What happens to the body during fasting?

In this article I would like to share my experience about one-day fasting on water. Tell us about the basic rules for carrying it out. Firstly, a one-day water fast means a 36-hour fast, and a day water fast means a 12-hour fast. In fact, there are few rules of conduct. The most important thing is a strong intention to start and continue. The rest will come on its own. Each person will have their own personal fasting experience that is unlike any other. But let's return to the rules of one-day fasting.

General information

Many people have some experience of fasting . Some had to refuse food for a certain period during the treatment process, others practiced short-term fasting in order to lose weight. But all those who, in pursuit of a specific goal, strive to give up food for some period of time, need to know how to do it correctly in order to benefit the body and at the same time not receive negative side effects. It is very important to analyze detailed information, learn everything about fasting, weigh the pros and cons, and only then proceed directly to the process. How to start fasting, what happens to the body during fasting, and how to properly get out of this state will be discussed in the article.

Fasting improves intelligence

During fasting, a phenomenon called ketosis occurs: during the onset of carbohydrate starvation of cells, the body begins to break down fat in order to provide nutrition. And according to Eric Verdin of the Gladstone Institute in San Francisco, this process leads to both an overall improvement in well-being and a positive effect on the brain. This is also confirmed by neurophysicist Mark Mattson from Johns Hopkins University. According to him, fasting has a direct positive effect on the activation of thought processes: bbc.com/worklife/article/20160930-can-giving-up-food-make-you-work-better.

Animal studies tell us the same thing: augusta.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/intermittent-fasting-attenuates-increases-in-neurogenesis-after-i. Thus, during fasting, the animals’ memory improved. This was noticed while observing laboratory mice in a maze. An increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampus, the center responsible for short-term memory, was also noted.

The total number of neurons in the brain also increased by 30%, meaning brain efficiency increased by about a third. Such effects suggest a reduction in the risk of dementia and an increase in stress resistance by strengthening the nervous system.

Why is this happening? Most likely, this is what nature intended. Hunger is stress: if the body feels that the process of consuming food has stopped, this may indicate that resources have run out, which means that you need to connect reserve capabilities to search for them. This may explain such an increase in the efficiency of brain activity: it is simply necessary from the point of view of the survival of the individual.

Why are people starving?

There are many reasons that encourage people to give up food for a certain period. Fasting is practiced for medicinal purposes, to cleanse the body, and for weight loss.

. But the essence of the process itself invariably remains one thing: in the process of refusing food, the body is rebuilt to function in new conditions.

If a person decides to give up food for a while and follows all the rules and practices complete or intermittent fasting, in this way he can solve many health problems. With the right approach to observing hunger, you can achieve the following results:

• improve overall well-being;
• look younger and fresher - this method is used to rejuvenate and improve the condition of skin and hair;
• stimulate brain function;
• lose weight and improve your figure;
• get rid of bad habits - quit smoking, drinking alcohol;
• switch to a healthier diet after fasting and overcome food addiction;
• cleanse the intestines and the body as a whole;
• improve laboratory parameters by reducing cholesterol and sugar levels;
• lower blood pressure and improve the condition of blood vessels, etc.

All these effects, of course, should be attributed to the benefits of the process of giving up food.

The benefits of therapeutic fasting for the body

Therapeutic fasting does not become a strong stress for the body if you approach the organization of such interval nutrition wisely. It’s not just people who want to lose weight who resort to fasting; weight loss is more of an added bonus. People who practice therapeutic fasting note a decrease in blood pressure, as well as some blood parameters, in particular,

cholesterol
and glucose
.

Psychologists also note the advantages of fasting in its flexibility. A person can switch to therapeutic fasting gradually, changing the length of the intervals. Since fasting does not involve fasting or a strict diet, it is emotionally easier to adhere to the chosen regime.

How long can a person fast?

Of course, everyone who intends to fast is interested in how many days they can fast without harm to their health. According to doctors, a healthy person can live without food for about a month, provided that he drinks water regularly. As for “dry” hunger, its duration is much shorter: without water you can die in 5-7 days.

But how long you can go without food is influenced by many factors - weight, health, climate, etc. These factors are also important in determining how often you can practice fasting periods. It is important to monitor how this process affects the body, and whether undesirable symptoms arise.

