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Fasting For a Purpose: A Five Day Water Fast

You have decided to embark on your first five-day water fast! Congratulations! You may be experiencing many fears surrounding this. These fears are mainly because of all the unknowns. How will l feel? What can I expect each day? My best advice is to set your healing intentions and write them down. Focus on them, and truly believe that this is going to help you on your journey to feeling amazing!

‘Start the practice of self-control with some penance; begin with fasting.’ – Mahavira

In this piece, we are going to focus primarily on the positive changes occurring in your body each of the five days, and we will mention some of the symptoms you may experience, so you know what you are feeling is expected. This will hopefully help to motivate you and keep you going throughout the five days! Keep in mind that everyone experiences different symptoms.

If a full-on water fast seems too intimidating for you, we have another option to help you ease into fasting. It’s called The Fasting Mimicking Diet. With this option, you are provided with the right amount of food to mimic fasting, and you still get many of the health benefits associated with fasting.

Join my FB group: Fasting for a Purpose. You can expect to receive an abundance of knowledge and support. It is a great place to share your journey with hundreds of other people who are also embarking on either a water fast or the Fasting Mimicking Diet, just like you! Have faith, stay strong, and read on!

What to expect on day one of a water fast:

Positive changes are occurring in the body on day one, even if you feel really hungry and irritable. Hang on through this, the body is slowly adjusting to these changes. The body is already switching its energy from digesting to healing. You are resting your digestion, and this is a good thing!

On day one of a five-day water fast, you may experience:

  • Significant white or yellowness in the tongue (I’ve even seen black with some people). This is a normal reaction to detoxing. The tongue changes can occur on any day during these (5) days, and the colors can change as well.
  • Your body will start to make more ketones. If you converted yourself to ketosis prior to the fast, you should be pretty fat adapted. Therefore, ketones may even rise faster for you on that first day!
  • Rashes are normal as well. Expect these anomalies and don’t be intimidated by them.

*Always check in with your doctor before stopping any medication. Some medications may still be needed, such as diabetic, and thyroid medications. These are okay to continue to take while fasting. With may find you need to take less of some medications. Always consult with your Doctor before changing doses or stopping a medication.

*Please note: very neurotoxic people (Lyme disease, heavy metals, autoimmune conditions, cancer etc.) may need a coach throughout this process-these people may not feel better during the fast and would benefit from following my multi-therapeutic approach, with a coach.

What to expect on day two of your water fast:

“Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast.” – Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

relaxation

Here are 5 amazing things that start to happen on day 2 of your fast:

  1. Cellular Autophagy: The body is getting rid of the ‘bad stuff’, specifically white blood cells that have been around for too long.
  2. Rise in stem cells: your body creates new white blood cells and gets rid of bad proteins in the muscle, stem cells replace those tissues. Muscle fibers heal and adapt much faster.
  3. Reset DNA: We all have certain bad genes that are turned on. Fasting turns these off the most (obesity genes, allergy etc.).
  4. Reset microbiome: There is a change in cravings, and a change of the ratio of good/bad bacteria, to help with losing weight and keeping it off.
  5. Rests the Gastrointestinal Tract. Struggling with digestive issues? Resting digestion will give it the time it needs to begin healing.

On day two of a five-day water fast, you may experience:

  • More hunger and irritability-there are physiological reasons for irritability: your glucose will be lower, and you are not yet fat adapted.
  • You may experience a lack of brain functioning and increased brain fog. Your brain loves ketones, but ketones are not high enough yet. They will continue to rise throughout the fast, and you will feel better, give it time.
  • You may start lacking energy, especially if you are not used to fasting, or are not in a ketogenic state.

Hold tight! Day three is often when most people begin to feel better, as they are now making more ketones and able to start utilizing them as well.

What to expect on day three of your water fast:

Here are some things going on in your body during day three!

