Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system, study finds

a reply to: DenyObfuscation

Thanks for the info I've got some time off work because of an injury so I might see if I get a kindle copy to read down the beach.

a reply to: mclarenmp4
This might save you some cash www.proteinpower.com... I guess it was Michael not Robert but that's their site. See what you think about it and let us know.

a reply to: DenyObfuscation

There's no kindle version for it but I've managed to get it on another source as a pdf so that will have to suffice and I'll order the paperback from Amazon, so I'm supporting the author. Somebody will get a nice book for xmas this year.

a reply to: theabsolutetruth

What is "safely"?

Do you eat anything at all?

I don't abstain from eating but every once in a while I do a three-day raw fruit and vegetable diet. Last time I did it, I had eczema on my arm and ribs. It cleared up immediately. I've also noticed my overall well being is just better, a real positive outlook.

a reply to: Nurelic
I have a hard time believing this, expecially *no water*!

If it is true.. then well.. that is a wonder.

Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), a gov't organization of India supposedly watched him for 14 days. That alone is amazing. Its hard to believe they would be involved in a hoax.

some other articles I found -
www.dailymail.co.uk...
news.bbc.co.uk...
en.wikipedia.org...

originally posted by: mclarenmp4
a reply to: DenyObfuscation

That's cool i wasn't aware of that.

The benefits of water fasting are not just about ketone production but the body repair benefits. By allowing the 80% your body uses for all process relating to eating food, it allows the body to break down scar tissue and to repair any damage your body hasn't had the time to repair.

I'm so glad you posted this, and major s&f to the OP.

I have such nagging ankle issues, it radiates into my knee, then hip. All stemming from a pretty substantial injury sustained during skateboarding about three years ago.

There is so much more activity I have to do! Yet on the bad days I have the capability of a decrepit old man

Before I hadn't given much thought into body repair through diet, now I'm feeling pretty optimistic about fixing my stupid ankle.

a reply to: GoShredAK

Yeah when you have an ankle injury and I know I've had a few as a footballer (Soccer) and it's often congealed blood and dead tissue that cause the discomfort so I would recommend the process whether the protein power method which I've yet to read or straight up water fasting but as has been mentioned several times make sure you do it properly because doing it wrong can affect your health for the worse.

A guy called Loren Lockman on youtube is a very good source of information on Water Fasting.

a reply to: samsamm9

One thing is to fast one meal a day for 30 days, and another to not eat at all for 3 days. I have fasted in the past for up to 1 week, not eating anything at all just drinking water, and I would go to work like any other week. The problem is after the 4th-5th day you won't be able to sleep 8 hours if you are working. On the 5th day you will start getting weak.

Fasting 3 days would be the way to go, except a lot of people tend to over eat after fasting which will make it even worse than before you fasted. If you are going to fast 3 days on the 4th day I would recommend eating light, as in soup and other liquids such as V8, and slowly go back to good healthy meals.

I'm not sure if this would work.
I'm always fasting ( not by choice) can't say it's helped me. For one it gives me a killer migraine. I get dizzy, vomit or faint. Can't concentrate.

originally posted by: violet
I'm not sure if this would work.
I'm always fasting ( not by choice) can't say it's helped me. For one it gives me a killer migraine. I get dizzy, vomit or faint. Can't concentrate.

If it gives you a migraine, it might not be the thing for you. However there are several other factors involved. IE, did you wean yourself off any medication or caffeine / other drugs first? Always check with a doctor first, especially if you take any prescription medicine or are dependent on anything. Sudden caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches. Getting dizzy and feeling weak is normal because you aren't taking in new food for energy, plus the toxins are cleansing out of you, so that can make you a little dizzy, especially if you haven't eaten the healthiest diet over the years. I recommend doing a cleansing kit the week before a fast, because it gets your body ready, and the pre-cleanse really helps. The dizziness generally last for 3-4 days, but once the fast fully kicks in, you actually have extra energy to cleanse and heal the body and you usually gain a sense of clarity. Working out while fasting is also a terrible idea. You can go for walks, but never do more than that. With more energy saved from digestion at night, you will also notice that you will most likely sleep less hours.

Generally speaking, you should spend about a week preparing for a fast, and a week recovering from it or it could screw up your metabolism. This is why I very much dislike the idea of "fasting" for one meal a day. That isn't fasting, that's borderline anorexia. You need to prepare the body slowly. Reduce food intake to fruits and vegetables, and slowly reduce the intake. When you complete the fast, the first day your meal should pretty much be one fruit, broken up into 5-6 meals every couple hours. 2nd day should be 2 pieces of fruit, then you increase slowly from there. Slowly bring your metabolism back up to snuff. Neglecting this and binge eating after a fast will counter act any positive effects and could even be detrimental. The body should never have to go through extreme changes in diet that fast.

I generally water fast once every year for 1-2 weeks, so if anybody has questions, please feel free to ask and I will answer. Please please please DO NOT attempt to fast without fully reading up on it first, as it can be dangerous if done improperly. Doctors are mostly against fasting, but you should still check with your doctor first, no matter what. In general there are many misconceptions about it (for example the folks that claim mostly muscle is burned). It burns a little muscle for the first 3 days, but after that it's primarily fat. Also if you are already skinny or thin, you may want to be careful how long you fast as you will probably have less fat to burn to sustain you for that duration. After the first 3-4 days the hunger goes away and does not return until you run out of fat reserves to burn. At this point you experience what they call, "true hunger", and when this happens you must eat immediately. The most important rule is to listen to your body. You may go through a healing crisis if you have any underlying health issues. If your body tells you to stop, you should stop. Fasting isn't for everybody but it can have incredible healing properties as well as cleansing toxins that have been stored in your fat, in your lungs, in your stomach, intestines, colon, liver, kidneys etc. The tongue will also turn white during the time, and this is normal because your tongue releases toxins as well. A gentle brush each day with tooth brush without toothpaste will do wonders for it. Bad breath is also common during the time. Sauna treatments and enemas can also be beneficial during a fast.

a reply to: Indigent

This is an interesting discovery. I have an intestinal condition that has forced me to fast for several days in order to let it heal. Whenever I have done that (and it isn't often because it is not easy to do), it seems as though I get better and stay healthy for an extended time after. I think there might be something to this.

