Day 5 – Help Is On The Way
January 31, 2025
What Are Some Drinks That You Can Have While Fasting?
Okay, first of all, when I talk about drinks for fasting I do not mean alcoholic drinks. That would definitely defeat the whole purpose of getting healthy! It goes without saying that you will be drinking a lot of water. After a while this gets pretty monotonous and you will want to add some variety. This is especially true if you are feeling a bit faint. There are a few drinks that you can have on a long fast to help get you through and even help promote autophagy.
Fasting Drinks Include
- Black Organic Dark Roast Coffee
- Green Tea
- Herbal Tea
- Homemade Clove Tea
For most people the drinks listed above will not significantly raise blood glucose. In order for the fast to do its work your body needs to be using ketones for energy. Anything with sugar is going to raise your blood glucose. Yes, even drinks that do not have any sugar at all could potentially raise your blood glucose. The only way to know for sure is to test your blood before consuming and then again a half an hour after.
Some doctors do not recommend having anything during the first three days of a fast. This is fine but you may need something a bit more than water to get you through. It also may be necessary if you have any problems like I did.
Why You Should Have Other Drinks When Fasting
I am not going to lie. Long fasts are not easy! I have been doing intermittent fasting for almost two years for health reasons. That fasting has been 16/8 which means I eat my meals in an 8 hour window and I drink only water for the remaining 16. It is amazing how your body adapts when you give it the chance!
Water For Fasting Is Crucial But You May Need Something More
Typically you do not take in anything with calories when you are fasting but I had a problem last night. This five-day water fast is kicking my @$$. My blood sugar was 50 mg/dL! This is not good. If you do not have diabetes and your blood sugar falls below 55 mg/dL you are in danger of passing out. It’s called hypoglycemia and it’s very serious. My poor husband was very worried about me. I had 1 1/2 ounces of pomegranate juice mixed with 1/4 tsp. of Trace Mineral Drops. That did the trick. This is why it is important to test your glucose levels if you attempt a long fast.
More Fasting Drink Options
There is a great video by Dr. Jin W. Sung explaining all of the benefits of a five-day water fast.
Dr. Sung clarifies that not everyone can get through the five days without a little something extra. He suggests to those who are having difficulty in day three to add a little bone broth or a mixture of lemon-lime water mixed with a bit of grade B maple syrup to the diet (I prefer grade A). Please do not use fake maple syrup as that contains high-fructose corn syrup. Make sure it is pure.
The drink with the maple syrup will definitely raise your blood glucose. As long as you use very little it will not raise it enough to kick you out of ketosis and autophagy. Remember, every person is different and will react differently to fasting.
Consult Your Doctor Before Fasting
It is important to consult your doctor if you have any health issues before going on a long fast. You may want to start slowly. Try fasting for twelve hours. If you can eat your last meal for the day at 8:00 pm and then wait until 8:00 am to have breakfast you are doing a twelve hour fast! That is very doable! From there you can increase it the next day, a few days, or a week later to thirteen. Go at your own pace. Once you get the hang of it fasting will become much easier.
Did you know that Angus Barbieri, a man from Scotland, fasted for 382 days?! That is not a typo, 382 days!! He started the fast weighing in at 456 lbs. He took multivitamins, electrolytes, and nutritional yeast to get through the year+ fast. Because of his fat stores his body had plenty to work with and convert to energy. If you are very very thin a prolonged fast may not be attainable. At least, not with some supplementation.
For me sixteen hours is a breeze! I can up it to eighteen and twenty pretty easily. I just make sure to stay hydrated with lots of good, clean water. When you keep busy and let those hunger pangs fade they will become less noticeable and less frequent. It seems crazy but your body really does adjust. Give a thought to what people did before there were grocery stores. Food was scarce and they had to make due.
I WANT FOOD!!!
I think that I might be getting a bit hangry. It is not easy being a chef and having to forego food for five days! I will check in tomorrow and am looking forward to sharing how I come out of the fast gently. Luckily I have some cooked broccoli rabe in the fridge waiting for me! Sign up for my emails as I will be creating lots of colorful, tasty recipes (yes – food) for health and healing.