10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Eat Food for 5 days!
I’m sure you’re thinking that I must be mad! That the concept of intermittent fasting is bad enough. Truth be told in times like these a 5 day water fast might just be what you need.
Here are 10 reasons why you should do 5 day water fast, but more importantly I hope this read adds value to your day and maybe to your life. In a world that’s rapidly changing our good health is and will be key, staying strong and healthy and being a “bad host” for any viruses that may cross our paths.
This article is about how I did it, how it went and how I coped as well as all the benefits I reaped along the way. I hope my experience gives you insight and maybe a little encouragement to try it yourself.
For me it started two years ago when intermittent fasting became my last resort. It turned out that no matter how well I ate and exercised I kept putting on weight. I regularly woke up feeling tired and resorted to taking regular doses of ginkgo biloba to meet my energy requirements throughout my day. I made it a habit to eat “clean”, in fact I even tried a 90 day juice treatment with 80% veggies and 20% fruit. Nothing I tried worked.
This led to many thyroid tests both in my country and abroad. I saw all kinds of thyroid specialists and nutritionists only to be told to diet and work out. What was frustrating is that I was already doing CrossFit 6 days a week and regular juicing. Something was obviously wrong.
Almost as a matter of divine intervention, the opportunity to book an appointment with one of the best Chinese Doctors in Toronto, Ontario arose while I was there visiting. During that visit, she explained to me that my thyroids were perfectly fine (as all the specialists had been saying) just that they were sluggish. She recommended I do a 16hrs fast everyday, plus stay off of carbs and sugars. She prescribed me some Chinese teas and potassium and sent me on my way. 4 months later I had lost 12 kilos (26.4 lbs). 6 months from my first visit I lost a total of 16 kilos (35 lbs). I felt incredible! I even started to sleep better and for longer periods of time.
By the 8th month I decided to do a 5 day water fast to see if it would help my serious migraine issue. And that’s when things got real!!!
My first time doing a 5 day water fast, I really really struggled. Fortunately I did it with the support of my Doctor and I checked in regularly (every day) to monitor how I was feeling. This made me and everyone around me feel safe and supported.
My First Time Fasting 5 days:
Day 1: I was feeling fine. I had been fasting 16hrs every day for 8 months, so this was fairly manageable.
Day 2: Feeling fine, slight difficulty sleeping.
Day 3: I was SWITCHED ON! My mind was clear, my ideas were rapid and I was speaking very fast as if I had 13 espressos! Difficulty sleeping.
Day 4: I woke up with a massive migraine and serious palpitations like as if I had run a race. I felt a little slow and (the worst part for me) I got a big, ugly cold sore on my lip. Because cold sores are a sign of low vitamin “B” I decided to get a vitamin “B12” shot. Bad idea. This made me feel even worse!!
Day 5: I don’t know how but I managed to make it to day 5. Let me tell you, it was the longest day, ever. In the end I did it and it felt great to reset my body. It was a great way to end my year. Little did I know that this venture would help my body fight what was to come.
Fast forward one year and 3 months: I just completed another 5 day fast! Why, may you ask? Well for the sake of those 10 plus benefits I refer to in the beginning.
This time I was prepared. I have been fasting for 2 years 16 to 22hrs a day, and once a week (or bi-weekly) I did a full 24 hour fast.
My regular diet is fairly low on sugars and carbs. After my last 5 day water fast I was recommended by my Doctor to do a DNA test. The type of DNA test I did was specifically targeted at my health, and not my ancestry. The main reason I was motivated to invest in such testing is my quest for combating my migraines. Ironically, as is often the case, I discovered so much more!
My Second Time Fasting for 5 Days:
Day 1: I was emotionally and mentally prepared for this challenge. I knew what to expect this time and I was aware that it wouldn’t be easy. I decided to go one day at a time and if I didn’t feel like I could do it, or I was really sick I would break the fast and resume eating.
This time I didn’t have the guidance or assistance of a Doctor, and I was okay with that. I have an amazing support at home. At meal times I would lock myself in my bedroom, so as to not get tempted by food. I made sure I drank lots and lots and lots of water every day. This day came and went by fast, I was not hungry at all.
Day 2: As day two rolled around I was feeling amazing, I took a dose of glutathione in the morning then, after waiting 30min I would start with my normal water intake. 2hrs after that I took my Vitamin B12 sublingual — something I learned I must take as a result of my DNA test. (More to come on this subject in another article). So far so good, I felt full of energy doing all sorts of things. I was feeling SO lucid it’s amazing! And I still was not hungry.