  • Your ketones will continue to rise on day 3. Your brain loves ketones! Ketones fix the brain. This is why we use them for seizures, neurodegenerative conditions, dementia, and Parkinson’s. Ketones help to downregulate cellular inflammation, heal the gut, and also reset the DNA.
  • Hormone optimization: You start to get a growth hormone spike on day 3. On day 5 you will get the highest spike of growth hormone, but the hormones will begin to spike today. On day 3 you get more sensitive to all your hormones, and you may begin to feel better!
  • You should start overcoming headaches, weakness, and shakiness! Woohoo! It’s about time!
  • The body raises up the stem cells and knocks down the overreaction of autoimmunity.
  • You may have unexplained pains, meaning healing is occurring. For example, if you have an old knee injury, you may experience pain sensations in that knee. The body is ‘retracing’ or going back through old injuries and trauma and healing.
  • You may have increased energy and creativity: Remember, your body is no longer focusing on digesting food. It can shift the focus to other areas, and direct its energy on healing. This can give you a whole new level of clarity that you have not yet experienced.
  • Hormonal changes may occur, as the microbiome re-sets. Big changes are happening!

You may feel colder than usual. Why are you cold? It’s normal to be cold! Hormone levels may go down, but the cells become more sensitive to your hormones. Fasting lowers T3 thyroid hormone, (innate intelligence playing out here) to spare your muscle. So we feel cold! The body knows exactly what it is doing. Although T3 lowers, the body is more sensitive to smaller amounts of hormone. Its able to utilize the hormones available.

  • Autophagy is in high gear! Bad cells are being destroyed.
  • Hormone optimization: You start to get a growth hormone rise on day 3 of the fast.
  • On day 3 you get more sensitive to all your hormones, and you begin to feel better.

Words of advice on those tracking ketones:

Don’t use urine ketone strips for accurate ketone measurements. Remember, your body is now using your ketones, so they won’t show in the urine. Ketones circulating in the blood may climb up at first, and then lower some as you are actually utilizing them in your body. Breath ketones are better because it shows the oxidized ketones or ketones you are actually using. You may notice ketones in your urine in the beginning, but remember your brain starts using them, so you don’t want to keep seeing them in your urine as you progress through the fast.

Your glucose to ketone ratio should be at a 1:1 ratio (millimoles per liter-can convert online) today. Tumors started shrinking massively with a 1:1 glucose to ketone ratio. This ratio also helps to achieve higher levels of autophagy. Sometimes ketones will register high, and glucose will be lower. Stress can raise glucose, but you should see a trending down of glucose and rise of ketones.

As for glucose, according to keto researcher Prof. Thomas Seyfried, the “target zone” is when glucose numbers are in the 60s with ketones 3.0 mmol/L or more. Hitting the target zone is telling towards the destruction of bad cells. If these numbers are showing up, the body is cleansing those bad cells in just fashion.

What to expect on day four of your water fast:

  • Continued autophagy and new stem cell growth.
  • The continued drop in glucose and rise in ketones.
  • Continued hormone optimization.
  • Increased levels of energy and better brain functioning.
  • An overall sense of well-being.
  • Decreased cravings, hunger, and irritability.
  • Cortisol increases glucose. Some ways to combat this? Don’t overtrain, increase your intentional prayer/meditation, or focus towards healing.

What are some signs you may need to break the fast sooner?

  • Tongue turns back to pink? Time to stop.
  • Hunger returns? Time to stop.
  • If you stop losing weight for 1-2 days? Time to stop.
  • When breath stops stinking and detox reactions are gone? Time to stop.
  • Fatigue that lasts beyond a single day? Time to stop.

Innate intelligence knows when to tell you to stop!

What’s going on with my sleep?

sleep loss during water fast

Sleep disturbances are common for the first few days. Hunger pangs can keep you up, and all the changes taking place can be disruptive to your circadian rhythm and sleep cycle. However, this should subside. Are you still having difficulty with sleep on day 4? Sleep is one of the things we look at for a diagnosis of neurotoxic illness. If your sleep is still disrupted on day 4, I recommended working with a practitioner to dig deeper. Disrupted sleep is also a sign your body is releasing toxins. So hang in there!

