In 2019 I discovered that I was living with an autoimmune disease. In the self-healing journey that came in its wake, water fasting became my go-to intervention for keeping my symptoms in remission. Why? Because it’s free, deeply effective, and offers one of the most powerful resets I’ve ever experienced for full-system health.

Because of that, it has become very meaningful to me—and it is a great blessing to finally share what I’ve learned with you, here.

Though I’m no longer a practicing functional health and nutrition coach, I sure did learn a lot during that time supporting clients with chronic conditions. If there’s one thing I took away, it’s this: true healing starts at the root. And when you begin at the root, you almost always find yourself focusing on the same interconnected systems—waste elimination, inflammation reduction, immune balance, and gut repair.

Water fasting supports it all.

At its core, it’s simple: you abstain from food and only drink water. I don’t fast to lose weight or to be a burden at dinner plans (although, yes, it can sometimes have that effect). I fast because it works.

There’s a foundational principle in functional health that goes something like this: healing happens when the rate of repair exceeds the rate of injury. When we stop causing harm—be it through food, stress, or overexertion—we create the conditions for our bodies to do what they’re beautifully designed to do: repair, regenerate, and restore.

Water fasting, in my experience, is one of the most direct ways to initiate that process.

As I write this, I’m somewhere between 22–24 hours into a water fast. It’s Day 1. I’m not thinking about what’s in the fridge, what to make for dinner, or where to meet friends for lunch. When I open the fasting window, life slows down. Things get quiet. Spacious.

This morning, I sat in a long meditation, followed by a juicy movement session. I worked from bed most of the day, swaddled by the thick May Gray marine layer that rolled over Ojai like a wool blanket. While I wouldn’t recommend fasting on busy work days for beginners, I’ve been doing this for about a decade now, and find it energizing. In fact, today was one of my most productive workdays in weeks.

Just so it’s clear, it’s not always like this for me—but when it is, I welcome it fully.

Depending on the season, stress levels and schedule—a water fast will always feel different.

That said, this is your fast, baby. So, let’s jump in.

Note: The information below is based on my personal experience and is shared for educational purposes only. Water fasting can have profound effects on the body and should be approached with care, curiosity, and self-awareness. This is not medical advice.

Benefits of Water Fasting

Water fasting has been linked to improvements across nearly every bodily system. The list is long, but here are a few of the most compelling benefits:

• Reduces inflammation: By lowering pro-inflammatory markers in the body.

• Improves insulin sensitivity: Reduces insulin levels and balances blood sugar.

• Supports hormone balance: Regulates leptin, ghrelin, and insulin—important hormones for metabolism, appetite, and fat storage.

• Improves heart health: Can lower blood pressure and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.

• Heals the gut: Helps repair the intestinal lining and rebalances the gut microbiome.

• Strengthens immunity: Promotes the regeneration of white blood cells and clears out damaged immune cells.

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  What happens in the body when you water fast?

  There are two major physiological processes that get activated during a water fast:

  1. Ketosis (begins ~12–24 hours):
  As glycogen stores deplete, the body starts burning fat for fuel, producing ketones. This shift often brings enhanced mental clarity and focus.

  2. Autophagy (begins ~18–24 hours, peaks around 72):
  This is your body’s built-in recycling system. Old or damaged cells are broken down and replaced with healthy ones. This deep cellular cleanse can result in reduced inflammation, improved skin health, and better immune function.

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  Who should not water fast?

  Water fasting is not safe or appropriate for everyone. Best to avoid if you:

  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding

  • Are a child, teen, or elderly adult

  • Are recovering from disordered eating

  • Have Type 1 or unmanaged Type 2 diabetes

  • Have heart, kidney, or liver disease

  • Are underweight or experiencing malnutrition

  • Are on prescription medications (consult your doctor first)

  Who might benefit from a water fast?

