-6 times a day would seem equally strange, and unheard of.

According to Wellness Mama, ‘researchers estimate that Americans actually don’t even eat just 4-6 times a day. The actual number is closer to 17-18 times a day. Not you? Consider this: from a biochemical perspective, anytime we put something caloric in our mouths, there is a digestive event. Every hand full of nuts, every sip of smoothie between meals or coffee with cream. The body sees all of those as digestive events.’

We are eating much more than our body needs and are consequently giving our body less time to fast – an important state required by the body to go around and “spring clean” itself, among other things.

I chose to fast for the many benefits that came along with it.

I started out water fasting, but quickly incorporated broth and herbal teas into my fast to help with the intense hunger and feelings of nausea I was experiencing (that I believe were caused by low blood sugar and low levels of electrolytes in my case).

Fasting Benefits

The books and articles I read before fasting shared some of the benefits that short-term fasting can bring, such as:

• Lowering inflammation
• Encouraging fat loss and promoting the production of ketones
• Reducing damage from oxidative stress
• Boosting immunity
• Encouraging autophagy (that “spring cleaning” I mentioned earlier)

Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress are big factors behind a lot of chronic disease experienced by many today.

Autophagy

The word “autophagy” literally means “self-eating,” – derived from the Greek words auto (self) and phagy (eating), where the body goes around and recycles old cells to create new, healthier cells – or as Scott Gooding explained it in his book, The Keto Diet, ‘when the body experiences a period of starvation, it triggers a certain energetic pathway to promote ‘cleansing’… from a cellular level… Consider that our bodies have two energetic pathways. The first one is an anabolic pathway and responsible for cellular growth and cell division… The second pathway is responsible for cell rejuvenation, so rather than the cell responding to stress to divide and grow, it removes dead cell components, toxins and cleanses. This is called cell autophagy.’

Fasting helps stimulate autophagy. Even shorter fasts like intermittent fasting can bring about positive effects, though the biggest results seem to come from longer fasts.

According to Wellness Mama, ‘studies have found that autophagy can lead to a decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Other studies found that autophagy can increase longevity and reduce causes of mortality.’

In David Sinclair’s book, Lifespan, he quotes. ‘after twenty-five years of researching ageing and having read thousands of scientific papers, if there’s one piece of advice I can offer, one surefire way to stay healthy longer, one thing you can do to maximise your lifespan right now, it’s this: eat less.’

Reduces Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Studies show that fasting helps lower inflammation in the body by reducing insulin build-up in the blood. It also reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines.

BHB is a compound that inhibits NLRP3, a part of a set of proteins called the inflammasomes which drive the inflammatory response in many disorders such as autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and other autoimmune disorders.

According to Katie Wells in her article, Water Fasting Benefits, Dangers and My Personal Experience, ‘researchers found that BHB is produced by fasting (most effective), high intensity exercise, caloric restriction, and a ketogenic diet.’

Immunity Boost

Fasting for just 3 days (specifically water fasting) could regenerate the immune system, according to a 2014 study. This is because fasting encourages stem cells to regenerate new white blood cells.

Boosts Brain Function

When fasting or on the ketogenic diet, the body switches over from using glucose as its main source of energy, to burning fat. Instead of glucose (sugar), the brain uses ketones (a by-product of using fat for energy) as fuel. There’s so much research behind the benefits of ketones as a primary fuel source for the body rather than glucose, and it’s believed to be a more efficient fuel for the brain.

Intermittent fasting can stimulate the production of new brain cells, according to Shawn Stevenson in his book, Eat Smarter. ‘Not only does intermittent fasting stimulate the creation of new brain cells, it also makes the neurons you already have work better. Numerous studies have revealed that intermittent fasting increases our levels of something called brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a powerful assistance in the healthy development and survival of our brain cells. It’s been shown to improve neuroplasticity, enhance cognitive function, and protect our brains from a myriad of diseases.’

According to research in the journal Psychiatry Investigation, a deficiency in BDNF has been linked to higher rates of depression, panic disorder, and other mood disorders.

Even short stints of fasting were able to improve symptoms of depression and improve levels of anxiety.

According to a study published in the journal Neuroscience, a diet high in refined sugar and damaged fats was shown to reduce levels of BDNF in the brain. As Shawn Stevenson explains, ‘sugar is able to strip your brain’s land of BDNF production, while intermittent fasting is one of the rare things that can boost the production of this Miracle-Gro [BDNF] to help you harvest the best results possible.’

