4 ms·

A few years ago I had some downtime and nothing going on, so I decided to try a water fast for three days as a sort of detox/cleanse after doing some research.

by _arvin 9y ago

A few years ago I had some downtime and nothing going on, so I decided to try a water fast for three days as a sort of detox/cleanse after doing some research. The first 24-36 hours were definitely the toughest, but then the hunger feeling just went away. It was sort of liberating in a sense that I didn't feel "dependent" on food for those three days; the key being to stay plenty hydrated. However, if you're currently working or going to school, I wouldn't recommend it. Save it for a time where you're mentally ready to take on that challenge. Coupled with low-stress and lots of rest, the results were pretty remarkable. And from the article and science standpoint of it, it makes sense; the less your body has to spend time digesting food (say every couple hours with snacks/meals), the more your immune system can work and more time for the body to naturally repair itself. This is also why I try to avoid eating late at night.

cgh 9y ago
There is no science to support the notion of detoxifying or cleansing[1]. Not eating does not cause your body to repair itself. There is no relationship between the time taken for digestion and your immune system. It's not like your body can only do one thing at a time. By all means, if fasting makes you feel good or whatever then continue to do it. Just realise that none of your stated claims of its physical benefits are true. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/05/detox-myth-health-diet-science-ignorance https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/05/detox-m...
- mojoe 9y ago
  Not eating absolutely causes the body to repair itself -- there are many peer-reviewed journal articles covering animal and human clinical trials that demonstrate this (a google scholar search returns huge numbers of results, but here are just a couple examples: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413115002247 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413115..., https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regeneration-of-damaged-old-immune-system/ https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regene...).
  - JPLeRouzic 9y ago
    The words were: "as a sort of detox/cleanse" There are things your body cannot do, for example eliminating a molecule longer than some threshold. That is why the pharma industry insists on using small molecules and why beta-amyloids (and others) are a huge problem.
rthomas6 9y ago
Another datapoint: I've done a 48 hour fast and I felt hungry the whole time. However, the hunger sort of plateaued and then didn't contiune to get worse. It was sort of like, "Oh, I'm hungry. That's unfortunate. Time to continue with my day."
- jeffwass 9y ago
  I did a six-day water fast and felt the same way. Water only for four days, water with some lemon squeezed in for two more days. Like you said, my hunger plateaued after 1-2 days. I just got weaker by the end. Interestingly, the last couple days I found myself really enjoying watching the Food Network. My friends asked why I was torturing myself watching it, but it wasn't, I felt strangely sedated watching all kinds of delicious food being prepared and cooked.

by _arvin 9y ago

cgh 9y ago

There is no science to support the notion of detoxifying or cleansing[1]. Not eating does not cause your body to repair itself. There is no relationship between the time taken for digestion and your immune system. It's not like your body can only do one thing at a time. By all means, if fasting makes you feel good or whatever then continue to do it. Just realise that none of your stated claims of its physical benefits are true. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/05/detox-myth-health-diet-science-ignorance https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/05/detox-m...

mojoe 9y ago
Not eating absolutely causes the body to repair itself -- there are many peer-reviewed journal articles covering animal and human clinical trials that demonstrate this (a google scholar search returns huge numbers of results, but here are just a couple examples: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413115002247 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413115..., https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regeneration-of-damaged-old-immune-system/ https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regene...).
- JPLeRouzic 9y ago
  The words were: "as a sort of detox/cleanse" There are things your body cannot do, for example eliminating a molecule longer than some threshold. That is why the pharma industry insists on using small molecules and why beta-amyloids (and others) are a huge problem.

rthomas6 9y ago

Another datapoint: I've done a 48 hour fast and I felt hungry the whole time. However, the hunger sort of plateaued and then didn't contiune to get worse. It was sort of like, "Oh, I'm hungry. That's unfortunate. Time to continue with my day."

jeffwass 9y ago
I did a six-day water fast and felt the same way. Water only for four days, water with some lemon squeezed in for two more days. Like you said, my hunger plateaued after 1-2 days. I just got weaker by the end. Interestingly, the last couple days I found myself really enjoying watching the Food Network. My friends asked why I was torturing myself watching it, but it wasn't, I felt strangely sedated watching all kinds of delicious food being prepared and cooked.