The effects of cold exposure on gut bacteria

Is the cold good for your gut microbiome?

How does cold therapy affect gut bacteria?

We know that cold therapy is good for health and that you can't be healthy without the right gut bacteria, but what effects does the one have over the other? Do they interlink somehow? Let's see what the science says.

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Cold exposure changes the gut microbiome

This study found that mice developed different gut bacteria when they were subjected to cold, compared to those who were kept at room temperature. These new microbes caused certain bodily changes in the cold mice.

When feces (containing gut bacteria) were transplanted from the cold mice into mice that didn't have any gut bacteria of their own, the recipients experienced body chances that were similar to the adaptions that they would have developed if they were the ones who spent time in the cold.

Their body fat turned from white fat (primary role of storage, causes obesity) into brown fat (primary role of heat generation, counteracts obesity). Insulin sensitivity increased and the absorptive surface of the digestive tract had increased in order to increase caloric absorption.

If you want more brown fat and less white fat, better insulin sensitivity, a faster metabolism and more nutrient absorption in your gut; your gut bacteria will do this for you when you expose yourself to cold temperatures.

This study proves that cold exposure and gut bacteria are closely interlinked. Cold exposure changes the gut microbiome - and the gut microbiome influences your body's ability to cope with cold temperatures.

Temperatures affect your gut bacteria.

Exercise and cold exposure improve gut health when combined

This study looked at the effects of exercise on gut bacteria under different temperatures. They had obese mice exercise at room temperature, short bursts of cold and a longer period of cold or sustained coldness.

They concluded that exercise lead to more conversion of fat from white fat to brown fat when done in the cold, compared to exercise on its own or cold exposure on its own. Other health markers like cardiovascular health and metabolism were mostly improved when exercise and cold exposure was combined.

They say that exercise reversed some of the effects that colder temperatures had on gut bacteria and therefore protected against cold-induced cardio-vascular damage.

The moral of the story is this: Exercise combined with cold exposure reduces obesity and improves cardiovascular health more than cold exposure or exercise on its own.

Combine cold exposure with exercise.

Does this mean that cold exposure is good for our gut microbiome or not?

What we do know for sure is that cold exposure triggers changes in gut bacteria that are favorable to our overall health.

Cold exposure creates a gut microbiome that increases our metabolism, converts white fat into brown fat (which is a good thing), increases absorption of nutrients from food, improves glucose metabolism, reduces obesity and increases insulin sensitivity.

I could not find any studies or hard scientific evidence that found an increase or decrease in specific types of gut bacteria, whether good or bad, as a result of cold exposure. If you know of any research on this, please let me know in the comments below.

What I can look at, though, are how the changes brought on by cold exposure will affect the gut microbiome.

Physical changes in health brought on by gut bacteria

We know that these changes are brought on by gut bacteria (independent on the body's own adaptions) because these changes happen to mice when they receive the gut microbes from cold-exposed mice.

1. Improved insulin sensitivity

2. Increased brown fat

3. Increased nutrient absorption

4. Better glucose metabolism

5. Reduced obesity or white fat mass

Cold-exposed gut bacteria change our bodies.

We still have a lot to learn about our gut bacteria and how they interact with various stimuli like cold exposure. What we do know for sure is that the long term effects of cold exposure, mediated by gut bacteria, are beneficial to our health in many ways. The positive health effects of cold exposure are dramatically increased when you add exercise into the equation.

In my personal opinion, we will probably find out with future research that overall fitness, on many levels, improves the composition and diversity of gut bacteria in our digestive system. I suspect that cold exposure, heat exposure, exercise and other extrinsic stressors that force the body to get stronger will ultimately improve gut health. Stay Strong!

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Carrots for good gut bacteria

Carrots can improve gut health.

Carrots improve your gut bacteria

Carrots help to remove bad bacteria and the endotoxins that they create from our gut. They also remove excess estrogen that cause an imbalance in hormones. The soluble fiber (like pectin) and insoluble fiber (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose) in carrots feed good gut bacteria and lead to the creation of short chain fatty acids that heal the gut lining.

