A fasting week day by day: the schedule at Tannerhof

The essentials at a glance

• The fasting week begins before your arrival with relief days at home and does not end with the final day of fasting, but rather with the recovery phase as you return to solid foods and stimulants.
• The length of your stay is booked before arrival; the initial medical consultation takes place on the first day of fasting to tailor the specific process to your needs.
• The initial transition days are the most demanding; after that, a calm, steady rhythm usually sets in.
• Breaking the fast is still part of the fasting period and begins at Tannerhof with an apple — raw or stewed, and chewed very mindfully.
• For first-time fasters, a good week is a great duration: about seven fasting days plus two to three recovery days.

The fasting week at a glance

A fasting week is not a single act of deprivation, but a journey with a beginning, a middle, and a transition. Therapeutic fasting according to Buchinger is the conscious, time-limited abstinence from solid foods and stimulants — it is not a zero-calorie diet or a primary weight-loss method, but a therapeutic approach, a cleansing on many levels, and an encounter with oneself. At the Naturhotel Tannerhof, fasting is part of the hotel's DNA, introduced by Johannes von Mengershausen and medically supervised for three generations of doctors.

If you would like to see the specific schedule for a fasting week, you will find it in the Body Detox program; the method itself is described on the Buchinger therapeutic fasting page.

Before arrival: the relief days

A fasting week doesn't just start with the first cup of fasting tea; it begins at home. The doctors at Tannerhof recommend one or more relief days before you arrive. Proven options include: a fruit day, a potato day, a vegetable day, or a raw food day.

On the day of arrival itself, a light vegetable plate is served in the evening. The length of your stay is already booked by this point; the specific daily schedule within that timeframe is created the next day together with the medical team.

The first day of fasting: initial consultation and start of the fast

Everything begins with an initial consultation—and only then, if appropriate, does the actual fast begin. This consultation is holistic: it includes a medical history, a physical examination including bioimpedance analysis, and a medication review—plus the questions that truly define the fast: why you want to fast, what your goals are at Tannerhof, and what fasting experience you bring with you.

Only after this does the fast begin, typically with Glauber's salt—a mild salt that clears the digestive tract at the start. This is optional; the approach is determined individually during the initial consultation.

The transition days: the body shifts gears

The first two to three days of fasting are the most challenging. You may experience weakness, shakiness, nausea, or headaches. These are a natural part of the process, and our medical team will support you through this phase. The metabolic switch—from glucose to fatty acids and ketone bodies—typically occurs after about 24 to 72 hours (de Cabo and Mattson, NEJM, 2019).

The fasting days: a rhythm of their own

Throughout the day, fasting guests consume about three liters of fluids: fasting tea, water, and lemon or ginger water.

• Morning: an herbal tea.
• Lunch: a mild vegetable broth in the fasting dining room.
• Evening: a freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juice, served with your choice of buttermilk or Sojade.

If needed, protein supplements and a base-forming preparation can be added; a spoonful of honey or an espresso can help bridge a low point. Those who fast need a different tempo than those who enjoy life at a faster pace.

We recommend a fast of five days or more; the longer you fast, the deeper the effects. The PLOS One study by Wilhelmi de Toledo and colleagues (2019) documented an increase in well-being with a very high safety profile among 1,422 people fasting for four to twenty-one days.

Exercise and treatments during the fasting days

Physical activity remains an integral part of fasting, just at a different pace. We recommend moderate basic endurance training and light strength training, alongside yoga, Feldenkrais, tai chi, resistance band exercises, or a hike. Mountain hikes and running are also possible, just at a slower pace—the body is nourishing itself from within.

Accompanying treatments: follow-up medical consultations, IHHT altitude training depending on the program, Kneipp contrast showers, hay flower wraps and aroma wraps, mud and warm packs, magnesium-rich detox baths, fasting massage, detox massage with royal oil or acidosis massage, lymphatic drainage, foot reflexology, breathing therapy, and sauna sessions. For the mental side: psychotherapeutic coaching, nature coaching, and art therapy.

Breaking the fast: the sacred apple

Breaking the fast is still considered part of the fasting period. It begins at midday with a small cup of fasting broth. This is followed by the sacred apple, raw or stewed, with each bite chewed thirty to forty times. This mindful chewing gently readies the digestive system for the work it hasn't had to do for days.

On the evening of breaking the fast, there is vegetable soup—this time with pieces of vegetables. This is how the body takes its first step back toward solid food.

The transition days: back to everyday life

The transition period lasts for about one-third of the duration of the fast. The focus is on what is good for the microbiome: easily digestible vegetables, fermented foods, and fiber.

• Breakfast: yogurt with flaxseeds and soaked prunes.
• Lunch: light vegetables, salads, a vegetable soufflé, or stuffed zucchini, with fish introduced later on.
• Dinner: the light vegetable plate from "Schlanke Tanne", served with a rotating source of protein.

The process concludes with a final medical consultation. If a long-term dietary change is desired, the "Slim Fir" low-carb program can follow.

Discover therapeutic fasting at Tannerhof

Learn more in the Body Detox program and on the page dedicated to the Buchinger therapeutic fasting method.