What to Expect on a 5 Day Water Fast
Water fasting is one of the most ancient and powerful healing strategies known to mankind. Modern science is showing the profound benefits of water fasting in reducing inflammation, stimulating cellular cleansing called autophagy, and producing stem cells to regenerate new tissue. In this article, I will take you on a journey to understand what is happening in your body and what to expect as you go through a 5-day water fast.
Fasting is like exercise in that it is very uncomfortable and can even be downright painful when you first get started. But just like exercise, as you develop your fasting fitness, it will get easier and more enjoyable.
Most people are highly concerned about what they may experience on an extended water fast and rightfully so. My purpose in writing this is to go through day-to-day what you can expect as you navigate the journey on a water fast.
The Transformational Benefits of Fasting
I am a huge fan of both extended and intermittent fasting strategies. The main benefits you get from an extended fast that go beyond what you get with intermittent fasting or time-restricted feeding include greater levels of autophagy and human growth hormone release and increases in stem cells within all the tissues of the body (1, 2, 3, 4).
While intermittent fasting is a very powerful healing tool, extended fasting allows the body to heal and repair older cells, tissues, and organs at a much higher level. If you are younger and very healthy then you may get all the benefits you need from intermittent fasting. However, if you have health challenges or want to do all you can to prevent them then I think extended water fasting is one of the very best things you can do.
I believe that almost everyone can benefit from one or two extended fasts each year to cleanse the body of all the older, weaker cellular components and rebuild a new cellular structure.
Those who stand to benefit the most from extended water fasting include individuals suffering from the following:
Metabolic Syndrome – Diabetes and Obesity
Overweight Individuals
Chronic Inflammatory Conditions
Autoimmune Diseases
Gut Health Challenges
Neurodegenerative Conditions
Cancer
If you want to learn about all the great benefits of living a fasting lifestyle where you practice intermittent fasting and possibly some occasional extended fasts you can read about it in this article.
Who Shouldn’t Fast:
While most people stand to benefit from extended water fasting from time to time, there are certain individuals I would not recommend this to. This would include the following:
Pregnant Women
Nursing Moms and Newborns
Young Children
Individuals with Type I Diabetes
Individuals with Eating Disorders
Extreme Athletes Who are in Season
Individuals Who Are Severely Underweight
Individuals Who Are on Medications (Especially diabetes medication, anti-seizure meds, and corticosteroids as these can impact blood sugar levels). These people may still be able to fast but should consult with their doctor first.
*Always check in with your doctor before stopping any medication. Some medications may still be needed, such as thyroid medications. These are okay to continue to take while fasting. With may find you need to take less of some medications. Always consult with your Doctor before changing doses or stopping a medication.
Preparing Your Body Ahead of Time:
I find that building your fasting fitness through intermittent fasting is one of the best daily activities you can do to improve your health and then periodically undergoing an extended water fast is a fantastic health improvement and maintenance approach to take into life.
There can be a lot of discomfort when you first begin fasting as your body has to make a lot of metabolic adaptations and we are so emotionally and neurologically driven to feed. Many people have physical and emotional addictions to food, and this can be very challenging to deal with in the early phases of fasting.
There are certain things you should do to prepare your mind and body for the fast so you can have the best experience possible. You can read about those things in the graphic below and in more detail in this article.
What to Expect on a 5 Day Water Fast
Fasting is just as natural for our body as feeding is. Our ancestors have been going without food for days at a time quite often. The level of food abundance we have today is a great benefit but at what cost?
In fact, when we eat food, we actually expose our bodies to tremendous stress. Food contains microbes, some good and some bad, that will impact our microbiome. It also contains plant or animal material that is stressful on our digestive system and depends upon the proper production and release of digestive juices to metabolize correctly.
In general, we don’t see feeding as a stress on the body, because we are so used to doing it. It is obviously a necessary stress in that we cannot survive without it.
When we begin to fast, there are many positive changes that occur, but also some unwanted symptoms that we will experience. This is all normal and natural and, in this article, I will go through these so you can better understand what your body is experiencing.
Day One
Unless you are already keto-adapted going into the fast, day one your body is primarily using stored sugar, called glycogen, as its fuel source. We store roughly 500 grams of this glycogen in our muscles (400 grams) and liver (100 grams).
Some people such as athletes and highly active individuals store more than those who are less active. 500 grams of stored sugar equates to roughly 2000 calories. The body will not use 100% of this as it will save a small percentage for later but roughly 70% or so is used up in the first day or two.
In addition, the body will begin to burn body fat. If you are keto-adapted, you will see a nice rise in your ketones toward the latter half of the first day. If you are not keto-adapted, you will not have a significant level of blood ketones but will begin to urinate out ketones toward the end of the first day.
If you are keto-adapted and have been practicing intermittent fasting then your body will begin to ramp up higher levels of autophagy and cellular cleansing in the last 4–8 hours of the day.
Day 1 Symptoms:
All of these symptoms are normal and not be concerned about.
Fatigue: This is because the body is not well adapted to burning fat and ketones for fuel. Because I practice a full 24 hour fast, 2 times each week myself, I actually feel quite energized on Day 1 of a longer fast.
Mental Lethargy: We are so used to our brain having a steady sugar supply to fuel it and now that the sugar supply is lower, we produce less brain energy. In addition, food stimulates neurotransmitter production so our levels are now reduced. If you are keto-adapted to begin with, you most likely won’t notice much mental lethargy on Day 1.
Hunger: This is due to the hormone ghrelin, which is secreted by our stomach in response to the stomach being empty or as a conditioned response at times of the day when we are used to feeding. Don’t worry, you are not starving or at risk of dying…you are simply responding to your body’s natural hormonal pattern.
Cravings: Cravings are a brain-based response to an emotional desire. When we eat, we stimulate a flood of feel good neurotransmitters in our brain such as dopamine and serotonin. This is a great thing and it is very pleasurable to eat. When we fast, if our brain is overly used to or reliant on this flood of emotions…it will send an increase in signals to fill this desire.
Mood Changes: As the body adapts to burning fat instead of sugar, the brain will experience periods of hypoglycemia and this can lead to brain fog, mental lethargy, depression, and irritability. You may also experience headaches.
Increased Urination: When the body breaks down glycogen for fuel, it also releases more water into the urinary system. Having to urinate more often is a normal and natural response. You should also be drinking more water than normal, which will also increase the amount you pee!
Sleep Disturbances: Some people sleep their best throughout the fast, while others have a harder time. The more keto-adapted you are to begin with the less hypoglycemia you will experience and you will typically notice better sleep. Using some extra magnesium, L-theanine, melatonin and adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha can be very helpful to improve your sleep if needed. You can check out this article for more details on that.
Day 2
As you move into Day 2, you will continue to experience all of the symptoms from Day 1 although your hunger levels are typically beginning to diminish.
For someone who is keto-adapted and used to daily intermittent fasting, Day 2 is usually the toughest. I have no problems at all doing the first 24 hour fast but as I get into day 2, I feel more fatigued.
Day 2 Symptoms
On Day 2, we will experience more of what we experienced on Day 1 and possibly an increase in fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes. As I said above, Day 2 is typically the most challenging day. Here are some additional unpleasantries you may experience:
Tongue Changes: Your tongue may turn white, yellow, or even black. This is a part of the normal detoxification response of the body.