Remember, with every subsequent fast you get better, and feel better faster. Your sleep may not be good on this one, but the next it will be better. Just like pains will come and go as the body is getting better, so will sleep.

What to expect on day five of your water fast:

Yay! You made it to Day 5. Give yourself a big hug. Hopefully, you are feeling amazing at this point!

What to Expect for Day 5:

  • Stem cell production in high gear today (on day 6 when you feed the stem cells, the body will heal and create new white blood cells!)
  • Ketones may begin to drop, glucose may slightly raise
  • Massive growth hormone rise (goes up every day, but the highest surge is on day 5), and puts you in a fat burning mode for the next 36 hours to replace the glucose.

Break the Fast Safely!

Before you jump at the chance to throw a weeks’ worth of nutrition down your throat, remember that you’ve just been in extensive, quiet healing: the digestive tract is still in rest mode. A gentle transition is a key to getting best results from the fast and avoiding undermining efforts. My next piece will focus on how to safely break a fast, and what foods to introduce after fasting. In the meantime, check out my Fasting For a Purpose Facebook page and watch my videos to learn more about how to carefully break a fast!

References:

  1. Noboru, M. & Masaaki, K.(2011). Autophagy: Renovation of Cells and Tissues. Cell, Volume 147, Issue 4, 11 November 2011, Pages 728-741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.026

  2. Chia-Wei C,  Gregor B.A., & Laura P. et al. Prolonged Fasting reduces IGF-1/PKA to promote hematopoietic stem cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression. Cell Stem Cell. 2014 Jun 5; 14(6): 810–823.
    doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2014.04.014

  3. Trayhurn, P., Thomas, M. & Duncan J.S. et al. (1995). Effects of fasting and refeeding on ob gene expression in white adipose tissue of lean and obese (ob/ob) mice. Science Direct. Volume 368, Issue 3, 24 July 1995, Pages 488-490. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-5793(95)00719-P

  4. Kohl, K.D., Amaya, J. & Passement, C.A. et al. (2014). Unique and shared responses of the gut microbiota to prolonged fasting: a comparative study across five classes of vertebrate hosts. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. Volume 90, Issue 3. December 2014, Pages 883-894. https://doi.org/10.1111/1574-6941.12442.

  5. Halberg N., Henriksen M. &  Söderhamn N et al. (2005). Effect of intermittent fasting and refeeding on insulin action in healthy men.  J Appl Physiol (1985). 2005 Dec;99(6):2128-36. Epub 2005 Jul 28. DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00683.2005

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Wioletta

    Hello,
    I have Hashimoto and I take 60 mg of Desiccated Thyroid medication. Can I do water fast? If yes, should I take or not my medication during that time?

    Reply

    • Hello Wioletta,

      I would suggest reading our article about fasting with thyroid conditions-‘Fasting and Thyroid Conditions: Is it Possible?’. You need to speak with your practitioner regarding your medications.

      Reply

      • Lance

        I seem To have missed a lot of info. Is this literally just water and no lead in to a 5 day fast, previously I’ve done a week to 3 weeks of fasting for 18hrs a day then that leads to a 3 day water only fast. Where can I find out more about this particular fast, seems quite abrupt to go straight into 5 days of no food at all.

        Reply

        • Ashley Smith

          Dr. Pompa has been coaching people for the past month or so to prepare. 🙂 Becoming fat adapted is key.

          Reply

    • Lilly

      From my practice I asked my doctor. He said yes you can do water fast just continue to take Synthroid. I finished my first 5 day water fast week ago. YES I did it.

      Reply

    • Carole

      Yes I have hashimoto’s I fast monthly for 3 to 5 days. I continue to take my armour thyroid in the morning. I also add mct oil the first two days of my fast to my black coffee (1 8 Oz cup a day)

      Reply

    • Hello Jennifer,

      Yes, you can begin a fast without being in ketosis. However, being in ketosis can help prevent symptoms while fasting because your body has an increased amount of ketones to use for energy.