The world record for a period without food, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, was set by Agassi Vartanyan, who lasted 50 days without food. At that time, the man who spent the longest fast was 45 years old.

The essence of fasting

The essence of fasting is complete abstinence from food or abstinence from certain foods. At the same time, a person consumes clean water. An exception is the so-called dry fasting , in which drinking is not provided. But this technique is quite unsafe for health, so it should not be practiced for a long time without medical supervision under any circumstances.

Regular, “wet” fasting is practiced for varying amounts of time. At the same time, a person must consume water, which is vital for all processes in the body, in particular for its active cleansing of harmful substances. The most suitable in this case is distilled water.

It is very important that a person has a correct idea of ​​​​what is ahead of him. If you fast without clear goals for success, breakdowns and the wrong approach to this process are inevitable. Therefore, it is important not only to follow all the rules, but also to psychologically prepare yourself for refusing food.

Hunger is important not only for cleansing the body, but also for restructuring metabolic processes. The essence of hunger is a certain reboot of the body, which allows a person to subsequently feel much better.

But if we outline other goals of fasting, it is important to note that people decide to use this technique not only for general health, but also for spiritual improvement.

Dry fasting

A more severe method is dry fasting , that is, abstaining not only from food, but also from any liquid.

If you practice daily dry fasting, then in the end it will turn out to be longer, since you need to stop consuming liquid in the evening, and start in the morning of the day following the day of fasting. That is, the person will end up abstaining from water for about 36 hours. And this can provoke unpleasant sensations.

Dry fasting is a more serious challenge, so unprepared people are better off starting with a regular water fast.

Abstinence from food: harm and benefit

When answering the question of whether fasting is beneficial for the body, it is important to clearly weigh the pros and cons, understanding what happens in the body during the absence of food. In such a situation, the body gradually switches to internal support, using its own fat reserves to ensure vital functions. The intensity of metabolic processes at this time gradually decreases. Due to this effect, both certain benefits and harm to the body are noted.

Harm

Arguments about why fasting is harmful sound like this:

• With prolonged hunger, the body experiences very severe stress. In such a situation, bad cholesterol levels increase, and this is dangerous for health, since cholesterol plaques .
• In the process of abstaining from eating, the body uses up not only fat reserves, but also muscle tissue, which leads to a decrease in its amount. This is the answer to the question why, during hunger, the skin becomes flabby and wrinkles form.
• Prolonged hunger leads to deterioration of immunity , as a result of which the body can be attacked by viruses and bacteria.
• The longer a person fasts, the more intensely his hemoglobin . This leads to a decrease in the number of red blood cells , which determine the supply of oxygen to cells. That is why, during hunger, weakness, fatigue, deterioration of memory and attention often appear.
• The level of essential microelements and vitamins . This is unsafe for the liver, heart, blood vessels and other organs.
• Metabolic processes may be disrupted. Despite the fact that fasting in general is aimed at improving and normalizing metabolic processes, metabolism can be disrupted, and the body, “scared” by hunger, will later begin to actively accumulate fat. As a rule, this happens if you fast uncontrollably, too often and ignore the rules.
• Fasting may worsen the body's condition if a person is sick with chronic illnesses. In such a situation, in no case should such experiments be carried out on the body without the approval and subsequent supervision of a doctor.

Benefit

Without a doubt, with the right approach to fasting, there is a beneficial effect of this process on the body:

• Regular or combined fasting makes it possible to treat some diseases - inflammatory processes, gastrointestinal diseases. Proponents of this method remind us that with serious illnesses a person has no appetite, and during recovery it begins to return. This, in their opinion, indicates that in order to activate recovery, the body needs hunger, since it needs to direct energy to fight pathogens, and not to digest food.
• Healing hunger makes it possible to mobilize the body's reserve forces, thereby improving the functioning of all organs and systems. And if if you fast for too long, cholesterol levels can increase, then with proper fasting, both cholesterol levels and sugar levels decrease.
• Proponents of this method argue that in the process of abstaining from food, toxins and other harmful substances are actively removed from the body.
• Dosed hunger or abstinence from eating juices, honey, etc. makes it possible to lose extra pounds. Initially, in the absence of food entering the body, fat breakdown occurs. But if you fast incorrectly, weight loss will be replaced by the breakdown of muscle tissue, which must be taken into account.

