Strict dry fasting is not having any water, no washing hands, no mouth washes etc. And especially of course no water. I have done the no washing bit- hell I've gone for a week or more without showering before so that's not a huge deal, more of a problem for the people around me! lol I can't go without brushing my teeth though, the acid in my system while it detox's demands a daily brush of the teeth. And actually after my recent fasts I have just noticed in the last few days the yellow stains have disappeared for the first time in I don't know how long!
Anyway back to dry fasting. It is said that it is three times more efficient in detoxing the body as a water fast. I can atest to that personally. My recent fasts have been:
5 days dry fast, 2.5 days fruit to rehydrate.
14 days water fast, 7 days raw fruit, 7 days raw fruit and raw salads with 10% cooked foods added.
7 days dry fast, 6 days raw fruit and salads.
6 days dry fast, 6 days raw fruit and salads.
6 days dry fast immediately followed by water fast and now on my 11th day.
I can tell you given the choice I would stay water free the whole time. Water seems to stir things up terribly and give me heartburn, nausea and make me exhausted compared to dry fasting.
Another thing about dry fasting is the increased energy even compared with water fasting. You need less sleep, sometimes hardly any at all. And as an example of the energy I ran 8-10 kilometres two of the days of this recent dry fast and two other days I did upper body workouts. The difference between the two types of fasting is quite striking.
Having said that I don't think of them as different types of fasting. I think that I am following the same principles of fasting all the way through. I drink as much water as I need. I drink more water when it's hot or other conditions demand it, and no water when I don't need it.
I have been experimenting with this for several years though. If you're interested in finding out more google 'dry fasting'. It is suggested to fast for up to 36 hours for your first dry fast as this is supposed to be a 'safe' time to go without water. And depending on the weather/climate most can go up to three days as a rule of thumb. But you always need to be prepared to break the fast if you have any signs that your body is in need of water, especially during your first dry fasts. Such signs can be parched mouth, dry skin, things like that. As I said during my dry fasts I have felt no thirst at all until I have felt the need to break the fast and drink. Even while I was running around the streets with my mouth open obviously losing plenty of fluids there was no need or desire for water.
It is an awesome way of fasting in my opinion, the ultimate if you like. It rightly deserves more caution, but does not deserve fear. Looking back at the animal kingdom as we often do when comparing our need to fast, an animal that fasts to repair a serious injury does not jog off to get a drink at the water hole every day, they stay put until the body has had it's best chance of healing the damage, even if that takes a week or more.
Hey Andrew! I am on day two of water fasting right now and I decided to drink as little water as I needed, having read about dry fasting and wanting to kinda give it a light swing. I found that I have not had to drink hardly any water; my body simply doesn't desire it. What I noticed was that after a run my tongue felt parched (I am also recovering from a cold) so I dampened it with water, but still, for the past two days I have not felt the urge to drink at all. Which makes me think that a dry fast might be something I will persue in future fasts. As it stands now, I haven't dranken more then five small sips of water in two days, and I feel perfectly fine, and even feel like I could have avoided water entirely had I been willing.
I definitely enjoy hearing about your experiences with dry fasting. I actually feel great today, and I wonder if it's because I severely limited my water intake, in comparison to my other water fasts where it was gulped and guzzled. I enjoy the feeling of emptiness I have right now. It feels more normal to me during a fast. Plus I have the suspicion that water in my belly can trigger hunger. I have not felt a single hunger pang since I began and I think it's because I have scarcely put anything into my stomach at all. Makes one wonder...
I agree about the water triggering hunger. I think it might even be just taking anything by mouth makes us want more. But I often seem to feel heavier in the belly during a water fast. Sounds like you're doing great. :) And certainly a very 'safe' way to test out the dry fast. Without supervision or support my first long fast of thirty days I just drank one glass of water a day. It was only after this and the confidence I gained- and the hindsight- that I started really exploring the dry fasting.
You have probably read this already, and I've already mentioned some, but the signs I watch for drying out are dry skin, which I've had a little of twice on my calves- both after six days. (But not on my seven day water fast which I think was better prepared for.) Dry mouth and throat, your normal 'thirst' reaction. For many days on all my recent dry fasts I have felt very moist in the mouth after my raw food preparation, a very pleasant feeling. :) So a dry parched throat is a fairly easy contrast to notice.
Two signs I didn't mention are to do with the plumbing system. Urination is normal for most days, only slowing down with smaller amounts towards the time that the fast needs to be broken, but still regular nevertheless. I'm not sure of a time limit, but I would be very careful of going much longer than twelve hours without urinating. It's not likely to happen but would probably be a sign of something going wrong and it would certainly be prudent to take some water at that stage. The other end of the plumbing system doesn't really indicate anything regarding dehydration, but I have always found myself staying more regular during the first days of a fast without water than with it. Sometimes on a water fast that system just stops working within a day, but on the dry fast if I've been eating 'normally' and there is plenty stuck in there, I will be regular for 4-5 days until it is clean. I find this another sign of the efficiency of the dry fast and definitely a sign that there is plenty of water in there or the body wouldn't be 'wasting' so much on that part of the elimination cycle.
Oh, one more thing before we get in 'trouble' discussing this. :) If and when you do start a dry fast, post on here:
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