Water Fast Coaching and Articles

Symptoms and Conditions I Work With

✔ Digestive disorders like IBS, SIBO, and ulcerative colitis – calming inflammation, rebalancing gut bacteria, and improving nutrient absorption
✔ Autoimmune conditions including allergies, asthma, CFS, and rheumatoid arthritis – helping reduce immune overactivity and ease chronic inflammation.
✔ Long Covid and lingering post-viral symptoms – supporting the body’s recovery after prolonged fatigue, inflammation, and immune disruption.
✔ Hormonal imbalances such as insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue, and hypothyroidism – resetting metabolism and supporting healthy energy and mood.
✔ Reproductive health concerns like fibroids, ovarian cysts, or even cancer – creating conditions for the body to rebalance and repair.

If you’re dealing with symptoms your body just can’t seem to shift — guided fasting may offer a way forward.

Why Choose Guided Water Fast Coaching?

Water fasting is safe for most people when approached with care — and even more effective with the right support.

As your coach, I help you:

• Prepare physically and mentally
• Navigate the day-to-day experience of fasting
• Recognize healing reactions and adjust safely
• Break your fast and refeed properly
• Rebuild long-term health and resilience

Join me, and let’s navigate your fasting journey together—with expert guidance, personalized support, and a deep understanding of how fasting can restore balance, energy, and long-term health.

More about me here

For people unfamiliar with water fasting, the idea of giving up food can be frightening. But the fact is that homo sapiens have been successfully fasting for millennia.

Many people today practice intermittent fasting as a basic lifestyle, but longer fasts are also possible in order to go much deeper into healing.

Did You Know?
Fasting and Mental Clarity Go Way Back…

We all know the most famous examples of religious 40-day fasts, but you probably haven’t heard others.

For example, the Greek mathematician Pythagoras demanded that all his students undertake a 40-day fast in order to sharpen their minds!
From spiritual practice to intellectual discipline, fasting has always been more than just physical.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FAST

Curious where to begin?

36-hour fast – a gentle start
3-day fast – ideal for beginners
7–10 day fast – deeper healing
14–40 day fast – profound cellular reset

Learn more about which fast might be right for you.

BLOG:
Watch my videos and read my articles on water fasting

FREE VIDEO FAQ’S

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  How does water fasting lower blood pressure?
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  Does water fasting cause muscle loss?
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  Can fasting heal SIBO?
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  Fasting Ketosis vs Keto Diets: Why They Are Not the Same
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  Is water fasting safe?
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  Water fasts versus juice fasts: how are they different, and what are the pros and cons of each?
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  Water fasting for weight loss: does it work?
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  Can I work during a water fast?
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  Dry vs Water Fasts: how are they different in terms of cleansing, detox and healing?
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  Does healing continue after a water fast?
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  Can I work out and exercise during a water fast?

BENEFITS OF FASTING

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  Cleansing and detox: how water fasting works and why it benefits you
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  If you’re really serious about cleansing, the most powerful method is and always has been water fasting. Why? Because only through sustaining a zero caloric intake can you fully unlock the body’s healing metabolism. This takes place in two steps…
• 
  Overcoming addictions through water fasting
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  Water fasting is an extremely powerful tool to help overcome addictions caused by smoking, drinking and drugs in general, as well as any food addictions, such as those caused by sugar, salt, caffeine, chocolate and flavour enhancers. Unfortunately, the list is almost endless. On a physical level, addictive substances cause changes to your biochemistry…
• 
  A stronger immune system with water fasting
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  If you suffer from a weak immune system, water fasting is one of the best things you can do to strengthen it. Similarly, water fasting is one of the oldest and most effective methods to regain health if your immune system is facing an infection such the flu…
• 
  Self-healing through water fasting: more powerful than any pill
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  I became a convert to water fasting after experiencing firsthand the miraculous self-healing powers of the body. It happened many years ago on the last day of my first 7-day fast. For about a decade I had suffered from debilitating…

CASE REPORTS

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  Healing SIBO (gut dysbiosis) with water fasting
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  This case report follows 3 people through extended water fasts as they heal from SIBO and gut dysbiosis, illustrating the factors which…
• 
  Healing from Long Covid with water fasting
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  This article presents two case reports documenting how an extended water fast can heal Long Covid (post-acute Covid-19 syndrome). Since late 2020, I have been approached by…
• 
  Healing ovarian cysts with water fasting
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  This case study documents a 21-day water fast to successfully heal ovarian cysts. Water fasts can also facilitate the healing of PCOM, PCOS and uterine fibroids.

