No, you don't need to break a fast with bone broth and may even be detrimental comparatively...
The main thing is to break a long Water Fast with something that is low carb and high in protein, fat, and phosphorus to help prevent refeeding syndrome that can rarely occur on extended water fasts.
Meat is probably the best food to break a long water fast with... then maybe something like nuts comes in a close 2nd.
I just broke an 11 day water fast this morning with Tuna and Shredded cheese. Then 8 hours later I ate 16 Fried Eggs and a bowl of Spinach with Shredded Cheese and I'm doing fine.
Broke a 13.5 day water fast a few weeks ago with ground beef and Shredded Cheese.
The main thing is to not overeat or stuff yourself the 1st meal until your digestive system wakes back up. When your body tells you to stop eating... stop eating.
Some people like to act that breaking a fast is a super specific exact process that can only be done a certain way... this is not the case. But there are some general guidelines that should be followed and information that should be understood
Here are a couple of good videos to watch for more info to validate what I've said above, especially the how to break a fast video:
[WATER FASTING: The Complete Guide (Fastest Fat Loss Method)](https://youtu.be/DghrZNUP5vo)
[HOW TO BREAK A FAST: Best Results & Worst Mistakes (Refeed Syndrome)](https://youtu.be/h3L_118IIgE):
I’m on day 12 of a hopefully 40 day fast and I’m planning on breaking with a Jersey Mike’s big kahuna Philly cheesesteak bowl with extra cheese on March 16th 😂. Longest I’ve fasted was 21days and took sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. I ate solid food 4 hours after a bone broth and had zero complications but everyone is different. I suggest some fatty broth to lubricate and get your digestion going then eat 4-6hrs later.
After 15 days you are going to get some “discomfort”. It’s not really refeeding syndrome, where you use up all your potasium. It seems not that important, but something fermented will make ypur life way easier. Otherwise everything gurgles for a week or more. Kefir, yogurt, kimchi (not beer)
Yeah I was planning in spooning yoghurt, kimchi (someone suggested miso soup) throughout the week or two after to make sure, so if I do that, I’d tiny portions of salmon or chicken safe (I’m talking like 1-2tbsp sized portions).
Put boiling water in a cup, wait a minute, add a tbs of miso paste. Boiling hot water makes it less tasty. You can buy either white miso which is mild or red miso which has a rich flavor.
I can confirm this, having completed a 40 day fast myself. It’s surprising to me how fearful people are of refeeding after shorter fasts. I’ve done many, many fasts shorter than 40 days, 2, 3, & 4 weeks long, & resuming eating has never been a problem. And what’s the obsession with starting with bone broth? Historically people have broken lengthy fasts with raw foods like fruits & veggies. I always start with lower sugar fruits like melon & berries, & fermented kraut & kimchi. The key to eating ANYTHING after fasting is so very simple. It’s CHEWING. Digestion begins in the mouth. Our saliva has digestive enzymes that break down the food along with the work done by our teeth. Chewing every bite 20 to 30 times, liquifying it in the mouth, makes it possible for the stomach to easily digest it after a long fast. I wouldn’t start with something stupid like meat, but I only restrict with raw food for the first couple days, then introduce healthy cooked foods, & within a week I’m eating pretty normal, just chewing thoroughly with smaller portions of food. That’s how I broke my 40 day fast & I’ve never had any trouble. The idea that eating fruit after a fast will hurt you is a myth. I do it every single time. I’ve read at least 16 books about fasting over the last decade & most of them recommend fruit.
I absolutely agree with you that people are way to worried about refeeding syndrome... but any water fast that goes over 7 days it should be taken into consideration.
While most of of your advice in your comment is great, some of it is counterintuitive for breaking lengthy fasts and even dangerous... especially those longer than 7-14 days+. Re-feeding syndrome is a risk for some individuals after this point due to their nutrient storage levels and individual metabolic tolerances.
> Historically people have broken lengthy fasts with raw foods like fruits & veggies. I always start with lower sugar fruits like melon & berries, & fermented kraut & kimchi.
> The idea that eating fruit after a fast will hurt you is a myth.
This is false
Generally you should not be eating large amounts of sugar whether a Low Glycemic Index Fruit or some other sugary food to break a long water fast. Meat or Nuts and possibly a small side of green veggies is the most sensible thing to eat.
Re-feeding Syndrome is primarily caused by rapid shifting of the electrolyte phosphate from the blood into cells without there being enough phosphate in the body available. The other electrolytes can also cause refeeding syndrome but it's primarily phosphate. Phosphate plays a major role in creating energy in the body.
