Fasting is a mind game. Controlling the mind will automatically control the body!
Fasting is one of the great do-it-yourself experiments that I often try and have become a fan of over the years. Recently I started a fast of 40 hours first and gradually was able to built my stamina. After that I noticed that I was able to withstand the fast for up to 109 hours. I observed great benefits, including better body metabolism, lost 3 kgs of side fat, blood ketones increased to 5.6 mmol/L, and experienced other therapeutic benefits.
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Reason behind Prolonged Fasting?
Over the years, I have tried many biohacks to improve my body, mind, and sleep. The practise of fasting for prolonged hours is one of the best biohacks you can try. It has been associated with various health benefits, including detoxing the body. According to a study, prolonged fasting significantly changes nutrient oxidation and glucose tolerance. Some other claimed benefits of prolonged fasting include:
- Detoxifying the body
- Promoting better health
- Boosting energy levels
- Improving cognitive functions
- Removing harmful toxins
- Controlling blood sugar levels
- Reducing the risk of metabolic diseases
- Boosting human growth hormones
- Increasing Ketosis
- Promoting autophagy
- Enhancing immune function
- Shutting cancer-causing cells
- Repairing cell damage
- Improving insulin and leptin sensitivity
- Lowering the risk of a few chronic diseases
- Helping with weight loss
I wanted to experience all the claimed benefits of fasting and measure the outcome. So, that was the idea behind doing 109 hours of prolonged fasting biohack. Honestly, it was not a cakewalk, but it got easier after a few hours, and in the end, it was all worth it.
What is the Science Behind Prolonged Fasting?
Many studies support the benefits of prolonged fasting, essentially because it cleanses our body. It pushes cells into processes and behaviours that are different from when compared to bodies that get a steady fuel stream of food. When we fast for a prolonged time, the body loses it’s access to glucose, asking cells to search for other means to produce energy.
This is when our body starts to produce its sugar called gluconeogenesis. With the liver’s help, the body converts non-carbohydrate substances like amino acids, fats and lactate into energy.
During fasting, our body conserves energy, which increases our basal metabolic rate. Interestingly, prolonged fasting can reduce insulin resistance, which will reduce blood sugar levels. It also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In the later phase of the fasting cycle comes Ketosis. It is a process when our body burns stored fat for its energy source. At this point, the body is ready to lose weight and balance blood sugar levels. One of the most incredible things about Ketosis is that it turns our body into a fat-burning machine, literally.
Also, it is essential to focus on how much and what you eat after ending the fast. Because putting back weight after fasting can happen quickly. Fasting does put our body under a little stress, which forces our cells to adapt to the new environment and cope with it. Simply put, our cells become strong during fasting.
To be fair, it must be said that, to my peril I happened to regain 8 kgs in 3 weeks during my trip to Kolkata and now am trying to quickly get back in shape. Therefore, for anyone that tries any of these methods one must be cognisant of the fact that losing weight is tough. However, gaining all that back can be a cakewalk. So, always be aware, even in your travel and your indulgence.
How Does the Body Generate Energy from Fat, Protein & Carbs?
ATP is an excellent source of energy for humans. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. It helps with metabolism and produces ATP-PC, aerobic phosphorylation and anaerobic glycolysis. When one analysis of how our body functions and generates energy, it can be addressed with the following image.
However, if we want to explain it in words and quickly, this can be a simple explanation of what energy we need and how it gets generated.
Types of Energy Source for Body
Some of the primary nutrients that a body needs to function effectively include fat, proteins, and carbohydrates. These are all sources of energy but generated differently. When we consume food, and the food is digested, all the nutrients are broken into smaller compounds to be easily absorbed by the body.
- Fat: Fat is broken into fatty acids. It helps with lining the hormones and cells. However, it is crucial to understand that excessive fat is also stored in the cells. Fat is found in foods that are high in fat content, such as butter, oils, yolk aspects of the egg, animal fat and products, and more.
- Protein: Proteins add to the muscle content in the body. Proteins are broken down and used to build muscles using amino acids. The body needs proteins to function effectively. Food rich in protein includes foods like milk products, eggs, nuts, vegetables, legumes, and more.
- Carbs: Carbs add to the energy by adding to the glucose level. This nutrient and energy source comes from food types such as foods rich in sugar or products having high starches content. The body breaks the food down to glucose. Some examples include bread, foods high in sugar, fruits, yoghurt, grains and more.
You must consume any form of energy in the right quantities. Having very little can make you weak; overeating can hurt your body. Therefore, getting these sources in the correct doses, with the breaks can help you stay energetic and more rested.
