Dry Fasting: the Hows and Whys
What is dry fasting?
Dry fasting is exactly what it sounds like: no food or water for an extended period of time (up to 24 hours). At first glance, this might sound torturous. I thought so at first, but after trying it, found it to be much easier than expected. But let me walk you through the benefits of dry fasting so you can see why it may be the most powerful fast you can do. The first thing you should know about dry fasting is that people have been dry fasting for centuries, primarily for religious reasons. The Jewish faith, for example, encourages a dry fast from sun up to sun down during Yom Kippur. The second thing to know about dry fasting is that when it’s done for short periods, it can be incredibly safe and even more effective than a longer water fast.
What are the benefits of dry fasting?
Your body is so incredibly well designed. When you go extended periods without food, your cells will eat the toxins inside of it to survive. When you go extended periods of time without food or water, your body will speed up the metabolism of fat to access the water that resides within your fat cells. That means that one of the most exciting benefits of dry fasting is an increase in fat metabolism. But the benefits of dry fasting don’t end there. Research is proving that dry fasting can have the following miraculous effects on your body…
1. Dry fasting lowers inflammation in your body
One of the most important benefits of dry fasting is that your inflammation levels significantly drop. In fact, studies show dry fasts significantly lower the concentration of inflammatory markers like these: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5712070/
TNF-α: This molecule is able to induce fever, inflammation, and cell death. It can increase the chance of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel diseases when it’s not properly regulated.
CRP: High levels of CRP are associated with an increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease
IL-1b: Important mediator of inflammation and is linked to heart failure.
IL-6: This pro-inflammatory molecule can worsen autoimmune diseases and infections. It’s associated with a higher risk of diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and further malignant growths in people with breast cancer.
CXC Chemokines: Molecules that cause inflammation when unregulated.
2. Dry fasting helps you grow new brain cells
Dry fasting promotes the release of a chemical in your brain called BDNF. This is like Miracle-Gro for your brain. The benefits of BDNF on your brain are profound. BDNF is known to:
Improve memory and learning.
Increase brain plasticity.
Increase the creation of new neurons.
Protect against degeneration of brain cells.
Another benefit of dry fasting is that you tend to get higher ketone production on a dry fast. Ketones are incredibly healing to brain tissue and will reduce the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. This can have a dramatic calming effect on conditions such as anxiety where the brain is overstimulated.
3. Dry fasting balances cholesterol levels
Several studies show that after dry fasting: HDL (good) cholesterol levels increase in women. Total cholesterol and triglycerides decrease in men. LDL (bad) cholesterol decrease in both sexes.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516560/
4. Dry fasting lowers blood sugar levels
When your blood sugar is too high, it’s damaging to your body and brain. When fasting blood sugars are higher than 70-90, it’s time to throw in some fasting. Multiple studies have found that after a dry fast, people have decreased blood glucose levels and increased insulin sensitivity.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4274578/
5. Dry fasting prevents Osteoporosis
Another great benefit of dry fasting is the impact it can have on your bone health. Your body will secrete a hormone called Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) during an intermittent dry fast. PTH helps with bone reabsorption, bone formation, and increases calcium levels in your blood.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579416/
How long should you dry fast?
I think this is a really important question to ask. Dry fasting is not a fast you should do for a long period of time. I recommend to start with a 12-hour dry fast and then work up to a 24-hour dry fast. I have started a ritual of dry fasting every Monday. The way I do my dry fast is to stop drinking around 6pm and then not drink water or eat food again until the following day. I usually start drinking water around 5pm and may eat a light dinner that night or just drink water.
How do you prepare for a dry fast?
I recommend that in the days leading up to your dry fast, you increase your hydration. Just be mindful to add in a few extra glasses of water each day. This way you don’t go into your dry fast dehydrated.
How do you break your dry fast?
Dry fasting is a more intense fasting experience for your body so my first recommendation is that if at any point in your dry fast you feel dizzy, light-headed, or like you are going to pass out, it’s time to break the fast. Listened to your body and break your fast if you feel sick, weak, muscle fatigue or dizzy. Breaking a dry fast with a probiotic-rich drink like kombucha, raw kefir water or, I often break it with a plant based protein shake full of pre/probiotics, can be helpful. After any fast, there is this unique opportunity to get good bacteria in your gut to help grow a healthy microbiome.
How often can you dry fast?
There are no set rules to how often you can dry fast. But the because the benefits of dry fasting are so powerful, I have added dry fasting to my weekly routine. Mondays are my busiest days, so I do a 24-hour dry fast every Monday. As with all fasts, I highly recommend you have a coach or health professional oversee you during a fast. And as always, listen to your body when fasting, especially dry fasting.
Happy dry fasting! Reach out if you have any questions. I always love hearing about your fasting experiences.