Dry Fasting For Dummies: Refeeding like a Professional

Welcome back to the Dry Fasting Club. Today we're going to be talking about refeeding and how it relates to dry fasting. We're going to touch on the animal diet versus the plant-based diet. Have you ever wondered why carbohydrates are usually introduced in a refeed protocol? But fat is usually not advised.

We'll dive into liver and bile function and we'll touch on some digestive issues. Why viral reactivation needs to be taken into consideration, especially for those trying to heal something like an autoimmune illness. and how long you should rehydrate your organs. We'll talk about why sodium is not advised early on and strategies to stick to a good plan. We'll dive into different strategies based on diet, illness, and length of the fast. So strap yourselves in.

Welcome to the Dry Fasting Club. Please remember that all fasting should be done with medical supervision. All information provided here should be viewed as informational only and should never supersede medical advice. When you are adding fasting or making lifestyle and dietary changes, please discuss with your medical professional first. If there is one rule to a refeed after a dry fast, it is to minimize sodium at least for a couple days while you rehydrate.

If you don't, you will bloat and you can suffer from something called edema. Another something that everybody should have with them during a refeed is a potassium salt substitute for seasoning. And you can't go wrong with a delicious vegetable broth that has absorbed all the minerals from those vegetables. Drink the broth, strain out the veggies. Now, this also leads us straight into the advice of not ingesting baking soda after a dry fast. I'll give you a clue.

Sodium bicarbonate. Okay, let's talk about it. Our bodies produce acid daily as a result of the breakdown of proteins. The kidneys use an amino acid called glutamine to create both bicarbonate and ammonia. Bicarbonate is then reabsorbed back into the bloodstream to help buffer acids. While the ammonia can be removed through urine, or your body can choose to reabsorb it back into the bloodstream if necessary. Now we have to connect some dots.

When the body finishes the fast, it stops producing fatty acid. So now the body is overcompensating with the bicarbonate. And what that means is that it's going into a hyperalkaline state. This study examined hyperalkalosis when it came to it patients ending an 18-day water fast. Can you imagine dumping excess bicarbonate into the body in this situation? Similarly to baking soda, there's something called vasopressin. Your body really pumps up the vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone.

So in this case you also don't want to gorge on water after a dry fast or your body's just going to cling onto it. Gentle and timed rehydration is highly recommended. And when it comes to vitamins and minerals, remember that you should always prioritize the following four: magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B. Now let's talk refeed food. You've probably kept hearing about something called Russian fruit compote.

But it actually originates in Poland. This isn't a traditional fruit compote that we know in the Western world. It's actually just boiled fruit in a huge pot of water. Think of it like fruit-flavored water. People make it too sweet most of the time, so when you're making yours, you should make sure that it is just barely sweet. Personally, I do think it's very important to provide some form of carbohydrates. early in the refeed.

But let's not forget that everybody is unique, and genetic situations, culture, and adaptations can play a huge role. Some people that are on a strict fat and protein diet may have adapted their gut flora, their digestive system, their enzymes. And all of this could translate to a slightly different optimal refeed protocol. But let's go back to carbohydrates for a second.

There's enough research when it comes to carbs and cortisol regulation. This is something that is very important, especially after a long and stressful fast. Stem cells also require glucose to function and replicate effectively. Certain diseases, however, do thrive on carbs. Yes, technically it's glycans, but tomato, tomato. So in these situations, you really need to dial it in and you need to have a plan on when to dial it to a low or a higher carb refeed.

For example, you've got an illness or a cold, and you need to engage in a low-carb protocol until that illness is stabilized.

Now let's move on to bile. It's the body's main digestive system when it comes to digesting fat. It's made and released by the liver, and it's stored in the gallbladder. A lot of after fast pain has to do with the liver. Three factors that increase risk are age. Diet and gender. Yes, on top of having a harder time with fasting, women with above-average estrogen levels can face a few other risks.

