Hank G ☑️
As part of getting my whole lifestyle cleaned up for longevity purposes I want to get more rigorous about adding multi-day fasts into my annual routine. I've experiment and written about it a bunch in the past. I'll be doing a five day fast the day after 4th of July. To kick that off I figured I'd consolide all of my very amateur thoughts on fasting and how I have done it. I expect I'm going to be writing up the details of my fast, recipe for my transition days, and perhaps even live blogging the experience here for the first time. Here is my probably overly long post on the topic. #longevity #fasting #health
My Amateur Thoughts on Fasting and How I Do It
My Amateur Thoughts on Fasting and How I Do It

As I’m getting ready to start my third multi-day fast of my life I thought I’d do a much better job of documenting it on my blog. To start off I wanted to lay out my very amateur thoughts on fasting and how I have done it in the past. This is a very long post so use the table of contents to jump around to the parts you may find worth reading if you don’t want to read the whole thing.

N=1 Lifestyle
Jul 1, 2023 at 5:54pmWeb
Show threadShane RogersJul 1, 2023

@hankg Good luck in that!

I've not done a #MultiDayFast but have actually thought about going that direction. I have been living a #keto life style for nearly three years and generally don't get hungry any more, so I think that would help myself.

I look forward to reading your journey!

Show threadHank G ☑️Jul 1, 2023
@swrogers Thanks! I have a section on my previous fasting experiences, both intermittent and multi-day fasting. I used that to create a section on some recommendations on how to build up to longer fasting windows and to determine if that sort of thing works for you.
Show threadsorrowbird 🇵🇸🔻Jul 1, 2023

I suggest practicing fasting in the Islamic manner. This involves waking up just before sunrise, which can vary between 3-5 am depending on your location. During this pre-dawn meal, it’s important to eat and drink well, but avoid foods high in salt or glucose. Consuming such foods can cause your body to eliminate these substances through urination, leading to dehydration. Instead, opt for healthy and nutritious foods.

After the pre-dawn meal, refrain from eating or drinking anything until sunset. When breaking your fast, start with water to rehydrate your body and then gradually consume food. Avoid overeating and take it easy until you feel comfortable. You can eat what you want until the next pre-dawn meal at midnight or anytime you feel ok.

Show threadHank G ☑️Jul 1, 2023
@sorrowbird I briefly mentioned Ramadan in the introduction part when discussing how it has been used in religious practice. I have friends and associates that are Muslim and have done Ramadan so I was a little familiar with no eating between sun up and sun down. I didn't realize there was a pre-dawn meal as well as the post-sundown meal. I also didn't realize that water was prohibited during the daylight hours as well. Thanks for shedding additional light on that!
Show threadsorrowbird 🇵🇸🔻Jul 1, 2023
no problem! I simply want to emphasize that this isn’t an amateur fasting regime (no offence) , and it’s actually an obligation in Islam to fast in this way during the month of Ramadan. The benefits of fasting in this manner are significant and worthwhile, provided you have the capacity to do so. It can improve your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Show threadSandip D-RxCybersecurityJul 1, 2023
@hankg Hey Hank: I do 8 days of fasting (almost) every year. I do drink tea in the morning though and drink buttermilk or tea for lunch and dinner. On the 9the day I can hardly eat anything and @ohmrun said, I have too much trouble digesting. It takes me few days of gradual increase to get back to routine. On an average, I have lost between 6 to 10 pounds.
Show threadHank G ☑️Jul 1, 2023
@ohmrun @iSandipD Thanks for sharing your experience as well! I think if I ever wanted to do something longer than a four day fast, especially longer than a week, I would want to do it under medical supervision at a place like The TrueNorth Clinic. I have thought about such a fast too just to experience it. The cancer risk reduction gains I'm shooting for with multi-day fasts seem to be achievable with a pretty approachable 3 day "water" fast.