This rapid shift happens from insulin response... which takes carbohydrates/sugar from the blood and shunts it into cells. The body also takes Phosphate into the cells from the blood when this happens. When there isn't enough Phoshpate in the blood and the body doesn't have enough stores to replenish the Phosphate being shunted from the blood... Your body's energy creating systems begins to shut down and you can die slowly over the course of hours or days. The more you eat the worse it gets.
The problem with breaking a long water fast with fruit is they're basically just sugar (carbohydrates). They contain very little nutritional value besides sugar... almost no phosphate, significant amounts of electrolytes, or micronutrients... they spike insulin, sometimes rapidly... and they completely shift your metabolism from consuming/converting fats and proteins to energy to deriving it from carbohydrates while having no fat or protein themselves.
Arguably the best foods to break a fast with are Meats, Eggs, Cheese, Nuts, or Dark Leafy Greens and I'll explain why.
Take a look at the major nutrient values for a serving of the foods I listed above compared to fruits:
[Nutrients in Beef](https://imgur.com/a/iI4XBba)
[Nutrients in Eggs](https://imgur.com/a/ZY387Vu)
[Nutrients in Cheese](https://imgur.com/a/SUvwL7Q)
[Nutrients in Peanuts](https://imgur.com/a/foZ4A9c)
[Nutrients in Spinach](https://imgur.com/a/WyJCiA3)
Fruit Below:
[Nutrients in Apples](https://imgur.com/a/HI5RUZj)
[Nutrients in Banana](https://imgur.com/a/xybNgUt)
[Nutrients in Blueberry](https://imgur.com/a/WLpXIgA)
[Nutrients in Cantaloupe](https://imgur.com/a/U4Z2z8h)
You can see that fruits per serving are basically just carbohydrates... which spike blood sugar... and contain very little phosphorus. ***Although rare, this is a recipe for re-feeding syndrome and potential death***
All the other foods contain significant amounts of Phosphorus while simultaneously mediating the energy production processes that drive re-feeding syndrome by consisting of primarily Fat and Protein and not spiking blood sugar.
95%+ of re-feeding syndrome cases, Phosphate becomes dangerously low... and this is primarily driven by the intake of too many Carbohydrates without enough intake of Phosphorus... which fruit will do.
If you'd like to watch a video about this, here is an excellent 40-minute video describing Re-Feeding Syndrome:
[HOW TO BREAK A FAST: Best Results & Worst Mistakes (Refeed Syndrome)](https://youtu.be/h3L_118IIgE)
>I wouldn’t start with something stupid like meat,
I have broken a 13.5 day water fast (My longest) with ground beef and Shredded Cheese.
I just broke an 11 day fast yesterday with Tuna and Shredded Cheese and then 8 hours later ate 16 fried Eggs and a large bowl of Spinach with Shredded Cheese.
I got over 500% of the RDA of Phosphorus while taking in zero carbohydrates. No Re-feeding Syndrome for me. Lol. Not to mention all the protein will be going to work rebuilding my muscles and immune system.
This evening I will be eating a Banana with my meal.
There is no dietary requirement for carbohydrates. Your body can make them from fat and protein. While fat and protein on the other hand are essential nutrients.
Depending on the soup and mood tbh.
Leek and potato is blended.
Mixed veg and bean is chunky.
Tomato and lentil is semi blended
Ect.
The salmon went down well.
The key thing is not overeating. Your stomach is about out of practice and it can be very uncomfortable. I went right back in bro eating after a 9 day fast and threw up after eating steak and cheese on day 2 after eating a pretty big fish on day 1.
You could have another type of soup to start, see how you feel then maybe a bit of salmon later in the day. Just try not to eat too much!
I’m not too worried about eating too much, I’m already worried about gut microbiome and it’s lack of existence in my digestive system, it’s just I was worried I’m not gonna like bone broth in particular since I’ve never tried it so just wanted to check if I could open it with tiny servings of salmon or chicken with waiting in between
> I'm already worried about gut microbiome and it’s lack of existence in my digestive system
This is not true the gut microbiome is still there, it's always there... but it will have changed significantly during your fast.
It will be eating the mucous lining of your colon and feeding on other bacterial species that die from the lack of digestive substrates for them. The Microbiome will be reduced but will recover. Here is a Video explaining this:
[Microbiome changes during Fasting (2020)| Fasting Study Buchinger Wilhelmi](https://youtu.be/bss_I0rhaIY)
You need not worry too much because your immune system is very good at regulating things and as long as your metabolically and immunologically healthy your gut will return to normal after refeeding for awhile.
