Our best modified fasting offers
Traditional fasting methods
Understanding the roots of modified fasting
The sheer variety of available fasting methods can be overwhelming when choosing to start a fast. Although there is a wide variety of methods, these are the most popular and most widely practiced:
Water fasting
This is probably the method that pops into mind as soon as you think of fasting: no food, only water. Although many see this as the only true form of fasting, more and more medical experts consider it to be unhealthy, as you are not only denying yourself of calories, but also vital nutrients. Professionals agree that this is an extreme form of fasting and should, under no circumstances, be practiced without close medical supervision. Find out more about water fasting.
Buchinger therapeutic fasting
The Buchinger fasting method is quickly growing in popularity and is a long-proven technique that has been widely practiced in Germany for over a century. In this method you abstain from eating all food, however, in order to ensure that your body receives essential nutrients and your vital organs receive the bare minimum of calories they need to function, doctors allow for certain vegetable broths as well as herbal teas, max. of 340kcal. per day, to prevent shock to the vital organs. Learn more about the Buchinger fasting method.
Juice fast
Similar to the Buchinger fasting method, juice fasts allow you to drink juices or smoothies while abstaining from food. The body more readily absorbs the nutrients from pureed fruits and vegetables, allowing you to gain some necessary calories and essential vitamins and minerals. However, by not eating, your digestive system is given a break and is able to regenerate. Check out our dedicated juice cleanse page!
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting concentrates on restricting the times in which you eat. With the conveniences of modern living, we have access to food all day: we simply need to walk to the fridge or the snack cupboard, or worse, pick up a phone and order in. And with the dawn of TV and streaming services, we’re also inclined to reach for some food and mindlessly snack away. However, constantly eating undermines the natural processes in our body. This fasting method aims to help you regain control of your eating habits by restricting the times in which you eat, either by fasting on alternate days, or limiting your eating time to a certain number of hours per days. Discover more about intermittent fasting.
Types of modified fast diets
Despite the variety of fasting methods, some people may still find abstaining from food intimidating or they may not be permitted to fast due to a medical disorder or the condition of their health. Modified fasting allows people to benefit from many of the advantages of fasting, without fully abiding to the traditional methods.
Buchinger modified fasting
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
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 fast
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.
Modified fasting holiday
Our fasting holiday retreats encompass expert supervision through doctors and nutritionists. Although the fasting programs are usually designed around completely fasting, experts are aware that not everyone is able or willing to fully abstain from food. These programs are easily tailored to incorporate modified fasting, where some form of food or higher calorie intake would be possible.
What else is included?
You can still take part in all of the other great additions to the programs, such as yoga courses, Kneipp therapy, hiking, aqua gym, lectures and more! Some fasting programs, such as the Buchinger fasting method, include colonics and bowel cleanses. Please note that these sorts of treatments are no longer included in the programs, as they are only recommended therapies when completely abstaining from solid food.
