FASTING IN ÜBERLINGEN & MARBELLA
Fasting schedules: How to fast at Buchinger Wilhelmi
We are often asked whether we have a fasting schedule to download so that people can fast on their own initiative at home. Here you can read about the fasting schedule (or fasting protocol) we follow at our Buchinger Wilhelmi clinics, why medical supervision is so important, and what methods we recommend if you want to fast at home.
Fasting schedule at Buchinger Wilhelmi clinics
Our two fasting clinics in Überlingen and Marbella were founded by Dr. Otto Buchinger, who developed therapeutic fasting more than 100 years ago. Today, they are managed by the fourth generation of the family. The ideal fasting cure is based on our many years of experience, but also on the latest scientific insights into fasting and its effects. Our scientific department collaborates with university research centres to continuously develop the concept. We pursue a holistic approach that views the body, mind and soul as one. That is why it includes not only physical therapy and exercise outdoors, but also spiritual inspiration in the form of concerts, lectures and workshops in our creative atelier.
If you choose the shortest* fasting programme in our clinics of ten days, the fasting schedule looks like this: First, you start with a digestive rest day, followed by around six days of fasting (depending on your indication and condition) including breaking your fast, and finally three days in which you gradually reaccustom your body to eating solid food.
What happens on a typical day of fasting at Buchinger Wilhelmi?
IN THE MORNING
You start the day in our clinics with a health check. Our qualified nurses measure your blood pressure, your pulse, your weight and your blood sugar levels and ask how you are feeling. After that, we serve you a pot of fresh herbal tea – with some honey if you like – in your room. During the day, we offer a varied weekly programme in our clinics, from meditation and yoga classes to Pilates and qigong, as well as excursions and hikes in the wonderful countryside of the Lake Constance region or the Mediterranean landscape around Marbella.
In addition, we have a fitness studio, a heated swimming pool and a sauna. You can try out anything you like that feels good for your body. Naturally, you can also book individual treatments or therapies. We offer a wide choice from coaching to physiotherapy and various massages to pamper your body and your soul.
AT NOON
At midday our guests who are fasting can choose between a freshly squeezed organic fruit juice or a seasonal vegetable consommé. In our fasting salon you get the chance to meet other guests and swap notes in a cosy atmosphere. Some long-lasting friendships have been sealed here. After that you return to your room for a midday rest with a beneficial liver wrap that stimulates the function of the liver and allows you to relax completely.
In the afternoon there are all kinds of activities to choose from – such as fitness training or being creative in our art studio – or you can relax, for example, on a walk through our clinic grounds with a cup of tea. Fasting is an ideal time for reading, meditation or focusing inwards.
IN THE EVENING
In the evening, guests who are fasting are served a vegetable consommé.
At Buchinger Wilhelmi, you can also look forward to a cultural programme with concerts, movies, lectures and much more.
On the day before starting your fast, called the digestive rest day, and during the final phase when you gradually reintroduce food, you can enjoy delicious, healthy organic gourmet meals at lunch and dinner.
Why we recommend long-term therapeutic fasting under medical supervision
The therapeutic fasting method developed by Dr. Otto Buchinger has three dimensions: the medical and physical dimension, the mental and spiritual dimension, and the interpersonal dimension.
The best place to experience all three aspects of fasting as a holistic, intensive experience is in a fasting clinic. If you prefer to try fasting at home, you will experience above all the physical dimension, but again, it requires preparation. You can find some useful expert tips on all aspects of fasting on our YouTube channel.
The length of time spent fasting is important: We advise against fasting for longer than five days at home. A zero diet or so-called water fasting should not be done without medical supervision. If you want to fast at Buchinger Wilhelmi, you should book a stay of at least ten nights. That is because your body needs time to prepare for fasting and to get used to healthy nutrition over several days after you break your fast. This time taken to prepare and reintroduce food are important elements of a successful, enjoyable fast. Their huge significance (for example for the microbiome in the gut) is often underestimated – especially when people fast by themselves at home.
At our clinics, we offer supervision around the clock and have doctors in our clinics with various specialisations who can care for you and tailor the treatment to your needs. That way, you can be sure that you are in good hands while you fast. We have around two members of staff for each guest. If you feel low or unwell, you can rely on the support of our experienced employees. When you fast at a clinic, you can also book treatments like massages, Kneipp applications, physiotherapy and even coaching, all of which support the processes triggered by fasting. We want you to be able to recuperate during your stay and return home with higher energy levels.
Another important aspect is having the chance to talk to other people who are fasting, and benefit from each other’s inspiration and support – in other words the interpersonal dimension of fasting according to Dr. Otto Buchinger. On the other hand, it also makes sense to approach the topic of fasting in the comfort of your own home. That’s why we have listed some tips below that show how your fasting schedule might look.
*Anyone who cannot or does not want to fast has the option of booking a shorter stay at our clinics and enjoying a special diet. Feel free to ask us without any obligation.
Fasting methods for use at home
For the above reasons, we only recommend fasting for a short time at home. If you are in medical care or on medication, it is important that you have the support of fasting experts.
We are frequently asked for fasting schedules to download, but the holistic fasting programme we apply in our clinics cannot be completely reproduced for this kind of use at home.
If you have never fasted before, we recommend you first try fasting for short periods at home, for example in the form of intermittent fasting. This involves extending the natural pause between meals overnight (for example for 16 hours with the popular 16:8 method) and only eating during a certain period (usually 8 hours). Unlike therapeutic fasting, you are allowed to eat anything you like. Intermittent fasting is one of the easiest ways to try fasting and requires no preparation, and no fasting schedule.
For those who would like to gain an impression of what happens during a fast at Buchinger Wilhelmi, we have developed our FASTING BOX. It contains everything you need for a five-day fast at home – from fasting soups to a tea strainer. Of course the box also includes a detailed fasting schedule that not only explains what happens to your body on each day of the fast, but also gives you lots of tips and tricks from our fasting experts and suggestions for recipes for when you reintroduce food after fasting. We have developed this programme for people who would like some time-out in-between their stays at Buchinger Wilhelmi, and of course for first-time fasters who want to experience the positive effects that fasting can have at home.
You might also be interested in
