Are You Ready for a 6-Day Dry Fasting Challenge?

Dry fasting is a scientific, smart, and beautiful way of fasting where you do not eat food or drink water during your fasting window. For decades communities across the world have adopted and benefited from this way of fasting. It is also a part of the religious practices of Muslims, Catholics, and Hindus among other religious communities.

Fasting is therapeutic when done the right way. Today social media has turned this into a fad where people are competing to show off who can fast for the maximum hours. We want to help you break away from this dangerous trend and go back to the simple and scientific way of fasting with a 6-day dry fasting challenge.

Are you in?

If you follow this with discipline and consistency, I guarantee you, your life will change. If for some reason it doesn’t and you are unable to dry fast, do not lose heart. Maybe dry fasting isn’t for you. Perhaps there is something else that will work for you.

The rules for the 6-day dry fasting challenge are very clear.

• Go from sunset to sunrise. Start with 12 beautiful and powerful hours of fasting.
• Have your last meal and last glass of water at sunset or within an hour after sunset. Don’t eat or drink anything until sunrise.
• If you can’t do the early dinners at sunset every single day, try this twice a week or for 2 days straight over the weekend and eventually build it up.
• Respect your water needs during the building phase. Because you will be unable to drink water during your fasting hours, ensure that you get your required water intake and adequate hydration during the day. From the time you wake up until evening, hydrate yourself. Finish your 8 to 12 glasses which is usually what is enough for most people. Of course, unless you have been instructed by your doctor to follow water restrictions because of a kidney or lung issue. For everyone else, 8, 10, 12, or 14 maximum glasses are more than sufficient depending on their unique needs and kind of physical activity.
• Who needs more water?
  • Long distance runners
  • Those who follow intensive workouts
  • Those living in hot arid regions
  • Make an informed decision with Vitamin C which is called Common Sense.
  • After sunrise, you can have your first glass of water and break your fast. If you are truly not thirsty or hungry (not because your friends are doing it), you can continue your fast for the 13th or 14th hour. But don’t push yourself. Listen to your body. It will tell you when to break your fast.

Practice this challenge of 12 hours of dry fasting for 6 days.

How do I break my dry fast?

The best way to break a dry fast is to sip on a plain glass of water. Do not rush. Swirl this water around in your mouth, do not just gulp it down. You can also opt to add a little bit of lemon juice to it.

Your next step is to line your stomach. You can have a date or any other dry fruit of your choice. You can even have a bowl of fruit. 30 minutes after this, slowly start introducing other foods. Ease into your breakfast to your brunch or whichever meal it is time for you to have.

What if I feel thirsty or hungry during my dry fast?

In the first 12 hours of fasting, you may not sleep very well. This differs from person to person. Some people document that they sleep way better when they dry fast or intermittently fast.

If you are finding it difficult to sleep, it is okay. It’s just one night. Stop giving into instant gratification and feeling like everything should happen your way and be easy.

You may feel thirsty by 9 or 10 PM, but it is okay. If you have hydrated well during your building phase, you will not have any issues overcoming this thirst. You will not die of dehydration, provided you have met your water requirement during the day.

You may even start feeling hungry. This is because of habit. Your body for the longest time has been used to drinking water and eating food at these hours. It works on memory. It may take some effort but try to not give in to that craving. Of course, if your blood pressure is falling or you feel like you are going to faint, don’t take a chance. Just break the fast and drink water.

Will it be difficult?

Nothing in life is easy unless we try it and give it our best shot. You may struggle on day 1 with fighting the feeling of hunger and thirst. On day 2 you will feel much better and observe that your fast will become easier. By day 3, it will be a breeze. By day 4, you will wonder why you haven’t practiced dry fasting for the longest time. Sunset to sunrise, no food, no water.

What if I need to take my medications?

If you need to take your medications, plan them well. Speak to your doctor and understand if you can finish it with your last meal of the day, at or one hour after sunset. Or ask them if you can take your first medication of the day after sunrise when you finish your 12 hours. Check with them if you can make this change.

What are the benefits of this 6-day dry fasting challenge?