As a side note: most people start to suffer on day 2 and there are reasons for this. Usually by day 2 your body starts going into Ketosis. This means a whole bunch of things that you should look up. Basically, in short, you’re eating your own body for energy (mind bending, no?) and then from there you’ll have new cell growth and regeneration.
Day 3: I began to feel more bad than good. At the start of the day all was good, just a slight headache which usually goes away after I start drinking water (Drink lots of water throughout your 5 days but be careful, you don’t want to drink too much water either. Find the right amount of water intake for your weight here) As the day went on I felt weaker and unsettled. I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to sleep, I was tired but I couldn’t sleep for long. I was up a lot in the night and was very frustrated. In hindsight, I should have taken Magnesium.
By day 3 your biological survival mechanisms begin to kick in. You smell food that your neighbour is preparing 4 doors down; things start to get real. I’m serious this is when your will power kicks in (or not. A lot of people quit here). I wasn’t hungry until late afternoon, and I attribute this to the fact that I fast often, so my body is kinda trained. A key upside to this day is that I noticed I wasn’t wasn’t bloated at all — which felt amazing.
For those people that want to know if they’re in Ketosis or not, the most effective way is through blood testing. The Keto Mojo Blood Test Ketone Meter to me is the best in the market right now.
Day 4: This is the day I call “Obsessing Over Food Day” because all I did was talk about food, think about food, and daydream… about food! I began looking up recipes that I wanted to try once I was done with my fast. I looked up so many recipes you’d think I was going to have a feast for 15 people!
How did I feel? To be honest with you I felt better at times and like crap at others. My hands and feet were cold, I started to miss food, and I felt lethargic. I aspire to be one of those people who can workout during a prolonged fast, but I’m certainly not there yet!
So far no migraine and no cold sore!! Thanks to all the mesures I took and lessons learned from my first time doing a 5 day fast, I took my glutathione and B12 everyday.
**Side note if you need a little boost during these 5 days, you can have 3 teaspoons of virgin olive oil (if it’s organic better for you) with a pinch of Himalayan salt. This will not break your fast and it will help you burn fat, it will also help your tummy when taking any supplements you may need to take.
Day 5: OMG, I was really struggling here. No point to giving up now, right?! The thing is, sleep was a big problem. I felt so tired but I couldn’t get proper night’s sleep for the full 5 days. I was feeling depleted during the day. I noticed I was slow and I began to feel zen. My thoughts were sharp but I certainly wasn’t on 10 anymore. I felt a little emotional, especially around the subject of food. We don’t fully realize how lucky we are to eat what we want, when we want, and as much as we want! This was a very humbling experience.
My last 1hr and 45min was the longest ever. My partner suggested we go for a short walk to distract me from the final countdown.
Finally… the moment arrived. I had my first sip of bone broth and it was absolutely the most delicious broth I had in many years. In fact I think my partner outdid my grandma’s famous “puchero” broth (or that could just be the effects of the fast talking!) After two small bowls my body down-geared and I was able to go to sleep.
Challenge completed.
The following day, after a morning “mate” (Argentine Tea) and lots of fresh water, I had another warm bowl of that amazing bone broth. Then I set off on the path to breaking my fast safely and gently. 30 min after the bone broth I had half an avocado. I waited about an hour then had some scrambled eggs. Another hour later, I had sautéed onions and olives. 6hrs later I had 10 slices of sashimi and went to bed.
I continued to go slow with my food intake until about 3 days after my fast.
For those that want to know if I actually lost weight, yes I did! I lost 3,5 Kilos (7,7 lbs) I’ve heard of people losing up to 7- 9 kilos after 5 days (which is around 15 to 19 pounds) Men tend to lose more weight than women in general terms, so if you’re a woman don’t feel bad. Also some people lose 2,5 Kilos (5,51 lbs) and that’s ok too. That’s what I lost my first time. Oh, and by the way, you not only lose fat, you also get leaner muscles.
Here are the top 10 benefits of fasting.
- Autophagy — Central to the benefits of fasting is a process called “autophagy” which is the body’s natural process of killing off, eating up, or cleaning out bad cell matter that’s built up in your body. It’s an important system for staving off many diseases, including preventing cancer development.
- Aids cancer prevention — Studies indicate that fasting may benefit the treatment and prevention of cancer. In fact, one rat study found that alternate-day fasting helped block tumor formation. Similarly, a well-known test-tube study showed that exposing cancer cells to several cycles of fasting was as effective as chemotherapy in delaying tumor growth and increased the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs on cancer formation .