Introduction

Everything that you eat (or don't eat) affects the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut. Carrots change the gut bacteria that live in our gut - and this causes positive changes to overall health.

Use this diet to increase gut bacteria biodiversity.

Carrots can fix your microbiome.

Carrots work in the gut to restore hormonal balance

Daniel Dowling from Thrive Global explains that the indigestible fiber from raw carrots work in the gut to restore hormonal balance and therefore help with the following issues:

1. Headaches and migraines
2. Brain fog and mental fatigue
3. Low testosterone levels
4. Dry skin
5. A whole range of digestive issues
6. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
7. Depression and irritability
8. Weight gain
9. Liver problems

Fibers fix many problems at the root.

Carrots remove endotoxins caused by bad gut bacteria

Daniel goes on to explain that carrots help to eliminate endotoxins created by bad gut bacteria. Endotoxins can reduce the amount of thyroid hormone that your body has. Carrots reduce endotoxins and therefore help thyroid production to go back to optimal levels. This will ultimately improve energy levels, metabolism, digestion and hormonal homeostasis.

The indigestible fiber sweeps the gut of endotoxins, excess estrogen and bad gut bacteria. Since this form of fiber is not easily digested or fermented, it makes the journey all the way out of your digestive tract along with the waste that tends to accumulate and wreak havoc in your gut.

The types of fiber in carrots

One cup (128 grams) of carrots contains:

- 4.6 grams of total fiber

- 2.4 grams of soluble fiber (including 1.024 grams of pectin)

- 2.2 grams insoluble fiber (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose)

Carrots have a relatively high amount of lignin and a very good amount of pectin (highest among all vegetables - 0.8% of a carrot's weight is pectin fiber).
One cup of carrots has 4.6 grams of fiber and 2.4 grams of soluble fiber.
The insoluble fibers in carrots are cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose.

All of this fiber feeds good gut bacteria.

This is how all of the different types of fiber in carrots will positively affect your gut microbiome:

Soluble fiber for gut bacteria

Soluble fibers make it to colon without being absorbed. Soluble fiber is considered to be the prebiotic kind of fiber that good gut microbes feed on. Beneficial gut bacteria ferment soluble fiber and turn it into short chain fatty acids. Short chain fatty acids, then, feed other good gut bacteria and heal our gut from the inside out.

Pectin for gut bacteria

Pectin increases different types of beneficial gut bacteria. Pectin consumption leads to an increase in short chain fatty acid production, acetate and butyrate. This shows that beneficial gut bacteria start to colonize the colon as a result of pectin consumption. Butyrate heals the gut and prevents leaky gut syndrome.

Lignin for gut bacteria

Bacteria that feed on lignin have cancer prevention effects. This study found that there were four types of bacteria that feed on lignin fiber.

Cellulose for gut bacteria

Science still has a lot to learn about our gut bacteria and the kinds of food that they feed on. It is commonly thought that gut bacteria thrive better on soluble fiber (like the ones listed above) and that insoluble fiber like cellulose leaves the digestive tract largely intact.

This study found that pure cellulose is partially eaten by gut bacteria. Only 15% of cellulose is digested from normal foods like carrots and the rest (85%) is excreted. Cellulose does lead to fermentation and the creation of short chain fatty acids by good gut bacteria.

Cellulose metabolism varies between individuals. In the above report, 10 healthy subjects were given pure cellulose. 73% of it, on average, was excreted via breath or feces. There was a large variation of results, though. 47% to 80% of cellulose was found in the feces, depending on the individual.

This could indicate that individual gut bacteria composition influences how much cellulose you can turn into healthy short chain fatty acids.

I would therefore conclude that the more often you eat foods that contain cellulose, the more you stimulate the good gut bacteria to grow and break it down.

The long-term effects of fiber

Hemicellulose for gut bacteria

Hemicellulose has a positive, prebiotic effect on the gut microbiome. This study investigated the beneficial microbial effects of the fiber in both test tube and mouse experiments.

Test tube experimentation found that hemicellulose stimulated the growth of certain gut bacteria. This lead to an increase in short chain fatty acid production (markers of good gut health).

