The Stages of Fasting: What Happens to Your Body When You Fast?
While fasting is nothing new, it is
experiencing a resurgence in popularity as many discover its health
benefits. If you are planning your first fast or looking for ways to
improve your next one, there are a few things you should do to prepare.
The first step is learning about the different stages of fasting. This
knowledge helps you mentally and physically prepare for what happens to
your body when you fast.
The stages of fasting outlined below are
based off a water fast, a traditional fast in which you abstain from
any food and only drink water for 12-48 hours or longer. Personal
experiences can vary depending on the type of fast, age, or health of
the individual, but these should give you a general idea of what to
expect when you fast.
Stage 1: Day 1-2
Stage one lasts for the first couple of
days of the fast or about 12-48 hours from your last meal. Usually, it
is a good idea to put some planning and preparation into how and when
you will start a fast. Try selecting a start day and time and then make
preparations in your schedule for the duration of your fast.
How You Feel: Hungry
This stage is when your body transitions
into fasting mode and, for many people, it’s the most challenging part
of their fast. This stage is where you start to feel the hunger pains as
you skip your regular mealtime routine. Most first time fasters start
to feel a reduction in their energy levels. These effects can induce a
negative mood or irritability for most fasters. It’s wise to prepare
yourself for the possibility of being short on patience during this
stage.
What’s Happening With Your Body: Battery Save Mode
Several things happen at the cellular
level that cause hunger and fatigue during this first stage. When you’re
eating regularly, your body breaks down glucose to get the energy it
needs to function properly. While you’re fasting, your body needs to
produce sugar for energy, so it begins a process called gluconeogenesis.
During gluconeogenesis, your liver converts non-carbohydrate materials
like lactate, amino acids, and fats into glucose. As your body goes into
“battery save mode,” your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, becomes more
efficient and uses less energy. This power saving process includes
lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. At this stage, you may feel
drained. However, if you stick it out for a little longer, some of that
lost energy will return.[1]
Benefits: Mental Strength and Heart Health
Fasting these first few days can be
difficult, but there are mental and physical benefits. Mentally, the act
of fasting is an excellent way to exercise your willpower. Similar to
the strength runners might feel after pushing their body to run that
extra mile, people who choose to fast can feel strength as they fight
through those natural urges to eat. Physically, there are incredible
cleansing and heart health benefits taking place, too. As BMR lowers,
fat in the blood starts to disappear as it’s metabolized for energy.
This process promotes a healthy heart, and for some, improves
cholesterol levels by boosting HDL levels.[2]
Stage 2: Day 3-7
Stage two starts around the end of day
two and lasts until day seven. A lot of changes begin to happen at this
stage, and you may start to notice changes in your physical appearance,
as well as how you feel.
How You Feel: Less Hungry and More Energetic
By stage two, ketosis has begun. Ketosis
is a critical phase of the fast where your body starts to burn stored
fat as its primary power source. As the processes of ketosis are carried
out inside your body, you might stop feeling hungry and tired. The
practice of putting your body into ketosis has a growing movement behind
it. It is ideal for weight loss, balancing blood sugar, and more. Best
of all, you don’t even have to fast to put your body into ketosis.
Eating the right foods at the right time can be enough to start this fat
burning process. There are even vegan ketogenic diet plans available so you can still eat health-promoting foods to stay in ketosis.
What’s Happening With Your Body: Fat Burning Mode
When you consume a typical diet of
carbohydrate rich foods, your body breaks down sugars and starches into
glucose. Glucose is the primary source of energy for the body. However,
when you fast or go into ketosis glucose becomes limited, and your body
must turn to fat stores for the energy it requires. Your body breaks fat
down into glycerol and fatty acids. The liver synthesizes ketones using
glycerol. The glycerol is broken down by the liver for additional
glucose, and finally, those ketones are used by your brain as glucose
becomes less available.[1]
Benefits: Weight Loss and Cleansing
Burning fat has several benefits for your health—the first being weight loss.
Ketosis is a predictable way to target fat stores that otherwise remain
untouched even with a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, getting rid of
that extra fat has a detoxifying effect on the body. Your body’s natural
defenses use fat stores to store toxic metals and other toxins so they
can’t wreak havoc on your system. However, during ketosis, these toxic
metals and toxins are safely expelled from your body as fat reserves get
used up.[3] This cleansing effect may temporarily alter some people’s complexion or cause other signs of a healing crisis.
Stage 3: Day 8-15
Stage three typically falls between day
eight and 15. This stage includes dramatic improvements in mood and
mental clarity and is the stage seasoned fasters look forward to the
most.
How You Feel: Clear Minded
By the third stage a sort of “fasting
high” begins. This boost happens when your body fully adjusts to
fasting. While not everyone reaches this stage, those who do report a
dramatic improvement in how they feel. These improvements include an
elevated mood, increased energy levels, and a type of clear mindedness
unique to fasting.
