My Guide to a 40 Day Water Fast

Background

I'm not sure I'm the right person to instruct how to do a 40 day water fast. I completed the fast unscathed, but I may or may not be someone others take seriously. I don’t check in with doctors or monitor my vitals, like blood pressure and blood sugar. My blood pressure is always low, and I'm not diabetic.

I have done many water fasts for spirituality and health. The longest fast I did before the 40 days was 21 days. My fasts are old school; I stay tuned into my body, and I bring God into it. What began as a healing journey years ago inevitably turned into a spiritual journey, and since then I have been building my relationship with God.

Before I embarked on this endeavour I searched online for other's 40 day water fasting experiences. There is a lot of negativity about fasting mainly from people who don't fast, which can turn away those who are genuinely interested. I seek opinions and advice from only those who have actually fasted.

In 2016 I was diagnosed with a severe gut disease that makes my intestines bleed. I learned I would end up having my large intestine surgically removed if I relied on medication. At the height of the pandemic I began healing my body through diet and lifestyle and was able to get off the medication.

For those with medical conditions, I don't recommend doing a water only fast if your body is dependent on medication. I also don't recommend water fasting for those whose bodies are still growing.

I've always been small, and I was afraid a 40 day fast would result in me wasting away to nothingness. Every body has its natural weight. I lost 25 pounds, and that amount is not dangerous for a lot of bodies. The weight loss brought my weight down to 84 pounds, which would be considered dangerous for someone who weighs significantly more than me. The weight loss is relative, and it looks different on everyone.

When I’m being guided to fast and given a number of days, I do it trusting that I received that instruction because I’m able.

If you’re still reading then perhaps you find me to be a credible enough source. This is my guide to a 40 day water fast.

Introduction

The first week is the toughest. The negative symptoms are the most prevalent at this time, such as hunger, weakness, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and hot flashes. As every body is unique in terms of health, there are a host of symptoms that can present themselves. Individuals must use their discernment on whether or not they are able to fast as it is challenging.

Sometime within the first seven days, the body enters ketosis and autophagy. The body begins feeding off stored fat and damaged cells, and purging toxins. There is a reduction in negative symptoms, and hunger pangs can easily be curbed with water. There will be good days and bad days.

Good Water and Electrolytes

At times I drank too much water and became repulsed by it. Other times I didn’t drink enough water and became weak. Be hyper aware of the signs the body sends.

Most electrolyte consumption is through food as water only has trace amounts of minerals. As no food is consumed during a water fast, some individuals sprinkle a pinch of salt into their water for energy.

I drank reverse osmosis water for the entirety of my 40 day water fast, which is pure water with no toxins, contaminants, treatments, such as chlorine and fluoride, or minerals. I'm not a die hard water fasting purist. I didn't choose reverse osmosis water on purpose. I drink it on a regular basis because tap water is treated with chlorine and it causes problems in my gut.

I was low energy at times, but I’ve done enough fasting that I've gotten used to putting up with low energy. I just try not to do anything strenuous, and I stay determined with completing the fast otherwise the intention or prayer I set for the fast will not come to pass. Every fast I have at least one nightmare in which I accidentally eat food and then bawl my eyes out because my fast has wasted and I have to do it all over again.

I have never experienced calf muscle cramps during water fasting, which is the symptom for electrolyte depletion. I have experienced it twice in my life. The first occurred when I tried the carnivore diet to heal my gut, and the second time was recent when I reduced my salt intake for healing. Your body will show you with a wrath you have never known that you are low on electrolytes.

I had planned to drink bottled spring water that had added mineral salts. The first week I drank reverse osmosis water, and then I tried to switch. I nearly spat out that spring water. After seven days of no food tainting my palette and only pure water, I could taste the plastic that had leeched into the bottled water. I thought that was just a theory from health nuts and environmentalists, but that spring water didn't taste like water. It tasted chemical and toxic.

Don't drink plastic bottled water because the chemicals in the plastic leech into the water, and there too many plastic bottles littering our earth and oceans. Recycling the bottle doesn’t help. I urge you to read this post I wrote:

So, I drank reverse osmosis water and prayed to God that would be good enough.

Colon Cleanse

I read a very comprehensive 40 day water fast guide someone had posted on their Linkedin, and they recommended doing colon hydrotherapy at the beginning of a long fast because apparently the poop that’s in the gut can harden if left in there for too long.

