Historically our ancestors went through long periods of being in a fasted state since food was not easily accessible. There are doctors who now believe it is due to how often we currently eat that is contributing to the majority of diseases. 75% of our energy is spent daily on digesting and breaking down the foods we are putting inside of our bodies. Once we give our bodies the ability and opportunity to rest it can focus on healing vital organs, infections, fighting against parasite and bacteria and dormant viruses in our body. Fasting is the #1 most accessible and healing practice anyone can do for their body throughout the world. Water fasting has been a long debated concept but is growing in popularity. Many people are starting to come to terms with all the benefits water fast can have on our overall health. I would like to say fasts are not for everyone so before beginning a fast, please consult with your doctor to ensure its safe for you. The most common form of fasting at the moment is Intermittent fasting which is basically practicing a fasting period and having a window of time for eating. Fast do indeed have healing properties however there are benefits to practicing an extended fast. 1- 3 day fast are recommended by most experts and can be carried out without any medical supervision. When the Fasts are conducted for longer time periods most experts will recommend that they be medically supervised. There are clinics that are specifically specialized in this type of extended fasts. Today we will discuss the benefits of doing a 3 day water fast or 72 hours fasting state. Lets first explore what happens within the 72 hours of fasting to the body.
Time Tables:
- 18hrs: Once your body reaches this time period, it kicks into fat burning mode. It begins to take fat as main energy source.
-24hrs: Body uses all the glycogen levels and starts to break down protein and fat.
-48hrs: The body enters into Ketosis which is excellent for fat burning
-54hrs: Your body will start becoming leptin and insulin sensitive which is the opposite of being insulin resistant. Which promotes dieses prevention and fat loss.
-72hrs: Your body will generate new cells and this is the concluding stage of Autophagy.
Warning: You should not participate in fasting if you are a child, pregnant women or women trying to conceive, prediabetic or diabetic patients, or if you are underweight which means your BMI is under 18.5. or if you struggle with low blood pressure otherwise known as hypoglycemia.
Benefits to a 3 day water fast:
-Delay aging and promote longevity- Fasting has proven to increase longevity and this is believed because of the formation of new cells called autophagy and its healing abilities with the body.
-Detox the body- Sometimes our body goes out of whack and we can see this with a bad break out of various illness that may appear. Detoxes are absolutely necessary from time to time. Water fast are a perfect way to flush out all the toxins in the body having adverse reactions.
-Significant metabolic changes- There are Millions of people battling digestive issues, well studies have shown that with a water fast can improve your metabolism with what's called the growth hormones which facilitates and speeds up our metabolism.
-Reset of the immune system- Right now with the pandemic we just experienced, everyone is concerned about their immune system. Through the water fasting is a perfect way to do a mild reset of the immune system and strengthen it.
-Autophagy- This phase is basically the production of new cells such as stem cells in the body. Over time our cells can become damaged so to renew and generate new healthier cells is a prime reason to do this type of fast.
-Disease prevention- With the new cells that have been produced any kind of dieses will be significantly decreased increasing longevity.
-Mental Clarity- Due to the glycogen levels being depleted from our bodies it allows our brains to work at an optimal level which in turn promotes mental clarity. Bye Bye Brain fog!
-Weight loss- I put this last because I wouldn't encourage doing this fast for this reason. The majority of the weight loss will be water weight which will eventually return to your body once you return to regular foods.
TIPS!
Electrolyte Water!
Its composed of electro charged minerals such as sodium, potassium , magnesium and calcium. Consuming this water will assist in making sure your blood sugar level do not decrease too much and keep you safe from fainting.
Sea Salt!
Lets say electrolyte water was hard to come by an alternative would be to add a sea salt into your water. 2tsp is usually enough. Please note this way is not the most recommended since ideally experts recommend consuming electrolyte water.
Get creative with your water detox!
Consider adding in lemon or lime to promote the detoxing effects.
Matcha!
Some say its ok to consume coffee on a water fast however studies have shown coffee to be toxic in several ways. I would advise to incorporate matcha while fasting or a turmeric golden milk latte and this is because both are known for and commonly used for detoxing the body. Its important to be cause with how you make it to ensure calories will be kept at a minimum so it will not take you out of the fasted state and promote ketosis.