Hemicellulose consumption changed the gut microbiome in mice. The changes demonstrated a shift away from an obesity-prone gut bacteria profile.

Cholesterol, bile acids and free fatty acids were positively lowered. This indicates an improvement in cardiovascular health as a result of hemicellulose consumption. Immune function and overall well-being markers also improved.

The study concludes that hemicellulose is a valuable, potential prebiotic for both digestive and immune health.

Conclusion

Carrots therefore help to remove bad gut bacteria and encourage the growth of good gut bacteria at the same time. Do everything in moderation - even water can be bad for you if you drink too much of it.

You can increase the gut-promoting health benefits of carrots by eating other healthy plant foods like spinach, lettuce, peaches, lemon juice and green tea.

Remember to consult your medical practitioner before making any significant lifestyle changes. Stay Strong!

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Benefits of cold exposure

Discover the health benefits of being cold

Benefits of being cold

Cold exposure is good for your health. It challenges the body to adapt and become stronger - much like exercise. A process that challenges the body and makes it stronger in the long run is called hormesis.

Examples of hormesis

There are many types of hormesis. Here are a few of them:

1. Exercise
2. Heat exposure
3. Cold exposure
4. Fasting
5. Mental challenges
6. Sun exposure

Adversity creates strength.

1. Cold exposure reduces muscle pain and speeds up recovery from exercise

Cold water immersion reduces muscle soreness when done within 24 hours after exercise. The cold acts as an anti-inflammatory agent within muscle tissue. This reduces swelling and speeds up the healing process.

Cold showers reduce muscle pain

I use cold exposure to speed up the healing of a certain muscle group if it takes too long to heal on its own. Cold exposure prevents blood from pooling in muscle tissue.

Blood pooling stops new blood with fresh nutrients from reaching the muscle and stops old blood with by-products of the healing process from circulating away to be cleansed.

Inflammation isn't always a bad thing. It is the signal that tells our muscles to grow and get better. Exercise produces the inflammation that eventually leads to an increase in muscle size and strength.

Cold therapy to speed up muscle recovery

If you need to recover as soon as possible (like from a strenuous sports event and there's another one coming up shortly), I'd recommend using cold therapy as soon as you can.

If you want to increase your fitness level, I'd recommend using cold therapy a few hours after exercise so that your body can learn to deal with inflammation on its own.

Cold therapy is also good to speed up muscle or joint recovery because of its anti-inflammatory effects.

Use cold for exercise performance.

2. Cold showers reduce depression and increase energy levels

This study investigated whether cold showers could be used as an effective treatment for depression. The results were astonishing. Depressive symptoms were reduced almost instantly and the cold showers showed no indication of dependence or addiction.

The study proposes that one of the major causes of depression is a lack of hormesis that challenges our brain and body (just like how exercise reduces depression). Cold showers challenge the brain to switch on certain areas that aren't stimulated enough with our current, comfortable lifestyles.

A 2-3 minute cold shower of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) was done once to twice a day. This was enough to elicit the mood-enhancing effects of cold exposure.

The same study showed that cold reduced pain in the same way as pain medication (via an analgesic effect).

A short, cold shower has lasting benefits.

Cold exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system

The study showed that cold exposure (in the form of cold showers) activated the mechanisms in our bodies that cope with physical stress. These are the same mechanisms that are activated during exercise. Increased energy production throughout your body creates an energizing effect.

Hormones released through cold exposure

Cold exposure increase blood levels of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline. This leads to a mood-enhancing, euphoric and energized feeling. These hormones explain why some people claim that cold showers wake them up better than coffee.

Cold showers are better than coffee.

3. Cold therapy increases metabolism

Cold exposure can increase your metabolism by 16%. It costs energy to warm the body up or cool it down. Your body will take this energy from fat stores. The increased energy levels and activation of the sympathetic nervous system, as we have discussed in the previous point, will also increase your body's energetic burn rate.

How much weight can you lose in one cold shower?

Not much. The amount of fat that you burn in a single cold shower is minuscule. You can't sit in a cold shower until you've lost a certain amount of body fat. You will enter into hypothermia before you lose any noticeable amount of fat.