DIET AND RECIPES

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  Comforting kitchari stew with cauliflower
  This stew provides a comforting and delicious way to break fasts of up to 3 days. After longer fasts, it is perfect for reintroducing grains and legumes. Consisting of primarily mung beans and rice…
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  Summer smoothie to break a fast
  A week ago I used this smoothie to break my 5 day dry fast with 2 day water fast introduction. Normally I prefer to break my fasts with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, but unfortunately orange season has long since past by this… Read more: Summer smoothie to break a fast
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  Pure and perfect tomato soup to break a fast
  This recipe is always a favourite at the end of a fast: warming, comforting and nutritionally perfect, packed with a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (such as lycopene, beta-carotene, potassium, Vitamins C and K). It’s so well loved that I found myself with… Read more: Pure and perfect tomato soup to break a fast
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  Tasty, tangy sauerkraut soup
  This is a tasty, tangy soup I enjoy especially after winter fasts – including the 7-day water fast I just finished yesterday. Before global trade overpowered local economies and foods, winter was always the time to eat preserved vegetables such as sauerkraut – especially in… Read more: Tasty, tangy sauerkraut soup
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  Go-to green smoothie recipe to break a fast
  After any fast of more than a day or so, it’s important how you re-introduce food back into your diet. Oranges are a great way to break any fast, as the citrus content helps to provide a final element of detox as well as to… Read more: Go-to green smoothie recipe to break a fast

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (recent comments)

1. 

   Hi Shuang, Thanks for writing. I’m sorry to hear about your spinal neurofibromatosis. To answer your question: of course, there…

2. 

   For neurofibromatosis in spine. Will water fast work? How long to see the good result.

3. 

   Hi Anonymous, Thanks for writing. There can be multiple reasons for hair loss through fasting. Some come from the positive…

4. 

   Hi! The last time I did a seven day fast, I lost a lot of hair (it was coming out…

5. 

   Hi Colm, Thanks for writing. Fasting definitely detoxes the liver, and I’ve seen numerous clients recover from NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty…

VIDEO LECTURES

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  How to prevent overeating after a water fast
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  One of the biggest problems people have with fasting is the temptation to overeat afterwards. Things can very easily end up getting out of control, which not only overtaxes the digestive system but also potentially distorts eating patterns in the future. This video examines the whole issue and offers numerous practical solutions, ensuring the smoothest… Read more: How to prevent overeating after a water fast
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  Dealing with insomnia and sleep issues while water fasting
  by Dr. Tallis Barker
  Video lecture Almost everyone experiences major changes to the way they sleep while water fasting. In fact, many people find it one of the most disturbing aspects of fasting. It doesn’t have to be a source of concern, though, if you understand why these processes are taking place and what you can do to help… Read more: Dealing with insomnia and sleep issues while water fasting

FITNESS AND HEALTH

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  Healing from Long Covid with water fasting
  This article presents two case reports documenting how an extended water fast can heal Long Covid (post-acute Covid-19 syndrome). Since late 2020, I have been approached by…
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  Fasting against coronavirus (Covid-19): how to boost immunity and maximize health
  For water fasting to heal Long Covid, please click on the link below for my more recent article:Healing from Long Covid with water fasting Written at the start of the pandemic, the extended article below argues that the best thing you can do to strengthen… Read more: Fasting against coronavirus (Covid-19): how to boost immunity and maximize health
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  Diets, fasts and healing injuries for runners
  When most people think of diets or fasting, they usually have weight loss in mind.  Even at the best of times this is a dubious practice. Changing the way you eat by reducing calories usually results in the body conserving energy and using calories more… Read more: Diets, fasts and healing injuries for runners
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  Pills, powders and potions: the reality of taking supplements while fasting
  One question which persistently recurs on waterfasting.org is whether or not you should take supplements while water fasting. The majority of people want to know about vitamin supplements and, occasionally, even protein supplements. In this article I’ll deal with both, as well as other kinds… Read more: Pills, powders and potions: the reality of taking supplements while fasting
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  Fasting as a healing modality to treat cancer
  This video features an interview with Dr. Valter Longo, who is one of the world’s leading researchers in the use of fasting as a healing modality to treat cancer. Although the preventative effects of fasting have been well known in relation to a number of… Read more: Fasting as a healing modality to treat cancer
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  Fasting as a means to improve athletic performance in endurance sports
  I’m sitting down to write this having had breakfast for the first time in a week… Lately, I’ve been practising “intermittent fasting”, which revolves around lengthening the time between your last meal in the evening and your first meal the following day.  It’s one of… Read more: Fasting as a means to improve athletic performance in endurance sports

“Let us fast from self-love not self-punishment!”

