Water Fasting

Fasting is basically when you refrain from any food whatsoever. There are some variations, though. In some cases, you’re allowed to drink black coffee with no additives. In some cases, you’re recommended to add salt and minerals to your water to prevent electrolyte imbalance. Some people eliminate water and do the so-called dry-fasting. We’re going to talk about water fasting, where you can drink only water with no non-caloric beverages like black coffee and tea.

Water fasting involves only drinking water for a specified period. This method is often pursued for its potential health benefits and weight loss effects but must be approached with caution. 

To support your fasting journey, our Unimeal app offers the Fasting feature, which you can use for water fasting as well. 

Intermittent fasting

Fasting can be approached in different ways. Intermittent fasting, for instance, involves eating during specific windows, such as 14:10 or 16:8. 

These schemes of intermittent fasting are the most popular:

• 14:10 protocol is a relatively new approach to intermittent fasting that states you can still get positive results, including weight loss, if you eat all your meals in ten hours and fast for another 14 hours.
• 16:8 intermittent fasting protocol is the most popular one. According to this approach, you can eat for eight hours and fast for 16 hours of the day.
• The warrior diet or the 20:4 scheme. You eat for four hours and fast for the rest of the day.
• OMAD is an acronym for one-meal-a-day. Basically, you fast for 23 hours and have a one-hour eating window.
• Alternate day fasting. Eat every other day and fast the rest of the days.
• 5:2 intermittent fasting means that you eat as you usually do for five days of the week and fast or eat no more than 25% of your calories for another two consecutive days a week.

How to fast safely?

Preparing for a fast is crucial. About two weeks before starting, it's advisable to reduce or eliminate alcohol and caffeine and gradually decrease intake of heavy meats and processed foods. One week prior, portion sizes should be reduced, with a focus on fruits and vegetables, alongside increased water and salt intake. A day before the fast, focus on easily digestible foods and reduce calorie intake.

During the fast, hydration is key. Drinking water, possibly with added electrolytes, helps maintain balance. When ending a fast, it’s important to start with easily digestible foods like broths and smoothies to avoid refeeding syndrome.

A diet after water fasting

If you want to maintain your weight loss results after water fasting, you should follow these two rules: 

• Avoid the refeeding syndrome. Refeeding syndrome is one of the most dangerous things that can happen if you don’t get off your long fast the right way. This metabolic condition occurs because of the shifts in electrolytes and fluids that are possible after malnutrition. How to avoid it? Introduce foods slowly to your diet after fasting. Start with small amounts of vegetables, broths, or vegetable smoothies, and don’t end your fast with a massive meal of hard-to-digest foods.
  
  
• Don’t binge. Easier said than done. The thing is, fasting can increase the risks of binge eating disorder development which was proved by a 5-year prospective study on 496 adolescent girls. This is why fasting is prohibited for people with ED. That is also why you shouldn’t try it if you tend to overeat or binge eat.

Remember about the post-fast recovery, and don’t eat massive amounts of foods right after your fast is over.

Benefits and possible side effects

Potential benefits of water fasting include normalised blood pressure, temporary boosts in metabolism, and improved cognitive function. There is also evidence suggesting that fasting may enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and promote weight loss by utilising stored fat for energy.

However, there are potential side effects. These can range from mood swings, cravings, and physical symptoms like headaches and dizziness to hormonal changes and slower metabolism. Severe symptoms like persistent dizziness or extreme weakness are signs to stop fasting and seek medical advice. 

❗️Our biggest concern about prolonged fasting is that people often use it as a quick fix for weight loss or after massive overeating. If these are your motives to try water fasting, just know that this is not the solution! So, please, if you’re prone to binge eating, if you tend to overeat, or if you have any disruptive eating habits, don’t use fasting for weight loss.

Another thing you should consider is that water fasting is not for everyone. For example, it might do more harm than good to people with diabetes and low blood pressure. It is surely not recommended for pregnant women, children, and people who have had or still have eating disorders. Fasting is prohibited for people with kidney stones or renal insufficiency. The only person who can tell if you will benefit from prolonged water fasting is your health provider. Consult your doctor before trying prolonged water fast.