True fasting is considered one full day (not 24 hours) of fasting or more. (Why A Full Day Fast is Better than a 24-hour fast)

Extended Fasting is two or more days consecutively. 

Most of the negative symptoms people experience when fasting is not due to the fasting itself or the fasting metabolism but rather a detox reaction from plant-based toxins and nutrients.

Often, one can experience plant detox reaction combined with carb addiction withdrawal symptoms, which can be exacerbated even further with caffeine withdrawal symptoms if eliminated simultaneously. 

It’s best to eliminate caffeine at least one week before your extended fast begins to avoid a nasty storm of unpredictable effects.

Now, the four food elimination phases for comfortable fasting.

Before you start eliminating foods, it’s essential to pick your fasting start date and duration and calculate how many days/weeks you will spend in each elimination phase.

I encourage people to be flexible in their start date to allow for starting early as many people, once they have committed to a hard-start date and worked through these four phases, feel ready to start early if given enough time.

These four phases can be combined or done in any order.

But the following has been my experience to be the most effective in working and coaching countless people to prepare for extended fasts.

Phase One:

Cut all foods from your diet made from or with powder, including flour from any source, sugar, or protein powder.

Phase Two:

Eliminate added sugar and fruit. Shift to eating at most three times a day, including flavored drinks.

Phase Three:

If eating vegetables, only eat from the low-oxalate list.

Phase Four:

Eliminate all plant and plant-based foods if still in the diet, and do not eat after 6 p.m.

Nearly all the negative symptoms can be eliminated through these four phases and will continue to improve as one continues to fast over time. 

Think of it like training a muscle. Repetition and time make all the difference and will lead to a stronger muscle, movement, and, in this case, process and fasting experience. 

Fasting is a process, not an event, but if we can make fasting as uneventful as possible, it’s even better!

We can do better!

Dr. Don