Dr Tallis Barker

SPIRIT AND SOUL

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  Physical and spiritual cleansing: from fear to love
  Does the thought of water fasting frighten you? It’s completely natural to feel fear before and even during your first few water fasts.  After all, unlike our ancestors, you’ve probably never gone without food for more than a few hours, let alone a few days. … Read more: Physical and spiritual cleansing: from fear to love
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  Facing your ego through water fasting
  As important as any physical cleansing, water fasting also challenges you with emotional and spiritual blocks, bringing you face to face with your ego and fears.  In a way, your journey through water fasting mirrors the entire spiritual path: both within each fast, as well… Read more: Facing your ego through water fasting
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  Deeper states of consciousness while fasting
  One of my favourite things to ‘do’ while water fasting is to find a spot in nature and simply sit, doing nothing, just being, staring out into the environment, remaining present and aware. Quickly, I become one with myself and the world around me. Time… Read more: Deeper states of consciousness while fasting
• 
  Who am I?
  Many spiritual traditions encourage you to ask the question: ‘Who am I?’  Perhaps most famously, Ramana Maharshi taught that this is all you need to do in order to experience your true self and enlightenment.  Just keep asking yourself, honestly, from the depths of your… Read more: Who am I?
• 
  Spiritual fasting in Lent (or any other time)
  25th February, 2020Tomorrow marks the beginning of what for many people is the most important time of the year in terms of spiritual fasting. For Christians, Lent constitutes the 40-day period prior to Easter, serving as a reminder of both Jesus’ 40-day fast in the… Read more: Spiritual fasting in Lent (or any other time)

DRY FASTING AND ALTERNATIVE METHODS

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  Dry fast coaching
  I now offer dry fast coaching (as well as water fast coaching). Quite simply, dry fasting is the most powerful form of cleansing and healing that exists…
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  Dry fasting: fact and fiction
  The biggest hurdle to understanding dry fasting comes from the completely logical idea that if you’re not drinking, how can you flush out toxins? In fact…
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  Juice fasting
  If you don’t feel ready to try out water fasting, then juice fasting is a great place to start.  Otherwise known as a “juice diet”, it involves the elimination of solid food from your daily consumption.  In other words, instead of eating and drinking, you… Read more: Juice fasting
• 
  Shankaprakshalana: intestinal wash as preparation
  What on earth does an intestinal wash have to do with water fasting?In one sense, nothing. But… after you get over the shock of it :-), there are certainly good reasons to contemplate such a cleanse before undertaking a water fast, especially in the case… Read more: Shankaprakshalana: intestinal wash as preparation
• 
  Intermittent fasting
  If a one-day water fast feels too frightening, beyond reach, that’s totally okay.  Today in the modern world many people feel the same.  Rather than pushing yourself into something you’re not ready for, intermittent fasting is a less extreme, more easily achievable goal – and… Read more: Intermittent fasting
• 
  5 day dry fast with 2 day introductory water fast
  ARTICLE SECTIONS: The following article outlines the experience of my first 5-day dry fast. I do not recommend such a long dry fast to anyone, unless they already have plenty of experience with both 7-day water fasts as well as 3-day dry fasts! Intro A… Read more: 5 day dry fast with 2 day introductory water fast
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  3.5 / 4 day dry fast with introductory water fast
  I’ve always approached dry fasting carefully. As a generally healthy person, I’ve never had any therapeutic need to jump into a radically long fast. Also, having experienced firsthand how much stronger the detox of dry fasting is compared to water fasting, I’ve always felt that… Read more: 3.5 / 4 day dry fast with introductory water fast
• 
  2.5 day dry fast: dehydration as detox
  This article describes my first experience of a 2.5-day dry fast.  For more information about dry fasts in general click here, and for my experience with shorter 36-hour dry fasts click here. Dehydration as detox: the phrase came to mind soon after finishing my fast… Read more: 2.5 day dry fast: dehydration as detox

MISCELLANEOUS

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  Dry fasting and the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
  One of the most extreme forms of fasting concerns the so-called Marathon Monks (gyoja) of Mt. Hiei, Japan. This article will describe the practice in full, but first it’s important to know that the fasting itself forms only one part of an almost superhuman seven-year… Read more: Dry fasting and the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
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  Telling friends and family about your fast (or not)
  Whether or not to tell friends and family you’re fasting can often be a huge dilemma. Just this last week, several visitors to waterfasting.org have brought up the subject in some shape or form. It usually goes like this: “I can’t tell anyone I know… Read more: Telling friends and family about your fast (or not)
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  Enjoy the gift of food!
  I’ll keep this short and sweet :-). If you want to enjoy the gift of food, if you really want to appreciate the taste of every bite you eat, there’s nothing better than a water fast.  It’s only by taking away food for a while… Read more: Enjoy the gift of food!
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  Fasting in a time of lockdown
  ‘This is the perfect time to fast…’ I’ve heard this sentence, again and again, repeated verbatim by numerous clients since most of the world went into lockdown earlier this year as a result of Covid 19. Now that many of us are slowly returning to… Read more: Fasting in a time of lockdown