Refusal to eat for a short period is perceived in different ways. For some people, this means prevention and an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. For others, fasting is akin to self-torture, which ultimately has no benefit. Surprisingly, both are right.
Therapeutic fasting is not a fad or a panacea for emergency weight loss. This is a whole science that includes several stages that determine how to fast correctly. In addition, the intensity and duration of fasting days are influenced by the initial state of health, physical activity, and the presence of chronic diseases. In other words, you cannot take the first strategy you like as a basis without first familiarizing yourself with its features.
Cleansing the body by fasting
Our body is a perfect system. However, it also needs updating. Even with a healthy lifestyle and moderate nutrition, the body needs cleansing days to:
- activate metabolic processes;
- protect yourself from intoxication;
- remove harmful substances obtained from air, food, and water.
Therapeutic fasting allows you to get rid of accumulated toxins, heavy metals, and pesticides. Helps to launch the renewal of the body, and develop immunity to various diseases and viruses.
How to fast without harm to your health
Before you stop eating, it is important to consider several factors:
- goal of the diet (prevention, health improvement, weight loss);
- your capabilities, that is, how long you can fast;
3. contraindications (for example, gastritis or the last stage of diabetes mellitus);
4. age restrictions (growing body, old age);
5. type of diet (under the supervision of a specialist or independently at home);
6. time of year (spring and autumn are considered the best periods).
Please note that what helps some may harm others. For example, for prevention, it is enough to spend 1 day a week on the water. For the treatment of chronic diseases, provided there are no contraindications, therapeutic fasting can last several days.
For teenagers with an active metabolic process, there are special techniques aimed at cleansing the body without harm to health. But therapeutic fasting for weight loss at home is a completely different process, for which the person losing weight is entirely responsible.
Therapeutic fasting: how to fast correctly
Before you start a diet, it is important to mentally and physically prepare for the process. Depending on the course chosen, several ways are offered on how to properly enter into fasting. This could be cleansing the intestines with an enema or early refusal of heavy and poorly digestible foods. Some methods involve the use of diuretics and laxatives.
And now about how to fast correctly:
- Be morally determined that you have chosen the path of recovery, not execution.
- Be sure to go through the cleaning process in combination with breathing and physical exercises.
- Enlist the support of friends, family or a specialist who can help you walk this path together.
It is important to know not only how to enter fasting, but also how to ensure a gradual exit. Abrupt consumption of high-calorie foods and sugary drinks is strictly prohibited. Such a breakdown not only eliminates the result, but can also harm your health. Therefore, experienced instructors recommend continuing gymnastics and introducing special nutrition.
How do you know if you need medical fasting?
Several obvious symptoms indicate that the body is polluted:
- regular constipation;
- dry skin;
- intense hair loss;
- bad breath;
- brittle nails;
- fatigue and irritability.
All these signs indicate that it is time for you to undergo a course of therapeutic fasting, ideally under the supervision of a specialist. But if this is not possible, you should first consult with a nutritionist.
Methods of therapeutic fasting
Short-term abstinence from food was practiced thousands of years ago, as evidenced by numerous treatises by great scientists and philosophers. Today the most popular types of diet are:
- Dry fasting, that is, a complete refusal of water and food, usually for no more than 36 hours. This method is a cardinal one and is designed to restart and cleanse the body.
- Water fasting is a method that involves only drinking. Such a diet can last up to 21 days without harm to health and taking into account the absence of contraindications. It is an excellent means of cleaning from harmful substances and toxins.
- Intermittent fasting is a special diet for weight loss, which is based on periodic refusal of food. For example, the 16/8 system involves abstaining from food for 16 hours, and eating is recommended for the remaining 8 hours. However, you are allowed to drink water.
For many, a 36-hour fast on water according to the lunar calendar is of interest. In Sanskrit it is called Ekadashi, the most favorable period for cleansing the body. The diet lasts a night, a day and another night. During this time, the internal system is restarted, updated and its own resources are activated.