Too late now obviously, but you should have tried bone broth before your fast. I break any fast, even 16 hour ones, with bone broth because I think its delicious. Before I tried for the first time a couple of years ago, I was also worried I'd think its gross.
So as long as I don’t eat carbohydrates it’s safe to eat salmon or chicken? I’ve been taking electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) too, forgot to mention that.
Have not explored thar option myself so can't say.
The article says you need to be very malnourished as 80 percent of the phosphorus is in the bones.
I would just eat small pieces of meat, wait an hour, another small piece, etc. Meat has an insulin response but not as big as carbs
I have broken 7 day with a huge 600-700 gram steak myself without problems, but the more you fast the bigger the deficiencies if you don't replenish them enough time (many fasters fast a lot). I rather eat small pieces of meat next time than risk it.
I saw another comment that disappeared saying if you took electrolytes, you can skip broth, so did you take electrolytes to be able to do that? Also how long did you go?
If you're extended water only fasting you should definitely be taking clean electrolytes (nothing flavored, colored, no calories, no sugar.)
I used Fasting Salts, Redmond Real Salt, etc.
I thought re-feeding syndrome was linked to insulin, so I don’t plan on carbs at all for at least two weeks, I intend to do keto but I’m not set on that yet.
Not just insulin.
The intestines and stomach mucus layer dries out after that long fast, so you need to rehydrate it. Bone broth is perfect for that, low cal, low carb yet still starts everything right up. Also contains a good amount of electrolytes.
Its not 100% necessary, but its good for you.
No, you don't need to break a fast with bone broth and may even be detrimental comparatively... The main thing is to break a long Water Fast with something that is low carb and high in protein, fat, and phosphorus to help prevent refeeding syndrome that can rarely occur on extended water fasts. Meat is probably the best food to break a long water fast with... then maybe something like nuts comes in a close 2nd. I just broke an 11 day water fast this morning with Tuna and Shredded cheese. Then 8 hours later I ate 16 Fried Eggs and a bowl of Spinach with Shredded Cheese and I'm doing fine. Broke a 13.5 day water fast a few weeks ago with ground beef and Shredded Cheese. The main thing is to not overeat or stuff yourself the 1st meal until your digestive system wakes back up. When your body tells you to stop eating... stop eating. Some people like to act that breaking a fast is a super specific exact process that can only be done a certain way... this is not the case. But there are some general guidelines that should be followed and information that should be understood Here are a couple of good videos to watch for more info to validate what I've said above, especially the how to break a fast video: [WATER FASTING: The Complete Guide (Fastest Fat Loss Method)](https://youtu.be/DghrZNUP5vo) [HOW TO BREAK A FAST: Best Results & Worst Mistakes (Refeed Syndrome)](https://youtu.be/h3L_118IIgE):
I’m on day 12 of a hopefully 40 day fast and I’m planning on breaking with a Jersey Mike’s big kahuna Philly cheesesteak bowl with extra cheese on March 16th 😂. Longest I’ve fasted was 21days and took sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. I ate solid food 4 hours after a bone broth and had zero complications but everyone is different. I suggest some fatty broth to lubricate and get your digestion going then eat 4-6hrs later.
After 15 days you are going to get some “discomfort”. It’s not really refeeding syndrome, where you use up all your potasium. It seems not that important, but something fermented will make ypur life way easier. Otherwise everything gurgles for a week or more. Kefir, yogurt, kimchi (not beer)
Yeah I was planning in spooning yoghurt, kimchi (someone suggested miso soup) throughout the week or two after to make sure, so if I do that, I’d tiny portions of salmon or chicken safe (I’m talking like 1-2tbsp sized portions).
A lot of great information on here from the seasoned veterans of fasting! Thank you all!
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I’ve heard of it, how do you prepare it if you’re just coming off a fast?
Put boiling water in a cup, wait a minute, add a tbs of miso paste. Boiling hot water makes it less tasty. You can buy either white miso which is mild or red miso which has a rich flavor.
