Breaking a fast and transition days done right

The essentials at a glance

• Breaking a fast is not an end point, but a distinct, conscious step: a small cup of fasting soup at noon, followed by the apple, either raw or stewed.
• Mindful chewing supports this transition – thirty to forty times per bite, while respecting the feeling of satiety.
• The transition period lasts for about a third of the fasting duration: two transition days for five days of fasting, and two to three for seven days.
• The guiding question during the transition is: What is good for the microbiome? Easily digestible vegetables, fermented foods, and plenty of fiber.
• After the transition period, the path leads back to everyday life, for example via the "Schlanke Tanne" Low Carb, our in-house low-carb diet.

Why breaking a fast is so important

Anyone who has completed a week of fasting usually associates the term "fasting" with the days of abstinence. But the perhaps most crucial part comes afterward. Breaking the fast and the transition days are the moments when the value of a fasting week is either solidified – or squandered. In fasting medicine, this phase is considered more demanding than the actual fasting itself, because the body must be slowly and carefully guided out of its fasting metabolism.

At Naturhotel Tannerhof, the rebuilding phase is part of fasting right from the start—not as an afterthought, but as a continuation by other means. Buchinger therapeutic fasting is the conscious, temporary renunciation of solid food and stimulants—and returning to them is approached with equal mindfulness. Anyone wishing to explore our medically supervised setting or book online can find it under the Body Detox program; the methodology itself is detailed on the Buchinger Therapeutic Fasting page.

The fact that this transition carries so much weight is well documented. In the large observational study by Wilhelmi de Toledo et al., published in 2019 in PLOS One, food was gradually reintroduced to more than 1,400 people fasting according to the Buchinger method on the last day of their fast, over an average of about four days, using an ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet that increased from 800 to 1,600 kilocalories per day. The transition period is therefore not a loose appendage, but an essential component of the method.

Breaking the fast with the holy apple

At the Tannerhof, the day you break your fast is still counted as a fasting day. At midday, a small cup of fasting broth is served—the gentle vegetable broth that has sustained you throughout the fasting days. And then comes the apple, affectionately called the holy apple here, as it ushers in the transition. It arrives raw or gently stewed, depending on what feels better for your body at that moment.

The apple is a wise first solid food. It provides some sweetness, plenty of water, and, thanks to its pectin, a gentle fiber that slowly wakes up the digestive tract. The decisive factor here is not just what is eaten, but how. Each bite is chewed thirty to forty times, slowly, mindfully, and without haste. This way, digestion begins in the mouth, saliva prepares the food, and the body is given time to remember the work it has paused for days.

In the evening, a vegetable soup follows, this time with non-puréed vegetable pieces. This is a conscious step: where everything was soft and liquid at noon, there is now something to chew on for the first time. The day of breaking the fast is thus its own little choreography – soup, apple, soup with pieces – that brings the body back step by step.

Mindful chewing: thirty to forty times

Thorough chewing is not an accessory, but the principle that supports the entire transition. After days in which the digestive system has been at rest, hasty eating would overwhelm it. Those who chew slowly and thoroughly give the body back the lead.

Three things happen simultaneously:

• Food is finely broken down, which reduces the workload for your stomach and intestines.
• Saliva mixes in, beginning the digestive process right in the mouth.
• Your sense of satiety has time to register—after fasting, it is often more refined and noticeable sooner than before.

This last observation is one of the most rewarding experiences of the transition phase: many guests realize how little is enough and how intensely that small amount tastes. Therefore, the simple rule for transition days is to respect your sense of satiety and stop when you are full—even if there is still food left on your plate.

The transition phase: about one-third of the fasting period

After breaking your fast, the actual transition days begin. Their length is not determined by a fixed number, but by the duration of your fast. The rule of thumb shared by both Tannerhof practice and fasting literature is: the transition phase should take up about one-third of the fasting period. If you have fasted for five days, you usually need two transition days; for seven days of fasting, the transition period increases to two or three days.

During these days, solid foods and treats are gradually reintroduced. A typical transition day begins with a breakfast of yogurt, flaxseeds, and soaked prunes. Lunch consists of light vegetables, salads, a vegetable soufflé, or stuffed zucchini, with fish added later on. In the evening, the "Schlanke Tanne" vegetable plate is served with varying proteins, such as tofu, feta, or egg. More important than the exact menu is the guiding principle behind it: slow, light, and relaxed.

