Fasting: The Final Frontier

What is Fasting?

In the broadest sense, fasting is the act of abstaining from particular pleasure(s) for a specified amount of time. The pleasure(s) could include food, drinks, intimacy, drugs, etc. There are many different types of fasting, but only the most effective forms will be discussed.

Types of Fasting 

1.) Water Fasting- Consumption of water only for a specified amount of time.

2.) Dry Fasting- Absolute abstinence from food and water. This form is the most beneficial and effective type of fasting. Therefore, this kind will be emphasized the most. There are two ways to conduct a dry fast:

  • Soft Dry Fast- Abstinence from consuming food and water with the exception of water touching skin (showers, brushing teeth, swimming, etc.).

  • Hard Dry Fast- No food, water, or any water touching skin (as much as possible). This is the recommended route as it is most effective. During a dry fast your body works on suction, absorbing water and thereby diluting the mechanisms taking place with the dry fast. 

Dry Fasting: The Final Frontier

Unlike water fasting which flushes out toxins through the normal channels of the body (kidneys, liver, intestines, etc.), dry fasting forces each cell of your body to act as a mini furnace/incinerator which results in the death of weak, sick, old, and altered cells. It creates a survival of the fittest scenario within your body, eliminating all weaknesses and non-essentials in the body. Dry fasting rids the body of old and sick cells, in turn more stem cells are released into the body than usual, in order to occupy this vacated space. This encourages regeneration of the body and cellular renewal that cannot be accomplished by any other means. 

Cells that are used to living in a comfortable environment where they are accustomed to the consistent income of food and water become "lazy" as it were and begin to be a liability. Degenerate, weak, diseased cells do not stand a chance in a harsh environment, only the strong, resilient cells can survive such conditions. Furthermore, dry fasting creates an environment in your body where neither bacterium, viruses, pathogens, worms, parasites, fungi, etc., can exist. Only in an environment with adequate water can microorganisms survive, and inflammation thrive. In addition, the immune system has an easier time scavenging and killing the foreign. As soon as you begin to feel sick (sore throat, runny nose, cough, etc.) immediately stop consuming both food and water until sickness is gone. 

Instead of your body using outside food and water as a power source, during a dry fast it is now using adipose tissue (fat) and body reserves as a power supply. This adipose tissue is being split and broken down, resulting in metabolic water being produced. So, although there is no outside water coming in (other than from the air that your skin absorbs), you are actually getting a certain amount each day from metabolic water as a result of fat splitting. Adipocytes (cells of adipose tissue) provide the body with water, energy, and virtually all the properties necessary for life. Dr. Sergei Ivanovich Filonov in his book entitled "Dry Medical Fasting Myths and Realities", states that just "One kilogram of adipose tissue is sufficient for 2-3 days of dry fasting". A great illustration of this is the hump of the camel. This hump is the camel's fat reserves that it uses during its long desert journeys. A well fed and hydrated camel will begin a long journey with a large hump, only to have that hump dissipated after multiple days of abstinence. You can compare that hump to the average American "beer belly". Adipose tissue is eliminated 3 times faster on a dry fast than on a water fast, and there is never a full recovery of this fat either.

In terms of weight loss:

  • 1-day dry fast = 3-day water fast                                                                   
  • 2-day dry fast = 6-day water fast
  • 3-day dry fast = 9-day water fast

These figures are only in regard to weight loss. There are other numerous benefits that are only attainable through dry fasting. Inflammation for example cannot exist without water. Additionally, the most powerful anti-inflammatory agent in the body known as glucocorticoid hormones, circulate in its free state in the bloodstream at numbers 3 times greater than usual. The benefits obtained from dry fasting include, but are not limited to:

  • Giving organs a break
  • Cellular renewal
  • mTOR Inhibition
  • AMPK activation
  • Autophagy activation
  • Elimination of microorganisms
  • Elimination of inflammation
  • Purifies blood
  • Clears blood vessels
  • Transparent blood plasma
  • Cleanses GI tract
  • Renews the mucosal lining 
  • Improves the function of organs
  • Increased resistance to internal and external damaging factors
  • Tissue regeneration
  • Restoration of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch
  • Cleaner, whiter eyes
  • Pinker tongue
  • Improves complexion, color of skin, etc.
  • Sexual rejuvenation
  • Improves cardiac performance
  • Improves patience
  • Improves self-control

There are 3 factors in particular that encourage longevity and absence of disease:

1.) MTOR INHIBITION

2.) AMPK ACTIVATION

3.) AUTOPHAGY

These 3 are activated by ketosis which is a swift result of dry fasting. 

Additional education: MTOR, AMPK, AUTOPHAGY

 More important than all the physical and mental benefits obtained from fasting is the fact that fasting can be used to humble your soul (Psalm 35:13) if it is conducted in the fasion the Lord has laid out. Fasting should be something you do between you and God only and not something you should broadcast or boast about to people. Matthew 6:16-18- "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." How unfortunate it would be to make it through a strenuous fast, only to lose out on the reward the Lord had in store for you because you wanted to make an open show of it.

