We have a serious problem as a nation. Recent research indicates that only about 12% of Americans are metabolically healthy. Metabolic health is defined as having blood sugar, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides all within a healthy range. Between 1960 and 2002, the average weight for men aged 20-74 years rose dramatically from 166 pounds to 191 pounds, while the average weight for women the same age increased from 140 pounds to 164 pounds. Currently, the average weight for an American man has climbed to 200 pounds. An alarming majority of individuals experience high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, insulin resistant cells, excessive stores of body fat, and high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Our lives are ending prematurely from the chronic illnesses that arise from these factors; diabetes, heart disease, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer.
The good news is…. Multi-Day Fasting as a jumpstart to healthy lifestyle changes. While multi-day fasting might sound daunting to the novice faster, Fasting and Thriving Retreats offers a guided, time-proven approach that can provide numerous remarkable health benefits. Fasting has proven itself to be the fastest method of putting the body in motion to heal itself. In this blog, we'll explore the health benefits of a multi-day juice and broth fast using the Buchinger Method, and how it can be the critical reset your body needs.
Why Fasting and Thriving Retreats Uses the Buchinger Method
The Buchinger Method, named after its German-born founder, Dr. Otto Buchinger, is a form of therapeutic fasting that involves consuming only liquids, such as juices, broths, and herbal teas, for a specified period. It is a research-based model that has been successfully modified and used for over 100 years. This method prioritizes a holistic physical and mental healing through the fasting process, guiding you through gentle exercise and informative sessions, while providing essential nutrients to sustain you during the fast. This method differs from a water-only fast, in which participants must remain essentially at rest during the multiple days of fasting.
Broth: We provide a broth once a day to participants during their fasting period. These broths, vegetable only, are low in calories but rich in essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. The idea is to provide nourishment while keeping calorie intake extremely low. The broth is made from non-starchy vegetables and is designed to be easily digestible. It provides electrolytes and can help maintain hydration, which is essential during fasting. Importantly, it doesn't contain carbohydrates or proteins in significant amounts, so it does not significantly disrupt ketosis during the fast.
Juice: we also offer a daily serving of freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice to provide a limited source of carbohydrates for energy. However, we carefully control the quantity to prevent a sudden increase in insulin levels that could disrupt ketosis. Fruit juices are chosen for their rich content of vitamins and minerals, which can be particularly advantageous during fasting, especially when combined with physical activity.
Exercise: Incorporating exercise, such as walking and stretching, into the fasting program can have several benefits. Exercise can help improve circulation, maintain muscle mass, and support overall well-being during the fasting period. Importantly, moderate exercise helps the body burn more fat for energy, which can aid in the maintenance of ketosis. However, the exercise during fasting is not overly strenuous, as the body's energy resources are limited.
The key to understanding how these elements are integrated into fasting without pushing participants out of ketosis lies in their careful management. The fasting protocols are designed to provide minimal calories and macronutrients while still supplying essential nutrients and supporting metabolic processes. This approach allows individuals to remain in a state of ketosis, where the body primarily uses stored fat for energy during the fast. This metabolic state of ketosis unlocks a cascade of health-inducing mechanisms in the body that can only be achieved at these high levels through multi-day fasting.
Detoxification and Weight Loss
One of the primary benefits of the Buchinger Method is detoxification. Over time, our bodies accumulate toxins from the foods we eat and the environment we live in. Fasting allows the body to focus its energy on eliminating these toxins. Initially, participants drink an oral laxative formula to clean out their intestinal tract. Then, by abstaining from solid foods for five days (with one refeeding transition day in the retreat) you give your digestive system a needed break, allowing it to repair itself, in a manner consistent with our body’s natural design.
The process of cellular autophagy surges during multi-day fasts, many times above typical rates. Autophagy is a critical cellular housekeeping and protective process, cleaning out our cellular trash, removing old, damaged, and unneeded remnants of cellular components. Autophagy has been found to have profound implications for our daily health and longevity, even reducing the risks of neurodegenerative conditions and cancer. Multi-day fasts have been found to stimulate autophagy more universally throughout the body’s organs and at a higher rate than any other method.
Fasting can also lead to weight loss, which can have a positive impact on overall health. During the fast, your body switches to burning your stored fat for energy, resulting in a gradual but sustainable reduction in body fat. It's essential to note that this method is not about extreme calorie restriction, but rather providing the body with the nutrients it needs while also promoting weight loss.
Improved Immune Functioning
Research indicates that our body’s immune system undergoes a significant reset beginning at about 36 hours of fasting and thereafter as fasting continues. This reset includes the production of stem cells, which find their way to cells and organ systems in our body that are damaged and in need of repair.