  Water fasting may be especially supportive if you:

  • Live with a chronic skin condition like psoriasis, eczema, or acne

  • Are healing from leaky gut, SIBO, IBS, candida, or dysbiosis

  • Manage autoimmune conditions without immunosuppressants

  • Are addressing early-stage Type 2 diabetes

  • Have recently taken antibiotics and want to reset your microbiome

  • Are looking for a physical, mental and spiritual reset

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How Long Should You Fast For?

The Bible says Jesus fasted for 40 days—but that’s not exactly the modern recommendation.

Dr. Alan Goldhamer, founder of TrueNorth Health Center, has supervised water fasts up to 40 days, but he warns against fasting unsupervised for more than 21 days due to risks like electrolyte imbalance and refeeding syndrome.

Personally, I fast quarterly for 3–5 days. I aim for at least 72 hours to reach the peak of autophagy. But I never force it. Some fasts go longer—my longest was 10 days during a psoriasis flare. At the end of that period, my skin was clear and I looked (and felt) incredible.

Recently, I’ve adopted a gentler preventative rhythm: 3 days water only, 2 days liquids, and 5 days of mindful refeeding with an anti-inflammatory focus.

To measure your fasting duration, start counting from the time you finished your last meal—for example, if you finished dinner at 7pm on Thursday and didn’t eat again until 7pm on Sunday, that would be a 72-hour (3-day) fast.

Fasting with your Cycle

If you menstruate, it’s essential to sync your fasts with your cycle.

I used to fast during ovulation—when my energy was at its highest. But everything changed when I discovered Dr. Mindy Pelz’s Fast Like a Girl.

Now, I fast during my Power Phase—specifically on Day 2 or 3 of my period. This adjustment is based on my own observations, which I studied for several months to better understand my hunger and energy levels throughout my cycle. On Day 2 of my period, cravings disappear, my energy stabilizes, and fasting feels deeply nourishing. It even reduces my cramps and other symptoms.

Mindy’s breakdown (with Day 1 being the first day of menstruation) helped me tune into my body more precisely to find this perfect window for me, yours may be varied. Find your own rhythm:

• Days 1–10 (Power Phase): Estrogen is rising, appetite may decrease. Best time for extended fasts.

• Days 11–15 (Ovulation/Manifestation Phase): Avoid extended fasting—it can disrupt hormones.

• Days 16–20 (Power Phase 2): Hormones are fluctuating. Gentle, intermittent fasting only.

• Days 21–28 (Nurture Phase): No fasting. Eat, rest, and support progesterone.

How to Prepare for a Water Fast

2–7 Days Before:

• Avoid alcohol, sugar, and processed foods

• Eat light, whole-food meals with fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats

• Hydrate with herbal teas, broths, and water

Fasting Duration Options:

• Intermittent: 16–24 hours

• Short-term Extended: 36–72 hours

• Long-term: 4–7 days (or more, with supervision)

During the Fast:

• Drink only water—filtered, mineral, or with sea salt

• Add trace minerals (I use Omniblue ocean minerals)

• 2.5–3.5 liters daily, depending on your body size

• Gentle activity: walking, stretching or breathwork

• Deep rest is essential—avoid strenuous work or exercise

• Track your energy, clarity, and cravings

Note: I occasionally start my mornings with a cup of black coffee or tea and sip herbal infusions in the afternoon. I choose herbs that address specific deficiencies, offering targeted support while giving them direct access to the system. These don’t break the fast or interfere with its physiological processes occurring. This works well for me, but I wouldn’t suggest for people who are sensitive to caffeine or are fasting beginners.

Refeeding: The Most Important Part

How you break your fast matters just as much as the fast itself.

