Methods of fasting on water

Fasting diets are one of the methods of alternative medicine. There are two fundamentally different methods of fasting: dry and water. In the first, the fasting person does not eat or drink, in the second, food is excluded, and water is allowed in unlimited quantities. Some long-term methods combine both types of fasting.

Water fasting is considered the least extreme method. It can last from one day to several months. During this time, this method becomes almost a way of life. Different versions of the fasting diet are used for different purposes.

• One-day fasting is recommended for all healthy people of working age, except for risk groups. At least during this time the digestive tract is unloaded. Therefore, in people who have tried this method, one-day stay only on water often becomes a weekly requirement.
• Short-term procedures promote faster recovery after surgeries, digestive and respiratory diseases with symptoms of high temperature. Thus, water fasting from 3 to 10 days provides a "general cleaning" and restoration of the body.
• Long-term, over 30 days, successfully treats high-grade obesity, skin rashes, ulcers, eczema.

Each method requires proper preparation and exit from the fast. Without preparation, you can only fast for 24 hours, and this is not called hunger, but a food pause.

Read also: Therapeutic water fasting for 1, 3, 7, 10, 21, 40 days

Water fasting once a week

One-day fasting can be dry and "wet", that is, fasting on water. Dry is considered too radical, because a person refuses all products, solid and liquid, and fasting on water once a week is gentle. It is easier to bear due to the increase, against the usual, of the norm of drinking water - up to 2 liters or more for each day of fasting. All stages of the procedure take more than a day; if less, then this is the so-called food pause, and not a real fast.

Those who want to achieve and maintain the positive results of abstinence from food fast regularly. Thanks to fasting, the following occurs:

• body cleansing;
• strengthening of defenses;
• rejuvenation;
• improving intestinal microflora;
• rest of the digestive tract;
• stimulation of the synthesis of biologically active compounds.

It is important that one-day water fasts, conducted over 2-3 months, create a solid foundation for multi-day procedures. After all, fasting for many days at once is undesirable and wrong, the body cannot cope with such stress.

It is important to know that even short-term fasting requires careful preparation; it begins a week before the appointed date. The diet is adjusted towards vegetarian cuisine, while getting rid of sweet colored and alcoholic drinks. The day before the start, the menu becomes completely plant-based: fruits, cereals, vegetables.

• On a "hungry" day, occupy yourself with a pleasant, feasible task, do not sit in the kitchen, looking longingly into the pots and the refrigerator. It is better to do an enema, and then light gymnastics, especially useful for those who are starving.

Don't be surprised if hunger has an adverse effect and you feel weak, nauseous, have bad breath, headache. It's just unpleasant right away, but subsequent times, with regular fasting, promise to be easier.

With this in mind, go to bed early to enjoy fruit and vegetable food and drinks in the morning. But do not overeat: this does not lead to anything good even with a normal diet, and after fasting - even more so. It is advisable to survive on vegetables for two days, and only then introduce fish, meat, eggs or milk into the menu. Continue to drink plenty of quality water.

In principle, it is difficult to imagine what would happen for a one-day fast to harm a person who has no obvious contraindications to such a procedure. But it doesn’t hurt to be on the safe side, so don’t be lazy and consult a specialist before starting any fast.

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Cascade water fasting

Water fasting, which alternates with days when plant foods are allowed, is called cascading. This is a lighter version of fasting. Today, this method is used by those who want to lose weight, although it was invented for another purpose: in this way, ancient philosophers sought to spiritually cleanse themselves and learn the truth.

• One-day cascade fasting on water helps to cleanse and give a break to the gastrointestinal tract. Three-day fasting is recommended before various procedures or for cleansing. There are different fasting patterns, for example, long and compressed. The fasting person can set the alternation himself, guided by what is convenient for him. But before starting such an experiment, a specialist consultation is required.

You should prepare for the cascade in advance by switching to light food without animal products and fatty sweets. As in other cases, you should not overeat, and the intestines should be cleansed with enemas (pour in up to one and a half liters of 33-36 degree water with a teaspoon of salt). Before going to bed, drink kefir or eat an apple. The first fast should not last longer than 24 hours.

The duration of the completion period depends on the duration of the fast itself. A smooth transition is necessary for the body to get used to solid food, so in the first days you should prepare liquid dishes, drink fresh juices, and quality water.

Then the diet becomes more varied: kefir, salads, stewed vegetables, soups with vegetable oil are added. The tables in the following days are even richer: butter, nuts, cottage cheese, stale bread are present.

Fasting helps the body to recover and get rid of extra kilos. By the way, the weight goes away at first quickly, then at a slower pace: up to 300 g per day.

Fasting in any form is prohibited for those who are emaciated, those suffering from tuberculosis, cirrhosis, nervous diseases, and pregnant and lactating women.

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Complete water fasting

Fasting can be partial, complete, or absolute. Partial is undereating or insufficient absorption of nutritional energy, which can be quite long. Absolute fasting means no food is consumed and lasts 4 days. Complete fasting means nothing is eaten, but water is drunk as much as the heart desires. Complete water fasting lasts up to 70 days, depending on the intensity of metabolism. It is used for medicinal purposes.

