Hi. So at first I was very sceptic. In fact I was convinced a 5 day water fast just can't be healthy: your body needs energy (calories, fat, etc.) to survive. So going without food for several days seemed simply crazy to me.
Then I started looking into it. Always eager to learn. And I learned about autophagy. There is an interesting video by Dr. Sten Ekberg btw. And now it all makes sense. And I want to try it.
Any tips for a complete newbie? Questions I have:
1. how many days do I try for my first time? (I currently do IF and eat 2 meals a day, just fyi)
2. am I really not allowed to eat anything at all? Not even one piece of fruit a day? (rethorical question, I know the answer, just double checking)
3. am I allowed to take my supplements? (I take usually vit D, mag, and zinc daily)
4. can I still go to the gym, or is it better to reduce physical activity during a fast?
Thank you.
Answer
- I would recommend going for 3 days and build up from there
- Nothing at all. Black Coffee, Tea, Water are all you should take in aside from what I listed below.
- You should supplement with magnesium, potassium, and iodized salt daily to keep your electrolytes up or you’re going to have a miserable time. You can supplement with a multivitamin, but they always give me a stomach ache.
- I do light cardio activity while fasting, would recommend against strength building as your body will catabolize existing protein to feed the muscles being worked on.
Source: I’ve been fasting a long time. I’m currently on day 23 of a month long fast.