All The Nourishing Things

All you need to know about how to do a 3-day bone broth fast! From the benefits of bone broth-fasting to preparing for your fast, this is an in-depth post about nourishing your body with bone broth to reset your gut health and improve your overall health!

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Originally published July 21, 2019. Last modified January 7, 2021.

In 2017, I was feeling great physically and mentally… and when I’m feeling good, it’s an ideal time to experiment with my body a bit.

So, I do things like try new supplements or intermittent fasting or adding food in that I’ve avoided to see what happens.

One of the things I tried in 2017 was a bone broth fast.

My intention was to fast for just 1 day — eating no solid foods and drinking nothing but water and herbal tea, but mostly bone broth.

To my bone broth, I added MCT oil or butter, as well as salt, garlic powder, and turmeric for flavor and additional health benefits.

After that one day, I felt so great, I emailed my naturopath to ask if it was ok to continue the bone broth fast. “Sure!” she replied. “If you’re feeling that good, go for it!”

I decided to go for 3 days — and I felt amazing!

The Many Health Benefits of Bone Broth

Most of us know the many health benefits of bone broth:

It’s rich in nutrients and minerals (like calcium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, and more) from the bones.
Bone broth is full of collagen and gelatin, which nourish the gut, skin, and joints.
It’s full of beneficial amino acids.
It reduces inflammation systemically.
Bone broth heals and seals the gut lining, preventing and healing gut permeability.
It’s a powerful immune system booster.
It’s extremely easy to digest, so it’s perfect for people who have digestive issues.
Healing compounds like proline, glycine, and glutamine are released when bones are simmered.

I literally cannot think of an illness for which bone broth would not be a go-to remedy! Nor can I think of a food that can improve overall health more quickly than homemade bone broth.

Making and consuming bone broth is a regular part of my routine. I always have some in jars in my fridge or in bags in the freezer, ready to pull out for soups, stews, sauces, cooking rice, or simply drinking.

Why You’d Want To Do a 3-Day Bone Broth Fast

Obviously, bone broth is a superfood — and one which I highly encourage you to incorporate into your diet on a daily basis.

So why would you want to fast on bone broth?

For one, fasting is an excellent way to reduce fasting insulin levels and stabilize the blood sugar. Adding bone broth means you’re not only stabilizing your blood sugar, but you’re getting all the above benefits as well.

Second, if you’re having any sort of digestive issue or flare — heartburn, IBS, Crohn’s disease, gas or bloating — you can calm things down with bone broth. Bone broth is so soothing to the gut, you could see a reduction of symptoms in as little as 24 hours!

Third, bone broth is fantastic for skin because of collagen. Collagen is simply the cooked form of gelatin — and is naturally present in chicken, beef, and pork bones.

Collagen production in our own bodies starts slowing down in our 20s, so consuming collagen from bone broth and/or supplementing with collagen is necessary to keep our skin healthy and glowing.

Finally, a bone broth fast resets the gut.

Maybe you’ve been on an indulgent vacation or had too many nights in a row of take-out. And you’re feeling it. Eating foods we’re not used to can not only be felt in the gut, we can feel tired physically and mentally.

I, for one, get really emotional when I eat outside my norm for too many days in a row.

Or, maybe you simply feel intuitively that your gut needs a reset. It doesn’t matter the reason!

Bone broth fasting literally resets the gut. You pull out all the junk and give your body nothing but pure, healing nourishment — and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel!

How To Prepare for a 3-Day Bone Broth Fast

There are several things you should do in preparation for a 3-day bone broth fast.

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These are practical things — like having a supply of broth. But there are some mental and emotional preparations to do as well.

Here’s how to prepare for your 3-day bone broth fast.

#1 — MAKE BROTH. LOTS & LOTS OF BROTH.

Don’t even think about starting a bone broth fast unless you have a large supply of bone broth already made. (And yes, homemade bone broth is best.)

During my bone broth fasts, I drink between 2 and 3 quarts of broth per day. So, for 3 days, you’ll need at least a gallon and a half, and possibly more.

I prefer making bone broth in my Instant Pot — here’s why. Here’s how to get bone broth that gels every time.

Since you’re fasting for just 3 days, it’s fine to keep all your pre-prepared broth in the fridge in glass jars, taking out some to warm up each time.

If you don’t have the fridge space for one-and-a-half to two gallons of broth, then leave some in the fridge and freeze the rest.

Have your bone broth prepared before beginning your fast. That way, during your fast, you can focus on #2.

#2 — MAKE SPACE & TIME FOR REST.

Fasting is always associated with rest. Your body rests, your mind rests, and your gut rests.

You should not do a bone broth fast if you have a stressful work project or if you’re in the middle of a move or any transition. Actually, the weekend is an ideal time for working people to fast.

The point is, you should be prepared with bone broth, but you should also be prepared to slow down and do restful things: watch movies, read, take naps, journal, go for leisurely walks.

Don’t do CrossFit or run 5 miles a day or even try to pack in a day of errands during a bone broth fast.

