Extended fasting = Diarrhea

(Gary Hamilton) #125

In case you didn’t do this, you need to grind chia seeds (I use a coffee grinder) otherwise they just go right through you without giving you any benefits. I grind chia seeds and flax seeds and make a smoothie using hemp milk, vanilla and cinnamon using an electric hand blender. I make this 3-4 times a week. Yum! You can use other seeds to give you different tastes and textures.

(Layne Pachico) #127

Oh… em… gee!! I have been searching for the answer and this is it!! I’ve never had this watery stool issue when fasting for long periods but about 3 weeks ago began experiencing exactly what the OP described. 48 hours in and I’m having issues. For 3 consecutive 72hr fasts. I also started back on my daily magnesium 3 weeks ago!!

That was my “missing link” thank you!

I’m going to not use Magnesium my next fast and see if it resolves the issue. I’ll try to remember to report back! Maybe it’ll help the OP.

(Debra) #128

I realize this is an old forum but chiming in, in case this adds to any understanding. I had my gallbladder removed and fasted before and after the removal. Now I get diarrhea when I fast more than 24 hours. My natural path said it’s because the bile doesn’t bind (due to no gallbladder). She said to take tums while fasting. This has worked for me.

(Bob M) #129

Take turns? What does this mean?

I’ve had some success by eating way smaller meals initially, and – oddly – by taking probiotics during the fast. That seems to have lessened this, but I’ve only fasted 36 hours lately.

(Debra) #130

TUMS :grinning:

(Bob M) #131

Oh, my reading comprehension isn’t great!

#132

I suck with you because I read the same thing! Weird.

(PJ) #133

I worry that when I fast, I am starving my gut biome to death. They have to eat too. And I work hard to improve this, and make homemade kefir for the cause, for example. I am not doing longterm fasts anymore so it’s not an issue for me. But when I was, I always did refeed after a few broth servings, as a little bit of kefir and more over time, to try and restore some life in there.

I think it’s possible some people have some issues in their gut and mostly it’s stomped down from notice by the fact that there is so much more going on and going through. But put them in fasting mode and after a few days, all that’s going on in there is whatever issues they might have, which can even include little infections and such in the intestinal walls.

It probably wouldn’t be total fasting, but I think it’d be a good time to do some big doses of regular vitamin C. Not buffered forms, not liposomal forms, just the regular C, chewable is even better. I resolved some gut issues in the past with this approach.