The weight loss effects of cold training are adaptive. This means that your body will burn more fat mass per cold session over time as it adapts by learning to burn more fat to create heat. The more often you take a cold shower, the more fat storage you can burn per cold shower.

The metabolism-boosting effects of cold exposure persist afterwards because of sympathetic nervous system activation and the release of endorphins and noradrenaline.

Do it regularly (like exercise).

Benefits of cold exposure

The above findings tell us that cold exposure has the following benefits:

1. Better ability to respond to stress
2. Decreased recovery time for muscles and joints
3. Prevents blood pooling from strenuous exercise
4. Better elimination of the by-products of muscle recovery
5. Anti-inflammatory: Reduce pain and swelling
6. Increased ability to turn fat into energy
7. Increased energy production
8. Better mood and a sense of euphoria
9. Protection against depression

Cold is good for you.

It seems like we have been too successful at making ourselves comfortable. Doing things that make you uncomfortable from time to time will help your body to stay strong and fit. It is okay to feel cold from time to time.

Remember to never push your body further than it can handle. You can want to strengthen your body - not break it down.

I stop my cold therapy as soon as I start to shiver. Your body will get stronger and be able to endure more cold before it shivers as you go on. Stay Strong!

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Wheat or gluten can trigger asthma and allergies

I cured my asthma.

My asthmatic symptoms and allergies disappear as soon as I stop eating wheat

A few months ago, I developed a runny nose that didn't go away. It soon migrated to my chest and I had trouble breathing later at night or early in the morning. This lasted for about 5 or 6 months.

I tried many things to address the cause and heal the issue. I tried clearing away as much dust from my room as possible. My bed was cleaned to remove dust mites (which can cause allergic reactions, wheezing and difficulty breathing).

Recently, I tried a 4 four day water fast to see if that would cure my asthmatic symptoms. Fasting is known to alleviate a variety of diseases, like allergies and asthma, and improve overall health. I had no allergic reactions or breathing problems during the fast, but they came back within 12 hours after I started eating again. Bread was one of the first things that I ate when I broke my fast.

I finally found my solution.

A friend of mine suggested that I could possibly have gluten sensitivity. Gluten is not necessarily bad for you unless you are sensitive or allergic to it. I kept this idea (along with many other suggestions) at the back of my mind as I figured out which theory I wanted to test out next.

I wanted to save this one for the last of my experiments because I would have to test out a whole range of foods that cause allergic reactions like wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy and seafood.

One night I had diarrhea and bloody stool hours after eating a large meal that was predominantly wheat-based. I decided to cut out wheat and see what happened.

I had absolutely no breathing difficulty or allergic reactions within 24 hours of abstaining from foods that have wheat in them.

This was true for three whole days before I ate wheat again. True to form, I woke up in the middle of the night last night with breathing difficulties - hours after I had a meal with wheat.

It isn't nice to face the fact that I have to cut out wheat from my diet (which is in almost everything), but it is also really nice to know that I have finally found the solution.

Trial and error finally paid off.

Wheat sensitivity causes allergies and asthma

Wheat allergy can cause the following symptoms:

1. Swelling
2. Itching
3. Inflamed mouth and throat
4. Skin problems like hives, rashes and swelling
5. Nasal congestion
6. Runny nose
7. Headaches
8. Asthmatic symptoms
9. Cramps
10. Nausea
11. Vomiting
12. Diarrhea
13. Anaphylaxis

I have had eczema from childhood. You can get eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and skin conditions from wheat sensitivity. It would be awesome if my eczema resolves itself when I cut out wheat!

The symptoms on this list that I personally experienced were skin problems (eczema), itching, nasal congestion, runny nose and nasal congestion, asthmatic symptoms and diarrhea when I ate a lot of wheat.

Since the diarrhea happened hours after the consumption of wheat, I would never assume that it was the wheat that caused it. This could mean that my poor body has had to deal with wheat consumption and the inflamed response on a regular basis for years and years.

The effects can start hours later.

How does wheat trigger allergies, asthma, skin conditions and other diseases?

