I Did a 3-Day Water Fast. It Was Horrible, but I'd Do It Again

When the body runs out of nutrients, the body’s cells consume harmful bacteria, viruses, and junk cells to survive. This process is called autophagy, and it may start anywhere from 24 to 48 hours during a fast. Alter-ego/Shutterstock

My friend Lynn texted me an Epoch Times article about how fasting helps people heal from long COVID and COVID-vaccine injury. I texted her back that my co-author, molecular geneticist Dr. Joe Wang, and I were also researching and writing about fasting as a way to induce autophagy, which is a cellular process to clear waste and toxins from inside your cells.

So when Lynn called the same day to say she wanted to do a water-only fast, I decided to join her.

Health Benefits of Fasting

Lynn, who struggles with her weight, has done multi-day fasts in the past. I fast for Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, but I’ve never done a fast that lasted more than a day and a half. Still, I’ve read about the health benefits of fasting for years.