Rashes: It is possible to have rashes although rare, these occur in about 10% or so of the population. The rashes have to do with a resetting of the microbiome. There is a communication between the gut microbiome and the skin microbiome.
Fasting starves down the biome and many toxic substances are released into circulation that trigger histamine and substance P in the skin causing skin inflammation and rashes. These will go away over time and are typically a sign of a healing response.
Feeling Cold: When your body senses that you are in a time of famine, such as going multiple days without food, it will begin to downregulate active thyroid hormone. This is done to help improve energy efficiency in the body. One of the more common early symptoms here is having cold hands and feet and feeling colder in general.
Don’t worry, however, as the process of fasting helps to reset hormone sensitivity and optimize hormone expression in the body. This will lead to the body not needing as much thyroid hormone, insulin, etc. to function well. This is a very positive adaptation.
Healing Activity on Day 2:
Here are some of the really cool things that ramp up on Day 2 of the fast. You get these on Day 1 but in smaller amounts and each successive day up until Day 5, the levels continue to increase.
- Resets the Microbiome: Fasting helps to de-weed the gut flora and pulls out a lot of good and bad microbes (5). This is a really good thing as the food abundance we have in our society favors the development of a lot of bad gut microbes.
- Cellular Autophagy: The body gets to work on intracellular cleansing, breaking down older, weaker cells and cellular components such as mitochondria and using the raw materials to rebuild new cells (6).
- Rise in Human Growth Hormone: Human growth hormone (HGH) goes up significantly to help preserve our muscle mass. This also helps to improve immune function, bone tissue, and fat burning.
- Stem Cell Rise: The body creates new white blood cells, repairs the intestinal membrane, and increases new and youthful stem cells in joints and tissues that have suffered damage and need repair (7).
- Resets the DNA: We all have certain “bad” genes turned on that amplify inflammation and lead us down the road to chronic degeneration. Some of these genes promote things like obesity, allergies, autoimmune conditions, etc. Fasting turns these genes off like flicking a light switch off so they go dormant (1). Depending upon how many of these genes you have turned on, you may need repeated fasts or yearly/biyearly fasts to turn them all off or keep them off.
- Hormone Optimization: There are many hormones in the body including thyroid hormone, insulin, estrogen, testosterone and more. These hormones play a vital role in every function but they are dependent upon the sensitivity of the hormone receptors on the cells. This is like having the right key to open the door and enter the cell.
Fasting helps the body get rid of defective hormone receptors and rebuild strong and healthy hormone receptors. When this happens, we need less hormone circulating to have the desired effect. This is the essence of hormone optimization…and ideal communication between the hormonal systems and the cells of the body.
Day 3:
On day 3 you will have a very large rise in ketones and many people feel better mentally as the brain loves using these ketones for energy. If you were not keto-adapted before the fast, it will probably take a bit longer for your brain to adapt so you may not feel good.
If this is the case, you will probably experience more of the symptoms listed above. I typically feel good by Day 3 but have some bouts of tiredness and brain fog throughout the day. Definitely better than Day 3 but not as sharp as Day 4.
Healing Activity on Day 3:
You can further rise in autophagy, HGH, and stem cells. The body is kicking up the healing activity and you may notice areas of pain reducing. On Day 3 and into Day 4 we experience the hormone optimization and will have great bouts of energy and mental clarity.
If you are still struggling on Day 3, hang in there as it should get better by Day 4. One great thing to track to give you more clarity on how you are adapting to the fast is your blood ketones.
Urine ketones will typically be high on Day 1 and 2 but should drop on Day 3 as your body gets more efficiently adapted to using these for energy. So, it is best to test with either breath or blood ketones.
Ketones in the blood will often rise up in the beginning and then drop back some as the body is using these as the main energy source by Day 3. Breath ketones are a great measure as they show the breath acetone which is a reflection of the ketones your body is using for energy. In this article here, I go over how to test your level of ketones.
Glucose to Ketone Ratio
The Glucose Ketone Index, or the GKI, is a ratio that researcher Dr. Thomas Seyfried has been using in his studies looking at tumors and how they respond to both fasting and the ketogenic diet (8). A healthy nutritional ketosis marker for the GKI is between 1:1 and 4:1. If you are in this zone, you are in nutritional ketosis and your body is either learning how to use ketones for energy or has adapted and is using them as a primary energy source.
However, when it comes to brain tumors and other cancers, Dr Seyfried and his colleagues have found a ratio close to 1:1 to be most effective. The target zone for this is when the glucose numbers are in the 60’s and the ketones are roughly 3.0 mmol/L or more. You can get to these levels through the water fast and typically by Day 4-5, most people will be hovering in this range.
The GKI is found by taking the blood glucose level and dividing it by 18. You then take that number and divide it by the blood ketone level. A blood sugar of 64 with a ketone level of 3.1 would have a GKI of 1.15
GKI: (64/18) / 3.1 = 1.15
According to Dr Seyfried, a GKI of 1:1 is the most effective level for shrinking tumors. This is due to the rampant amount of autophagy that takes place and the lack of insulin and available glucose that tumor cells use to grow and divide. If you are hitting close to a 1:1 GKI then the body is going to work on these destructive cells.
Your blood glucose will typically be at its highest in the morning due to higher cortisol levels but should drop as the day goes on. Stress will cause it to go up higher so do your best to limit the amount of stress you are under.
Day 4:
As you head into Day 4 and 5, you should begin to see the GKI trending towards 1:1. Autophagy is ramping up and you should have forced enough adaptation to where your brain is being fueled on ketones and feels alive and well.
On day 4, I feel so energized and mentally sharp that I am at my most productive level. The majority of people experience great physical energy and mental clarity. At this point, you should have no hunger or strong cravings but you may have just a slight emotional desire to eat.
There are a few things that can throw off your GKI and cause you to feel unwell at this point in the fast. These include stress, constipation, and high levels of toxicity in the body. It can be helpful to use supplements and preparation steps if you are concerned about this.
Supplements to Support the Body
High stress and blood sugar issues can be balanced with Organic Ashwagandha and Brain Calm Magnesium. I also like adding in the Organic Multi Mushroom which has key adaptogenic mushrooms that support immune health, improve sleep quality, and restore energy and vitality to the body.
For constipation, I use the Oxy-Powder to flush the system and cleanse the bowels. You will need to drink a good amount of water and replenish minerals by taking a small pinch of salt two to three times a day.
For systemic toxins in the bloodstream, I use the BioToxin Binder to bind and move these out of the body. The oxidative stress that toxins can cause will be neutralized by glutathione. I like the Super Glutathione. The combination of these supplements can help you get the most cleansing and comfortable experience on your fast.
The Fasting Stress Support Pack
To try to simplify things, I have created 2 unique fasting support packs. The Fasting Stress Support pack includes the Organic Multi-Mushroom, Corisol Defense, and Brain Calm Magnesium. This is great for those who are new to fasting and individuals who struggle with high cortisol and hypoglycemia when they fast.
The recommendations for this are to take 1 cap of the Organic Multi Mushroom in the morning and mid-day in water 1 cap of the Cortisol Defense in the mid-day and 1 cap in the evening to improve daytime energy and quality sleep at night.
The Brain Calm magnesium capsules should be taken with these other supplements with 1 cap in the morning, 1 at mid-day, and 1 in the evening to support smooth energy and mental clarity during the day and good sleep at night on the fast. As an added bonus, the magnesium will also help with bowel motility.