Let me start off by saying that wheat is not the problem - it's your body's reaction to wheat. Some people can eat wheat without any issues. This is only applicable to people with sensitivity to wheat. You should avoid wheat for a few days and see if your condition improves. If it does, you have found the culprit.

Wheat can cause inflammation in people with a leaky gut

The connection between leaky gut and inflammation

Good bacteria maintain a healthy gut lining. Bad gut bacteria (and other pathogenic microbes) can damage the wall inside your colon. Lack of good bacteria can also cause a damaged intestinal wall.

A healthy gut lining should have lots of small holes that allow digested nutrients to pass into the blood stream. When this wall is damaged, the holes are bigger than they should be. This allows larger food particles to get through.

One of the larger food particles can be the gluten in wheat.

Cells can't absorb gluten before is it broken down into usable nutrients, so your immune system is activated to escort the unusable food out of the blood stream.

Wheat therefore causes an immune response. When this happens regularly, the immune system is permanently switched on. This leads to a hyperactive immune system that attacks everything in sight.

In my case, it lead to breathing problems as inflammation affected my lungs and skin problem as inflammation prevented my skin from working properly.

Many diseases start in the gut.

Signs of inflammation:

Signs of inflammation are:

1. Autoimmune diseases
2. Diabetes
3. Metabolic syndrome
4. Heart disease
5. Obesity
6. Pain
7. Redness
8. Loss of function in a particular body part
9. Swelling
10. Heat
11. Fatigue and low energy
12. Feeling unwell
13. Fever
14. Cardiovascular disease
15. Arthritis and other joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
16. Allergies
17. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (difficulty breathing) and asthma
18. Psoriasis
19. Cancer
20. Depression
21. Insomnia
22. Heightened stress response
23. Ulcer
24. Hay fever
25. Atherosclerosis
26. Gum disease
27. Dermatitis and eczema
28. Blood vessel inflammation
29. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
30. Lupus
31. Hepatitis

Diseases caused by inflammation

As you can see, inflammation affects every part of the body. Inflammation from the immune response to wheat personally gave me the following symptoms:

1. Allergies
2. Runny nose
3. Difficulty breathing
4. Eczema

I haven't had any allergic reactions, sinus or difficulty breathing since I cut out wheat. I still have relatively dry skin - this might take longer to clear up.

If you suspect that inflammation is causing disease in your own body, work with a medical practitioner to find the cause. Stay Strong!

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I end my water fast at 103 hours (4 days and 7 hours)

Here are the results of my 4 day water fast.

4 Day water fast disclaimer

This article is not meant to encourage you to start fasting. It is not meant as medical or health advice in any way, shape or form. I simply share my own experience with fasting in order to report on the effects that it has on my own body. This article is purely meant for anecdotal evidence. Do your research and consult a health professional if you want to consider fasting for yourself.

See the results below.

Why did you end your fast at 103 hours?

You will notice that I did not give a particular amount of time that I was planning to fast for. I wanted to see how my body felt and fast for as long as I felt comfortable. I had the sense that it was time to end my fast at 103 hours, so I did.

That was over 24 hours ago. I wanted to wait before writing this final entry about my fasting journey so that I could write more extensively about the physical effects of the fast.

Re-feeding plan after a long fast

You should follow a good re-feeding plan after a longer fast. Some people say that you only need to implement a re-feeding plan after 5 or more days of fasting, while others say that it should be from 3 days onward. I did not follow this protocol.

I simply ate a relatively small meal with bread, stew, muesli, a banana and an apple. I ate like normal (as if I hadn't been fasting) after I slept.

I had no digestive issues at all. It seems that I would personally need to go for a longer type of fast before I need a re-feeding plan, but everybody is different. It is good to remember that this is my third longer-than-24-hour fast.

You can learn to tell what your body needs.

How much weight did you lose after fasting?

I was at a 4.5 kg (10 pound) loss after the end of my fourth day (on the 96th hour). More than 24 hours after my fast (and with plenty of food and hydration), I am still 4 kg (9 pounds) lighter than I was when I started. I weighed 73.5 kg (162 pounds) at the beginning. Now I weigh 69.5 kg (153 pounds).