      Reply

    • Lisa

      I’m on day four and not feeling good. Super dry mouth, dizzy sometimes when I stand up, pee was yellow now it is not and tired too. I did take a little sole, salt infused water. Did that break my fast and if not can I take it again? I think it helped a little. I’ve done plenty of 5 day fasts in the past and never felt like this.

      Reply

  5. I’ve been fasting and supervising fasting in a dedicated facility in Africa as a Medical practitioner for about 40 years now. Indeed a powerful tool. Unfortunately it does not make money for the pharmaceutical industry so gets little publicity in the medical press which is largely financed by these firms. Anyway, I have fasted for a minimum of 30 hours, up to 8 days at a time, once a week. Amongst all my patients I have a hard time finding anyone as healthy as me at this age…

    Thank you for this article!

    Reply

  6. Renee

    Both myself and sister are not seeing any videos since the first day the Fast was to begin. Is everything okay with everyone?!?

    Reply

  7. Bradly

    I am trying to figure out what type of fast I should do. I am 5’11” and 150 lb. I have 10% body fat and am very active. I have a high metabolism and find it very hard to gain any weight. I was 155ish and did a detox for a week and lost 5lb which I haven’t recovered. I am afraid of losing more weight but wanted the benefits of fasting and ketosis. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      Have you done any intermittent fasting, Bradley? Are you looking to gain some weight? I would aim for high fat, and don’t worry about lowering your carbs too much as long as they are mostly veggies and clean starches like sweet potatoes. Dr. Pompa’s motto: Don’t eat less, eat less often. 🙂

      Reply

  8. christin friederich

    Hello. Just a three quick questions.
    1. Are you allowed to add exogenous source of ketones like Pruvit to this fast.

    2. Is one 8oz black cup of bulletproof brand or purity coffee;or an organic green tea permitted or will it ruin everything?

    3. Lastly, I already get complaints from my husband that I have “keto-breath” from ketogenic lifestyle; will this fast help this eventually go away or am I doomed to live with this “condition” forever? I feel extremely self-conscious when seeing patients in the office now :(.

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      Hi Christin!
      1. Dr. Pompa does not recommend exogenous ketones during your fast. You shouldn’t need them, and they will stimulate your digestion during the fast, which is not what you want to do.
      2. Dr. Pompa does not recommend coffee or tea. A water fast is simply water only. It won’t “ruin everything” if you had a cup of black coffee or tea, but we’re just keeping to the technical term of what a water fast consists of, and that’s only water.
      3. The side effects of Keto definitely wear off as you become fat adapted. It’s intense at first, but your keto breath will eventually subside.

      Reply

      • christin friederich

        Wow thank you for the great information. One more question . My spouse wants to join in on the water fast. He’s on an antidepressant he’s taken daily for the last 10yrs. Our local physician wasn’t very helpful & seem to know a lot about fasting etc so it wasn’t very helpful. All we got was a blank stare and the comment of “why would you want to do that?!” LOL. I know you cannot give out “medical advice” per se; but if he continues to take it daily how could this effect the fast & would the fast still be beneficial? I am most concerned about the toxins the liver will release from being on this medication for so long. Thoughts?

        Reply

        • Ashley Smith

          As you mentioned, we really can’t advise when asked about medication. Fasts can still be beneficial while on meds, but please make your doctor aware, regardless of his understanding of the concept of fasting. You can also work closely with Dr. Pompa or one of his certified health coaches who can better monitor things. http://www.drpompacoaching.com

          Reply

  9. Rick

    HI, I am concerned about the release of toxins into the body during the detoxification effect of a 5 day fast. Should we take a binder or Dr. Pompas fast tonic trio during a 5 day water fast?