We priced this pack out to provide over 15% savings off of the regular retail rate.
The Fasting Detox Pack
The Fasting Detox Support pack is designed to help individuals who struggle with endotoxemia induced inflammation on their fast. This includes Oxy-Powder, BioToxin Binder, and Super Glutathione.
This product pack is exceptional for helping improve bowel motility and colon cleansing while binding to endotoxic debris that is in circulation. The molecular hydrogen protects the cells, mitochondria, and DNA from oxidative stress and supports the process of autophagy for optimal cellular cleansing.
We priced this pack out in order to provide over 15% savings off of the regular retail rate.
When Should You Stop the Fast?
By Day 4, your body should be thriving and it is typically quite easy to keep the fast going for the 5th and final day. However, some individuals who have significant metabolic dysfunction or excessive stress may have some issues and need to stop early. Here are warning signs to look out for
Strong Hunger: You may have a slight desire to eat but should not experience real hunger. If you do, you may want to listen to your body and break your fast.
Heart Palpitations: If you are noticing heart palpitations that are scaring you or causing you not to sleep, it is best to break the fast.
Increased Hair Loss: If you notice hair falling out in clumps then it is time to stop the fast.
Losing Consciousness and Passing Out: If you lose consciousness and pass out and feel extremely dizzy then it is time to stop the fast.
Extreme Pain: If you are in unbearable pain during the fast, then it is time to stop the fast.
Heavy Bouts of Diarrhea or Vomiting: This could cause you to lose too many electrolytes, and you will need to break the fast.
Too Much Weight Loss: If you look and feel emaciated and weak, then go ahead and break the fast.
There is no shame in stopping the fast early. Our body gets stronger and healthier with each successive fast. If you have major health challenges, then you should be doing a water fast every 1–3 months, and over time you will have less of these problematic symptoms and be able to do the full 5 days.
Day 5:
Day 5 is when your body gets the largest rise in HGH and Stem Cells. You get tremendous amounts of autophagy and hormone optimization. When you consume food at the end of Day 5, you feed the stem cells and replenish the body’s white blood cells.
You should feel fantastic today although you may see your blood ketones slightly drop as your body is getting better and better at using them for energy.
Fasting for longer than 5 days can have continued benefits but after 5 days you risk losing lean body mass. For lean individuals like me, I stay at 4–5 days.
If you are looking to lose more weight, then extending the fast can be extremely beneficial as long as you are feeling okay. In addition, if you have a chronic inflammatory condition and you are feeling better on Day 5 then you can consider continuing the fast.
People have successfully done 40+ day water fasts without any issues. This doesn’t mean you have to do something like that, but these extended fasts can be safe and beneficial in certain circumstances.
How Often Should I Do an Extended Fast?
I believe that for many people a 4-5 day water fast is all that is needed. If you are significantly overweight or have debilitating inflammation, you may consider doing a longer fast such as 8-10 days or you can just do the 4-5 day fast more frequently.
For lean individuals with chronic inflammatory diseases, I will typically recommend a 3–5 day water fast every 8–12 weeks until the inflammatory condition improves. Your body will get stronger and healthier through each fast. Over the course of 6-8 months, you can see dramatic improvements by doing these periodic extended fasts.
For individuals with a lot of weight to lose, I will often recommend a 10-day water fast every other month or a 5-day water fast each month. This is a great regimen to follow along with daily intermittent fasting or alternative day fasting to see significant weight loss and dramatic improvements in insulin sensitivity and inflammation levels.
How to Break the Fast:
My general rule on breaking an extended water fast is to add up the number of days you fasted and divide by 2. Give yourself that many days before adding back harder to digest foods such as raw veggies, meat, and eggs.
The first meal when you break your fast should be a protein shake with high-quality ingredients, possibly bone broth or vegetable broth and a fermented drink like coconut water kefir. Here is a helpful infographic to guide you.
The Fasting Transformation Book
If you want to improve your metabolic health and burn fat, improve your brain and overall energy levels…intermittent and extended fasting are incredibly powerful strategies.
That is why I want to introduce you to my best-selling book, The Fasting Transformation. It goes into the most recent scientific research and strategies for implementing intermittent and extended fasting into your life.
This book is the best book on fasting the world has ever seen and I have read them all! It is now, my great honor to present this to you and I am deeply appreciative of your support!
If you have followed the suggestions in this article and are still struggling with your health, I would consider hiring a functional health coach. Here is an article with tips on how to find a great coach. We offer long-distance functional health coaching programs with our well-trained functional health team.
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Dr. Jockers, thank you! This was such an awesome wealth of information and I’m really excited to do a five day water fast now, and attend your Fasting Summit!
It’s great how you outlined what to expect each day, the positive and perhaps negatives and a guide on when to perhaps break the fast. I appreciate the honestly! It’s only got me more intent on doing it.
In regards to the GKI, is there an formula by which breath testing can be used or is it solely with blood glucose. That was very interesting.
Thank you for this great article and for taking the time to create the Fasting Summit.
Thanks Amanda! I am not familiar with a breath testing formula but I am sure that will be developed in the next 5-10 years.
Ofcourse! Such an exciting time with all the fasting information , studies and new developments. If there’s a desire, it will be created! Thank you and though I’m traveling internationally right now, I so appreciate being able to attend your summit no matter the time zone I’m in each day! I’m loving it all!!!!!
Thanks so much for being a part of the summit and the fasting community Amanda! Blessings to you!!
Hey thanks al the great info and the graphics are spot on. I posted them for my wife to follow. She’s 100% behind me so I love the fact I can keep her up to date where I am in a fast. Also I love your forward ness in sharing your faith. Be blessed
Thanks Dave! That is great to hear.
Thank you Dr. Jockers, I’ve been following closely and would love to try incorporating fasting into my lifestyle but I always experience severe pain while fasting. Do you know why that is so?
Hey Camilla – that sounds like you may have an ulcer. Here is a helpful article: https://drjockers.com/stomach-ulcers-causes-natural-solutions/
Dr. Jockers, Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate that you’re sharing your valuable time and information with us. I’ve long been a fan 🙂
I don’t present with any ulcer symptoms and for the sake of clarify, (I’m sorry I didn’t mention that earlier) the severe pain is in my joints. I have joint pain in general, but fasting really takes it over the edge and it can take several days post-24hr-fast for things to return to their status quo. I’m looking forward to the Fasting Transformation series but can’t imagine how I can actually incorporate all those new ideas without flaring up badly.
Hey Camilla, this is an inflammatory reaction. I will be putting together an article on best supplements to use during fasting. For inflammatory reactions, I really like molecular hydrogen which is the smallest anti-oxidant in the world. We have a great product you can use here: https://store.drjockers.com/products/echo-h2-drops
Perfect. Thank you so much!
You got it Camilla!!
I just wanted to know if a fat fast has the same benefits as a water fast? Also, I just started the water fast. Should I be taking my normal daily supplements?
A fat fast will not the same healing benefits as a water fast, but still very good for the body!! I would recommend avoiding any supplements that are supposed to be taken with food. Blessings!
Is black coffee and tea allowed during the 5 days fasting?
as always D’r J.!!
Very throw, Very organized, Very interesting!!!!
Thanks!! judy
Thanks Judy!!
Great information. Bought the package and transcripts to go over at my leisure time and really digest.
Thanks so much for your support Marvelle!!
Excellent guide, valuable information. Thank you!