- Fights diseases — According to ScienceMag, A new scientific study has backed up some health claims about eating less. The clinical trial reveals that cutting back on food for just 5 days a month could help prevent or treat age-related illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Improves blood pressure and cholesterol levels — A study revealed that fasting reduced levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides by 25% and 32% respectively. Another study in 110 obese adults showed that prolonged fasting under medical supervision significantly decreased blood pressure, as well as levels of blood triglycerides, total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol. In addition, another study found that in 4,629 people fasting was associated with a lower risk of coronary artery disease, as well as a significantly lower risk of diabetes, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
- Increases growth hormone secretion, which is vital for growth, and muscle strength — Studies show that fasting can increase levels of human growth hormone (HGH), an important protein hormone that plays a role in growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength.
- Weight loss and metabolism boost -
a) Fasting boosts your metabolism by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which could enhance weight loss.
b) One review showed that whole-day fasting could reduce body weight by up to 9% and significantly decrease body fat over 12–24 weeks.
c) Another review found that intermittent fasting over 3–12 weeks was as effective in inducing weight loss as continuous calorie restriction and decreased body weight and fat mass by up to 8% and 16% respectively.
d) In addition, fasting was found to be more effective than calorie restriction at increasing fat loss while simultaneously preserving muscle tissue.
After day two (maybe earlier) your body has nothing to run on but your own fat. The water weight you lose will come back quickly, but that fat loss is real. You can expect to lose 1–2 pounds per day, but consider this a nice benefit, not the primary motivation.
7. Boosts brain function — Several studies have found that fasting could have a powerful effect on brain health. One study showed that practicing intermittent fasting for 11 months improved both brain function and brain structure. Other animal studies have reported that fasting could protect brain health and increase the generation of nerve cells to help enhance cognitive function. Because fasting may also help relieve inflammation, it could also aid in preventing neurodegenerative disorders.
8. Fights Inflammation and Promotes Better Health — Fasting helps with reducing chronic pains, rheumatic diseases, high blood pressure, and anything related to inflammation.
a) A study in 50 healthy adults showed that intermittent fasting for one month significantly decreased levels of inflammatory markers
b) Another study discovered the same effect when people fasted for 12 hours a day for one month.
c) One animal study found that following a very low-calorie diet to mimic the effects of fasting reduced levels of inflammation and was beneficial in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a chronic inflammatory condition.
9. Delay of Aging and Extended Longevity — Several studies have found promising results on the potential lifespan-extending effects of fasting. In one study, rats that fasted every other day experienced a delayed rate of aging and lived 83% longer than rats that didn’t fast. Other studies have had similar findings, reporting that fasting could be effective in increasing longevity and survival rates
a) Signalling through RHEB-1 mediates intermittent fasting-induced longevity in C. elegans
b) Influence of short-term repeated fasting on the longevity of female (NZB x NZW)F1 mice
10. Prevents Neurodegenerative Disorders — When you fast induced through caloric restriction also slows neurodegeneration and is one of the few things that can lead to the production of new brain cells. This research suggests that fasting can protect you against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. This is also likely why epileptic and autistic people respond very well to fasting.
11. Bonus Track Tip! If you are looking to fight a certain bacteria then consider fasting 17 hours every day. To fight viruses a 5 day water fast is your best bet but if you’re not quite ready yet then try doing 24hrs once a week.
I wish you a happy, healthy life!
Resources to learn more from:
- Dr. Berg: is one of my favourites. His YouTube videos are short and to the point. He even has a separate channel with the best Keto and Intermittent Fasting tips and tricks.
- Dr. Jason Fung: is really full of incredible data regarding fasting, Cancer, Diabetes and Weight Loss. I love this guy. (He’s Canadian, like me :))
- Thomas DeLauer: teaches all about fasting, exercise, and eating healthy. If you’re a bit low on funds, he has lots of tips on how to do Keto on a budget.
- Dr. Mindy Pelz: If you like nerding out on this issue she’s your online medical professional! She gets into case studies a lot, she has a lot of incredible information on fasting, and other fun healthy notes, and has a great show coming up on fasting for women.
- The goop lab with Gwyneth Paltrow on Netflix: Last but not least on Season 1 episode 4 “The Health Span- Plan” Gwyneth Paltrow and Elise Loehnen, volunteer to try a “ 5 day mimicking regimen developed by Dr. Longo.”
If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to ask me.