Is it worth the risk?

Any diet or change in diet is stressful for the body. The level of this stress will depend on the diet conditions and the body's readiness. The final decision is up to you, but we will give some recommendations

:

• Consult a doctor first
  . Fasting, like other diets, has a set of contraindications, so first make sure you are not risking your health.
• Even if the restrictions are supposed to be relaxed, it is better not to start the experiment if you are sick
  or feel unwell, because the body will already be weakened by the fight against the disease. You can only make your condition worse.
• Don't ignore your body's signals
  . If after starting fasting you begin to feel frequent headaches, drowsiness and weakness, then stop the course. This lifestyle may not suit you. However, don't jump to conclusions. The body needs to be given a little time to adapt. Usually a few days are enough for this.
• On average, during a monthly course of therapeutic fasting you can lose 2-4 kilograms without additional effort, but if you want more tangible results, then you need to simultaneously increase your physical activity
  .

Types of fasting

Before starting this process, it is important to understand not only the purpose for which it will be carried out, but also what the difference is between treated hunger, fasting, diet, etc.

Medicinal

This type involves a complete refusal of any food or food and liquid (dry) for recovery. Throughout the entire period, a person does not eat, in this way cleansing the body and triggering the beginning of positive changes. The so-called dosed fasting is practiced to treat various diseases. Therapeutic fasting can be practiced at home, periodically consulting with a doctor.

Medical

This process is similar to therapeutic fasting, but it is carried out not at home, but in specialized medical institutions under the supervision of doctors. In the process of abstaining from food, a person also undergoes additional procedures: massage, water procedures, physiotherapy, etc. Doctors prescribe medical fasting if there are clear indications. Sometimes forced fasting is practiced due to certain pathologies and diseases.

Fast

Religious fasting differs from fasting, since modern people who observe it refuse only certain types of foods. However, previously fasting included periods of fasting, which some believers observe for several days even now. Fasting is aimed primarily at spiritual self-improvement. But people who observe it must also take care of breaking fast correctly so as not to harm the body.

Diet

This concept can be associated with both medicine and weight loss. This is a certain diet in which the consumption of certain types of foods is prohibited. Some diets are aimed at improving health (for example, after surgery), others are aimed at active weight loss (the total calorie content of food consumed per day is reduced). Sometimes people with chronic illnesses have to stick to a diet for life. The diet may include short periods of fasting on tea, etc.

Fasting with the consumption of certain types of foods

For certain types of hunger, certain foods are allowed to be consumed. In particular, fasting with fruit juices is practiced; on honey; with vegetable juices; with fruits, etc. There is also the so-called physically beneficial fasting, an adherent of which is the Soviet biologist Arakelyan, and other types of hunger.

Breaking out of a one-day water fast

Each person will have their own experience here. Competent sources recommend breaking a one-day fast with a salad of fresh cabbage and carrots. It will go like a brush throughout the body and clean out everything unnecessary. Personally, I prefer to eat a tasty apple, and after 2 hours you can eat as usual, but a light breakfast is preferable. A friend of mine does a one-day fast on Friday, so that on Saturday morning, without getting out of bed, she can eat a tangerine and fall asleep again for two hours. And after that, she says, she feels great. You can drink a glass of water with a teaspoon of lemon or honey 20 minutes before any meal.

On the day of breaking a one-day water fast, a light fruit and vegetable diet is recommended. Moreover, vegetables do not have to be raw. Vegetables can be boiled and baked (not fried), then they, together with morning fruits, will help maintain the body in its pristine purity. Paul Bragg recommends doing 36-hour and 12-hour water fasts once a week. It has been confirmed that after a year of such weekly fasting, many chronic diseases begin to go away.

Preparation

The period of preparation for hunger and the correct way out of it are just as important as the period of food refusal itself.

Entrance

In order not to disrupt the functioning of the digestive system and not to worsen the general condition of the body, you need to enter fasting gradually. Proper preparation for hunger is very important, so a person must clearly understand where to start this process. Ideally, before starting a fast, you should undergo a medical examination and obtain a doctor's report on your health status. During the period of entering hunger, it is necessary to drink a lot of clean water - the body must be saturated with liquid and get used to the fact that a person will consume a lot of water.

