Modified Buchinger fast
A modified Buchinger fast includes a limited amount of calories per day through food. The food that would be included is typically vegan and very easy to digest. This could include soups, plenty of fruit, smoothies, wraps, salad and more. Through the inclusion of foods that are easy to digest and as well as the high amount of fiber, the digestive system is still cleansed.
Modified alternate day fasting
Modified intermittent fasting, or modified alternate day fasting, still relies greatly on restricting the days on which you eat. However, instead of fully abstaining from food on your fasting days, you would instead restrict calories, for example to a maximum of 800kcal. Per day or 25% of your daily requirement. A popular intermittent fasting method is the 5/2 method, meaning you eat normally for 5 days and fast for 2. On the two fasting days, where you would normally completely abstain from food altogether, you would now drastically limit your caloric intake. You could also combine this with juice fasting and only consume juices and smoothies on these days, which would still allow your digestive system to take a little breather.
Fasting mimicking diet (FMD)
The fasting mimicking diet was developed by Dr. Valter Longo. The aim of mimicking a fast is to gain many of the benefits of fasting without sacrificing nutrients or calories. It is essentially a version of intermittent fasting in which meals are based on high (healthy) fat and low carb meal kits. The dieting days are low-calorie, allowing your body to deplete glycogen reserves. This mimicking fast diet is designed to usually last 5 days.
Protein sparing modified fast (PSMF)
Contrary to the fasting mimicking diet, the PSMF diet revolves around low calorie meals that focus on high protein as well as vitamin and mineral supplements. In removing as many fats and carbs as possible while maintaining high protein content, the diet aims to minimize “muscle-wasting”, where you lose muscle as your body turns to calorie reserves to compensate for daily caloric needs. As the body is supplied with sufficient protein, it will begin to deplete fat reserves. PSMF diets can often last for months.
Modified water fasting
Modified water fasting allows for some nutrient-dense meals throughout the fasting days that add up to a maximum of 800 kcal. Where most experts consider pure water fasting to be unsafe, modified water fasting helps eliminate some of the risk as you are consuming some calories in the nutrient-packed meals.