What’s Happening With Your Body: Healing Mode
During stage three, your body starts to
enter into a “healing mode.” This healing process begins as your
digestive system takes a rest from the common stressors and toxins it
endures on a daily basis. As a result, your body has fewer free radicals entering the mix, and oxidative stress decreases.[4]
On the flip side, fasting causes a
stress that provides an added benefit. This is a kind of mild stress
that is comparable to the stress caused by exercise, which ultimately
makes you stronger and your immune system more resilient.[5]
Benefits: Healthy Aging
When the cumulative effects of this
stage add up, they can be the catalyst for significant health
improvements. Anytime you limit free radicals and oxidative stress you
are encouraging healthy aging and positioning yourself for fewer health
complications.[6] While less researched, this healing process seems to improve health for some.
Stage 4: Day 16 and Beyond
Stage four occurs sometime around day 16
and continues through the duration of your fast. While there may be
some changes moving beyond this juncture, there is a daily balance that
starts to set in.
How You Feel: Balanced
If you make it to stage four, you are at
a place most have never gone. This stage, while doable, should only be
attempted under close supervision from a trusted health care
professional. For those that do make it this far, there are not any
drastic shifts that occur in how you feel. Instead, a steady balance
seems to set in.
What’s Happening With Your Body: Healing Mode Extended
Stage four is the extension and
completion of the healing and cleansing processes that began during the
earlier stages. The longer you fast, the more time and opportunity your
body has to heal and cleanse itself.
Benefits: Personal Goals and Growth
If you make it this far, the benefit
becomes personal. Fasting, especially beyond the first seven days, takes
steadfast dedication. What you get out of the fast in these later
stages can be a culmination of all the earlier stages or an
accomplishment of a personal health goal. For some, it is weight loss,
for others, it is a strategy to heal a particular health complication.
Stage 5: Breaking the Fast
Stage five may come sooner or later,
depending on your fasting goal. While we don’t assign a specific target
day, you may want to make breaking your fast a planned event you can
look forward to and celebrate when it’s all done.
How You Feel: Accomplished
Whether you fasted for half a day or a
full month, you should feel accomplished. Taking deliberate action to
improve your health or testing your limits is something worth
celebrating.
What’s Happening With Your Body: Easing Out of Fasting Mode
How you choose to end your fast is
critical. Depending on how long you fast, you may need to ease your way
back into eating solid food. Fruit juices, cooked vegetables, and broths
can help acclimate your body and digestive system to eating as internal
mechanisms come back online.
Benefits: Start Something New
With careful planning and thought,
fasting can be an incredible springboard into a healthier lifestyle. One
suggestion is to make plans before you even start your fast. Write down
what you’re hoping to get out of it and what you want to accomplish. If
done correctly, the end of a fast is the perfect time to begin a
dramatically healthier diet and lifestyle.
Additional Fasting Tips
Bowel movements and bad breath are two
subjects that most people usually avoid discussing, but when fasting,
you need to be aware of both.
During stage one and two of the fast,
your body will still be expelling toxins and damaged cells every time
you go to the bathroom. Using an intestinal cleansing product, like Oxy-Powder will help more thoroughly cleanse and detoxify your body.
Bad breath will be a concern throughout
every stage of a fast. Slightly offensive breath is completely natural
and part of the detoxing processes. If you are worried about your breath
while you fast, I have created an all-natural solution. It’s called Fresh Mouth,
and it comes in a convenient spray bottle that fits in your pocket.
Just a few sprays and your mouth will feel fresh and smell great!
Do you have any experience with fasting? Leave a comment below or join the conversation on Facebook, and share your insight with us!
References:
- Fung, Jason, and Jimmy Moore. “The Complete Guide To Fasting.” 1st ed. Las Vegas: Victory Belt Publishing. Print.
- Qujeq, D., Bijani, K., Kalavi, K., Mohiti, J., Aliakbarpour, H. “Effects of Ramadan fasting on serum low-density and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations.” Ann Saudi Med. (2002): 297-299
- Chevrier, Dewailly, É. Ayotte, P. Mauriège, P. J-P Després, et al. “Body weight loss increases plasma and adipose tissue concentrations of potentially toxic pollutants in obese individuals.” International Journal of Obesity and Related Disorders; Hampshire24.10 (Oct 2000): 1272-1278.
- Wright, E., J. L. Scism-Bacon, and L. C. Glass. “Oxidative Stress In Type 2 Diabetes: The Role Of Fasting And Postprandial Glycaemia.” International Journal of Clinical Practice 60.3 (2006): 308-314.
- Collier, Roger. “Intermittent Fasting: The Science of Going Without.” CMAJ?: Canadian Medical Association Journal 185.9 (2013): E363–E364.
- Rahman, Khalid. “Studies on Free Radicals, Antioxidants, and Co-Factors.” Clinical Interventions in Aging 2.2 (2007): 219–236.
About the author:
Dr. Edward F. Group III (DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM) founded Global Healing Center in
1998 and is currently the Chief Executive Officer. Heading up the
research and development team, Dr. Group assumes a hands-on approach in
producing new and advanced degenerative disease products and
information.
Dr. Group has studied natural healing
methods for over 20 years and now teaches individuals and practitioners
all around the world. He no longer sees patients but solely concentrates
on spreading the word of health and wellness to the global community.
Under his leadership, Global Healing Center, Inc. has earned recognition
as one of the largest alternative, natural and organic health resources
on the internet.
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