With that being said, there are certain circumstances where you can let someone know that you are going to fast. In the context of not withholding physical affection towards your spouse, the Bible reads in 1 Corinthians 7:5- "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." Clearly if you are married, your spouse should know if you are going to be fasting. I believe this could also be the case if a young man or woman is living at home with their parents. If you are conducting a "hard dry fast" (no food, water, or water on skin), quickly washing hands, face and anointing your head with oil should be the only exception. Through my experience, doing this really does keep you from appearing like you are fasting. 

What better way to give the Lord your undivided attention than to refuse both food and water for a time, in order to fully devote yourself to prayer. It does not get better than that. Hence, "Dry Fasting: The Final Frontier". Dry fasting is not only the final frontier in promoting longevity, but it is most importantly the final frontier in terms of giving the Lord your undivided attention, humbling the soul, and intreating the God of the universe! In Matthew 17:21 when the disciples of Jesus asked him why they could not cast the devil out of the young boy he said, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Just as this devil (demon) could only be cast out by prayer and fasting, I believe that there are certain diseases that can only be "cast out" by dry fasting and prayer in conjunction.

It is imperative to first beseech the Lord for your conditions and ailments before seeking a physician or taking any other protocols. We have two great examples in the scriptures that illustrate the right way to react to a sickness and the wrong way. One first sought out the physicians to be healed instead of God and died, while the other first sought out the Lord and was healed. Compare the following two passages illustrating the two reactions and the outcome of both. We read the following in 2 Chronicles 16:12-13- "And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign." Compare King Asa's reaction to his sickness to King Hezekiah's reaction and what resulted in Isaiah 38:1-5 which reads, "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years."

Although the Lord will sometimes miraculously heal a person without them taking any action themselves, God does expect a person to take certain measures to be healed. In Isaiah 38 the Bible tells us that when Hezikiah was sick unto death that he beseeched the Lord and was told that God would add 15 years to his life. However, in verse 21 Isaiah was to take a lump of figs and lay it for a plaister upon his boil so that he would recover. Illustrating the fact that God will sometimes lead or expect you to initiate a certain protocol in order to recover. This is evident in other accounts in the scripture as well, such as Naaman being told by the prophet Elisha to wash in the river Jordan 7 times, even though God could have instantly healed him had he chosen to do so. Or how about those impotent folk who were to step in the pool of Bethesda when the water was troubled by the angel in order to be made whole of whatsoever disease they had. Likewise, God may desire that you dry fast when you are confronted with a sickness. Interestingly enough, the Lord may be willing to heal you on the condition that he sees you humble yourself in which dry fasting is very effective at doing. It could be that at times it is not even the physical mechanisms of the dry fast itself that heals your body, but the hand of God on you when he sees you humble/afflict your soul. Things to keep in mind.

Characters in the Bible fasted for multiple reasons. Here are a few examples:

1.) Mourning. (1 Samuel 31:13, 2 Samuel 1:12, Joel 2:12, Psalm 69:10, Psalm 35:13-14, Daniel 9:3-5, 1 Kings 21:27-29, Judges 20:26-28, Ezra 10:6, Nehemiah 9:1-2, 1 Samuel 7:5-9, Esther 4:3, Daniel 6:18, 2 Samuel 3:33-35)

2.) To intreat the Lord's mercy and grace for a situation. (2 Samuel 12, Esther 4, Jonah 3, Ezra 8:21-23, Mark 9:29, Joel 1:14, Daniel 9:3-5, Judges 20:26-28, Nehemiah 9:1-2, 1 Samuel 7:5-9, Psalm 109:21-27, 2 Chronicles 20:1-12)

3.) Making an important decision. (Ezra 8:21-23, Acts 13:2-3, Acts 14:23, Judges 20:26-28)

4.) Afflict/humble the soul. (Psalm 35:13, Daniel 10:3, Joel 2:12, Psalm 69:10, Joel 1:14, Daniel 9:3-5, 1 Kings 21:27-29, Nehemiah 9:1-2, 1 Samuel 7:5-9, 2 Chronicles 20:1-12)

Now some of these reasons for fasting overlap with each other. For example, afflicting the soul with fasting would generally include mourning.

Here are examples of how NOT to fast:

1.) To act "HOLIER THAN THOU". (Luke 18:12, Matthew 6:16-18, Isaiah 58:3-4)

2.) To be seen of men. (Matthew 6:16-18, Isaiah 58:3-7, Zechariah 7:4-6?)

