Eric Stendal

I came across a fantastic video on YouTube concerning water fasting. I’m putting it here for everyone to see if they’d like (see below).

I’ve reached a plateau in my weight loss and it’s time for me to stress the mitochondria with a fast. Here are the rules:

• No food
• Drink only water
• Supplement with salt & minerals
• Coffee & tea permitted (but I’m abstaining)
• Drink 1/2 my body weight in oz per day

I’m currently twenty hours in to the fast already and things are going well. I’m drinking my water throughout the day. I also took my potassium and magnesium this morning. My sodium was some Celtic sea salt in one of my 12 oz glasses of water. I’ll have more of that later.

Now, this video is for a five day fast, and as of right now I’m not sure if I’ll do the five days or not. I am going to aim for the three day version, and if you watch the video, you’ll learn like I did that there is more benefit gained in the first three days, and everything after that is just an elongated version of the benefits reaped from the first three days.

Last Night

I had Swedish Meatballs with a couple pieces of bread (buttered) and dipped in the wonderful gravy. That was my last meal before beginning this water fast.

I had had two cans of beer and some wine during the late afternoon. I ate potato chips as a snack while watching the original “Road House” starring Patrick Swayze.

As I was eating and finishing my dinner, I made the decision that my last bite would be my last bite for a few days.

It’s been just about twenty hours into this fast and so far so good.

First Day Benefits

The following benefits are outlined in the video above:

• Improves immune function
• Damaged tissues are repaired
• Dysfunctional cells and pathogens are removed
• Reduction of (neuro) inflammation
• Increase in autophagy
• Decrease in autoimmune disease
• Gut flora is improved
• Increase DNA repair
• Reset of metabolic system & hormones
• Self-awareness of health/food
• Motivation

First Day 18:55 hrs

It’s been great so far. I’ve missed eating something today, but I don’t feel like I’m starving at all. I don’t have deep hunger pangs like I used to at the end of last year when I was climbing up to 200 lbs in weight.

For the last while I’ve been 16/8 and OMAD; that is, eat for 8 hrs and fast for 16 hrs in a 24 hr period, and One Meal A Day – OMAD eating all your calories in one sitting and fasting for the remainder until 24 hrs has passed. Doing this has made what I’m attempting possible.

Here below is what I can expect in the first 8 – 12 hours during the fast:

8 -12 Hours

Decrease in glycogen & glucose

Increase of glucagon, cortisol, HGH, adrenaline

Increase in ketones from fat utilization

Regular exercise permitted today

Slight uptick in ghrelin (hunger signal)

18 – 24 Hours

Depletion of glycogen

Gluconeogenesis – liver & kidney function

Impact autoimmune

Increase AMPK (key energy sensor) stimulates autophagy

Autophagy – cellular clean up

Decrease in inflammation

Body goes ‘hybrid’ – brain and body getting good fuel