The motives for fasting can be of different nature. In earlier times, fasting was predominantly done for religious reasons. Nowadays, on the other hand, “detoxification of the body” or weight loss is often the primary motivation. In particular “the detoxification of the body” is often propagated by persons, who regard chamfering cures as means for the healing of many civilization diseases. Another motivation for fasting cures is the alleged increase in willpower and sharpening of attention to the essential things in life.
Principles and goals
In total fasting (also called zero diet), no solid food is consumed for an extended period of time. Only water and low-calorie drinks such as herbal teas are on the daily menu. During this total fasting, the body loses weight quickly as it turns to muscle and fat tissue to meet its energy needs.
Principle of action
Fasting represents a switch to a starvation situation for the body. In starvation metabolism, the body’s energy needs are met primarily from fat breakdown, but also from protein breakdown. Consequently, a side effect of fasting is a decrease in depot fat as well as muscle mass. After a few days of fasting, the energy supply of the brain is almost completely provided by ketone bodies formed from depot fat. As a result, the relative protein breakdown decreases again after prolonged fasting.
Implementation
A fasting regimen is usually carried out only over a short period of time, with healthy adults fasting for up to three weeks. Beginners are advised to fast for no longer than one week. A properly conducted fasting regimen consists of the relief days, the actual fasting, the breaking of the fast, and the build-up days.
Relief days
A fasting cure usually begins with one to three relief days, during which the body is introduced to the fasting days by gradually reducing the calorie intake. The discharge days are important apart from the physical also for the mental attunement to the coming chamfering time. During the relief days, mainly easily digestible foods such as rice, fruits and vegetables should be consumed. On the other hand meat, leguminous plants or sweets should be renounced. Furthermore, stimulants such as coffee, alcohol and tobacco should also be avoided during the relief days. If a fasting cure is not started with the relief days, this can result in strong feelings of hunger, fatigue, increased irritability, headaches and abdominal pain.
Fasting
Total fasting means completely abstaining from eating solid food. Drinking is only water or unsweetened tea, so total fasting is equivalent to a zero diet. During fasting it is important to drink enough – at least 2 to 3 liters a day. In addition, fasting is often accompanied by cleansing the intestines with enemas and Epsom salts. Apart from the food renouncement frequently to moderate movement one advises. Fasting also involves abstaining from stimulants such as coffee, alcohol and tobacco.
Breaking the fast
Fasting is followed by what is known as breaking the fast, where it refers to the day when solid food is resumed for the first time.
Build-up days
Breaking the fast is followed by three to four build-up days, during which the body is accustomed to eating solid food again. This is necessary because during the fasting days digestion is severely to completely restricted and the body switches to starvation metabolism. Therefore, digestion must first be slowly stimulated again so as not to overload the digestive organs. During the rebuilding days, foods with low energy density such as rice, fruits and vegetables should be preferred. Foods that are more difficult to digest, such as meat, legumes, pastries and fried foods, should be avoided. Failure to follow the build-up days can result in stomach cramps, colic or even circulatory collapse.
Nutritional assessment
Advantages
Total fasting allows for rapid loss of body weight due to the lack of energy intake. In addition, total fasting is easy to implement.
Disadvantages
Due to the complete deprivation of food, the organism is undersupplied in terms of protein requirements. The body’s own protein (protein) is continuously broken down from the muscles during the fasting period.Daily endogenous (body’s own) protein breakdown is approximately 15 to 25 grams. Protein also provides the body with nitrogen. Due to the continuous loss of endogenous (body’s own) protein, the accumulating nitrogen is excreted, which means that more nitrogen is lost than is absorbed. The lack of protein intake and the resulting constant protein breakdown thus results in a “negative nitrogen balance“. In the initial phase of the fasting cure there is a pronounced weight loss due to the emptying of the digestive tract and the increased protein, carbohydrate, water and electrolyte losses, whereby quite a few minerals such as sodium, magnesium, chloride and others are lost. During the period of total fasting, the body also draws on fat reserves to meet energy needs. During the breakdown of fats, ketone bodies are produced as intermediates, and their concentration in the blood increases sharply as a result of the increased breakdown of fats. Finally, this leads to an inhibition of uric acid excretion, which increases the uric acid concentration in the blood and urine (risk of gout). The acid-base balance is disturbed and with it important metabolic processes of our body. Since it is the kidney‘s job to excrete excess acid, it is put under great strain. As a result, the kidneys are subject to functional limitations as well as severe damage. Over-acidification of the organism is the result, and metabolic acidosis can occur. The pH value of the blood drops in metabolic acidosis due to the metabolic disorder. Furthermore, increased potassium flows out of the interior of the cells into the bloodstream, causing a significant increase in the concentration of potassium in the blood and resulting in hyperkalemia (excess potassium). Under these conditions, ringing in the ears, deafness, confusion, muscle weakness, and cardiac arrhythmias may develop. If the state of hyperacidity persists over a long period of time, the skeletal system and the connective and supporting tissues serve as additional buffer systems for the disturbed metabolic state. The skeletal system and the tissues thus have the function of binding substances and mobilizing substances. Since 99% of the calcium contained in the body is found in the bones, increased calcium and to some extent magnesium is transported out of the bone tissue and excreted through the kidneys in the urine. If such a fasting diet is carried out over several weeks, not only does the health risk increase due to the continuous protein breakdown and excess acidity, but eventually the loss and thus the need for essential minerals such as calcium, sodium and magnesium also increases. During total fasting, a balanced diet is not learned, so once the fast ends and people return to their old eating habits, they can expect to gain weight rapidly (yo-yo effect).
Contraindications
- Anorexia nervosa (anorexia nervosa).
- Diabetes mellitus type I
- Cachexia (pathological emaciation)
- Decompensated hyperthyroidism (derailed hyperthyroidism).
- Advanced liver or kidney failure (liver and kidney hypofunction or weakness).
- Hemolytic anemia (anemia caused by increased breakdown of erythrocytes (red blood cells)).
- Malignant (malignant) tumors
- Manifest heart failure (cardiac insufficiency)
- Mental disorders
- Cerebro-vascular insufficiency (disorders of the blood supply to the brain) or dementia.
- Heavy occupational stress
- Children and adolescents
- Pregnancy and lactation
Conclusion
Total fasting is a type of fasting in which food is deliberately completely abandoned. However, the healing and preventive effect of fasting has not yet been scientifically proven. Total fasting is accompanied by an extreme metabolic change and is therefore associated with stronger side effects than other forms of fasting. Fasting is not suitable for long-term weight reduction. At most, it can be considered a radical, symbolic break with previous eating habits. In addition, fasting should only be carried out under medical supervision.