It's things to do with the biliary tract and your bile. But believe it or not, fasting actually improves your gallbladder, your liver, and all your other organs. This study showed that a four to six day water fast actually lowered cortisol levels by 30% and this translates to healthier bile. In fact, even just a 24 hour fast improved gallbladder function in 40% of patients that were studied. This is another reason why you should never fast

too much too soon. You need to chip away at your problems and let your body adapt before you engage in those heroic lengths. This is also one of the main reasons why you avoid fatty foods, especially right after a dry fast and for as long as you can handle it. Of course, there are certain shortcuts that advanced fasters can use, things like digestive enzymes and

supplements that help improve your bile production. This is also one of the reasons why a liver flush is so highly recommended before an extended dry fast. It helps the liver get a reset, sort of how you'd give a dead car battery a boot. This helps flush and force bile production, but don't do this too often, as the body does require a resting period to regenerate afterwards.

Now if we move on to the topic of digestibility, which is probably one of the more important things when it comes to a refeed, we start to make connections. Carbs are the easiest for the body to digest. In fact, we secrete enzymes in our mouths as the first step of digestion. There are actually three salivary enzymes. Amylase for carbs, lysozyme for bacteria, and lingual lipase for fat.

Chew your food longer. It's a free digestive enzyme supplement. Save that money. Secondly, we look at proteins and fats. Not all proteins and fats are created equal. In fact, animal proteins and fats are actually more complex and have a longer protein chain, which means they are much harder to digest.

especially when the body's digestive system is just waking up. The most digestive foods you can have early on are kefir, broth, and simple carbs, followed by fruits and veggies and then meat, nuts, and legumes. Even meats are not that simple. You'll find that they actually vary in digestibility, starting with fish, going to chicken, and then ending on beef and pork.

So when you're playing it safe in the refeed, remember to follow the digestibility scale and take it step by step. Because if you overdo it, you will cause your body stress. And then you'll force your immune system to split its attention. Remember, we want the body fully focused on healing and restoration, not on digestive issues.

I want to bring up the topic of antivirals really quickly. A lot of people have latent viruses dormant in their bodies. These viruses can reactivate later on in life. Think of it kind of like you going outside in the cold without a jacket and catching a cold. This usually happens due to higher stress or a compromised immune system. And there's definitely a correlation between both of them. Each person carries a lot of viruses in their body in what virologists call the human virome.

Our understanding of viruses is still so limited, but it begs the question, should we be worried when undergoing the extreme stress of a very long dry fast? Especially one that goes beyond five days. The answer is yes. Especially if your immune system is already frail. I also want to add that I do talk with a lot of people that have severe autoimmune illnesses that they're trying to heal, and a viral reactivation seems to be a huge component with all of this. Because of all of this,

Especially if you're doing a long fast, it seems very important that you take antivirals as part of your refeed. You can get more information and details about this in something like my scorch protocol. Okay, that was a lot of information, so let's wrap it up. Refeeding can be complicated if you want to perfectly optimize it. But at the same time, once you get the hang of it, it becomes much, much easier. Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't go your way or you make a few mistakes.

If you overeat, for example, take a break or Calm down, take some digestive enzymes and reassess your situation. If you're gaining insane water weight, you may have refed too quickly with too much water or too much salt. There's a few strategies that you could try in this situation, so just Google edema. Remember to eat on the digestibility scale when refeeding. Now for some hormonal balancing advice.

Start your meals in the morning and do your best not to eat at least a few hours before bed. Go on walks with the morning sunlight. The red light is very important to your overall health. Avoid blue light in the evenings for a lot of things, but especially for your endogenous melatonin production. Try to ground yourself as much as possible and eat whole foods.

You don't even have to worry about things like heat and cold therapy. Do this and fasting for a while and you are going to see remarkable results. Remember, this is not a sprint. Your health is a marathon. Good luck. Thanks for sticking around. If you've dry fasted before, have any questions or requests for future topics, please leave them in the comments below. I always check the comments for inspiration and ideas.

If you're looking for a chat or to set up your dry fasting plan, check out the dryfastingclub.com website and subscribe. You should also check out the Discord community where you can meet other new and experienced dryfasters. Remember, no two people are the same, so every fasting experience is unique. Thank you and good luck on your dry fasting day.