    Reply

  10. Susie Rose

    I cannot find any information on why my LDL cholesterol increased 61% and my Triglycerides increased 105% after a 5 day water-only fast. I only had water. I had the blood work done on day 5 after about 115 hours of fasting. I am a very healthy person who did the fast to reboot the system. I was curious what it would do. I feel great and the experience was what I expected. I just do not know why LDL and Triglycerides spiked that much.

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      It can be a normal, inflammatory response which will lessen the more you fast. Sometimes our numbers and symptoms appear to get worse before they get better. That can be part of healing. Best of luck!

      Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      How long are you planning to fast for? For a typical 5 day fast, you can definitely stop, and it’s best to give your digestion a break. CytoDetox, BIND, and Fastonic are the only supplements recommended on a water fast.

      Reply

  12. sophia

    Hi. I have tried a few water-only fasts and several juice-fasts, some as long as 14 days, so I would think my body is used to them now. But, I always have a problem with sleep. :/ When I fast, I can’t fall asleep and I don’t stay asleep. I have researched why extensively and have tried taking magnesium glycinate (for salt loss), L-Tryptophan (for serotonin and melatonin), GABA, magnesium salt baths and finally melatonin which will knock me out for 3-4 hours, but I still wake, usually dehydrated. By comparison, when not fasting, I easily fall asleep and stay that way for 7-8 hours. I love fasting, but need to sleep! Any thoughts? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      Sadly, that is the plight of any seasoned water faster! Your body has so much extra energy freed up from not having to digest anything, that you’ll find that you naturally need less sleep during a fast. Also, if you’re waking up dehydrated, try to drink some warm salted water before bed. That may help!

      Reply

  14. Jae

    I have been dry fasting (no water or food) for over 24 hours. I came across this website and am encouraged to go longer. My question is since I have not had water, does it put me further along with your fast?

    Reply

      • Jae

        Any advice on breaking this dry fast? My thoughts were buying alkaline water (I guess i’ll go to trader Joe’s? Any particular brand) and maybe making egg drop soup with salt, green onion, bok choy, mushrooms, and maybe chicken broth? This is my first time doing this, and I feel very empowered and motivated. My goal is also to stay in ketosis for the remainder of this month, bringing in a healthy new year. Thank you

        Reply

        • Ashley Smith

          That sounds like a very gentle and comforting choice. I would skip the egg, only for the first day. Try to stick to well cooked veggies and broth. Avocado is also a great choice. Keep your calories low on the first day, maybe around 500. Day 2, go ahead and add an egg id you’d like. Good luck, and congrats!!

          Reply

          • Ashley Smith

            Yes, fruits have too much sugar and raw produce (including veggies) are way too harsh to digest your first day off a fast. Animal protein is also a little too difficult on your digestion. A bit of baked fish would be much better than, say, beef or chicken- but for your first meal I’d try to avoid it. Stick to cooked veggies, broths, and healthy fats like avocado.

  15. I am halfway into a five-day water fast. I have done a four-day water fast before–a few months ago. This time is am adding 580 mg sodium (about 25% daily value) and 1050 mg potassium (about 30% daily value) to my water. I have wondered if hyponatremia (sodium too low in blood) is ever an issue with water fasting. Thanks for all the great information in the post.

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      Just be sure to add enough mineral rich salt to your water, and you should be fine! But please stop your fast and speak to your primary practitioner if you’re feeling unsure about it.

      Reply

      • Ivelina

        Hi, Ashley! I’d like to ask how much salt is good to add to the water. I use celtic salt. I did my first water fast few weeks ago and it was for 36 hours. Then I did 60 hours and now I am doing 36 hours every week and I like it. I have always been pretty thin (108 pound) and I will increase the fasting days slowly. I will do three days in the beginning of January. Hopefully will reach the 5 days fast in few months. Thank you Dr Pompa for the great article and the inspiration!

        Reply

  16. Kristin

    This is an excellent article that explains what to expect during an extended fast. Is there a way that you could add an option to print the article in pdf? I would love to print it out so that it would be handy for me to read during my future fasts.