If you do fast, clear your weekend schedule, maybe start on a Thursday night and spend the weekend with some movies. Fasting doesn't make one want to engage in a lot of physical activity.

a reply to: Barcs

What do you think of coconut water to break a fast with? Also, what about multi-vitamins during a fast?

a reply to: BlueMule

I've tried fasting both with supplements and without and have had better results without. The reason is, your body should get enough nutrients breaking down its own fat, and vitamins on an empty stomach often causes stomach pains. If you do use supplements I'd recommend using way less than the recommended daily dosage and I'd make sure it's in liquid form. You can shock the system if you give it too much while your metabolism is slowed down and you're not being active.

The only issue I see with coconut water, is that it contains sodium and protein. Generally I wait a couple days before introducing much sodium, (usually day 3 with spinach) and at least 5 before protein again. If I did it with coconut water, I'd probably water it down and have in 3 small servings spread across a few days, because it might just be a little too much, right away. Then, the following day, I would get into eating 1 fruit broken down into several small meals, along with a little more of the coconut water. I wouldn't drink too much right away because it could shock the system, kind of like drinking Orange Juice right off the bat. It may not be bad, but it could give you some stomach pains if you are sensitive to acids. The body doesn't really need to readjust to liquids, merely the nutrients within, breaking the fast is more about slowly re-introducing the solid foods.

Fasting is great. I fast two days a week and have lost 17 kg since January . I also have more energy than I've had since my early 20s (when I used fast not deliberately fast- was also able to swim 5kms blah blah blah)... AND I don't get sick, while everyone around me at work drops off, I remain healthy,.previously I used just have to hear someone cough and I would get sick.

I have plateau'd last month or so.. But I put that down to a couple if weekends of drinking. So hopefully with a couple of healthier weekends I can keep it going.

Other benefit is that I can no longer eat huge meals or second servings.

a reply to: Barcs

Yeah I know what you mean about shocking the system. It really f*cking hurts!

What about organic pineapple juice, organic ginger tea, and organic brown rice as fast breakers?

a reply to: izero

I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but be cautious, because this type of fasting can be dangerous and can lead metabolism issues if you are not very careful. It is not sustainable for long periods of time, the constant switch from no food to lots of food can cause problems down the road. It's much healthier, IMO, to eat less food overall, but break it up into smaller meals. Eat 5 days worth of food in a 7 day period and compare the results, with stopping for 2 days completely. I see fasting as something that should only be a once in a while deal. It shouldn't be done for weight loss purposes, in my opinion.

originally posted by: Barcs Eat 5 days worth of food in a 7 day period and compare the results, with stopping for 2 days completely.

Is two days enough time to enter ketosis? I thought it took three days, hence the benefits of a three day fast.

originally posted by: BlueMule
a reply to: Barcs
Yeah I know what you mean about shocking the system. It really f*cking hurts!
What about organic pineapple juice, organic ginger tea, and organic brown rice as fast breakers?

Yes to pineapple juice watered down. Ginger tea would be interesting. As long as it's caffeine free, It couldn't hurt. Brown rice definitely has to wait, however. Complex carbs are actually one of the last things you want to introduce because they can be difficult to digest. That's why the citrus fruits are usually first. The big thing is to start with small, easy to digest meals and gradually increase back up to normal.

I usually go something like this:

Day 1: One fresh fruit in season broken down into small meals throughout the day. Compared to an orange it would be 2 wedges every 2 hours.

Day 2: Same as above but with 2 fruits, throw in a few grapes with each "meal"

Day 3: Same as above but include some raw leafy green vegetables that are easy to digest along with lunch and dinner. No carrots or celery, no dressing of any kind. I usually go with spinach.

Day 4: Include light protein, cooked veggies (green beans)

Day 5: add nuts and grains

Day 6: add baked potato / other starches

Day 7: reintroduce dressings and seasonings (butter, salt, salad dressing, oils, etc)

Is two days enough time to enter ketosis? I thought it took three days, hence the benefits of a three day fast.

It most likely varies from person to person, but I've always found that after 3 days is where you are getting the bigger benefits from fasting (cleansing and accelerated healing). 2 days seems like just enough time to torture yourself hunger wise only to cheat yourself away from the benefits. After the 3rd day hunger goes away and the fast actually begins. The first few days are always the worst.

Keywords below: ...the ketogenic diet appears to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis
I had to see for myself-er, READ for myself I should say:

From
Neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of the ketogenic diet
Maciej Gasior, Michael A. Rogawski, and Adam L. Hartman
NIH Public Access site, here
pp.109-111
"...the ketogenic diet causes a coordinated upregulation of hippocampal genes encoding energy metabolism and mitochondrial enzymes. Electron micrographs from the dentate/hilar region of the hippocampus showed a 46% increase in mitochondrial profiles in rats fed the ketogenic diet. Thus, the ketogenic diet appears to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis. Moreover, there was a greater phosphocreatine : creatine ratio in the hippocampal tissue, indicating an increase in cellular energy reserves,..."