After breaking the fast, do you suggest to stay in a semi keto diet to accelerate weight loss and improve mitochondrial function?
I’m curious about muscle pain specifically back/sacrum/hip pain. I started getting this the evening of day three of a water fast. I was getting plenty of water and taking a liquid electrolytes plus adding some sea salt to water each day.
The pain felt burning and achy. When I googled it, I found that a lot of people seem to get this particular pain, and that there were many theories about what caused it but no definitive answers that I could find. It made it a little hard to sleep.
The pain subsided in the day, but I found that my posterior chain muscles felt tight and bending forward was difficult (I’m an long-time yogi and yoga teacher, so this was unusual for me). The back/hip pain came back at bedtime that next night and this time it was stronger. I could not lie down at all and had to prop myself up in a sitting position with pillows. I really thought about the pain because it seemed familiar to me and then it hit me, it felt like the pain of fatigued muscles during labor while pregnant. It was the same burning ache in low back, across hips and then started extend down my thighs. Since it felt like labor muscle pain, I decided to take my regular Magnesium/Calcium supplement to see if that would help. It did. The muscle pain subsided within 15 minutes and I was able to sleep. The big pains did not return and I completed my fast after six days. However, the tightness in my posterior chain has lingered. It has gotten a bit better each day. I continue to perform gentle yoga post fast, and my forward bending capacity is returning, but I am still quite stiff three days post fast.
So, after my long-winded story, my question is, what is going on with these muscles biologically during the fast? The low back/hip thing seems to be somewhat common.
I loved the fast and felt so many deep emotional healing and energetic healing benefits from it, so I will do another fast at sometime, and I will take my regular magnesium supplement from the start to see if I can prevent any muscle pain at all. But, I’m still curious about your thoughts on this. I heard no one mention this in the entire Fasting Symposium.
Hey Dawn, one thing that happens as we hit Day 3 is we ramp up autophagy and stem cells. The body will break down old injured tissue – such as muscle, connective tissue, joint tissue, etc in order to rebuild new cells. Sometimes this can result in pain and cramping. That is most likely what is going on here.
What brand did you use on your supplements? I just finish my 3 and a half day water fast and my back is killing ,but only at night. I also starting having skin rash on my body too. Don’t know if that is because of detox from my water fasting.
Dude, that is caffine/coffee withdrawl! Happens every time with me, a heavy caffine drinker.
Hi Dr Jockers! Great information 🙂 Can one safely do an extended water fast with some level of adrenal dysfunction (early stages of adrenal fatigue)? Or would it be too taxing on the adrenals? Would you then recommend taking the mentioned adaptogens during the fast or rather not fast at all? Thanks so much!!
Yes you can do this but you will want to begin with intermittent fasting and gradually progress to a longer fast and take adaptogens.
I wish to know if pancreatic beta cells are rebuilded during extended fasting.
There isn’t direct research yet on that, but based on what we know about fasting and how it impacts the body, it is quite plausible.
Thank you.
Excellent guide, valuable information. Thank you!
After breaking the fast, do you suggest to stay in a semi keto diet to accelerate weight loss and improve mitochondrial function?
So interesting, thank you.
Day 4 should read ‘ if you feel emaciated….. ‘not emancipated.
Thanks so much Gisele! We made that edit! Be Blessed!
Great article, thank you!
I have gout I get a flare around 2 times a year. I have done 2 weeks of intermittent fasting and now I am on my day 4 of water fasting. Do I need to worry about gout and could a water fast for 5 days help with gout or even fix the problem on a repeated water fast?
Thanks,
The water fast will help you get rid of the gout permanently!
Wow, thank you so much!
You got it!!
Hi, thanks for the great article. I want to ask about psyllium husks ina five day fast (as a natural way to allow things to keep moving)
Hi Yonatan, I don’t recommend physillium husks. Instead, Oxy Powder can be used during a fast to keep the bowels moving: https://store.drjockers.com/products/oxy-powder
Hi Dr. Jockers,
As I get ready to do your 3-5 day water fast tomorrow, I wanted to ask if a 3-5 day fast every month would be good or too much. I did my first 42 hour (yeahhh) fast during your Fasting Summit and with adrenal issues, that was as long as I felt comfortable going for my first water fast. I am very lean (86 pounds and 4foot 11) yet have systemic inflammation, many food allergies and insulin sensitivity issues. I did read your recommendation of every 8-10 weeks to do the 3-5 day water fast for lean people yet anxious to heal and just wanted your opinion if every four weeks would be too aggressive or not, based on if I feel really well after this week’s 3-5 day fast? Thank you again so much for this super informative article. I so appreciate your time!
A huge Dr. Jockers fan,
Amanda
Hi Amanda, Please join my closed Facebook group Fasting Transformation Experience:https://www.facebook.com/groups/807737992920006/about/. In this group I do my best to answer these questions and you will find a community of support from others on the same health journey.
Thanks very much Dr. Jockers! I’ve actually never been on Facebook though will for your great knowledge and that community. I appreciate you writing back and have a great weekend!
Hi Doctor Jockers,
Amazing article, so informative. I did the 5 day water fast and then struggled with constipation for almost 10 days. I was advised by a herberalist to take antiviral meds specifically Isentress and Truvada to get rid of all the toxins inside my body that were trapped as a result of the constipation, but this seemed a bit unusual to me. Would you recommend doing this…?
Hi Sherry, These medications have serious safety precautions and you should always consult with your physician first! These articles are helpful: https://drjockers.com/fasting-mistakes/, https://drjockers.com/fasting-supplements/
Hi Doctors Jockers
Iam really suffering with my life. I have hemorrhoids for the past 3 years, I have had several procedures and 1 of them back in September went wrong and made things worse. It is the worst pain I have ever experienced and I don’t know how to cope. I feel like I can’t go on Iam in constant pain. I also have problems with my eyesight I have floaters, Visual snow/ (static vision) I have had loads of tests and everything is coming back clear it’s so hard not knowing what’s going on.
My question is could an extended water fast heal hemorrhoids and floaters and if so how long would you recommend??
I am 33 Male height 5.6 weight 9 stone
I would appreciate any information thank you
Hey Kevin, I am very sorry to hear this! Have you read my article on healing hemorrhoids with easy remedies? This article will help: https://drjockers.com/8-home-remedies-hemorrhoids/. I would also recommend that you work with a functional health practitioner that will get to the root cause of your issues and create a customize plan to aid you in your healing journey: https://drjockers.com/functional-nutrition-tips-to-find-a-great-health-coach/. I will be praying for you. If you decide to practice fasting, you will find a supportive community on my private facebook group page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807737992920006/
Thank you Dr Jockers for great info.
I would really appreciate your help.
I suffer terribly from constipation , it’s a complete mystery because I do all the right things.
I eat loads of the best veggies ( broccoli , onion , spinach ) . I eat some fruit – apples and bananas didn’t help.
Chia seeds don’t really help
, I drink at least 3 liters of water every day.
I don’t eat junk food or anything processed:
I exercise: I take probiotics.
I use the acupuncture pressure points .
I eat a high fat low carb diet – since doing this I have been really struggling. I often do intermittent fasting – that seems to make it worse.
But my diet is good , i eat all the recommended stuff ,
And …… still nothing.
I think I have very very low gut motility :
I have to take a laxative so I take aloe fiber tablets and a little bit of aloe crystals but I still battle.
What to do ?
Perhaps your oxy- powder.?