Here’s what I focus on during the refeeding window:

Day 1–2 Post-Fast:

• Bone broth (or kombu broth for plant-based options)

• Fresh vegetable green juice with cucumber, celery, romaine, and fennel

• Soft, steamed veggies (white sweet potato, spinach, cauliflower, beets, carrots) with olive oil, avocado and sea salt

• Kitchari, congee, dahl, or a blended veggie soup

• There are some great, simple recipes in the club psora Restore Protocol

(Day 3-5 Post-Fast):

Continue with the above while repopulating your microbiome with healthy bacteria. Add:

• Yogurt, kefir or raw cheeses

• Sauerkraut, kimchi or pickled veggies

• Fermented miso, natto or tempeh

Additional Suggestions:

• Consider scheduling a hydrotherapy colonic on Day 2 or 3 of refeeding to help flush out any remaining toxins.

• If you're working toward a specific goal—like healing gut dysbiosis—this is an ideal time to work with an acupuncturist. Your body is especially receptive to targeted support during the refeeding phase.

What to Expect… Emotionally

It’s different for every body, but here’s a general outline of how water fasting usually effects me:

Day 1 is a breeze. Some occasional tummy rumbles, but nothing too intense.

Day 2 is irritating. This is when the hunger gets loud—a good moment to turn inward, reflect, and let whatever wants to surface, surface. This is when I start to feel my heart beat in my belly.

Day 3 feels more neutral. I move slower, stand up more carefully, and add more salt to my water so I don’t get a headache. I’m nearing the 72-hour mark and usually begin preparing foods for the refeeding process (if I have only created space for 3 days).

Day 4 is elevated. I wake up with radiant skin and a surprising sense of clarity. Ideas often visit me in the night. Sleep is harder now—not because I’m restless, but because I feel energized in a way I haven’t felt in months. This is usually when I choose to keep going.

Day 5 continues in that flow. More clarity, more lightness. Potential for kidneys to ache a little in the lower back but there is an invincible nature to my step and I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be hungry because I’m so high vibration.

At that point, it would be easy to keep fasting. But I’ve received the physical benefits and often find myself missing the ritual of cooking, the joy of the farmers market, the pleasure of feeding friends, and a good frothy latte with whole milk. So I settle at five days and begin refeeding.

How to Deal with Hunger Pains

I know this is annoying, but start by drinking more water with a pinch of Himalayan salt.

If that doesn’t ease the discomfort, shift your attention—redirect your focus.

I like to spend time with friends when I’m fasting. Go for a walk. Give each other foot massages. Watch a film or wander through a museum. Activities that don’t involve food. Make love or a rock sculpture. Go to a bathhouse. Get bodywork with all the money you're saving not buying food. Invite a friend over; just let them know you're fasting and suggest they eat beforehand.

Or, be a hermit.

Fasting is a powerful time to be alone. Meditate. Journal. Rest and dream. Studies have shown that people who engage in water fasting often report profound experiences: increased mental clarity, emotional release, and even spiritual breakthroughs.

Sometimes, the discomfort is the point. We live in a culture of convenience. On the second day of a water fast, I often feel waves of grief—hard to name at first—until I realize: I’ve temporarily given up something I derive so much pleasure from. Without that daily joy of cooking, and constant stimulation of eating, an unfamiliar emptiness appears. But it's not a void. It’s a fertile, sacred stillness. From that stillness, clarity and insight can emerge.

Many Indigenous cultures across North and South America, as well as in parts of Africa, include water fasting in vision quests and rites of passage. In Taoist traditions, it’s used to cultivate energetic balance and longevity. Across the world, dry fasting and similar observances are rooted in purification, spiritual connection, discipline, and of course, healing.

This may not be your experience—and that’s okay. But it is a potential that is available to you—in addition to the physical benefits.

Let it be personal. Make space for it to work its magic. Set yourself up with intention and care. Water fasting can return you to your most vital baseline—again and again. It’s a practice that can evolve with you over time—meeting you in different seasons, stages, and states of being.

Most importantly, listen to your body. Always. And if something special emerges for you in the process, I’d love to hear about it.

To your life force,

xMiriam