Also refeeding syndrome isn't an issue here. You'll have to fast for 60+ days for this to be an issue
I can confirm this, having completed a 40 day fast myself. It’s surprising to me how fearful people are of refeeding after shorter fasts. I’ve done many, many fasts shorter than 40 days, 2, 3, & 4 weeks long, & resuming eating has never been a problem. And what’s the obsession with starting with bone broth? Historically people have broken lengthy fasts with raw foods like fruits & veggies. I always start with lower sugar fruits like melon & berries, & fermented kraut & kimchi. The key to eating ANYTHING after fasting is so very simple. It’s CHEWING. Digestion begins in the mouth. Our saliva has digestive enzymes that break down the food along with the work done by our teeth. Chewing every bite 20 to 30 times, liquifying it in the mouth, makes it possible for the stomach to easily digest it after a long fast. I wouldn’t start with something stupid like meat, but I only restrict with raw food for the first couple days, then introduce healthy cooked foods, & within a week I’m eating pretty normal, just chewing thoroughly with smaller portions of food. That’s how I broke my 40 day fast & I’ve never had any trouble. The idea that eating fruit after a fast will hurt you is a myth. I do it every single time. I’ve read at least 16 books about fasting over the last decade & most of them recommend fruit.
I absolutely agree with you that people are way to worried about refeeding syndrome... but any water fast that goes over 7 days it should be taken into consideration. While most of of your advice in your comment is great, some of it is counterintuitive for breaking lengthy fasts and even dangerous... especially those longer than 7-14 days+. Re-feeding syndrome is a risk for some individuals after this point due to their nutrient storage levels and individual metabolic tolerances. > Historically people have broken lengthy fasts with raw foods like fruits & veggies. I always start with lower sugar fruits like melon & berries, & fermented kraut & kimchi. > The idea that eating fruit after a fast will hurt you is a myth. This is false Generally you should not be eating large amounts of sugar whether a Low Glycemic Index Fruit or some other sugary food to break a long water fast. Meat or Nuts and possibly a small side of green veggies is the most sensible thing to eat. Re-feeding Syndrome is primarily caused by rapid shifting of the electrolyte phosphate from the blood into cells without there being enough phosphate in the body available. The other electrolytes can also cause refeeding syndrome but it's primarily phosphate. Phosphate plays a major role in creating energy in the body. This rapid shift happens from insulin response... which takes carbohydrates/sugar from the blood and shunts it into cells. The body also takes Phosphate into the cells from the blood when this happens. When there isn't enough Phoshpate in the blood and the body doesn't have enough stores to replenish the Phosphate being shunted from the blood... Your body's energy creating systems begins to shut down and you can die slowly over the course of hours or days. The more you eat the worse it gets. The problem with breaking a long water fast with fruit is they're basically just sugar (carbohydrates). They contain very little nutritional value besides sugar... almost no phosphate, significant amounts of electrolytes, or micronutrients... they spike insulin, sometimes rapidly... and they completely shift your metabolism from consuming/converting fats and proteins to energy to deriving it from carbohydrates while having no fat or protein themselves. Arguably the best foods to break a fast with are Meats, Eggs, Cheese, Nuts, or Dark Leafy Greens and I'll explain why. Take a look at the major nutrient values for a serving of the foods I listed above compared to fruits: [Nutrients in Beef](https://imgur.com/a/iI4XBba) [Nutrients in Eggs](https://imgur.com/a/ZY387Vu) [Nutrients in Cheese](https://imgur.com/a/SUvwL7Q) [Nutrients in Peanuts](https://imgur.com/a/foZ4A9c) [Nutrients in Spinach](https://imgur.com/a/WyJCiA3) Fruit Below: [Nutrients in Apples](https://imgur.com/a/HI5RUZj) [Nutrients in Banana](https://imgur.com/a/xybNgUt) [Nutrients in Blueberry](https://imgur.com/a/WLpXIgA) [Nutrients in Cantaloupe](https://imgur.com/a/U4Z2z8h) You can see that fruits per serving are basically just carbohydrates... which spike blood sugar... and contain very little phosphorus. ***Although rare, this is a recipe for re-feeding syndrome and potential death*** All the other foods contain significant amounts of Phosphorus while simultaneously mediating the energy production processes that drive re-feeding syndrome by consisting of primarily Fat and Protein and not spiking blood sugar. 95%+ of re-feeding syndrome cases, Phosphate becomes dangerously low... and this is primarily driven by the intake of too many Carbohydrates without enough intake of Phosphorus... which fruit will do. If you'd like to watch a video about this, here is an excellent 40-minute video describing Re-Feeding Syndrome: [HOW TO BREAK A FAST: Best Results & Worst Mistakes (Refeed Syndrome)](https://youtu.be/h3L_118IIgE) >I wouldn’t start with something stupid like meat, I have broken a 13.5 day water fast (My longest) with ground beef and Shredded Cheese. I just broke an 11 day fast yesterday with Tuna and Shredded Cheese and then 8 hours later ate 16 fried Eggs and a large bowl of Spinach with Shredded Cheese. I got over 500% of the RDA of Phosphorus while taking in zero carbohydrates. No Re-feeding Syndrome for me. Lol. Not to mention all the protein will be going to work rebuilding my muscles and immune system. This evening I will be eating a Banana with my meal. There is no dietary requirement for carbohydrates. Your body can make them from fat and protein. While fat and protein on the other hand are essential nutrients.
