Thread by @CinephobiaRadio

WATER FAST - DAY 3

One of the interests subjects about prolonged water fasting is the question of electrolytes and whether or not to supplement with them.

When you start burning through the stored glycogen supplies you will lose a lot of water weight. This is because when the..

body stores glucose in the form of glycogen (which acts as a temporary reserve battery for when you run out of food fuel), you hold a lot of water molecules with it. Three parts water to one part glucose. So when you tap into the glycogen, you dump a lot of water weight, and with

it, a lot of electrolytes. This can result in fatigue, muscle stiffness, insomnia and a range of other side effects.

Common wisdom is that you should supplement, and I believe that for a three day fast, that's a good idea.

However....

What happens after a while is that the

cells rebalance and the electrolytes stabilize. And I believe this is an important part of the fasting process, so my current thinking is to supplement on the first three days, to minimize the negative effects, and then let nature take its course for the rest of the duration.

But something to be very careful with after a prolonged fast is the refeeding process. You don't want to spike insulin because that will open the cells which have become electrolyte depleted during the fast. What happens then is that when the insulin opens the door,

the electrolytes in the blood rush back into the cells, potentially causing damage and inflammation to the cell membranes. This is called "Refeeding Syndrome" and I've experience it before. It's not good.

So the trick is when you begin feeding again to make sure you don't spike

insulin levels, therefore you don't want any sugars, fruit or complex carbs. Just low glycemic simple carbs like vegetables, although raw veggies may be too much for the system as you also have a lack of digestive enzymes after a prolonged fast. It's best to break with a soup and

& wait a few hours before trying to eat anything more substantial. Definitely avoid dairy & too much fat as you simply don't have the enzymes available.

And finally if you're going to supplement with electrolytes, check the ingredients and make sure there's no garbage in there.

#Electrolytes
#WaterFast