Also, you may notice that you feel bored because you’ve used eating as a way to pass the time or to stimulate yourself. Have some restful and enjoyable activities within reach so you can distract yourself until that feeling passes.

#3 — REMOVE “OFF-LIMITS” FOODS FROM YOUR HOUSE.

This may not be necessary, or it might. Only you know.

If those cookies you made or the bag of chips in your pantry keep calling out to you, it might be best to wait to fast until you’ve eaten them or disposed of them in some other way.

If you’re not used to going without sugar or dessert, it’s likely that you’ll have some sugar withdrawal symptoms during your fast.

Make your bone broth fast as easy on yourself as you can by removing the foods and drinks that will tempt you to give up.

I would also highly recommend cutting caffeine and sugar (even honey) from your diet for at least 2 weeks prior to your fast. You want to feel GOOD during your fast, not awful from sugar/caffeine withdrawal!

#4 — EASE BACK INTO EATING

Once your 3 days are up, please don’t go out to the local diner to celebrate with a greasy burger and fries.

Remember, you’ve just given your digestive system a rest and reset. Actual healing has taken place in your body because of those 3 days.

Don’t sabotage your healing!

Furthermore, even if you already eat clean, it’s best to ease back into your normal eating after a fast.

For the first day or two, I like to have blended soups or smoothies, but very little or no meat. Your digestive system has had to deal with nothing but nourishing broth — it needs time to begin gently digesting solid foods again.

You may notice that you aren’t craving the foods you ate before, such as sugar or grains or dairy. Listen to that; it’s your body talking to you.

How To Do a 3-Day Bone Broth Fast

Ok, so we’ve talked about the whys and how to prepare.

You’ve got your fridge stocked with nourishing broth, you’ve made space and time for rest, you’re not going to sabotage by reaching for the cookies, and you’re prepared to ease back into eating once these 3 days are up.

Great!

Here’s how to do a 3-day bone broth fast:

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When you wake in the morning, if you’re hungry, warm up some bone broth.

Season it with salt and pepper, garlic and turmeric, maybe some cayenne if you like a kick. It’s fine to add some freshly grated ginger root or turmeric root if you feel like it.

It’s also a good idea to add a bit of fat to help satiate you.

If you’re avoiding dairy, use MCT oil. (My coupon code ALLTHETHINGS will save you 10%!)

If you’ve never avoided dairy before, a fast is a great opportunity to try it out and see if your body responds positively.

Use ghee or grass-fed butter, too, if you do tolerate dairy. I like to use a small milk frother to whisk everything into my bone broth.

Drink bone broth all day long, seasoned with salt or however you like it. Drink water if you’re thirsty, but honestly, bone broth has enough electrolytes that you shouldn’t even feel thirsty.

Herbal, non-caffeinated tea is also fine, but avoid sweetening it with honey, sugar, or stevia.

The majority of what you consume during each day should be bone broth, however.

Now, let’s answer some common questions about bone broth-fasting:

#1 — Will I feel hungry?

This will depend on each person. Personally, I don’t feel hungry, and I find bone broth very satisfying. I haven’t always felt this way, however, so you might feel hungry. When you’re hungry, drink more bone broth and try adding up to a tablespoon of fat, such as MCT oil.

#2 — Will I feel sick?

It’s possible you may experience withdrawal symptoms from caffeine or sugar if you’re cutting them out cold-turkey. I’d recommend cutting those out 2 weeks to a month before your bone broth fast so you don’t shock your body too much!

Sugar withdrawal symptoms can feel like the flu, complete with nausea, headache, and fatigue (which is why I recommend cutting it out FIRST!).

If you already eat clean, however, you may feel energized, sleep like a champ, and find that you aren’t even thinking about food! This is how I feel when I bone broth fast.

If you feel dizzy or light-headed because your blood sugar feels low, eat a small green apple or one of these Sprouted Seed Truffles to keep your blood sugar stable.

#3 — What if I’m away from home?

Plan ahead. Get yourself a travel Thermos and take your broth with you!

Or, get some Bone Broth Powder (save 10% with my discount code ALLTHETHINGS) and add hot water while you’re out.

You can stop at pretty much any gas station and use the hot water from their coffee machines to mix with your bone broth powder!

It seems like a good excuse to break your fast if you know you’re going to be away from home, but it’s actually easy to take your broth with you and keep on going. 😉

#4 — Should I continue taking supplements or medication during a bone broth fast?

Any fasting or medication changes should be discussed with your doctor.

As for supplements, that’s up to you. It might be a good idea to give your body a break — even from supplements — and let the bone broth work its magic. Fasting is a great time to reflect on any supplements you’re already taking to determine if they’re still serving you or not.

I don’t even take probiotics during a bone broth fast!

I hope this encourages you to give a 3-day bone broth fast a try.

It truly is one of the most healing things I’ve ever done for myself! I’ve also done it with my daughter when her allergies were awful, and during the fast, her allergies cleared up!

Well, there you go: the why and the how to do a 3-day bone broth fast!