One of the most important ways intermittent fasting helps in improving brain function, according to Shawn Stevenson, is how it has been directly shown to improve neuronal autophagy. ‘This is the process involved in the elimination and recycling of damaged brain cells. Efficient removal of brain waste is absolutely critical to the performance of your brain.’

My Experience of Fasting on Water, Broth and Herbal Tea

I researched a lot before jumping into my 5-day fast (there are some great videos by Jason Fung and Peter Attia on fasting). But, like I said before, I’m not suggesting anyone jump straight into a fast, I’m just sharing my personal experience. If you’re considering fasting it’s important that you do plenty of research beforehand and talk to a medical professional to ensure you do it correctly and safely.

I picked a week that was free of work and any major activities (I also stopped exercising for the week, as I felt quite sick and low in energy for most of it). This was a good thing as, spoiler alert… the first 3 days of fasting are hard. Definitely not fun at all. I’ve heard that if you’ve been following a keto diet for a while beforehand, it can make fasting a lot easier.

Throughout the fast I consumed LOTS of water, as well as broth and some herbal teas.

On on the morning of day two I began to feel quite nauseous. It started from the moment I woke up until about 11AM. After that it settled down and I began to feel a little better as the day went on. This happened on day three, too, so I researched into it and found that nausea can be caused by a number of reasons.

Low blood sugar or low electrolytes can be a couple of the causes, so I focused on these two to begin with. I started adding a pinch of salt to my water to help boost electrolytes, and consumed more broth throughout the day, and by the next day I woke up feeling so much better.

If it is low blood sugar, it’s important to monitor yourself really carefully as it can lead to serious health problems if left unchecked. If the low blood sugar persists, it may be a good idea to stop the fast there. Always listen to your body and how it’s responding.

Electrolyte depletion is one of the bigger risks of fasting, so once I added some high quality Himalayan sea salt to the water I was having each day, I found that it really helped. The headaches and tiredness I was experiencing also reduced dramatically.

The amount of water you’re drinking is also important during a fast. Not drinking enough water can cause problems, as can drinking too much. I just drank when I felt thirsty and added a pinch of salt to the water I was having.

By day four and five I felt almost back to my normal self again (how I felt pre-fast), and I only really felt hungry in the evenings.

My Experience of Fasting for 5 Days

Breaking a Fast

It’s so important to return to normal eating carefully, especially after longer fasts. If not done correctly, in extreme cases after long fasting, the body can experience something called refeeding syndrome. This happens when fluids, insulin and electrolytes become out of balance. In severe cases this can be fatal, so breaking the fast correctly is extremely important.

From what I’ve read it’s recommended to start with broth, soft cooked vegetables, fermented veggies, and some gentle fruits. Dairy, fish, meat and raw veggies are all a little too harsh to have when breaking a fast, so it can be a good idea to wait 3 post-fast days for these. It’s also recommended to wait 4-5 days before adding caffeine or alcohol back into your diet, and even then it should only be done in very small amounts.

Slowly start reintroducing foods to give your digestive system time to start working again.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride shares a fantastic in-depth guide on what to eat day-by-day when coming off a long fast in her book, Gut and Physiology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Allergies, Autoimmune Illness, Arthritis, Gut Problems, Fatigue, Hormonal Problems, Neurological Disease and More.

Please seek the guidance of a medical professional on what to consume to break your fast to ensure you come off the fast correctly.

My Fasting Results

The biggest changes I noticed from fasting were:

• Weight loss: I lost over 3 kg during my 5-day fast, of which 1.5 kg stayed off. The other kilo and a half were likely from water, muscle, and food in the digestive system.

Who Should Not Fast

To keep it short and sweet, no one should fast just because I did, and I highly recommend everyone thoroughly research and talk to a medical professional before trying any fasting. Fasting may also not be a good idea for:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• Children
• People with medical conditions

Unless you’ve been directed otherwise by a medical professional.

Additional Learning:

• The Keto Diet by Scott Gooding (book)
• Dr. Jason Fung ‘Therapeutic Fasting‘ (video)
• Wellness Mama ‘Water Fasting Benefits, Dangers and My Personal Experience‘ (article)
• Gut and Physiology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Allergies, Autoimmune Illness, Arthritis, Gut Problems, Fatigue, Hormonal Problems, Neurological Disease and More by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (book)

This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Have you done a fast before? How was it? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

Vanessa