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Ingesting anything will ruin the fast. Even brushing your teeth becomes tricky, as toothpaste can ruin everything. I ended up using a salt water solution (and a
by baccheion 10y ago
Ingesting anything will ruin the fast. Even brushing your teeth becomes tricky, as toothpaste can ruin everything. I ended up using a salt water solution (and an electric tooth brush) to do the job, but in hindsight, I could've used something like ToothSoap. It's extremely important to rinse the mouth thoroughly, so you don't swallow anything.
It is possible to run low on vitamins (depending on how long you go). If it's just 3-7 days, then it doesn't matter as much, but some people go a full 28 days (you can theoretically go about 40 days without causing problems, but as it will take another 40 days to break the fast, it proves to be too much for someone's first time (with 3-7 days working better)).
The step in a water fast that does most people in is the breaking of the fast. The key to a successful water fast is properly breaking the fast. It can be even more difficult, as while any hunger usually goes away within the first day or two, when the fast is first broken (with your first taste of 50% watermelon + 50% water, for example), it will kick the digestive system back into action, and you may easily become overwhelmed by an intense hunger. If you don't have the willpower to ignore this hunger, then you may end up eating something prematurely or eating too much.
The solution that works for most is to either buffer up on vitamins and minerals in the weeks leading up to the fast (which also ensures they don't have any hidden deficiencies), or to start with a juice fast (vegetables blended in a Vitamix, for example).
- imatworkyo 10y agoand whats wrong with eating too much - I understand that you say breaking the fast is important ... but why?
- NTripleOne 10y agoI don't know any of the science behind it, but it's my understanding that during long periods of not eating, metabolism gradually slows to a crawl to allow maximum duration from the amount of 'energy' available in the body. I'd wager it gradually ramps back up again once food is reintroduced, and overeating during this period could probably lead to some pretty hefty weight gain.
- blaze33 10y agoPeople died of eating too much when the prisoner camps where liberated at the end of WWII.
- baccheion 10y agoI'm not clear on the details of why, but I know if the fast isn't properly broken, then the body can react very poorly. I suppose it needs time to get back in the habit of processing food. The main thing to remember about a fast is that it will take as long as you fasted to break it (unless it's 24 hours or less). So if you water fast for 3 days, you'll need another 3 days to ramp back up to normal eating. If you juice fast, then it's 1/3rd of the time (ie, 1 day for a 3-day juice fast). I've read about people ending up with allergic reactions, swollen joints, pain, and many other issues from improperly breaking the fast. Also, me not remembering or being clear on the details doesn't mean they aren't clearly laid out on sites/articles about this topic. That is, you can search online for a bit, and it should clear things up for you.
- Pete_D 10y agoI'm not a doctor, but see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refeeding_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refeeding_syndrome
- ZeroFries 10y agoDo you have any sources for "ingesting anything will ruin the fast"?