• Reduced sugar cravings
• Reduced caffeine cravings
• Lowered appetite
• Alignment to the circadian rhythm
• Disciplined eating at regular intervals
• Training your body to follow a cycle
• Improved energy levels
• Enhanced clarity and better mental
• Glowing skin
• Stronger hair
• Reduced arthritic/inflammatory pains and flare-ups
• Improved blood sugar levels
• Reduced acidity
• Slows down aging
• Improves metabolism
• Boosts antioxidant activity
• Increases longevity
• Cleanses your system
• Encourages autophagy and stem cell regeneration

Who should be careful while dry fasting?

• If you have a severe autoimmune condition or your thyroid gland function is out of control, fasting may not be the best bet for you. You can still start with 8 hours of gentle dry fasting and check how you feel. Keep your healthcare expert in the loop while attempting this.
• While many people have reversed their Type 2 diabetes by combining the power of gentle supervised dry fasting and lifestyle, if you are highly diabetic and have been advised to eat at regular intervals, only try this under the guidance of an expert.
• Yes, in most cases, circadian dry fasting can help reduce acidity. But in some cases, it can even make it worse. So start slow and gradually get into dry fasting. Don’t keep very long gaps between meals if you are highly acidic. Check and practice what works for you.
• If you have a heart condition and work under the sun, DO NOT dry fast. Please understand that there is a right time and place to practice dry fasting.
• Cancer patients who want to practice dry and intermittent fasting, please do this under the supervision of experts only. We have witnessed many of our cancer clients experience excellent results.
• If you have any other medical condition, monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and other vitals while doing this fast.
• If you are overly stressed or experiencing anxiety and depression and think dry fasting is going to add to this burden, don’t do it.

Pointers to keep in mind while dry fasting:

• Do not set yourself up for dehydration. Many people try dry fasting but forget to drink water in the building phase. It makes their overall water intake very low, leads to dehydration, and is detrimental to their health.
• Do not starve yourself in the building phase. Eat clean in the building phase. Don’t overeat. But keep your meals wholesome. Eat fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains to get the right carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Keep it colorful and balanced.
• Remember everyone is a bio-individual, what works for someone else, does not have to work for you. If dry fasting doesn’t work for you, there is no need to feel disheartened. They could be another lifestyle change that might be great for you.

The beauty of dry fasting

The beauty of dry fasting compared to water fasting or intermittent fasting is that it has no broken rhythms. Many people who practice other types of fasting are inconsistent with their fasting windows. They start at 1 AM one morning and 10 PM the next night, which makes it ineffective.

It will help you understand how most of us today are eating too much, too often, without too many gaps and our potions are all over the place. Don’t put yourself into a box. You don’t need to be into a box like a 16:8 or a 17:7 whatever. Find your niche. Most people get the best results in 12 hours, some others do in 13, 15, or even 18 hours. It is up to you to decide.

Once you are at the end of your fast, observe and ask yourself questions:

• How did I feel today after 12 hours?
• What are my energy levels?
• Am I feeling light?
• Am I feeling less bloated?
• Is my gut getting better?
• Is my body feeling hungry or thirsty?
• How do I feel after 13 hours?

Self-introspection is key. No one, not me, nor anybody else can tell you how many hours of fasting are good for you. I can only encourage you to listen to your body and do what is right for you.

I tried a beautiful 14-hour dry fast. I wasn’t hungry at the end of it but started feeling thirsty, so I intermittently fasted with water for another 3 hours. Another beauty of dry fasting is that if you get thirsty by the end of your fast but are not hungry, you can continue fasting with water which is called an integrated fast because it combines dry and water fasting.

The bottom line

Dry fasting has existed for the longest time. But most of us are too busy drowning in complications and waiting for science to tell us if it is effective. Yes, if we are doing something dangerous of course we should rely on science to save us. But smart lifestyle techniques like dry fasting need wisdom not just science. Today there is immense documented scientific evidence on the benefits of dry fasting, provided you do it the right way, without turning it into a fad.

When you complete 12 hours of sunset to sunrise dry fasting on day 1, pat yourself on the back. Even if you couldn’t complete it or ended up only following 8 or 10 hours, still give yourself some credit. Try to do 12 hours the next day. Find your niche. Do what works for you.

Try this challenge for the next 6 days and let me how know it worked for you.

ALSO WATCH:

RELATED READING

Health Benefits of Dry Fasting: How Does Dry Fasting Work?
Are You Ready for A 3-Day Global Intermittent Fasting Challenge?
A Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting: Benefits, Dos and Don’ts, and More
Try This 7-Day Water Tracking Challenge. Are You Ready?