It is better not to drink coffee and tea during this period - you should introduce natural juices and herbal decoctions into the menu. Bad habits - smoking, drinking alcohol - should also be completely eliminated during this period. It is equally important to minimize the amount of salt, be sure to give up heavy foods that are difficult to digest, as well as all “harmful” foods - fast food, sweets, canned food, smoked meats. The diet should be as light as possible. It is important to observe the following rule: however long the fast will last, so much time must be spent preparing for this process.

For example, if a person’s plans include a one-day fast, then the day before it is worth eating only light vegetables and fruits throughout the day. If the hunger lasts for three days, then it is worth adjusting the menu for three days, consuming cereals and vegetables on the first day, vegetables and fruits on the second and third.

On the last day before starting the fasting process, you need to drink a laxative and lie on your right side on a warm heating pad. Cleansing before the actual fast will help increase the effectiveness of this method.

Experience shows that an equally important question is how to psychologically tune in to abstaining from food and enter into it without shock. It is much easier to endure this period if a person has sufficient information about hunger and its characteristics. Therefore, it is recommended to study the literature for beginners, which describes in detail how to properly begin this process.

Exit

An equally important step is breaking fast. At this stage, the cleansing processes in the body continue, and the final adaptation of metabolism occurs. If we are talking about prolonged fasting, it is especially important to exit this process correctly. Mistakes can cost a person his health and even his life. But even with a relatively short-term fast, you should adhere to the exit rules so as not to lose the results obtained and not to worsen your well-being. Therefore, the rule here is also simple: recovery from hunger should last no less than the period when the person abstained from eating. If the course lasts less than three days, the exit, as a rule, takes place without problems. For longer periods of hunger, you need to come out of it with extreme caution.

In no case should you pounce on food on the first day after hunger - this is fraught with a sharp deterioration in health. Heavy foods - protein dishes, starchy vegetables, baked goods - can only be eaten after complete recovery.

Exit schemes are described in detail in thematic sources. If we talk about them briefly, then on the first day it is recommended to drink juice diluted with water, then juice with pulp, eventually switching to liquid food. Gradually, porridge with water, softened dried fruits, etc. are introduced into the diet. You need to eat in small portions, chewing everything thoroughly. When answering the question of what the course of abstaining from food leads to, it is necessary to mention the fact that after this a person needs less food to feel full.

The recommendations note that after consuming food, a person coming out of hunger may feel weak and dizzy . This is how the body reacts to the need to digest food again. If such symptoms appear, you need to rest more and exercise less physically.

Exit

If you exit such a system incorrectly, then even a one-day period without food can significantly harm the body. It is very important to come out of hunger gradually so as not to burden the gastrointestinal tract by rushing from one extreme to the other. Therefore, in the morning after a fasting day, you should under no circumstances pounce on food.

It is best to start ending fasting in the evening, a day after it started. In the evening, you should first eat fresh vegetables or fruits. A smoothie or vegetable puree, as well as a vegetable salad, are suitable. For example, you can chop carrots and cabbage and season this salad with olive oil and lemon juice. This salad is the best option, as it allows you to cleanse the digestive tract well. In the evening, you can also cook stewed or baked vegetables and begin to overcome hunger and them. This evening you should not consume animal food - eggs, milk, meat.

Another rule is that you should never overeat. Portions should be small both on the evening of recovery from hunger and throughout the next day. In general, a one-day abstinence from food, among other things, is also aimed at reducing the amount of food consumed. It is very useful to drink herbal teas with the addition of a small amount of honey.

In the following days, you should try to eat a little less than usual. Over time, this will become a persistent habit. If hunger overcomes you, you should train yourself to eat smaller portions, but more often. It is also important to continue to drink enough fluids on “fed” days. It is advisable to consume up to two liters of water daily.

How to fast properly?

In the process of refusing food, it is important to adhere to a number of recommendations that will help you get the maximum effect from fasting.

