I Did a Five-Day Water Fast, the Results Were Incredible

I really wasn’t expecting to have such a profound experience when I did a five-day water fast back in April. But after doing the water fast myself, I’m now recommending it to anyone who is medically able.

Please: Try it at least once in your life.

A water fast is pretty self-explanatory. You only drink water during the fast. No other liquids and no food—literally, just water.

My primary reason for doing the fast wasn’t weight loss. I had done a ton of research on the benefits of doing an extended fast and I’d been practicing intermittent fasting for years. I’ve also known friends who have done extended fasts and recommended it to me.

I did this because I wanted to reap the benefits of autophagy—the bodily process of removing bad cells and replacing them with healthy new ones—and ramp up the production of human growth hormone, which helps to repair damaged muscle tissue.

And I’d heard amazing things about the spiritual experiences and mental clarity that people have received from doing a fast. I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could do it and get those same results.

I have also struggled with psoriasis on and off my whole life and healed it holistically, without pharmaceuticals or steroids. I just wanted to do this deep healing cleanse.

I’m not a medical doctor. I do my own research and my fasting experiences are genuine and positive. But I encourage anyone considering a fast to do their own research too, and also to consult a medical professional that you trust beforehand. It’s not right for everyone.

Days one and two of the fast were pretty difficult. I started feeling a lot of hunger. I had low energy and fatigue. I was a bit hangry. I was just having a little difficulty pushing through. But I am so, so happy that I did.

On day three, after about 72 hours without food, I had this massive mental breakthrough. And it happened right after I was feeling my worst. It was like I had this sudden shift that made me rethink my entire life.

Fasting is amazing for your body because once your liver burns through all of its glycogen stores, you start using fat for fuel and get into a state of ketosis.

Your body eventually starts autophagy, clearing out old damaged cells that you don’t need anymore and might be causing you problems. It basically cleans out your entire system and replenishes brand new stem cells that go to different parts of your body. It really feels like you have a brand new body doing this experience.

I chose to do five days because after 72 hours stem cell production really ramps up. On day five is the significant boost of the human growth hormone to heal tissue and old injuries in your body. I had also heard lots of testimony about the mental clarity, positivity, and almost euphoric state that you get on days four and five.

Another benefit was that my gut completely reset itself, to the point where after my five-day water fast I had a flat stomach, I had no bloating, and I felt amazing once I started reintroducing food back in—very, very slowly.

That last part is really important. Breaking your fast safely and gently is essential maximize your health benefits.

Here’s how I did it after some research. The first thing I had to break my fast was a cup of warm bone broth; it’s a great start because it’s pure protein, it’s excellent for your gut lining, and it has amazing nutrients that help your body start to be able to process calories again.

I sipped on that for about an hour. Then an hour after that, I had some avocado slices. A couple of hours later I had some berries.

A good rule of thumb is to take half the time you were fasting and use that time to gently reintroduce food, focusing on high protein and healthy fats. Avoid processed or fried foods; anything heavy. Alcohol too—you do not want to be drinking alcohol after emptying your body.

At the end of it all, I just felt physically great. I lost body fat, I felt really toned.

But the main thing that I noticed was mental clarity.

If you are in a stage of life where you’re feeling stuck or unsure; where you don’t feel good in your body, maybe you’re having skin or gut issues; and you just feel kind of generally bogged down, refraining from eating is an incredible experience to reset your entire system.

I’m now so passionate about fasting. And I’m so proud of myself for actually getting through this.

Emma Roberts is a health coach focused on holistic nutrition. You can find her on TikTok and Instagram.

All views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

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