Weight loss wasn't my goal, but the reduction in fat is not unwelcome.

Muscle strength after long water fast

I did my first workout today since I started my four day water fast. I did not lose any strength. It looks like I didn't lose any muscle at all according to how I look in the mirror.

It seems that the 1300% increase in human growth hormone (referenced in the report of my fourth day of fasting) must have preserved my muscle mass.

It makes sense that the body will try to preserve muscle mass in challenging times like when there is no food available. If we withered away as soon as we couldn't find food, we would have died out as a species a long time ago. That is exactly what fat is there for.

Our bodies do well on the edge.

Hunger and appetite during long water fast

My hunger wasn't that bad throughout my water fast. Most people think that hunger gets worse after each day, but hunger actually gets less and less after each day of fasting.

Did your allergy or asthma symptoms improve after 4 days of water fasting?

Unfortunately I did not lose my allergies or my asthmatic symptoms. I had close to zero asthmatic and allergic reactions during my entire fast. My tight chest returned within 24 hours of the end of my fast. I am actually writing this post right now because my tight chest woke me up in the middle of the night.

I linked to a documentary about how fasting has cured many people with asthma and allergies. I think that I would need to fast for a longer period of time to see permanent results. I could have fasted for longer, but I felt like my body was telling me to stop. I will probably attempt a longer fast sometime in the future.

There are no quick fixes.

Benefits of water wasting

I did notice some positive changes during my four day water fast. Here are some of them:

1. I lost 4 kilograms (9 pounds) of fat
2. My skin looks clearer
3. I have a hard-to-explain, more positive outlook on life
4. I feel motivated to change a lot more about myself
5. I have more energy than I did before the fast
6. My muscles look a little more toned than they did before the fast
7. My teeth are whiter

Read about my first day of water fasting.
Learn about my second day without any food.
Check out my third day of water fasting.
This is my experience right after the fourth day of fasting.

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Day 4 (96 hours) into my fast

These are the results of my fast so far - 4 days into it.

Fasting disclaimer

The information on this page is not intended as medical advice in any way. I simply share my own, personal experience with fasting for anecdotal reasons. If you want to fast for an extended period of time, I recommend that you check in with a medical practitioner before attempting to do so.

See the results below.

How much weight can you lose on 4 day water fast?

I weighed 69 kg (152 pounds) at the end of day 4. I weighed 68.5 kg (151 pounds) at the end of my third day of fasting. I weighed 73.5 kg (162 pounds) right at the beginning of my fast. This means that I went down from a 5 kg (11 pounds) loss to a 4.5 kg (10 pounds) loss.

I am glad about this because it means that my body has absorbed more water and my blood pressure is starting to rise after falling so low initially.

Most people lose an average of a pound of fat for every day of fasting. You can find the reference to that fact on the results page from my first day of fasting (linked below).

I am not fasting for weight loss. I am doing it in an attempt to heal my asthma and allergies. My symptoms have almost completely disappeared and I haven't taken an antihistamine since before I started my fast.

Fasting helps your body to heal.

Should you exercise before a fast?

I fasted for 36 hours and 44.5 hours before I felt like I couldn't continue anymore. I exercised like normal leading up to these two fasts. On this current fast, I didn't exercise for 5 days leading up to my fast and I've already fasted for more than double of my previous fasts.

I think that this is one of the many reasons why I was able to go on for so long without giving up. My theory is that exercise placed an energetic drain on the body, and that you will then enter into your fast with sub-optimal energy levels. This then decreases the amount of energetic strain that your body can take before it depletes its sugar stores and finally moves over to fat for energy.

Should you exercise during a fast?

I would definitely exercise during a shorter fast (24 hours or less). Our bodies are much stronger than we realize. If we started to deteriorate so shortly into a fast, the human race would not have been able to survive before the farming era.

Should you exercise during a prolonged fast (2 days or more)?

The documentary that I linked to on my first day's report shows fasting clinics that encourage their patients to exercise - and they fast for very long periods of time (up to 40 days at a time).

I haven't done any exercise so far. I am currently waiting until I feel strong enough (and have enough energy) to do so.