Schedule and Tips for Prolonged Fasting
First of all, fasting is not for everyone, and it is not a miracle cure. There can be health repercussions if your body is not used to fasting. From nauseous, dizziness, bloating to exhaustion, fasting can have some drawbacks as well. So, it is crucial that you prepare your body and then get on the ride. Here is how you can prepare yourself for the fasting.
- Plan your Fast: If you are a beginner, then start with 24 hours fast. Make sure you do not have any stressful event or activity coming up during your fast.
- Stay Hydrated: It is essential to stay hydrated during prolonged fasting. Drink more than eight glasses a day, which is a potent appetite suppressant.
- Drink Non-caloric Beverages: Green tea and herbal tea both have medical properties and reduce appetite. Have one cup or alternate between them when you feel hungry every time.
- Be Busy: Keep yourself busy so you do not feel hungry out of boredom. Read, go to work, do paperwork, learn a new skill or do anything that will keep your mind busy.
- Walk a little: Though it is not advised to do vigorous exercise, going for a walk is usually beneficial. It increases blood circulation and keeps you satiated by reducing hunger.
- Breathwork: Make sure you do some kind of breathwork. Do pranayam, kapalbhati or any type of breathing techniques that you like. It will keep you energised through the process. You can also use apps like breathonics for pumping exercises.
- Biohack Your Sleep Cycle: A good night sleep calms your mind and repairs body cells. Practice abdominal breathing, get sun, avoid blue light exposure before bed and use a sleep mask for getting deep sleep.
- Listen to Binaural Music: Binaural music is an excellent way to transcendental meditation. Listening to binaural beats can uplift your mood and keep your mind energised.
- Enjoy the Process: Fasting is a beautiful experience. It is one of the best biohack to empower your body, mind, and health. So enjoy the process while you are at it.
How Did I Do 109 Hours of Prolonged Fasting?
Fasting has many forms – intermittent fasting, liquid fasting, time-restricted fasting, period fasting, prolonged fasting and more. I opted for prolonged fasting that has potential benefits of detox and longevity. Though prolonged fasting does involve food with a low-carb diet, I chose to stick to water and green tea and sometimes I did hot and cold biohack.
At 40 Hours of Fasting : As a biohack body experiment, I started with 40 hours, wherein my aim was to MetaDetox my body.
MetaDetox: It is the process of removing extra fats from the body without troubling the immune system. The detox works by:
- Improving biomarkers of health
- Increasing fat burning
- Promoting hydration and brain function
- Removing harmful metal toxin substance from the body
- Boosting weight loss
At 56 Hours of Fasting : I was surprised when I touched 56 hours, which helped me DeepDetox my body. I was not doing any kind of exercise or workout, so that I could save my energy.
In Feb 2021, i repeated the similar steps along with addition of sauna and impressed with the results after 50+ hours.
DeepDetox: It is the process wherein the body eliminates toxins through kidneys, lungs, intestine, lymphatic system, and skin. It is considered as a natural body cleansing process that works by:
- Giving rest to organs
- Stimulating the liver to push toxins out
- Promoting flushing toxins through kidneys, intestines, and skin
- Increasing blood circulation
- Renewing body cells
At 69 Hours of Fasting: I started feeling confident about my fasting experience when I touched 69 hours of fasting. I did breathwork to boost my energy in between, using the Breathonics app along with water and green tea.
Breath Work: Breathwork means breathing exercise or methods wherein you change your breathing pattern intentionally. Exercise like Kapalbhati improves the way you intake oxygen and has a lot of other benefits such as:
- Increasing basal metabolic rate
- Enhancing mental, physical and spiritual well-being
- Repairing the digestive system
- Reducing fat deposition
- Helping in weight loss
I checked my ketosis level after the 70th hour, and interestingly it was at an all-time high. My body ketone level was 5.62mmol/L.
Ketosis: It is a process where the body uses fat to generate body energy. When our body does not have enough carbs to burn for energy, it starts burning fat and makes ketones, which can be used for fuel.
How to measure Ketones?
There are common ways 1) Urine Ketones (unused acetoacetate) 2)Blood Ketones which is b-hydroxybutyrate measured in mmol/L (i-opted) 3) Breath Ketones b-hydroxybutyrate & acetone (measured on ppm) reference: https://headsuphealth.com/blog/heads-up-hqself-tracking/measuring-ketones-the-difference-between-testing-breath-and-blood/
In Aug 2021, i imported a device to test the breath ketones (apparently, its very easy as a process and results are instant)
At 82 Hours of Fasting: I started feeling tired when I touched 82 hours as I was regularly going to work since the beginning of the experiment. However, now, I felt exhausted and was running out of energy but did not feel hungry. I expected this would help with:
- Increasing the body’s metabolism
- Preserving muscle tissues
- Reducing body fat and weight
- Decreasing the body’s inflammation
Increasingly as the days passed, the diet did not fail me and delivered on all these aspects.
