Have you heard about water fasting? Are you wondering if it works?
This newest intermittent fasting trend is easy enough to follow as long as you have the willpower. It even has some potential benefits that may interest the fitness-minded among us.
However, before you choose to go on a water fast, you’ll need to know as much as possible about this specific diet. Thankfully, our experts at My Fit Foods have cleared up all of the misconceptions here.
What Is Water Fasting?
Although some cleanses have fancy names that leave you wondering what they’re all about, water fasting is more upfront about what’s going on. This fast literally involves drinking just water and no food intake at all for a short-term period. A one-day water fast is one of the most common forms of water fasting, with alternate-day fasting being another option that many choose.
Luckily, there’s no requirement when it comes to only drinking a certain type of bottled water. Some people reach for mineral water over spring water due to the extra nourishment that the water provides.
There are also no regulations on how much water intake you should have each day during the fast. With that said, going beyond the standard requirement of six to eight full glasses of water per day is necessary to keep you properly hydrated. After all, you receive some of your fluids daily from foods; without them, you risk dehydrating.
So, it’s important to drink more water than you usually would in order to remain properly hydrated throughout your fast.
What About Other Beverages?
It’s clear that eating during a water fast is not allowed, but what about enjoying other things to drink? Can you have a cup of tea or coffee? What about soda, juice, and other options?
Since water fasting is fairly restrictive, you can’t have any of these fun little drinks. You can only drink unflavored water (except for mineral water, which has a slight natural mineral flavor to it). On the upside, this means that you’ll detox from caffeine and sugar during your water fast.
How Long Should You Follow a Water-Fasting Diet?
Water fasting requires quite a bit of willpower. After all, you have to go for some time without eating any food. With that said, it isn’t safe to water fast for more than three days, as you could end up damaging your health.
Most people follow this fast for between 24 and 72 hours, with 48 hours being the average length of time. This is just long enough to see all of the benefits of the fast without having to deal with any of the potential health issues that it may bring about.
After Your Water Fast Ends
One of the potential issues post-water fast is the possibility that you may end up with refeeding syndrome. This is a condition where your body’s electrolytes begin to shift in an extreme manner. It leads to metabolic and hormonal changes that can have fatal consequences. The longer you follow a water fast, the more likely you are to develop this health condition.
In order to avoid refeeding syndrome, you need to start reintroducing carbohydrates, fat, and protein slowly after your fast ends. For the first two to three days, drink broth and smoothies and eat small meals of fruits and veggies to raise your blood sugar levels. Then, slowly work your way up to larger meals.
The more careful you are, the less likely you are to get sick after your water fast. Working with medical supervision is the best way to avoid illness; a medically supervised water fast is easier on your body and is fully based on medical advice.
Are There Health Benefits of Water Fasting?
Water fasting has a number of advantages. While you’ll need a lot of willpower to avoid eating for several days, only drinking water during that time period, you’ll find that the following benefits can outweigh the hunger pangs and cravings.
(Still, we don’t necessarily recommend this severe diet … but more on that later.)
Autophagy
The cells in your body tend to stick around, even if they are old and damaged. It’s believed that the accumulation of these damaged and aging cells can affect your immune system and lead to various types of cancer, as well as heart disease, and increased chances of ending up with Alzheimer’s as you age. There’s also a possible connection between damaged and aging cells and other chronic diseases.
The process of cleaning out these old cells is called autophagy. Going on a water fast can stimulate the autophagy process, which takes the damaged cells and recycles them into new ones. However, it’s important to talk to a dietitian or other medical professional before undertaking a water fast for this purpose.
Lower Blood Pressure
If you have a history of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, then two common methods can help lower it: Drinking more water is the first, and eating less salt is the second.
Both of these take place during a water fast, where you’ll just be getting enough water to stay hydrated while not eating anything, especially salty foods.
Losing Weight for Greater Health and Well-Being
Weight gain leads to a number of potential health issues, including diabetes and heart disease, both of which can have deadly consequences. Following a water fast — even if for a few days here and there — leads to weight loss. And any fitness buff knows that weight loss has plenty of benefits for the body, like improved mobility and improved mood.
Detoxing from Sugar, Caffeine, and More
Modern high-calorie diets typically consist of sugary treats and drinks, plenty of caffeinated beverages, and other things that simply aren’t good for you in large amounts. In the long run, these foods and drinks can lead to increased body fat and overall body weight.
It’s the price of living in a high-paced society where you need to get a lot of things done and need enough fuel to do so, right?
Actually, ingesting sugar and caffeine, while okay in small amounts, can lead to plenty of health issues over time and sabotage an otherwise healthy diet. If you want to detox from them, water fasting will do the job.
Since you’ll drink nothing but water for several days, your body will adjust to not having caffeine and sugar, leaving you in a healthy, detoxed state.
Issues With Water-Only Fasting: Potential Effects To Know About
While water fasting can have benefits — as it helps you detox, lose weight, lowers your chances of several medical conditions, and more — there are some downsides.
It’s important to keep them in mind before you choose to undergo a water fast, as well as watch for any potential symptoms during the fast itself.
Hyponatremia
Did you know that there’s such a thing as having too much water in your system? This condition is called hyponatremia, which happens when you drink too many liquids in a short time.
Your body naturally contains salt. When you exercise, you need to replace the salt stores and liquids that you sweated out.
If you only have water (and too much of it), you’ll end up throwing your electrolytes out of balance. The condition can have serious consequences and is one reason we don’t recommend a fully water-based fast.
Various Physical Side Effects
On top of the potential for hyponatremia, there are a number of physical symptoms that may occur during a water fast. The abrupt loss of things like sugar and caffeine, particularly if you ingest a lot of them daily, can cause:
- Headaches: Not drinking caffeinated beverages can lead to headaches that make it tough to focus on anything around you.
- Dizziness: You may feel dizzy once you start your water fast. Thankfully, this symptom usually fades quickly.
- Nausea: The withdrawal period that you go through after cutting out sugar may make you feel nauseated.
- Stomach Issues: If you start eating too many foods at once after your fast ends, you could end up with constipation and other stomach issues.
- Inability to Focus: Headaches and brain fog tend to go hand in hand once you start a water fast. This is due to the sudden lack of nutrients that your body has to get used to.
Inability To Work Out
Due to the possibility of ending up with hyponatremia, as explained above, you won’t be able to exercise at home or hit the gym during your water fast. As you learned, you’ll run the risk of sweating out the salt your system needs to function properly (and it won’t be replaced since you’re just drinking water).
Even beyond that, you may not have the energy required anyway, thanks to the lack of nutrients going into your body. So, this type of fasting is a time to take a little break from the exercise train.
Weight loss and fitness are about the marriage of healthy eating and exercise — and water fasting prevents you from both of those commonly agreed-upon tenants.
Who Shouldn’t Water Fast?
Although water fasts are a great way to lose a little weight, detox your system, and cause autophagy, they aren’t for everyone.
If you’re diabetic, are recovering from an eating disorder, have an active eating disorder, or have a history of heart conditions, then it’s important to check with your healthcare professional before attempting a water fast.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so reach out to a medical professional before starting.
If you have any questions about water fasting or anything else for that matter, please contact us!
Sources:
What is Water Fasting? | Very Well Fit