Fasting by timing
Fasting for 1 day
| Features of the passage | Stages of the cleaning process | For whom is it relevant? |
| A one-day abstinence from food can be with or without water. On this day, walks in the fresh air, yoga and lack of serious physical activity are recommended. | In one day you can experience a palette of feelings, especially without preparation: 1. peace and harmony; 2. slight hunger and thirst; 3. dizziness (this is the release of toxins); 4. a clear feeling of hunger and loss of strength (cleaning continues on the physical and subtle planes); 5. sound sleep and pleasant awakening with slight hunger. | Fasting as a one-day diet has no contraindications and is recommended for everyone who wants to cleanse the body. |
In our Yoga Hub Club you can take a one-day fasting course for free . All you need to do is select the day you want to detox your body and register using the link for the 1 Day Natural Detox course :
Water fasting for 3 days
| Features of the passage | Stages of the cleaning process | For whom is it relevant? |
| The diet involves abstaining from food and any drinks. Only clean water is allowed. Exercise, yoga and walks in the fresh air are recommended. | 1. The first day usually goes well, but closer to 16-18.00 a feeling of hunger arises. Experts advise drinking water and going to bed early. The cleansing process starts. 2. The second day the body adapts, you want to eat less often. Fatigue, dizziness and irritability may occur. Toxins and impurities come out. 3. The third day is characterized by drowsiness and lethargy. Excess salt is removed. There is a desire to drink juice, eat vegetables or fruits. | Water fasting for 3 days is recommended for a healthy body. Contraindicated for people suffering from severe underweight, late-stage diabetes mellitus, stomach ulcers, and low blood pressure. Also, pregnant and lactating women should not diet. |
7 day water fasting
| Features of the passage | Stages of the cleaning process | For whom is it relevant? |
| The course includes drinking plenty of water without any food for a week. The process is accompanied by morning exercises, yoga and evening relaxation exercises. | 1. On day 1, slight malaise and drowsiness occur. The cleaning process starts. 2. On days 2-4, apathy, irritability, and discomfort in the stomach appear. The fat burning process starts. 3. Days 5-7 are marked by a decrease in hunger, bad breath, weakness and body aches. Active weight loss occurs (up to 3 kg). | Water fasting for 7 days is recommended for people in good health who have already practiced abstinence from food and successfully completed it. Contraindicated for those who have serious health problems, pregnant and nursing mothers. |
In our Yoga Hub Club you can take courses of three and seven-day fasting . The fasting programs we offer are a synthesis of the knowledge of Ayurveda and modern science. Our fasting methods have been tested by many years of personal experience, so we are confident in their results and share this valuable knowledge with you. Select the fasting program you are interested in and find out all the details at the link :
Natural detox 3 days
Natural detox 7 days
21 day water fasting
| Features of the passage | Stages of the cleaning process | For whom is it relevant? |
| The technique is possible only under the guidance of a specialist or doctor, taking into account the characteristics of your body. Involves drinking plenty of fluids and light physical activity. | 1. Day 1 begins as usual with mild malaise and hunger. 2. 2-4 days irritability occurs and often makes you sleepy. The metabolic process starts. 3. Days 5-8 are accompanied by weight loss (up to 3 kg) and a less pronounced feeling of hunger. 4. On days 9-12, an acidotic crisis occurs, the body switches to autonomous energy supply. 5. 13-21 days – all internal processes slow down, the biochemical composition of the blood changes, the human psyche is rebuilt, the white coating on the tongue disappears. The condition of the skin improves, the body works fully with minimal expenditure of resources. Natural and painless weight loss occurs. | 21 days of water fasting is indicated for people with cancer and other serious diseases, for example, in the reproductive sphere, for whom the benefits of the diet outweigh the potential harm. |
Water fasting for weight loss
It’s no secret that short-term abstinence from food helps reduce body weight. However, in pursuit of an easy way to lose weight, people often starve uncontrollably, without following the basic recommendations regarding a gentle entry into and exit from the diet. As a result, on day 3-4 a natural breakdown occurs, accompanied by excessive consumption of sweets and heavy foods.
This approach not only risks regaining lost weight, but also gaining additional weight. The body under stress begins to accumulate kilograms, stocking up in case of hunger. Thus, any uncontrolled diet becomes the first enemy of an overweight person.
A course of therapeutic fasting under the guidance of a specialist
Whatever method you choose, the most effective process is accompanied by an experienced instructor. The specialist first collects information about the state of health, physical fitness and moral component. After that, he recommends the path that is right for you.
The master takes responsibility for the client’s fasting at home, advising and supporting at critical moments. And additional yoga classes help ease the path of cleansing and renewal. Thus, we regularly hold marathons with professional support for all participants. As a result, we get amazing results and many satisfied reviews, which can be found on the course pages.
Author of the article:
Roman Teos
Vedic astrologer, healthy lifestyle consultant