If so – how would I get it ?
I live in South Africa and the postal system is shocking- it would never get to me.
Is via courier an option ?
I would be so grateful for your help.
Kindest regards and thanks ,
Kathy Perry
Hey Kathy, Some of the healthiest diets can cause digestive upset. This article can help: https://drjockers.com/beat-digestive-problems-low-fodmap-plan/. Please feel free to contact our sales team or visit our FAQs page for more information on international shipping: https://store.drjockers.com/pages/drjockers-com-store-faqs
What a beautiful coincidence you repost this Dr. Jockers as I plan to do a water fast tomorrow. I attempted your five day water fast 7 days ago and though went the longest I ever have, it was only 64 hours. Since it wasn’t even three days, would it be safe to try again so soon? I loved the experience and oddly, I miss it and all the fascinating things I experienced during it ( both uncomfortable and euphoric) knowing it was all healing me.
Thank you so much for this super informative post, I read it often and it’s strengthening and very supportive for doing the fast.
A huge fan,
Amanda
Hey Amanda, Thank you for sharing and I am glad you enjoyed it. I would suggest reading this article for tips on improving your fasting window and experience! Be Blessed!
Hello Dr. Jockers, very interesting article. Quick question: during a 5 day water fast is it still ok to lift weights and do cardio every other day without eating to “feed” your muscles?
Hey AW, I don’t recommend training too hard while fasting. It can put too much stress on your body resulting in adrenal fatigue. I suggest using weights and high-intensity workouts on non-fasting days so that your body can focus on repair while fasting. This article offers additional insight about fasting strategies.
Thanks so much!
I love your informative article. You need a better proofreader and I will volunteer. The grammar mistakes are quite frequent and very distracting from your articulate attempt at explaining the process. Thank you for your efforts.
Hi Lynn, Thank you for sharing! I have made a few edits. I appreciate your understanding!
Excellent article, Dr. Jockers. I am contemplating a longer fast, and am waiting for the right conditions.
Dear Dr. Jockers,
You article is clear, well illustrated, and I love the summary of key points you provide for each section. An observation: you used “than” three times where you should have used “then”, “too” when “to was needed, and “bodies” when the singular possessive form “body’s” (i.e. ‘of the body’) was required. The are probably subconscious errors: I’m sure, with your extremely high level of education, you know your grammar points very well.
Keep up you excellent work.
Saulius Jaskus,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hi Saulius, Thank you for sharing! I welcome corrections and have made the edits where needed! Please join my facebook group if you are interested in a community to support your fasting experience! Blessings!
Hi Dr. Jockers,
I have done 3 extended fasts during the past year, but reading your article got me started again! I am spot on with every one of your daily expectations to a T. Day 2 has always been the hardest. I am day 6 today, and going great. However I am a little confused by the 1:1 ratio. I measure every day- glucose is in the low 60s, but blood ketones have been .6 since day 3. Is this lower than 1:1? Is it okay, or better, or too much? Thanks for your great article!
Hey Linda, It may just be that your body is highly keto adapted and is using the ketones. Most people will get higher ketones on a longer fast, but for some it may stay low. As long as you feel good with a blood sugar that low, you know you are keto adapted.
Hi Dr. Jockers,
I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for about 6 months. I lost 13 lbs in 2 months but now I’m stuck at this weight, so considering doing the 5 day water fast. My question is, since I’m T2 diabetic and taking metformin as well as Losartan for HBP, is it safe to continue my meds, or should I stop while fasting? My blood glucose had come down significantly but seems to be creeping up again, especially my morning tests. My BP is well controlled but my Dr. Says I should still take my pill. My goal is to get off meds altogether. Any advice?
Hey Jane, as long as you are closely monitoring your HBP and glucose you can take your meds while fasting. In general, both your glucose and HBP should drop while fasting so you should need less and in some cases none of the medication. But you need to have a conversation with your prescribing physician about the proper dosage as these go down.
Hello, Dr. Jockers –
Thank you for this site and the knowledge you share.
I have been struggling with hemorrhoids, internally and externally, for years.
They seem to worsen with stress, emotional and physical, and when I eat red meat…which I rarely do and which I have now completely stopped doing. Actually, I have always tried to stay away from ANY kind of meat, chicken or fowl.
I also stay away from fish and dairy.
But every few months or so, I do have some meat or fish, and the results are not good.
Constipation usually transpires.
In retrospect, my digestive issues began when I took some antibiotics a few years back…and that’s when the constipation began. I’ve heard that antibiotics destroy both the good and bad flora in the stomach, and I think that’s what’s happened.
And I’ve worked to repair that flora for years…(with coleslaw, saur crout, etc.). But in the process of my damaged flora, constipation and subsequently the hemorrhoids were the result.
Into this mix, I try to not eat ANY processed food. But I love sweets. So, it’s quite the challenge.
Either way, it’s quite a challenge for me when it comes to food.
Monitoring my eating, in general, has become a chore.
With all that said, I juice often with a juicer and love carrot juice in particular.
My question is, if I go on any kind of water fast, extended or otherwise, will my internal hemorrhoids heal, dissipate, and disappear altogether?
Also: I’m 59 years old, and I have not had a colonoscopy and I do not want to have one.
Number 1: If there IS an a serious issue, I will never choose any traditional medicine procedures because I believe they are poison.
Number 2: And won’t the colonoscopy procedure aggravate my hemorrhoids?
Please help…I feel like I am constantly between a rock and a hard place in a daily battle.
So sorry to hear about this! Here is a helpful article on Hemorrhoids and helpful strategies to practice https://drjockers.com/8-home-remedies-hemorrhoids/
Dear Herbie – sorry to hear of your issues.
My husband & I are both 55 years & like you we didn’t want to do a colonoscopy – so our Doctor prescribed a ColoGuard kit to take sample at home & send in. We just did it & it’s pretty simple (compared to Colonoscopy) & we got our results in 1 week & have peace of mind …. perhaps this is something you may be interested to learn more or do. Hope you are getting better. Wish you the best!
Thank you for all this amazing fasting information. My husband and I both fast and are doing our first extended water-only fast now. I’m curious about how this is for women overall with the varying cycles throughout the month. I’ve also heard some people say that it can throw off women’s hormones and others say that it optimizes them. Are there any precautions as far as the menstrual phases or women’s hormones are concerned?
I remember hearing somewhere not to fast during your premenstrual and menstrual phases and have been trying to do my fasts during the follicular and ovulatory phases but think I am entering my luteal phase now.
Yes Leah, absolutely this is important. Here is a helpful article https://drjockers.com/menstrual-cycle/
I read the other article and am trying to work out the days. Fasting day 1-10 and 17-21. Does this mean no fasting during the ovulatory and luteal phases (as this is when hormones are highest), but it’s ok during menses and the pre-ovulatory phases (because hormones are lower)? If they are lower are they less likely to be thrown out of balance?
Thank you, Dr. Jockers!
Hey Leah – you can fast during both the follicular and the luteal phases. Day 1-10 in the follicular phase is a good time and Day 17-22 in the luteal phase is a good time.
Hi, Dr. Jockers.
Can I use essential oils during fasting?
And in general, can I use topical essential oils everyday for different problems twice or more each?
Also,can I use an enema when fasting and how often?
Many authors recommended and I personally used some.
Probably to keep some fecal impactions in the bowel is not so healthy and could be toxic if it stays there for many days.
Thanks.
