Fasting for the first time: tips from the expert

From political weapon to wellness movement: Mahatma Ghandi already knew how to overcome the supposed limits of the body by abstaining from food. He fasted in the name of pacifism. Today, almost a century later, people are fasting in the name of health: obesity, high blood pressure, fatty liver - all of which are supposed to be reduced by temporarily abstaining from solid food.

Easier said than done, after all, nobody likes to go hungry. And no one wants the loss of energy that is supposed to follow. That's why I spoke to Dr Eva Lischka from the fasting clinic Buchinger Wilhelmi on Lake Constance about how your body reacts to giving up food and what you need to bear in mind.

Healing fasting: your body can do it

The word "fasting" makes many people's hair stand on end. Not eating anything solid for an extended period of time, whether intermittent fasting at home or in a fasting clinic, sounds hostile at first. But it doesn't have to be, on the contrary.

After talking to the fasting expert, I am reassured because she says: "As a healthy person, you can generally approach fasting in a relaxed manner, even as a newcomer. People are physiologically quite capable of surviving longer periods of hunger. The body draws on its reserves and there are some positive effects on your health. And fasting also makes sense in evolutionary terms: the body remains efficient despite periods of hunger. Dr Lischka explains: "We can draw on sufficient reserves during fasting - a person who is 1 metre 70 and weighs 70 kilograms can do so for up to 40 days."

You also don't have to worry about muscle regression during longer periods of fasting. As studies show, a 10-day fast in combination with physical activity does not lead to any loss of muscle function. Expert Lischka confirms: "We observe that performance is actually increased during fasting."

Good for your health: what happens during fasting

The essence of fasting is autophagy - in other words, cell renewal. If nutrients are limited, cells come under stress and harmful proteins or organ sources are encapsulated and broken down. This is explained by researchers in a publication from the University of Vienna.

After a period of time with limited nutrients, the cells eat themselves, so to speak. This process already takes place during intermittent fasting, when you don't eat for 12 to 16 hours at a time - a recycling function of the body, for whose research the Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Osumi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016. In addition to cell renewal, fasting has a number of other benefits for your health:

An observational study with 1422 participants showed that periodic fasting between four and 21 days can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, abdominal girth and high blood pressure. The authors also found that there was no particularly strong feeling of hunger during fasting. On the contrary: the fasting period was perceived as predominantly pleasant by the participants.

This is partly due to serotonin, the happiness hormone, which has a lasting, stronger effect during fasting, says Dr Lischka. "Fasting creates stress resistance and a level of satisfaction that you can't achieve with anything else." Periodic fasting also increases mobility, has an anti-inflammatory effect and can also activate genes: "When you reduce sugar and protein, repair genes are switched on. These repair processes in the body that we doctors may not even know exactly yet," says Dr Lischka. And this function, in turn, could play a decisive role in cancer prevention.

Types of fasting: What options are there

You don't have to become a gourmet ascetic to fast. Basically, it's about reducing calories. The form you take is up to you. Buchinger fasting, as offered by Dr Lischka at Lake Constance, is probably one of the best-known methods. The diet here consists of tea, vegetable broth, fruit juices and water.

The aim is not only to reduce calories, but fasting is also an opportunity to take a break from chronic stress and all its side effects: "People come to us with high blood pressure, diabetes, vascular changes, exhaustion, burn-out or depression, and many suffer from inflammatory diseases such as migraines, arthrosis or rheumatism." Because the starting points at the beginning of the fasting cure are so different, the process is accompanied by medical tests and psychotherapeutic programmes.

If you don't want to give up pasta during fasting, you can try the Mayr method - or "Milk Cure". It is based on the conviction that a functioning digestive system is the key to health. Here, specially prepared milk rolls are allowed alongside herbal tea and water. These should be chewed for a long time in order to practise salivating the food. Chewing for a long time makes you feel full more quickly and the milk provides valuable proteins. Dr Lischka says that the Mayr method can be recommended for those starting out on a fast because it does not completely eliminate solid food. Here you can find an overview of Mayr cures in Switzerland.