• During this period, it is better not to overload physically, giving up intense sports, but at the same time be active - walk, do your usual activities. But you also need to rest quite a lot during this period.
• During periods of hunger, it is recommended to cleanse the intestines using enemas, flushing the intestines with saline solution . Those who are interested in what happens in the body during fasting need to know that toxins are very actively released through the intestines at this time. That is why it is recommended to cleanse the intestines every other day or every day, depending on the duration of fasting. If we are talking about a one-day fast, you can do without enemas.
• During periods of hunger, it is necessary to shower frequently to cleanse not only the internal organs, but also the skin. It is recommended not to use cosmetics at this time. If there are no contraindications, you can visit the sauna or bathhouse.
• It is recommended to meditate and experience pleasant emotions to avoid the harmful effects of stress.
• If you practice so-called juice fasting or apple fasting, you should drink only fresh juices and purees. Canned juices should absolutely not be consumed. As for what you can drink during severe hunger, in this case it is allowed to consume water with a small amount of lemon juice.
• The answer to the question is whether it is possible to take medications while fasting is negative. Those who want to get the maximum positive effect should not take medications during this period, if their health allows it. If you cannot do without medication, you should consult your doctor about the advisability of abstaining from food.

Who shouldn't fast?

Before starting the process, it is important to determine whether a person can fast and whether there are any certain restrictions for this procedure. You should not practice abstinence from food in the following cases:

• with exhaustion, anorexia ;
• with an active form of tuberculosis , malignant tumors, kidney and liver disorders;
• during pregnancy ;
• if the body is infected with a certain form of parasites;
• for psychoneurological diseases, as well as diseases of the nervous system.

If you abstain from food in such cases, the consequences for the body can be very sad.

Fasting: reviews and results

Despite the fact that in different sources you can find quite polar reviews about fasting, the following conclusion can be drawn from them: you can get tangible positive results if you carefully follow all the recommendations and correctly enter and exit this process. Cleansing the body allows people who practice intermittent fasting to look much younger and fresher, which is undoubtedly visible in the before and after photos.

Numerous diaries, which not only show photos, but also provide links to interesting videos, detail how people gradually entered into this process.

Many people claim that already during the first fast they managed not only to improve their health, but also to lose several kilograms in 2-3 days of fasting. Those who have already “entered” the system of intermittent fasting have much more pronounced results.

There are many reviews on how fasting helped cure serious illnesses. Famous people also talk about this. For example, actor Nikita Dzhigurda shared his impressions of how he managed to cure an ulcer with the help of hunger. Each thematic forum contains many similar stories, where fasting is discussed by both experienced people and those who only intend to practice it.

But the essence of most reviews boils down to one thing: abstaining from food is advisable only under medical supervision and very strict adherence to all recommendations.

Fasting helps you lose weight

This is the first and perhaps most obvious advantage. Fasting helps you lose extra pounds. Contrary to popular belief, extra pounds are not just fat, which in itself is not so harmful, except for the strain on the heart (we’ll talk about this below). But most often the problem is much more serious, and excess weight is caused by the presence of toxins.

The modern diet of most people, to put it mildly, leaves much to be desired, and this leads to the fact that the body simply cannot cope with the abundance of toxins that enter it with food. This leads to the fact that these toxins are not removed from the body, but are deposited wherever possible, and this leads to excess weight.

When losing weight, a person does not always lose weight quickly. This is determined by the metabolic rate. To speed up your metabolism, you need to combine fasting with physical activity. It is important not to overdo it - running 10 kilometers while fasting is clearly not worth it; even if food is regularly supplied to the body, it is a heavy load.

But 20-30 minutes of light physical activity a day can speed up your metabolism. Walking in the fresh air will also be beneficial. When we move, energy moves in the body, and this directly affects the rate of weight loss. Therefore, while fasting, lying in front of the TV is not the best idea.

Excess weight is not only not aesthetically pleasing, but, as mentioned above, it can be very detrimental to the cardiovascular system. This is evidenced by research results: www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-03/esoc-son031418.php. And this is quite logical: excess weight is always an additional burden on the heart. And this is far from the kind of load that can be useful, as with physical exercise.

Because during physical exercise this load is temporary, with subsequent opportunity for rest and recovery. In the case of excess weight, this is a constant load that simply wears out the heart. But this is just the “tip of the iceberg”. As mentioned above, excess weight is most often the cause of slagging in the body, and this can cause not only heart problems, but also many other diseases. Therefore, losing excess weight is an important task that fasting can help you cope with.