I chose to rest until I am ready.

Energy levels during a fast

My energy levels have been better than the first three days. They aren't at their normal levels yet (I need to motivate myself to write this blog post). I get winded easily and find myself needing to catch my breath often.

The weird part is that I get a little energized whenever I move around. I have energy similar to a caffeine buzz when I drive somewhere in the car or when I walk around for whatever reason. It is very possible that a little exercise would coax my body further into ketosis and therefore give me more energy. I might try this theory tomorrow and see what happens.

Fasting for better eyesight

I am actually fasting for my allergies and asthma, but I only noticed today that I haven't had any eye strain at all since the beginning of my fast (4 days ago). It seems that my eyes are stronger and can take more screen time during a fast.

This effect might be similar to the fact that fasting protects healthy cells from chemotherapy. Fasting most probably protects the cells in the eyes from damage in a similar way.

Does sleep return to normal during a fast?

I slept horribly the first night of fasting. I slept deep and fully on the second night. I didn't sleep so well on the third night. I supplemented with magnesium and I slept much better afterwards. This lady who documented her 54 day water fast with daily videos also had some nights where sleep was amazing and other nights where good sleep was hard to come by.

Similar to her notes, I find that I sleep better when my electrolyte levels are in the right balance.

It's okay to stress your body occasionally.

Emotional benefits of fasting

I have definitely felt more relaxed and at peace yesterday (day 3) and today (day 4). Previous mental stresses and anxieties have gone away. I have much less anger and frustration towards the people around me. At the same time, I am much less worried about what other people think about me.

This guy had the exact same emotional effect during his 21 day fast. He explains that he didn't worry about what people thought about him anymore. It was like a mental enlightenment that came to him. This feeling of less anxiety was so strong, in fact, that he unblocked a lot of people that he was worried were giving him nasty comments.

A few things happened today that would usually elicit a small sense of fear in me. I didn't feel emotional distressed at all.

There is this one person (different scenario) that gives me a dirty look whenever they see me. It used to really frustrate me and it used to give me real negative thoughts about them. In the last two days, though, it didn't bother me at all - literally not one bit. I actually smile at them now and want to greet them as warmly as possible.

I feel as if I've matured emotionally over the last two days. Small things don't bother me anymore. It is almost as if fasting has given me some mental clarity and a brand new perspective (and I'm only on day 4!).

Why does such a strong sense of calm and relaxation take over us during a fast? Dr. Mindy Pelz explains that certain brain chemicals are released during a fast that greatly benefits the mind.

1. Growth hormone can increase by up to 1300% from 12 hours into a fast
2. Ketones that heal the brain are created 13-15 hours into a fast
3. BDNF (brain fertilizer) and serotonin increase dramatically from 24 hours into a fast
4. Inflammation reduces throughout the body at 24 hours
5. GABA production (which initiates a sense of calm) goes up from the 36th to 48th hour
6. Neurons regenerate at this time as well
7. Dopamine receptor sites are re-calibrated from around the third day of fasting.

Fasting is good for your brain.

Check out my experience from my first day of fasting.

Learn about my second fasting day.

Read about my third day of fasting.

Here are the effects 24 hours after I end my water fast.

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Day 3 (72 hours) into my water fast

Check out the results of my fast.

72 hour water fast disclaimer

I do not recommend that anybody else try this type of fasting. Consult your medical practitioner about any lifestyle changes that you plan to make. I am simply sharing my personal experiences as I fast. This is meant to serve as anecdotal evidence and is not meant to be a substitute for sound, medical advice.

Find the results below.

How much weight do you lose on a 3 day or 72 hour water fast?

I weighed 73.5 kg (162 pounds) right after my last meal. I currently weigh 68.5 kg (151 pounds) at the 72 hour mark. I therefore lost 5 kg (11 pounds) from 3 days of fasting.

I still had a lot of food in my belly as I weighed myself at hour 0 (right after my last meal). My blood pressure has dropped and I have lost a lot of water weight. This leaves me to believe that I've only lost about 2 kg (4 pounds) of fat.