Another method for fasting rookies is sham fasting. This involves halving your calorie intake over five days to stimulate autophagy. In particular, you should eat foods that activate sirtuins - the body's own enzymes that, according to the Max Planck Society, counteract age-related diseases. These foods include broccoli, kale, apples, blueberries, walnuts, olive oil, coffee and turmeric.

5 tips: How to survive your first fasting programme

Your body benefits in many ways from the occasional reduction in calorie intake. However, the goals go far beyond abstinence, says Dr Lischka: "Fasting is about the pillars of nutrition, exercise and stress reduction." She explains how you can prepare for your first fast and how you can get through the time well and healthily.

1. prepare yourself: Cut down on coffee and sugar

Preparation is not essential, but it can make it easier for you to start fasting. Dr Lischka advises: "You can reduce your coffee and sugar intake in the days leading up to the fast, otherwise you may experience withdrawal headaches." The expert also advises eating a plant-based, Mediterranean diet in the days leading up to the fast and largely avoiding meat. It can also be helpful to find out about fasting and its effects on the body beforehand, says the expert. "Knowing that your body has reserves to fall back on and that you are doing something good for yourself, you can start the fasting period with peace of mind."

2. therapeutic fasting: timing and duration

So that you can get involved in the fasting period and concentrate on yourself, you should choose the right time frame. Make sure that you don't have any important exams or work appointments during this time and finalise all appointments beforehand. "When fasting, you should be able to take care of yourself. The best time to fast is when it fits in well with your social and professional life." Nobody has to fast during the traditional 40-day period before Easter.

Dr Lischka recommends a manageable fasting period of a few days for beginners who are fasting at home for the first time. "You shouldn't fast at home for longer than a week without medical supervision. This is because fasting can lead to deficiencies, for example of minerals in the blood." Even if you are fasting for a week, it doesn't hurt to have a blood count done by a doctor in advance to ensure there are no deficiency symptoms. People with pre-existing medical conditions should also ask whether fasting is generally suitable for them.

3. fasting in a group

Make it a little easier for yourself and perhaps fast in a group instead of alone for the first time. Dr Lischka knows: "In a group, you talk to each other, share the same difficulties and help each other through the mental lows during fasting." The group also motivates you to stay active during the fasting period, get some exercise and go on excursions. "You shouldn't underestimate the social aspect of fasting."

There are organised fasting hikes. In a group and with an experienced guide, you can take part in hiking tours and thus accompany the fasting period with social interaction and exercise. At Fastenwandern.ch you will find an overview of what is on sale in Switzerland. If you want to fast across borders, visit the Fasten-Wander-Zentrale: The website lists hundreds of fasting hiking offers, across Europe and worldwide.

Monasteries also offer the opportunity to fast, usually during the classic Lent period. Monastery fasting programmes can be found here, for example. However, you won't find lively conversations and social interaction in the monastery. It's all about silence, contemplation and finding yourself. Ultimately, the best way to approach your first fast is also a question of type

4. set yourself realistic goals when fasting

You shouldn't set your goals too high to start with. If you want to embark on a strict juice diet over a period of 40 days without any guidance, you run the risk of disappointing yourself and possibly harming yourself. "Think about it at the beginning: Where do I see problems in my lifestyle? Is it the wrong diet, too little exercise or too much stress? Then you should set yourself goals in all three areas that can be realised," says the expert. Because: "You need a small sense of achievement." In any case, everyone starts with a different starting point. That's why everyone can use the fasting period very individually: "The fasting goals look different for everyone."

5. breaking the fast: gently finding your way back to everyday life

The end of the fast should be celebrated gently. As in the preparation period, you should continue to avoid meat for the next few days and eat lots of vegetables instead. "We recommend a Mediterranean diet with lots of good oils and not too much fruit and sugar." Potato soup, stewed apples, spinach and other vegetable meals are served as a dish to break the fast during the Buchinger fast.