It is generally accepted that a healthy body always has about 7 kg of reserve fat - an amount capable of covering three days of energy expenditure. During physical exertion and low ambient temperatures, energy losses increase. Therefore, water fasting is more difficult for people with a small fat reserve, a weakened and dehydrated body, and a lack of psychological preparation.

During the process of abstaining from proper nutrition, glycogen reserves in muscle tissue and liver, energy from oxidation of fatty acids, and then glucose formed from protein breakdown are also consumed. All this can cause exhaustion. Therefore, a preliminary examination is so important, aimed at detecting contraindications and preventing complications.

Therapeutic fasting without food, but with water, can last for different periods of time, each of the options has its own specifics. But there are also general rules - proper preparation, implementation, exit from the fast. It is important to achieve a crisis, characteristic of cleansing, and normalize the functions of the body. For which, in fact, people decide on such a difficult procedure.

Preparation for fasting begins in the evening: instead of dinner, do a cleansing enema. In the morning, proceed in the same direction: instead of breakfast, take a laxative, after which nothing but water can be taken. General recommendations for the correct procedure:

• Complete fasting excludes not only alcohol, but also smoking. The need to take medications during this period can only be determined by a doctor.
• Enemas, Charcot's shower and similar water procedures are carried out daily. Walks, sunbathing in moderation, therapeutic exercise, regular sleep in a ventilated room are mandatory.
• You cannot wear clothes made from synthetic fabrics.
• The doctor is required to constantly monitor the patient's blood pressure, pulse, and general condition.

During prolonged fasting, specific signs appear that indicate the need to stop it: an irresistible feeling of hunger, dreams about food, the absence of feces in the intestinal contents after an enema, and the disappearance of plaque on the tongue.

The exit is carried out with the help of juices and fresh products of the fruit and vegetable group, with an increase in dosage and concentration. Compliance with the rules will allow you to do this painlessly and consolidate the positive results of fasting on water.

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Fasting every other day on water

There are two main types of fasting: dry and water. The method when fasting days alternate with "non-fasting" days is called cascade. Non-standard fasting every other day on water is considered simple and accessible even for beginners, and gives a lasting result. The main thing is to follow the stages, competently begin and end the cascade. The crisis, which confirms the fact of cleansing from accumulated toxins, occurs after 3-4 days.

In long-term cascade fasting on water, stages are distinguished, it consists of the following: how many days you fast, so much you eat. The calculation is incremental; the procedure scheme is as follows: from 1/1 (the first stage) - to 5/5 (the fifth).

Water fasting using the cascade method is gaining worldwide popularity due to the fact that liquid is not limited in such a diet. But there are subtleties concerning the quality of water and products allowed on the days of "respite" from hunger. Thus, experts do not recommend drinking mineral and distilled water, products with preservatives and dyes, unhealthy food, alcohol.

The daily menu is calculated for 4-5 meals of 200 g each, water is drunk half an hour before meals. 1-2 times a day you can have a snack of unsweetened fruits.

When starting fasting, you need to set yourself up for positivity and success. When leaving the diet, pay attention to the following:

• Drink boiled water cooled to room temperature.
• Take herbal baths.
• Include low-fat protein and fermented milk products no earlier than two days later.
• Prepare dietary meat, light soups from fish and poultry.
• When you return to your normal diet, reduce your portion sizes compared to before.

It is recommended to follow such a diet up to three times a year. And after it, to consolidate the result, continue to monitor that the food is healthy and useful, control not only the quality, but also the quantity of food.

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Water fasting according to the lunar calendar

The moon influences a person in every possible way, which has been known since prehistoric times. Fasting in relation to the lunar calendar is based on the fact that the lunar phases can help regulate weight. The method is called Ekadashi. Its advantage is that you do not need to constantly limit yourself in food, subjecting the body to stress; it is enough to do it on favorable days. That is, fasting on water is practiced on special days of the lunar calendar.

• As is known, the moon goes through four phases, each of which has a special effect on a person. For example, transitional days (there are four of them per month) are tense and unfavorable for physical and mental activity; they are made unloading days, because food is poorly digested at this time. On such days, you should not start something new, including a diet, you should not get nervous over trifles and perceive the surrounding reality philosophically.

The new moon is also not favorable for innovations, but at this time there is an active cleansing of the body. To avoid energy loss during the new moon phase, it is necessary to reduce physical activity, relax both the body and soul.

During the period of lunar growth, calories are actively stored, so you should limit fast carbohydrates and salt as much as possible, eat low-calorie foods and move more.

• The best time to start fasting is considered to be the full moon, when a person is full of strength and ready to give a lot of energy. During the full moon, the body's need for water increases, metabolism accelerates, and human performance improves.

The highest efficiency of fasting occurs with the waning of the moon. Excess fats, poisons and slags decrease as if together with the night light; appetite decreases, but the high need for drinking remains.

Water fasting according to the lunar calendar falls on the 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 20th, 25th, 29th days; drink only clean water and do not eat anything. You need a lot of water, up to 3 liters. But not more, so as not to overload the kidneys and not to wash out, along with toxins, components useful for the body.