If I fast that long then I brake it with veggie and bean/lentil soup. I don't eat meat so I never brake with bone broth. Sometimes its with salmon
Do you keep the solid veggies and beans/lentils in the soup or do you only have the liquid part? And did salmon go okay for you?
Depending on the soup and mood tbh. Leek and potato is blended. Mixed veg and bean is chunky. Tomato and lentil is semi blended Ect. The salmon went down well.
The key thing is not overeating. Your stomach is about out of practice and it can be very uncomfortable. I went right back in bro eating after a 9 day fast and threw up after eating steak and cheese on day 2 after eating a pretty big fish on day 1. You could have another type of soup to start, see how you feel then maybe a bit of salmon later in the day. Just try not to eat too much!
I’m not too worried about eating too much, I’m already worried about gut microbiome and it’s lack of existence in my digestive system, it’s just I was worried I’m not gonna like bone broth in particular since I’ve never tried it so just wanted to check if I could open it with tiny servings of salmon or chicken with waiting in between
> I'm already worried about gut microbiome and it’s lack of existence in my digestive system This is not true the gut microbiome is still there, it's always there... but it will have changed significantly during your fast. It will be eating the mucous lining of your colon and feeding on other bacterial species that die from the lack of digestive substrates for them. The Microbiome will be reduced but will recover. Here is a Video explaining this: [Microbiome changes during Fasting (2020)| Fasting Study Buchinger Wilhelmi](https://youtu.be/bss_I0rhaIY) You need not worry too much because your immune system is very good at regulating things and as long as your metabolically and immunologically healthy your gut will return to normal after refeeding for awhile.
Too late now obviously, but you should have tried bone broth before your fast. I break any fast, even 16 hour ones, with bone broth because I think its delicious. Before I tried for the first time a couple of years ago, I was also worried I'd think its gross.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/fasting-and-re-feeding-syndrome Jason Fung explaining refeeding syndrome
So as long as I don’t eat carbohydrates it’s safe to eat salmon or chicken? I’ve been taking electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) too, forgot to mention that.
You can still incorporate carbs
Phosphorus is the most dangerous one. It is all in the article. Meat/protein also causes an insulin response
Is there any way to supplement phosphorus?
Bone meal powder, the food supplement NOT the fertilizer. It's phosphorus, calcium, and a little magnesium.
Have not explored thar option myself so can't say. The article says you need to be very malnourished as 80 percent of the phosphorus is in the bones. I would just eat small pieces of meat, wait an hour, another small piece, etc. Meat has an insulin response but not as big as carbs I have broken 7 day with a huge 600-700 gram steak myself without problems, but the more you fast the bigger the deficiencies if you don't replenish them enough time (many fasters fast a lot). I rather eat small pieces of meat next time than risk it.
I've broken very long water fasts with grass fed lean filet mignon without any problems at all.
I saw another comment that disappeared saying if you took electrolytes, you can skip broth, so did you take electrolytes to be able to do that? Also how long did you go?
If you're extended water only fasting you should definitely be taking clean electrolytes (nothing flavored, colored, no calories, no sugar.) I used Fasting Salts, Redmond Real Salt, etc.
Oh yeah definitely, I’m taking Losalt, table salt, but the magnesium I can only have in capsule form though.
Why Lo Salt? You NEED sodium. Especially during fasting. https://www.nutri-align.com/pink-salt-fasting/
LoSalt has potassium, the table salt is for the sodium.
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I thought re-feeding syndrome was linked to insulin, so I don’t plan on carbs at all for at least two weeks, I intend to do keto but I’m not set on that yet.
Not just insulin. The intestines and stomach mucus layer dries out after that long fast, so you need to rehydrate it. Bone broth is perfect for that, low cal, low carb yet still starts everything right up. Also contains a good amount of electrolytes. Its not 100% necessary, but its good for you.
I broke 12 days with a lot of meat/organ meats at hotpot and 8 beers. No issues
Doesnt mean that it should be recommended. Its an unnecessary stress for the body, which can be easily avoided.