Conducting the Dry Fast

A.) Extended Dry Fast:

The following instructions mainly apply to an extended dry fast (over 48 hrs.):

Prepping (before launch)- Prior to beginning the dry fast, it is helpful to eat a low insulin meal (ex. leafy salad) as your last meal. After your last meal, it is of great advantage to water fast for the next 24-48 hrs. before officially starting the dry fast. This will ensure your intestinal tract is cleared and that you have downregulated aldosterone (hormone that causes water retention). It is recommended to consume fulvic acid during the days prior to launching the dry fast as this will charge the battery of your body so to speak and will make the fast much easier. If you are conducting a "hard dry fast" then you will take your shower, brush your teeth, etc. close to the time that you will begin the fast. The last protocol that you need to execute is taking about 1 tsp of baking soda in an 8 oz glass of water. It is imperative that this be done. During a dry fast your body is splitting tissue/fat very effectively, which results in the buildup of decay products in the body. These decay products result in your body becoming acidic during the dry fast. That is why it is essential that you alkalize your body before and after the dry fast with baking soda. Say a prayer and mark the time you launch.

During the Dry Fast: The first 24-48 hrs. are usually the toughest as your body is transitioning into survival mode now that it is not functioning off of those substances that it is used to. It is not uncommon to feel cranky, irritable, annoyed, etc. when you do your first 24-48 hrs. as a beginner. Once you get around the 48-hr. mark, the fast begins to feel much smoother although this feeling does fluctuate. It is important to spend time outside, reading, praying, drawing, watching documentaries, etc., as these things will capture your attention and distract you from the urge to quit. You are used to obtaining pleasure from food and drinks, now you will begin to take pleasure in other tasks. Disciplining yourself in this area will assist you in becoming more creative and grateful in your daily life. Keep in mind, fasting should be a time of resting and recouping. Nothing wrong with going on walks or doing other non-exacting activities, but you do not want to be doing strenuous exercises, sweating profusely in hot weather, etc., after the 24-hr. mark. According to the book "Dry Medical Fasting Myths and Realities" written by Dr. Sergei Ivanovich Filonov, he does not recommend going beyond 5 days dry fasting without medical supervision.

Breaking the Fast- It is recommended that the output of the dry fast should be twice as long as the input. For example, if you did a 3-day dry fast, then you should take 6 days to recover before eating, drinking, and exercising normally. I heard of a case where a person dry fasted for multiple days and did not give the body time to recover and pulled a muscle from pulling weeds in the garden.  Break the fast with some distilled, reverse osmosis, or preferably fresh spring water. Sip by sip over the next few hours, best not to chug. During this time, you can brew and drink some of the longevity formulas on the website. After you have some formulas, alkalizing your body with the baking soda (as discussed in the prepping section) is a crucial component after breaking the fast. You alkalize before you begin the fast, then you alkalize after the fast to flush the acid out of your body that built up as a result of the splitting of tissue/fat. 

Dr. Sergei Ivanovich Filonov stated in his book that the output of the dry fast should be strict because it is much more important than the process of the dry fast. Your body has been cleansed through the dry fast, so you want to make sure you consume clean, fresh, organic foods after the fast. If the fast was over 3 days (72 hrs.), it is best to wait 12 hrs. before having some fresh broth or fruit. Eat small portions when you do begin to eat as to gradually feed load the pancreas in order to slowly put it back in operation. Slowly ease yourself back to eating normally, despite the eagerness to want to do the contrary. If you cannot feel or taste the food you are eating, or the taste is similar to cotton wool, that is a sign that your body is not ready to digest that substance. You can begin to gradually use salt (preferably sea salt or Himalayan salt) from the third day onward.

B.) Daily Dry or Fluid Restricted Fasting:

Extended dry fasting (48 hrs. and beyond) is utilized to bring the body back into balance and homeostasis. Once this is accomplished, daily dry fasting, or fluid restricted fasting is the wisest protocol to promote longevity. Here are some examples (first number dry, second number is feeding window): 16:8,18:6, 20:4, 22:2, etc. To obtain the most effective daily results, the 22:2 protocol is the best option. You may also choose to utilize the fluid restricted protocol during the fasting window (first number), consuming only the extract formulas during this time frame. Whatever your day is looking like, whatever is convenient for that day. If your outside sweating profusely, then doing the full dry fast throughout the day is not wise. Use your discernment.  

The idea is to keep mTOR (rapid aging pathway) inhibited as much as possible, only activating it during workout and feeding window. Since exercise also activates mTOR, you should time it near feeding window. Daily dry fasting is a great place to start if you are a beginner. After an 8-hr. sleep you have already dry fasted 1/3 of a day. Skipping breakfast would bring you to about 12 hrs. You can acquaint yourself with this for a period of time and then move on to the 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, 22:2, etc. The more you practice it, the more resilient your body becomes and the more efficient it runs. Your body has its own natural healing mechanism, you just have to give it the right conditions to operate fully. The greatest medicine, the greatest drug, is in your body. Psalm 139:14- " I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."