YPK
Yes you can use essential oils while fasting but I wouldn’t ingest them. I would just diffuse them or apply them topically with a diluted oil. You can also do enemas https://drjockers.com/detoxify-body-coffee-enemas/
Hi, Dr. Jockers.
And more. You mentioned that after 5 days you can start loosing your lean muscles.
What about cartilages?
Thanks
YPK
Would they (muscles and cartilages) fully recover and how long does it take?
We really don’t know as that will be different for each individual.
Thank you Dr. Jockers for you reply.
You are welcome!
Thanks Dr jockers.. Been looking for this information for a very long time.. I managed to go through 4 days 2 weeks ago ” I managed to arrest my acute gastritis for a few day’s ” went back to normal feeding’then currently doing Omad’ie 1 meal a day! However ‘the gastritis is back in full swing’ the weight too is back by 6kgs in 2 weeks 🙆♀️🙆♀️am sooo frustrated.. Can I go back to the long fasts Doc🤔🤔
Sorry to hear this! I would recommend reading this article: https://drjockers.com/abdominal-bloating-causes-symptoms-solutions/
My GKI was .9 – BG was 70 and ketones were 4.3. Is this bad or good because it it lower than the 1:1?
Yes that is very good!
Hello Dr. Jockers,
Very exhaustive article indeed, you added a great deal of informative materials since I last visited your website. I wish you had, or able to direct me , to more references to credible materials on molecular mechanisms .
I have the following questions, if I may:
1. Are any of your materials sold on Amazon? Even though I do not approve of Amazon’s business practices, but do use it at times for expediency.
2. On days 3 and 4 I do experience flu-like symptoms; for instance a feeling of fever, but no measured temperature! Any input?
3. Any insights on whether fasting positively influences lumbar stenosis?
Finally, and last comment, any need for additional dental care during a five-day fast? Thank you so much and keep up the positive work!
Michael
Hey Michael – yes we have our book – The Fasting Transformation on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3b1vbWk
Day 3 & 4 – you may need more salts. When we are salt deficient it is common to have flu-like symptoms. Additionally, you may need a good binder like activated charcoal to help bind to endotoxins. Check out the article here https://drjockers.com/fasting-supplements/
I haven’t seen anything to indicate fasting influencing lumbar stenosis but since it is anti-inflammatory it should benefit it. No need for additional dental care during a 5 day fast.
I’m wondering if you can comment on water fasting and mild neutropenia associated with lupus – I read that water fasting is good for turning over white cells but can’t understand the mechanism to see whether it would be harmful or beneficial in regards to an autoimmune white cell deficit. Thank you!
(Not asking for medical advise, just wanting to understand theoretically)
Yes I think it could be very beneficial but we don’t have the research to prove that at this point.
Thank you for this information! If you could respond, I would appreciate it immensely. Currently on my second day of a water fast. I was going to do three but now I am wondering if I should prolong the fast. My situation: Chronic gastritis, colitis and small parasites. I am also 3 lbs under the healthy weight for my height. I do not want to lose any weight which I know may be impossible but I will surely try. Regaining weight for me has always been tough in the past.
Will the water fast help with my condition? If so, how long would you recommend?
3, 4, or 5 days?
I had a lot of acid reflux on day one and a sharp pain on my left abdomen. Today-reduced inflammation but that sharp pain on the left side persists.
Thanks in advance!
Hello Maria,
Yes the fast will definitely help but you to heal and when you begin eating again, you will absorb nutrients better and have more success at regaining the weight. I would recommend going 3-5 days for this first time and here is a chart to help you understand when to do the next fast. Each successive fast will help your body get stronger and more resilient but you will need time between them to refeed and get back in balance. https://drjockers.com/extended-fasting/
Today i finished a 42 day water fast. The first 24 days i lost over 60 pounds nonstop. everything was fine and perfect. But for the last 18 days, ive been stuck. Like just starving meaningless. No more weight loss. ive totally stopped loosing weight. My goal was to loose 80 pounds. Did it to the end. and the last 2 weeks it just stoped. With no explanation
Hello Rita, amazing! You should be super proud of yourself. You need to bring more nutrients into your body now and I would do a good eating pattern with daily 14-18 hour fasts for the next 2-3 months before doing another fast.
Hello Dr Jockers,
What a thorough, informative article! Thank you!
I am vegetarian (eggs sometimes) & have sero-positive Rheumatoid Arthritis with some erosions in hands, wrists, feet… diagnosed 10years ago & on Rx whole time, switching from 1 Rx to another after it stops working or there are side-effects… Am 55 years old – this is no way to carry on Life. The docs have no answer except to change Rx.
I realize many people say leaky gut could be cause (I also have constipation, I go every 2-3 days which is normal for me, but no bloating, cramping, etc ever) – but is the chance for success most for those who have sero-negative RA (their anti-CCP antibodies & Rheumatoid Factor are normal)?
Do you know if 2-5 days water fasting would help sero-positive RA inflammation (my both anti-CCP& Rheumatoid Factor are very high) ?
I appreciate all that you are doing & thanks for any information you can share!
Yes absolutely doing an extended water fast is one of the best things you can do to bring down autoimmune antibodies!
thank you for this extremely educational content 🙂
Thank you for your support!
I’ve been inspired by many people and have researched into the 5 day water fast. Although I’m labeled “obese” my initial intent was to try the 5 day fast for the wellness benefits – weight loss was just a plus. Your page and channel here is a wealth of good information. Thank you for this!
So I’m on the fifth day and I’ve yet to experience any real signs or symptoms of positive results. It’s almost disheartening. I’ve read about the possible parasite symptoms as this was one thing I was hoping to take care of but have had none. In fact I haven’t felt any real difference than the day before I started other than I’m chilled more. I have lost 10 pounds but I was hoping for a bit of energy or feeling better overall. Nothing…just the same. I’m not complaining that I have no headaches, stomach pains, weakness, etc. I miss most foods but have no real cravings – even as I cook for my husband. I’ve even started at the gym (on the first day, unintentionally, of the fast) and just took it easier (every other day) because it’s been awhile. I just had hoped for some signs of things working. Could it be that being fat won’t allow for the “cellular benefits” until it’s all gone? I’d hate to think that all this was for nothing.
Hello Kara – yes I am sure your body is doing tremendous healing as you are doing the fast. If you have been very insulin resistant, than it can take time (multiple fasts + low carb eating and exercise outside of the fasts) to heal. But this is fantastic to drop 10 lbs during the fast and you will get more metabolically efficient and feel the energy overtime.
I have your book… I have been fasting between 17 and 22 hours every day for the last 6 weeks. I haven’t done any longer than that 22 hours yet, but I am planning to. I am working up to a 3 Day Fast 😉 I am not eating much, probably less then 1000 maybe 1200 at the most, during a 5 to 2 hour time . Could that cause constipation? I don’t eat processed food. Mostly organic. rarely Carbs except vegetables, and some fruit, some protein. I swim every other day. I have sensed that my body uses up what I eat, but there must be waste, so where does it go? LOL The scale has been very stubborn I know that I have a Adrenal issue/ Stress seems to have caused it… Although the stress has been very minor since I have allowed God to take over 🙂 . Any suggestions on how to handle the constipation. I bought some Polythylene Gycol and I had a small amount of runs(mostly water, for a couple days?