Dr. Valtar Longo at UCLA, one of the world’s leading researchers on fasting, recommends a multi-day fast to enhance the immune system. His team found that fasting significantly improved outcomes for patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Older immune cells are retired and new ones are produced. In another study, women with breast cancer, who fasted for even relatively short periods, showed a 64% reduction in the recurrence of their tumors. Studies at MIT have identified the mechanism underlying the regeneration of immune cells as arising from the metabolic switch from glucose burning to fat burning that occurs during fasting.
Dr. Thomas Seyfried, esteemed Professor from Yale University and Boston College, recommends fasting as a primary prevention to cancer, as it has been shown to have a wide range of beneficial effects on cellular protection and chemotherapy resistance. Fasting can induce cellular protection by reducing levels of glucose, insulin, and growth factors, which can protect the organism while reducing tumor progression, particularly in combination with chemotherapy. It can also sensitize cancer cells to conventional chemotherapeutic treatment and irradiation.
Improved Gut Health
Fasting with juices and broths can also promote improved gut health. The absence of solid foods allows your digestive system to rest and heal. Furthermore, the natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables used in juicing can support a healthy gut microbiome by providing prebiotics that feed beneficial gut bacteria. Your gut lining has a chance to restore its surface mucosa. Leaks from our gut lining into the bloodstream can lead to problems; minor ones such as bloating and cramps, as well as serious issues such as autoimmune disorders, mood disorders, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease. Your gut microbiome bacteria often need an opportunity to get rebalanced. These bacteria influence neurotransmitter synthesis (about 50% of our body’s dopamine is produced in the gut). Stabilization of relative ratios of these bacteria can result in diminished cravings for sugary foods. Healing our intestinal system can promote relief from disorders caused by gut inflammation, including metabolic disorders, allergies, arthritis, anxiety/depression, bowel disorders, and cardiovascular disease.
Enhanced Mental Clarity and Focus
In addition to these benefits, multi-day fasting can also have a profound impact on mental clarity and focus. The experience of our brain using ketones from our fat reserves as fuel is unique for most people, as our current diet patterns (continuous supplies of high carbohydrate foods), block us from ever using the corrective tools available to us (ketosis). Under fasted conditions of controlled calorie restriction, our body uses the second fuel that evolution made available to us, ketones from fat in our stored reserves. Many individuals report feeling more mentally alert and focused when in ketosis. This heightened mental state can lead to an improved sense of well-being. Research has found that the neurotransmitter GABA is released during fasting, which induces a feeling of calm focus. Additionally, after about 48 hours of fasting, the neurotransmitter dopamine resets, increasing its production and opening up new dopamine receptor sites. Many practitioners have reported that this provides for an enhanced feeling of happiness and a reduction in feelings of anxiety that lasts several weeks beyond the end of the fasting episode.
Reduced Inflammation
Many leading experts now call chronic inflammation "the root of all evil", as it is a primary symptom in many health issues, from heart disease to autoimmune disorders. Fasting has been shown to reduce inflammation markers in the body. By reducing inflammation, you can lower your risk of chronic diseases and experience relief from inflammatory conditions. Inflamed cells don’t function efficiently, resulting in symptoms such as brain fog, joint pain, intestinal bloating, fatigue, and others. Chronic inflammation can lead to cancer, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. Reductions in systemic inflammation from fasting is one of the most health-promoting benefits we can unlock for ourselves.
Balanced Blood Sugar Levels
Juicing during a fast can help stabilize blood sugar levels. Unlike processed foods and sugary snacks, fresh juices provide a steady supply of natural sugars that your body can process more effectively. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with hyperglycemia, Pre-diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes or those looking to prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes.
Conclusion
Before embarking on an extended fast, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional, if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. Fasting may not be suitable for everyone, and personalized guidance can ensure your safety and well-being during the process.
Most people can tolerate and successfully complete a multi-day fasting experience, with the proper guidance. Fasting and Thriving offers a holistic approach to reclaiming your health. Our Fasting method unlocks a remarkable system of innate programming for self-healing that has evolved in our bodies over millennia. The fasting protocol provided through our retreats promotes detoxification, weight loss, the highest levels of cellular autophagy, improved gut health, mental clarity, reduced inflammation, rejuvenated immune functioning, and balanced blood sugar levels.
Prominent medical experts in our country have now validated fasting as a primary intervention for many chronic illnesses plaguing the American population. However, always approach multi-day fasting with the guidance of experienced practitioners, such as those on our team at Fasting and Thriving Retreats. When done correctly, this method can serve as an invaluable tool in your journey towards better health and well-being, allowing you to reset, restore, and revitalize your body and mind.
Take this opportunity to learn more. For an individual free assessment use the QR Code below and schedule an appointment with one of our experts.
https://calendly.com/fastingandthriving
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