That tidbit made me do a three day clear liquid diet just before the 40 day fast to remove as much waste as possible from my gut. I took a laxative on the third night. I lost six precious pounds in those three days, and I was doubtful my gut had completely cleared.

A week into my 40 day fast, my sister booked us into a spa at a 4.5 star hotel for a colon hydrotherapy session. She is experienced with it, but it always sounded unnatural and possibly jarring to the gut microbiome's natural ecosystem.

You can read all about my experience in the story below.

I was gassy throughout this fast, and I blame the colon hydrotherapy. My gut was sloth-like in past fasts, quiet with no perceptible movements. I don’t usually have bowel movements during fasting, but on day 25, and somewhere in the 30s, I did. I was oddly elated about it too.

Fasting and Women's Hormone Health

The passing of stool may also have had to do with the fact that during a 40 day fast I would inevitably get my period, which I managed to avoid in past fasts. Fasting is vastly different for women and men specifically for this reason. I am going to write a separate post on fasting and hormones because there's a lot to discuss.

Sleep Quality

I did not sleep much, which is common. The most sleep I had in a night was six hours, and some nights only four. I wasn't tired during the day, and was restless in bed when it came time to sleep.

I don’t eat the same foods now as I did before the fast. Upon reflection it seems that certain foods make me sleep more. Perhaps the length of time required for the digestion of certain foods tires the body?

I used to need at least eight hours of sleep, and I'd still wake up tired. During the fast I slept four to six hours a night, and I wasn't tired during the day. Now I sleep six hours a night, sometimes seven, and I wake up excited to start my day. I believe this is all connected to digestion.

Spirituality

Fasting isn't just about health, there is a spiritual component.

For those who are able, fasting is a privilege because it is a powerful form of manifestation. When you fast you are closer to the spiritual realm, higher beings, and God. This is an optimal time to connect, for messages and enlightenment to come through, and for putting forth a big prayer.

My fast involved a lot of prayer, meditation, and chanting. I received plenty of clarity and insight. Fasting and spirituality will be require another post, and I will link it to this post once it is published.

Breaking a Fast and Re-feeding

There's a lot of advice about how to break a fast, and it’s confusing. For me, I don't break fasts with sweet or starchy food, that includes fruit, because in the past that made me fall into a depressive state, which I later learned was caused by an insulin spike.

I’ve also been guided to stay away from acidic food when breaking a fast. A long fast should be broken with liquids as the gut has been in system maintenance mode.

Then the re-feeding begins, which is a slow reintroduction of foods. For battle-worn fasters this process can feel like an eon passing before getting to enjoy an actual plate of food. From my own experience, listen to your body. The length of the re-feeding process varies depending on how one eats. A healthy diet requires less food to be reintroduced back into the digestive system therefor less time.

Re-feeding wasn't a long process for me. After breaking the fast with liquids, I went straight into healing my body. My healing journey has been a struggle, even though my diet has changed a lot from the way I ate before I got sick. The fast gave me time to reflect on what’s working and what isn't working for my body.

My intention was to drink liquids for a few days before eating anything solid, but no amount of broth and coconut water could quell the ravenousness that came over me on the second night. That evening I ate a small portion of the boiled vegetables from the broth. That night my body rumbled and grumbled for a few hours, like a machine booting up after a long slumber.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the water I had splashed around in my bowels just after the first week of the fast or because I broke my fast with liquids for a couple days, but while running to and from the washroom I realized there was definitely no need to worry about dislodging hard poops.

I continued to eat boiled vegetables into the third day, and in the evening I made kitchari - an Indian dish consisting of rice and lentils boiled together into a thick stew. My stomach had shrunk so I ate small portions and that pot of kitchari lasted a few days. I was guided to make the kitchari very simple. After 40+ days of not eating, it was delicious. I wonder how I would have fared with the simplicity of my meals had I not done a 40 day fast.

Healing

The healing has resulted in a calorie restriction, which is easier on digestion. It takes longer to gain weight, and after past fasts my goal was to gain weight back as fast as possible.

My goal now is to heal. I’m eating and living for my health and letting my body’s weight adjust however it pleases. Good health looks different on everyone, though there are telltale signs. There is no one ideal body type. There are three natural body types and it's an uphill battle forcing one's body to become something that it's not. I’ve learned it’s better to take care of my mental, emotional, and physical health, and just let my body follow suit.

If you have any questions regarding water fasting that didn't get answered in this post, feel free to ask in the comments.