I suspect that most people will lose a lot less than I did. My metabolism is high because I exercise regularly and I eat healthy. This means that my body is very efficient at burning fat for energy already.

An estimated 2 kg of this is fat.

Hunger levels during a 3 day fast

I was the hungriest during the first day. My hunger dropped by about half on the second day. I wasn't hungry at all for most of my third day, but I do feel a little food deprived right now as I wright this article (about 72.5 hours after my last meal).

I'd say that my hunger has consistently dropped day after day. It is not completely gone, though. Water (salt water in my case to keep my blood pressure steady) has definitely helped to curb hunger cravings throughout the 3 days so far.

I feel better than I did on day 1.

Energy levels after 72 hours of fasting

I had an energy drop yesterday (day 2) afternoon.

I woke up with low energy that seems to come and go. I currently have low energy. It is not an uncomfortable kind of low energy. I feel very relaxed and laid back.

I find it hard to muster the motivation to do anything. I just want to sit back and watch videos.

Sleep during water fasting

I slept very little on day 1 (about 5 hours of sleep in total). I didn't feel like I needed any more sleep than that. I slept about 4 hours on day 2.

Day 2 (yesterday) night I fell asleep and slept through until late this morning. I slept for just over 8 hours - very soundly.

It looks like my sleep has returned back to normal. I had extremely low energy when I woke up this morning and it took me a while to get the energy to start the day.

Caffeine during a water fast

Some people say that you can have caffeine and that it will extenuate some of the benefits of fasting. Other people say that caffeine increases some fasting benefits but stops other benefits. I don't drink caffeine during my fasts in order to make sure that I get the maximum benefit from a pure water fast. I consume nothing but water and table salt.

I must say that this fast has been much easier that my previous fasts. I'm pretty sure that the fact that I stopped caffeine 6 days before my fast is a major contributing factor.

Most of the negative side effects of water fasting could probably be attributed to caffeine withdrawal for most people that embark on a pure water fast.

I don't drink coffee when I fast.

Does food tempt you when you fast?

I have just completed 72 hours of fasting and my family made this wonderful stew with a new tomato-based sauce.

The smell fills the whole house and it smells absolutely delicious. I am tempted to break the fast and grab a bowl, but I don't feel too deprived to be without it at the same time.

The fact that I can enjoy it in the future and the fact that I am currently upgrading my body is enough to keep me from giving in to temptation.

Fasting gives you a strong sense of will power that transcends into other areas of your life. I feel proud of myself for navigating past this temptation. It is a lot easier than you would expect on day 3.

Why am I so cold when I fast?

The massive drop in blood pressure and metabolism of fat for energy will make it harder for your body to generate heat. Heat also costs energy that becomes very precious to your body during a fast.

I have noticed that my body temperature drops quite considerably. In order to keep myself motivated enough to stay away from food; I bargained that in place of that I can have two luxuries: heat and sleep. I have loosened my self-imposed restrictions on sleep and I have allowed myself to sit in front of the heater whenever I want.

It is healthy for you to get too hot and too cold from time to time. I have currently been fascinated by research into the health benefits of heat and cold.

Since my body is already under enough stress during this prolonged fast, I won't do any heat training until I start eating again.

Low blood pressure is a part of fasting.

Have my allergies and asthma improved after three days of fasting?

I noted on both my first and second day of fasting that my allergies and asthma seem to disappear completely after 24 hours of fasting. This effect lasted all the day through the second day.

I woke up this morning with a slightly tighter chest than what I have had for the first two days. It seems as if I've had some sort of reversal of these benefits on my third day. My allergies/asthma is much, much better than it ever would be when I don't fast, but it is not as good as it was on day one and two.

I think that this could be for one of two possible reasons. Firstly, my body could be more adapted to going without food and therefore it is starting to return to a place of normalcy (like, for instance, the fact that I slept fully for the first time last night).

The second theory is that the small recurrence of my asthma or allergies is part of the healing crises that is said to happen during fasts when the body starts to heal itself.

See the results from my first day of fasting.
See the results from my second day of fasting.
Here are the results of my fourth day of fasting.
Here are the effects 24 hours after I end my water fast.

Stay Strong!

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