5 ms·

I'm not really trying to do it 'by the book' -- I think it's better that you come up with something that works for you. Fasting with just water is a bit tough,

I'm not really trying to do it 'by the book' -- I think it's better that you come up with something that works for you. Fasting with just water is a bit tough, as you can get a metallic taste in your mouth that is rather disagreeable. So that's my 'fix' for that problem.

AlexDanger 11y ago
What is the metallic taste? I've experienced this before during fasting periods. Anyway to get rid of it without sugary fruit juice?
- buserror 11y ago
  As the previous poster replied, it's related to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis I don't know if you can really get rid of the taste, I'd be curious to know of course; but you kind of get used to it really. I personally don't mind taking fruit juice, as it does give a small energy boost, especially in the morning.
  - dualogy 11y ago
    Not everyone gets it. Fasting puts you in nutritional ketosis as does ketogenic / very-low-carb dieting. But the metallic taste is usually a temporary and harmless keto-adaptation symptom. The body's ketone production and consumption aren't fully balanced at first for quite a while, during which some people flush out most excess ketones in urine while others breathe out more of them. As you keto-adapt (takes from a week to a few months depending on individual), ketone bodies (a byproduct of fat oxidation) are fully utilized in place of glucose by more and more tissues/cells over time, until balance is achieved.
- rhinoceraptor 11y ago
  The metallic taste is excess ketones. If your body is not used to using ketones, some will be excreted in the urine and saliva. If you really goose your ketogenic metabolism, your body gets better at using ketones and the taste will go away. You should also be sure to eat/drink extra salt during a fast or ketogenic diet due to water loss.
fnayr 11y ago
That's a sign of ketosis!
- buserror 11y ago
  Yes I know, and that's why longer fast work quite a lot better than short ones, you do lose weight like /crazy/. I seems to lose nearly 1Kg a day.
  - dualogy 11y ago
    1kg of fat would be 9000 kcal. Impressive energy expenditure there. Of course a lot of water weight is lost initially (when fasting or just skipping all carbs) but that rate won't hold for weeks on end.
    - 1stop 11y ago
      I thought in ketosis it wasn't energy expenditure, the liver causes fat to break down and pass through your bladder? ... maybe I have that all back to front though :\ Maybe ketones pass through your bladder and they also break down fat cells...
      - firethief 11y ago
        That sounds vaguely like diabetes. In the absence of metabolic disease, the body breaks down fat to use the resulting energy. Think about it evolutionarily; "there's no food right now, time to jettison my energy stores"?
        1stop 11y ago
        Ketosis is a pretty weird state brought on by lack of carbohydrates. The liver starts producing ketones, ketones rapidly breakdown fat cells to boost blood sugar. It is mostly unrelated to diabetes as that relates to insulin response.
        11y ago
amelius 11y ago
You could add a pinch of baking soda to the water to make it more alkaline.

AlexDanger 11y ago

What is the metallic taste? I've experienced this before during fasting periods. Anyway to get rid of it without sugary fruit juice?

buserror 11y ago
As the previous poster replied, it's related to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis I don't know if you can really get rid of the taste, I'd be curious to know of course; but you kind of get used to it really. I personally don't mind taking fruit juice, as it does give a small energy boost, especially in the morning.
- dualogy 11y ago
  Not everyone gets it. Fasting puts you in nutritional ketosis as does ketogenic / very-low-carb dieting. But the metallic taste is usually a temporary and harmless keto-adaptation symptom. The body's ketone production and consumption aren't fully balanced at first for quite a while, during which some people flush out most excess ketones in urine while others breathe out more of them. As you keto-adapt (takes from a week to a few months depending on individual), ketone bodies (a byproduct of fat oxidation) are fully utilized in place of glucose by more and more tissues/cells over time, until balance is achieved.
rhinoceraptor 11y ago
The metallic taste is excess ketones. If your body is not used to using ketones, some will be excreted in the urine and saliva. If you really goose your ketogenic metabolism, your body gets better at using ketones and the taste will go away. You should also be sure to eat/drink extra salt during a fast or ketogenic diet due to water loss.

fnayr 11y ago

That's a sign of ketosis!

buserror 11y ago
Yes I know, and that's why longer fast work quite a lot better than short ones, you do lose weight like /crazy/. I seems to lose nearly 1Kg a day.
- dualogy 11y ago
  1kg of fat would be 9000 kcal. Impressive energy expenditure there. Of course a lot of water weight is lost initially (when fasting or just skipping all carbs) but that rate won't hold for weeks on end.
  - 1stop 11y ago
    I thought in ketosis it wasn't energy expenditure, the liver causes fat to break down and pass through your bladder? ... maybe I have that all back to front though :\ Maybe ketones pass through your bladder and they also break down fat cells...
    - firethief 11y ago
      That sounds vaguely like diabetes. In the absence of metabolic disease, the body breaks down fat to use the resulting energy. Think about it evolutionarily; "there's no food right now, time to jettison my energy stores"?
      - 1stop 11y ago
        Ketosis is a pretty weird state brought on by lack of carbohydrates. The liver starts producing ketones, ketones rapidly breakdown fat cells to boost blood sugar. It is mostly unrelated to diabetes as that relates to insulin response.
        11y ago

amelius 11y ago

You could add a pinch of baking soda to the water to make it more alkaline.