The doctors and the experienced fasting team at Tannerhof provide guests with a detailed daily plan on-site. During the initial consultation on the first day of fasting and throughout the process, the transition rhythm is discussed with the guest, as everyone handles the transition a little differently.

The guiding principle of the transition phase: the microbiome

Behind the meals served during the transition days lies a single, clear question: What is good for our microbiome? This refers to the community of microorganisms in the gut, which enters a unique state during fasting and now requires gentle nourishment. This guiding question is a more reliable guide through the transition days than any rigid list.

This leads to three key priorities:

• Easily digestible vegetables that won’t overwhelm the gut.
• Fermented foods that supply friendly bacteria to the microbiome.
• Plenty of dietary fiber to nourish the beneficial gut bacteria.

It is equally clear what does not belong on the plate during this phase. Nothing spicy, nothing garlicky, nothing onion-based, nothing containing peppers—anything that is irritating or heavy on the stomach must wait. The freshly awakened digestive system needs substance, not irritation. In this way, the return to eating becomes a transition in the truest sense: layer by layer, from light to more substantial.

Exercise, treatments, and medical supervision during the transition

During the transition days, the Tannerhof framework remains the same as during the fasting week, only now the body is slowly regaining more substance. Exercise is part of this, in moderate doses: moderate endurance training and moderate strength training, along with yoga, Feldenkrais, Tai Chi, resistance band training, and breathing therapy. A hike or a sauna session at a relaxed pace fits well into these days, as the body is still drawing some of its energy from within.

The range of accompanying treatments is intentionally broad because this transition is about more than just a meal plan. Medical treatments include bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure body composition, IHHT altitude training (depending on the program), and, where medically appropriate, ozone autohemotherapy. In addition, there are wraps and compresses such as the liver-supporting hay flower wrap, aroma wraps, as well as moor and warm packs, baths, and showers like the Kneipp alternating shower and magnesium-rich detox baths. Massages include the fasting massage, the detox massage with royal oil or the acidosis massage, lymphatic drainage, and foot reflexology. For the mental aspect, we offer psychotherapeutic coaching, nature coaching, business and communication coaching, and art therapy.

Medical supervision brings the journey full circle. At the end of the fasting week, there is a concluding consultation with the supervising physicians to review what has shifted, explore practical recommendations for everyday life, and outline how the transition into daily nutrition can look. The doctors at the Tannerhof are fasting specialists, and the refeeding phase is where this wealth of experience truly proves its worth. The surroundings and the medical care are equally vital: Bayrischzell, the alpine meadows, the mountain stream, the crisp, pure mountain air, and views of the Wendelstein provide a peaceful setting for the transition. My Hideaway in the Mountains offers precisely this haven.

Transitioning to everyday life: Schlanke Tanne and intermittent fasting

The fasting week ends with the last transition day, but its effects do not. To ensure that what began during fasting is maintained in everyday life, Tannerhof recommends a gentle follow-up. After the transition phase, at least one more week of a calm eating rhythm is beneficial, for example via the Schlanke Tanne Low Carb—our in-house low-carb diet—in its "Schlanke Tanne Drei" variant or as an intermittent fasting approach.

The Schlanke Tanne ("Lean Fir") plan is not a substitute for Buchinger fasting, but a way to carry the benefits of fasting into everyday life—with protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and a fresh approach to eating without compromising the joy of food. Where the focus shifts away from deprivation and toward savoring life and its flavors. Intermittent fasting, such as a 16:8 schedule, follows this same logic: rather than multi-day sustained Buchinger fasting, it is the recommended way to integrate its lasting benefits into daily routines.

The right follow-up nutrition for each individual is not determined by a rigid formula, but through a personal final consultation with our supervising physicians. For an overview of therapeutic fasting and the low-carb Schlanke Tanne plan, visit the hub Therapeutic Fasting and Schlanke Tanne. This gives a fasting week what truly makes it sustainable: a clear beginning, a mindful middle, and a nourishing transition back to daily life.