At 109 Hours of Fasting: Finally, at 109 hours, I decided to end my prolonged fasting. Felt great, excited, and confident about my body. My body responded with the following changes:
- Improved body metabolism
- Lost almost 3 kgs of side fat
- Increased blood ketones levels of 5.6 mmol/L
- Reduced stress levels
- Improved my overall mood, sleep, and health
The biggest surprise that came to me was how I lost about 3 kgs of side fat but did not lose much muscle mass. Additionally, my physical performance had not experienced any adverse effect. I looked leaner but not weaker.
In a Nutshell
Overall, the experience was pretty insightful. There was a change in both my physical and mental abilities. It is quite an extreme thing to do, and it is not for everyone. If you are interested in biohacking your body and want to learn about your body, then go ahead and start with a few hours and then gradually increase the fasting hours. Follow your body, do not overdo it, and most importantly – go with a positive attitude!
FAQ’s around 100 hr water fasting
1. What is the reason behind undertaking prolonged water fasting? Prolonged water fasting is undertaken for various health benefits, including detoxification, improved metabolism, weight loss, increased ketosis, enhanced cognitive functions, and overall biohacking to empower the body and mind.
2. How does the body generate energy during prolonged fasting? The body relies on gluconeogenesis to convert amino acids, fats, and lactate into energy. Fat is broken into fatty acids, proteins into amino acids for muscle building, and carbohydrates contribute to glucose levels, providing essential energy.
3. What is the science behind prolonged fasting? Prolonged fasting triggers changes in nutrient oxidation and glucose tolerance. When the body lacks access to glucose, it initiates gluconeogenesis, converting non-carbohydrate substances into energy. Subsequently, the body enters ketosis, burning stored fat for energy.
4. What are the types of energy sources for the body? The primary nutrients for energy include fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Fat is found in high-fat foods, proteins in items like eggs and nuts, and carbohydrates in sugar-rich or starchy foods.
5. What is the recommended approach for beginners in prolonged fasting? Beginners are advised to start with a 24-hour fast, avoiding stressful activities. It’s crucial to stay hydrated, consume non-caloric beverages, engage in light activities like walking, practice breathwork, optimize sleep, and gradually increase fasting hours.
6. How did the author manage to do 109 hours of prolonged fasting? The author employed water, green tea, and occasional hot and cold biohacks during the prolonged fasting journey, including MetaDetox at 40 hours, DeepDetox at 56 hours, breathwork at 69 hours, ketosis check at 70 hours, breath ketones measurement at 82 hours, and concluding the fast at 109 hours.
7. What benefits were reported by the author after prolonged fasting? The author experienced improved metabolism, a loss of 3 kgs of side fat, increased blood ketones to 5.6 mmol/L, reduced stress levels, and overall enhancements in mood, sleep, and health.
8. How can one measure ketones during fasting? Ketones can be measured through various methods, including urine ketones, blood ketones (b-hydroxybutyrate), or breath ketones (b-hydroxybutyrate & acetone). The author chose blood ketones measurement, registering levels of 5.6 mmol/L.
9. What precautions should be taken during prolonged water fasting? Prolonged water fasting may not be suitable for everyone and could lead to side effects such as nausea and dizziness. Beginners should gradually increase fasting hours, stay hydrated, and be attentive to their body’s signals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advisable.
10. What are the potential benefits of prolonged water fasting reported by practitioners? Practitioners have reported diverse benefits, including improved metabolism, weight loss, heightened ketone levels, reduced stress, enhanced mood, better sleep, and preservation of muscle mass during fasting.
11. Can prolonged fasting preserve muscle mass? Correctly executed prolonged fasting may help preserve muscle mass, as the body prioritizes fat as an energy source, particularly during the ketosis phase. This contributes to weight loss while minimizing muscle loss.
12. Is prolonged water fasting suitable for everyone? Prolonged water fasting may not be suitable for individuals with certain health conditions or those unaccustomed to fasting. Consulting with a healthcare professional before attempting prolonged fasting is crucial. Approaching fasting with a positive mindset and listening to the body’s signals is essential throughout the process.