    Reply

  17. MG

    Hi, I have read as many articles as I can on this site and am looking to do a 5 day water fast. I just need to know what I need to take alongside the water to make it safe? I have pink Himalayan salt and Celtic sea salt, but is it enough to just add salt to my water for the 5 days? I am in the UK so it is much harder to get the BIND. Any suggestions? I appreciate your help. I just want to get it right and just need to know exactly what I need to do. Many thanks.

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      all you really “need” for a water fast is good water and some sea salt- about 1-2 teaspoons a day. It shouldn’t be more complicated than that if you don’t want it to be. 🙂
      Good luck!

      Reply

  19. Rami F

    Hello everyone, I would like to embark on my first 5 day water fast I’m actually excited. However I do have a couple of questions, in his YouTube video about intermittent fasting DR. Pompa does talk about a 7 days water fast with Isolated protein or beef stock, does anyone have any more elaborate information about any of that. Or is it really just a 5 or 7 day water only fast. Also I do heavy weight lifting and also I train Thai Boxing which is heavy cardio, should continue training while on my water fast, I don’t wanna collapse. Please advise and thank you in advance for your help.

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      It is not advised to have strenuous workouts during your water fast. Day 4 it’s ok to go a little harder, but the rest of the fast, please be gently. Walking is great.

      Reply

      • Rami F

        Thank you Ashley, how about the Isolated Protein or Beef Stock part, do you have any elaborate information about that?

        Thank you

        Reply

  20. Lilly

    Thanks for all good teaching videos you have on Dr.Pompa. They helped me to do my first 5 days water fast. Before I even could not finish second day. LOL How would you know if you can do water fast longer than 5 days? How often you can go on water fast again? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      Happy this is working for you! Your body will tell you if it can keep going. It’s not recommended to do an extended water fast more than once per month.

      Reply

  21. Taylor

    How often can you 5 day fast generally? Is every couple months too much? Or is only doing it a couple times a year beneficial? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      A couple of times of year is very beneficial! Some people do one every month, and that would be the max frequency I’d suggest.

      Reply

  22. Lindsey

    Every time I try to do a water fast I start getting nausea end of day two and start puking end of day three that makes it hard to continue on a fast. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  24. Eileen Iarossi

    Can I do a water fast while I am doing Dr. Pompa’s body phase detox? Should I do one and then the other? Also, does the body phase detox have instructions that discusses what type of diet I should be on? It doesn’t say anything on the product description. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      Yes, you can fast during the body phase, but pause the supplements for those 5 days. Diet is geared toward fat adaptation – low carb, low sugar. whole foods.

      Reply

  25. Amanda

    hi,
    I am day 3 fasting today. Can I use charcoal as a binding agent during the fast to get rid of the toxins?

    Reply

  26. Allan Lamothe

    Ashley, I am an 80 year old man 5′ ll” 197 lbs ( was 230 ) and have been 18 hour fasting twice a week for the past 2 months. I am active and a fast paced walker 5 days a week. I enjoy strenuous yard work. So, I am wondering if this prolonged fast could be beneficial for me?

    Reply

  27. V

    Hi there! I’ve been doing 18-20 hr daily fasts for 7 months now. Still breastfeeding my 10 month old. Can I do a 5 day fast whilst breastfeeding?

    Reply

  30. Kim

    Ok, I have my Fasting Trio purchased and am ready to do a 5 day water fast. Can you please tell me when and how to take all 3. How much? What time of day? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Ashley Smith

      You can put the Fastonic in your water (2-4x a day), so just drink it as you would when you are thirsty.

      Follow the directions of the CytoDetox (.5-1ml 2-3x a day under your tongue), and take away from other supplements for 30 minutes.

      And take the BIND away from all supplements for at least 2 hours. 2-4 at Bedtime is great for at least one dose. Some people like to take it AM and PM.

      Reply

  31. David

    I started fasting and am taking cytodetox during the fast as well as Quicksilvers Ultra Binder. I believe it’s similar to Bind so am I safe to assume this is ok to take during the fast?

    Reply

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