Ooh. I don’t know if it matters but I am 70 years young 🙂
Hi Dr Jockers, do you have any guidance on fasting after surgery? I have been through three extensive surgeries over the last seven months and I’m feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck, fatigue in particular has been really hard to manage and also leaky gut symptoms. Prior to surgery I was an avid IF and did multi-day fasts once a month. I know I need to take in good nutrition while my body is healing and I’m also wanting to get back to multi day fasting to help my body clear out anesthetic, medicines and inflammation. Any general guidance would be super helpful. Allopathic docs don’t seem to value the healing benefits of fasting.
Sorry to hear about this Meg. Yes fasting can really help quickstart your recovery but it is wise to work with a functional health coach to guide you: https://drjockers.leadpages.co/long-distance-coaching-dr-jockers/
helo Dr. Jockers, I love reading your wonderful health publishings. I don’t see anything for epilepsy. Can you help in this area.
Yes here is a helpful article: https://drjockers.com/epilepsy/
Thanks again for more in depth information.
I’d love to do a 3 – 5 day fast with an online group. Have you considered organizing something like that?
I once did 11 days at True North but getting away, travel and dog care make it a challenge.
I have mild neutropenia. Would a 3-5 day fast be okay for me, and if so are there any special considerations? Thanks!
Yes absolutely it can be helpful!
Thank you so much!
One other thing just occurred to me. I take 300mg of pregabalin daily for severe neuropathic pain in my feet. Is it okay to continue taking that while fasting? Thanks!
Hello Barry – it is always best to discuss any medication usage with your prescribing physician. Blessings!
Hi Dr. Jockers.- I was only able to complete a 58-hour fast. The second night was very difficult to sleep, because I felt my whole body in terrible pain, specially a sensation of someone squeezing my ribs. Every Friday, I do a 36-hour fast with no issues whatsoever, so I thought I was ready for the three-day fast. I did two sauna sessions on the first and second day, so do you think that was a lot of stress to my body.
I love ❤️ all your articles, and you cannot imagine how much I have learned from them. Thanks. Rocío
Sorry to hear about this Rocio. Yes the sauna may have depleted minerals and electrolytes so I would focus on replenishing those.
Dear Dr. Jockers. I really love and enjoy reading your articles and it has helped me alot. I enjoy doing intermittent fast, but i have been diagnosed with an under-active thyroid and told that fasting is not good. I’d love to hear from you regarding this.
Many thanks
Merle
Hi Dr. Jockers! You are the best. Thank you for providing all of your information for free. Your website is my first go-to and I direct all my clients and friends to you. You are most appreciated!
With fasting, do you have some general guidelines on how much water we should drink a day at a minimum (oz per body weight) and how much salt is recommended daily?
You might have covered this, but I missed it…
Thank you! Mona
Yes it is best to drink at least half your body weight in ounces and take about 1 tsp of salt (in smaller doses) throughout the day.
16 years ago I was tragically injured in a logging accident at 19 years old. When the helicopter arrived 2 hours after my accident I had no pulse and both of my lounges were collapsed lounges, my right lounge had collapsed an additional time. After reviving the first time via adrenaline, I flatlined one more time doctors time. The doctors were originally telling my mother that I would never come out of a coma, but rather stay in the vegetated for the rest of my life.Well I came out of a coma, was confined to a wheelchair for 3 years, walker for 2 years, and I have been walking with a stick scene 2011. I have this sneaking suspicion that with a 5 day water fast that I could get enough cellular repair in my brain to one day walk again, unassisted. Thanks for listening and I look forward to hearing from you.
P.s. the longest I have fast I have done is 46 hours.
I have done the 5-day water fast successfully twice before, but now I am facing a peculiar problem. I have unfortunately acquired a postnasal drip that has a cough component.
I tried many different medications, some OTC some on prescription. The only remedy that works is HALLS candy. However, a candy would break the fast and therefore ruin my attempts to reach autophagy.
Please offer some advice.
Hi, I don’t think I could manage 5 days, 3 would be more realistic as I haven’t fasted for years!
Are you saying supplements should be taken during the fast?
Not that they should be taken, but that they can be helpful for improving the fasting experience.
Happy New Year!
I’ve wanted to do a short fast (3-5 days) but when I get to the end of day 1 I have sleep issues and heart palpitations. I’ve had severe Adrenal Fatigue in the past and am on the lower end when it comes to blood sugar, averaging 5 even after eating. Are there precautions I should be taking? Is water-fasting something I should avoid?
I had to stop taking Dr. Wilson’s Super Adrenal Stress Formula(which is B-complex with extra stuff in it) after having taken it with his other supplements in the Adrenal Fatigue Recovery Protocol for over 2 months, because of the Chromium in it causing my blood sugar to dip way too low. I was feeling very unwell for a week before I realized(God showed me) that it was the added Chromium causing me grief. Felt great after quitting that particular product. I’m sure it’s great for many who have high blood sugar, but not me. I continue to take the glandular support.
I would greatly appreciate your advice as I need to get better and believe water-fasting is one of the ways to do so. I homeschool my three boys and am slowly working on my prerequisite coursework in hopes I can be accepted into Naturopathic Medicine in the next 2 to 3 years. Our bodies were made to heal. I love how we were created and am passionate in learning how to help others heal both physically and spiritually.
May God bless you and keep you!
Priscilla
Hello Priscilla, it would be better to take 2 weeks and focus on improving your metabolic flexibility by eating a high protein, moderate fat and low carb diet and reducing stress before doing a longer fast.
If you are on thyroid medication, should you stop taking it during the fast? Article says your thyroid dials down so perhaps stop supplementation?
I am wondering about whether I should stop taking my Armour thyroid also.
It is always best to discuss with your doctor, but most people are able to come off of it safely for a few days.
I understand why this wouldn’t be recommended for breastfeeding mums, but I just want to check whether once baby starts solids and is using mum’s milk as a top up it would be ok to do? Or is not recommended at all during breastfeeding because of toxin release which could transfer via breastmilk? Thank you 🙂
Yes you can breastfeed but it is a good idea to take a binder to help with toxin elimination during the fast.
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!
Would charcoal tablets be enough or do you recommend something more?
Hi, great article. I fasted for 21 days with water only. Is there any study about longer fasts? What is your opinion on that? Thank you.
Yes you can do these, but it is best to do it with the guidance and supervision of an experienced health care practitioner if you want to do more than 5 days.
Could 5-10g of EAA’s taken 2-3x a day be used to protect muscle loss or would that negate much of the benefits of the fast?
That can be done during your eating window, but no you wouldn’t want to do that during the fast.
This was such a great article and very timely, as I’m on day 5 of a Prolon Fast Mimicking fast. I am 57 and have Hashimotos, (I was diagnosed in 2015) so am trying to reduce inflammation, antibodies and produce better healing and weight loss. I have been weight loss resistant for years while following a keto/carnivore diet along with intermittant fasting, and although I would like to take off 12-15 lbs., I still struggle with good body composition. On Day 5 of my fast, I have noticed a small patch of psoraisis showing up on my elbow, which has been in remission for well over a year or two. I feel pretty good overall, and will start refeeding tomorrow. I would like to follow thru with at least two more 5 Day fasts in the next two months, and Prolon suggests 25 days after completion of each 5 day fast. I am hoping this is still advisable with Hashimotos, as I continue to struggle with many symptoms this autoimmune condition presents and I really do want to feel as if I’m thriving once again.
