What is Buchinger fasting?
Fasting according to Buchinger should activate the body's
self-healing powers. The developer of the concept, the doctor Dr. Otto
Buchinger, is said to have cured himself of severe metabolic disorders. Due to
the catabolic (degrading) metabolic situation, which is created by the
minimalist food supply, stored substances are excreted (purification), the
blood circulation in the smallest vessels (microcirculation) improves. In
addition, Buchinger Fasten should lift the mood and harmonize the interior.
The fasting cure is carried out as an inpatient for two to
four weeks. But there is also an independent outpatient program called “Fasting
for the Healthy”, which lasts seven days.
This is how Buchinger fasting works
It starts with a relief day on which one only consumes light
food. It serves the physical and mental attunement to fasting. The intestinal
cleansing is then carried out with Glauber's salt or Epsom salt. During the
fasting according to Buchinger, further bowel movements are carried out regularly.
During the at least five days of fasting , people only
drink: vegetable broth, herbal teas, diluted fruit and vegetable juices and
water (refined with a little honey and a lemon wedge). Depending on the
individual assessment by the fasting doctor, buttermilk or cow whey can also be
served to minimize protein breakdown.
Fixed components of Buchinger fasting are daily liver wraps,
endurance sports and gymnastics, dry brushing in the morning, Kneipp
applications and relaxation exercises.
If you do the therapeutic fasting according to Buchinger at
home, you should take a week off to accommodate all the additional
"program items".
The fasting days are followed by the build-up days , in
which the food intake is gradually increased in order to stimulate metabolic
and digestive functions again and to practice slow, conscious eating.
That brings Buchinger fasting
In studies, Buchinger fasting has shown effects on
cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, chronic
pain syndromes, allergic diseases with a genetic predisposition (atopic
diseases such as neurodermatitis, asthma) and psychosomatic disorders.
More serotonin is released in the brain during fasting ,
which brightens the mood.
Since the body attacks the fat deposits during therapeutic
fasting according to Buchinger due to the few calories supplied, you lose
weight quickly.
Risks of Buchinger fasting
In addition to the fat reserves, the body also attacks the
muscle protein during Buchinger fasting, because it receives almost no protein
from the drinks allowed . This is one of the reason why therapeutic fasting
according to Buchinger can only be carried out on your own for a short time.
Sick peoples should only fast in a clinic.
The breakdown of fat during fasting results in larger
amounts of ketone bodies (metabolic compounds that occur in catabolic metabolic
situations such as hunger, during a reduction diet or a low-carbohydrate diet).
An increased ketone level inhibits the excretion of uric acid, which increases
its concentration in the blood. This can lead to urinary stones or gout
attacks. This danger arises primarily with long-term fasts without medical
supervision and with people who have elevated uric acid levels even before the
start of the fast. Therefore: Always speak to a doctor before starting a cure.
The Buchinger therapeutic fasting does not teach you a
sensible diet. Use the fasting period to think about your eating habits - if
possible with professional advice. Otherwise, the pounds will quickly be back
on when you return to your usual diet after the end of the fast. This is
because the body learns to get by with fewer calories when fasting and does not
forget these saving measures when it gets the usual amount of calories again.
Buchinger Fasten: Conclusion
Fasting according to Buchinger is good for achieving quick weight loss success and motivating yourself to switch to a low-fat diet. The mental brightening through the release of serotonin can be an important impulse for behavior change. However, Buchinger fasting is not suitable as a long-term reduction diet .