Great to hear you are doing better with this Devonne. Yes, absolutely you can do the FMD each month if you have weight to lose and it is safe as long as you refeed properly when you come off of the fast.
Hi Dr Jockers,
Thank you for another highly informative & detailed article.
I’m 57 and in the midst of menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, more sleeping issues, stubborn wgt gain, hair loss & prbly low adrenals). I’ve spent time on AL Gittleman’s Radical Metabolism plan and more recently Magdalena Wszelaki’s Overcoming Estrogen Dominance plan and gotten from those that skipping meals will cause blood sugar drops and exacerbate symptoms. I’ve not found real improvements with those plans (maybe not enough time spent) but my hormones are clearly out of whack and I’m anxious for relief. Is fasting a viable way to help bring them back into some balance without making symptoms worse?
Can a person drink herbal teas ie nettle or elderberry during the fast? Or must it be just good water or can you add fresh squeezed lemon juice to hot water? And how much water/liquid? Will a fast improve my eyes / vision – night driving/double vision/dry eye…
Can a person drink herbal teas ie nettle or elderberry during the fast? Or must it be just good water or can you add fresh squeezed lemon juice to hot water? And how much water/liquid? Will a fast improve my eyes / vision – night driving/double vision/dry eye…
Yes absolutely all of these are good while fasting!
THANK YOU DOCTOR FOR THESE GREAT INFO. FROM NIGERIA. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, HEALING NATIONS.
Dr. Jockers,
I’ve been on a modified keto diet since December-2020 and I’ve lost 110 lbs. and kept it off since the end of 2021, but at 5’10 inches tall and 180 lbs., I have 49.8% visceral fat and do several 24 hour fasts a week as this visceral body fat puts me at increased risk of strokes or heart attacks. I want to try this fast but am taking quite a few supplements from a functional neurologist for leaky gut, heavy metals and anemia. Would a 3 or 5 day fast be a concern since some of the supplements and vitamins I take are to be taken with meals. I could just take a tablespoon of coconut oil with these and wonder if that would sabotage the extended fast? I’ve been having TIAs the last 2 months and putting a tsp of cayenne pepper in my 1st cup of coffee and eating 3 raw cloves of garlic a day and it really helps but again, will this sabotage an extended fast? I also put a tablespoon of coconut oil, pat of butter and smidgen of cinnamon in my coffee.
Congrats on the weight loss. It should be totally safe and many have used 5 day fasts to take their weight loss journey to the next level but it is always advisable to discuss this with your physician.
Would you recommend for someone with hypoglycemia?
Yes here is a helpful article: https://drjockers.com/hypoglycemia-natural-solutions/
Hi,
I used to fast twice a year, spring and fall. Indigenous fasting.
No food, no water for four days.
I noticed that as my body eliminates its waste, my stools are liquid and are neon orange. It has been like this for the four years I fasted.
Now I have not fasted for the last three seasons (fall, spring, fall), but I do feel the difference.
My question is – is this normal?
I was thinking of doing your water fasting this fall.
Thanks for your time.
Hello,
I have morphea. a form of Scleroderma. I have had this 3 years and it has spread quickly. I was trying to stay off Methotrexate but a few months ago I went on it. It isn’t working. I am assuming this water fast would be helpful and how long do you think for my condition?? Nobody knows what to do with me. Any information or suggestions would be helpful.
Dr. Jockers:
I just completed an 84-hour fast. I’ve been doing fasting periodically, once a year, a few times twice a year for most of the last 30 years. However, I hadn’t done one in about five years. I did it because of health issues in the gut that I have been experiencing. Most of the time I have been doing juice fasts, which are not as demanding as water fasts. However, I have done water fasts a couple of times and experience muscle and joint pain; apparently a problem with electrolytes.
I think the reason I have experienced this is because the way I learned fasting was to use an oral cleansing each morning — a quart of water with two tspns of sea salt, which I drink every morning. I had no problem with it when doing the juice fast, but with the water fast I think I depleted my electrolytes (not a Dr, btw, just based on what I’ve read).
The pain was very uncomfortable this time and interfered with my sleep. Is there a mineral preparation you’d recommend to counteract this? Also, it seems to me that this cleansing actually is a good thing because it accelerates the detoxing process. It also seems to improve my digestion and elimination after the fast.
What are your thoughts about this?
Incidentally, as soon as I ended the fast, the pain and discomfort abated.
Just discovered your profile and like your information about intermittent fasting.
I purchased the bundle about a week ago, what a deal only $17. However I have not seen any link yet to the books?
Can you please help me out.
Thanks for the great work your organization is providing
Gearing up for an extended fast, but as I do not have a gall bladder, I take your Bile Flow Support and additional Ox Bile every day to help my digestion. On an extended fast, we are burning fat yes? So should I continue to take the Bile Flow Support and Ox Bile while fasting?
Thank you so much for all you do! Your newsletters are so informative and helpful – I feel like you are empowering all of us to be better advocates for healthy lives. God bless!
Hey Dr J …. Couple questions for you on this …when you get a moment…thanks
1. Doesn’t Fasting increase cortisol production, so people already in flight or flight would produce even more cortisol and less melatonin?
2. Now many today have Secondary Mitochondrial Disfunction, you need food to help power your mitochondria. During an extended fast you would depriving your mitos of this needed fuel. The UMDF recommends avoiding fasting to its mito disease patients… which are mostly Primary Mitochondrial Disease patients.
3. Does being ketosis put more toxins( metals, plastics, Glyphosate, fungal) into the blood stream ? Have you tested people in ketosis for these things. How about all those fat stored vitamins people take like Vit D? Not to mention excess oxidized omega 6 from the diet? If it does do this wouldnt fasting be hard on the kidneys and liver ?
Thanks Again for the great content and presentation Dr J
Karl
Dr Jockers you are wonderful always
Sharing important information for the good of all May you be blessed in
All ways always xoxo
Wonderful Article! Thank you alsways for your brilliant work!
Will the 3-5 Day water fast help rid the body of parasites and Heavy metals?
Hi Dr Jockers !
Thank you so much for all you do!
I have your fasting book and read it a lot. I have done multi fasting. My problems during fasting is not that I m hungry, but that I cannot sleep. I do your suggestions, Melatonin, Epsom Salt bath, it does not help. The whole night I m up. What could the reason be? Around the 4-5 th day it starts.
Another question is if I can drink veggie broth and still stay in authopathy?
Thanks in advance for your answer, I guess you are always very busy.
Take care, Ek
I notice that Dr. Jocker has not responded to posts recently…so I am not sure he will respond to this one as well.
As a therapist I have work with many individuals who during fasting what emerges is emotional stress and possible old trauma. We use food as a way of suppressing these feelings and emotions.
It would be helpful if those who are encouraging fasting also mention this since it can impact the fast as well as the individuals mental and emotional state.
Hello Doc, I have a question. Is it ok to supplement glycine with water during water-fast? It tastes kinda sweet so I don’t know if it won’t trigger insulin release… Thanks for clarifying.
Hey Dr J … what about the people with heavy toxic loads and more severe secondary mitochondrial disease/disfunction. From things like retained gadolinium toxicity or fluoroquinolone damage. Wouldn’t the burning of fat with more toxins in it and depriving the mitochondria of proper food needed to make energy lead to more trouble for these types of patients? Do you recommend fasting for Parkinson’s spectrum disease patients? I know the UMDF( United mitochondrial disease foundation) advises against fasting. Thanks