Preparing for therapeutic fasting: the week before arrival

The essentials at a glance

• Good preparation makes starting your fast gentler; it is a recommendation from the Tannerhof, not a requirement. You decide for yourself how many relief days to take.
• A relief day is a light, carbohydrate-focused day at home—such as a fruit, potato, vegetable, or raw food day—accompanied by plenty of calorie-free fluids.
• In the days before your arrival, gradually cut back on coffee, sugar, alcohol, and nicotine to make the transition during your fasting week easier.
• The mental and organizational side counts, too: clear your calendar, manage your expectations, and give yourself space to arrive.
• The length of your stay is booked before arrival; your initial medical consultation takes place on the first day of fasting. If you have questions beforehand, a telephone consultation with a doctor is available upon request.

Why preparation makes all the difference

A fasting week doesn't just start with the first cup of fasting tea. It begins at home, in the days before, as your daily routine slowly quietens down and your body starts to shift gears. If you jump into a fast straight out of a hectic week, you will feel the transition much more intensely. If you treat yourself to a few quiet days, you will glide into it much more smoothly.

At Naturhotel Tannerhof, this preparation is a recommendation, not an obligation. Buchinger therapeutic fasting is the conscious, temporary abstention from solid food and stimulants, and the better prepared this transition is, the less abrupt the start feels. You will find the medically supervised setting for this in our Body Detox program, and more about the method itself on our page about Buchinger Therapeutic Fasting.

From a professional standpoint, preparation is not just an optional extra. In the guidelines for fasting therapy, which can be viewed via the Ärztegesellschaft Heilfasten und Ernährung (Medical Association for Fasting and Nutrition), the relief day is an integral part of the classic fasting week. It is described as a cycle consisting of a relief day, several fasting days, and refeeding days. Preparation is therefore not a nice-to-have, but a recognized element of the method.

The relief day: eating light before you begin

A relief day is a consciously light day on which your digestion begins to shift into low gear. Instead of heavy, rich meals, the menu features something mild and easily digestible—carbohydrate-focused, low in fat and protein, and accompanied by plenty of water and herbal tea. This gives your body an initial signal that a period of relief is about to begin.

Several variations have proven effective in fasting practice, and none is better than the others. Which one suits you depends on your taste and tolerance. A reputable approach suggests a relief day of around 600 calories, consisting mainly of carbohydrates, along with at least two liters of calorie-free fluids.

Some people choose to do a single relief day, others prefer two or three. Both are perfectly fine. We recommend keeping at least the day or two before your arrival free so that the transition doesn't get lost between appointments. You decide how many days you ultimately want to do. It is ideal if the days leading up to your arrival are already quieter.

Gently reducing stimulants

In addition to lighter meals, a second, quieter step is worthwhile: gradually reducing stimulants a few days before your arrival. Coffee, sugar, alcohol, and nicotine are among the things whose sudden absence makes the first days of fasting more noticeable. By gently cutting back at home, you take some of the intensity out of the transition.

With caffeine, a gradual reduction is more pleasant than going cold turkey: one cup less per day, perhaps having your last one earlier in the day. This helps keep the familiar caffeine-withdrawal headaches of the first fasting days milder. The same applies to sugar and heavily sweetened items, which should be phased out in the days prior, as well as alcohol, which is best avoided entirely during the preparation phase. Reputable fasting sources recommend abstaining from coffee, alcohol, sweets, and nicotine on the relief day itself.

The beauty of this is that this small reduction is not a void of deprivation. It is the first part of the relief that defines fasting. Food and stimulants take a step back, and with them, often a bit of inner noise as well. Many describe that even the preparation days feel different from a typical start to the week.

The mental side: arriving before you arrive

Fasting is more than just a diet. It is a turning point, an abundance of time with yourself and for yourself, and that is exactly what you can prepare for mentally. Professional sources speak of the inner attunement that precedes external preparation. This doesn't mean anything complicated: just a little clarity about why you are fasting, what you hope to gain from the week, and what you can safely leave behind.

It helps to clear your schedule before departing and to wrap up final commitments so they don't travel with you to your hideaway. My hideaway in the mountains means just that: a place where everyday demands remain outside for a while. If you arrive without unfinished tasks lingering in your mind, you truly arrive much sooner.

It is perfectly fine to let go of high expectations. Fasting is an individual experience; some sleep more easily, while others need patience during the adjustment days. Allowing yourself this openness before you even arrive takes the pressure off and makes the beginning smoother.

What is organized before arrival

A few organizational matters are handled before arrival, which provides additional relief. The length of your stay is booked in advance, either online or via our reservations team. This sets the timeframe for your fast before you even reach the Leitzachtal. Determining the right duration for you is part of our guidance: we recommend at least five days of fasting; for first-timers, a week including the transition period is a great length.

The initial medical consultation takes place on the first day of fasting, after your arrival. It is holistic in nature, including a medical history, a physical examination with bioimpedance analysis, and a medication review. Furthermore, we discuss why you are fasting, what goals you have at the Tannerhof beyond fasting, and what previous fasting experience you bring with you. From this consultation onwards, the duration and schedule can be adjusted together with the medical team, for example by extending your stay.

If you have any unanswered questions before your arrival, such as regarding chronic illnesses or current medication, a preliminary medical consultation by phone is available upon request. This allows us to clarify what works best for you in advance. Therapeutic fasting is not suitable for those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffering from anorexia; otherwise, your own will and readiness to fast are the deciding factors.

Arrival day as a gentle transition

On the day of arrival itself, preparation seamlessly transitions into the fasting week. Tannerhof considers this a relief day: a light vegetable plate is served for dinner, allowing the day to wind down gently. This bridges the gap between the relief days at home and the first day of fasting without any abrupt change.

"Arriving" can be taken literally here. Bayrischzell, the alpine meadow, the mountain stream, and the view of the Wendelstein provide a tranquil setting for your fast to begin. If needed, the Tannerhof taxi will bring you up from the Bayrischzell train station, making your arrival stress-free. Those who wish can use the first evening to truly settle in before the initial consultation and the actual start of the fast take place the following day.

From the first day of fasting, a familiar rhythm carries you through the week: herbal tea in the morning, a mild vegetable soup at noon, and a freshly pressed fruit or vegetable juice in the evening, accompanied by plenty of fluids throughout the day. The fast is supported by a deliberately broad spectrum of treatments, ranging from Kneipp contrast showers, hay flower wraps, and aroma wraps to fasting massages, detox massages with royal oil, or acidosis massages, as well as breathing therapy, bioimpedance analysis, and, depending on the program, IHHT altitude training. Physical activity remains moderate, with gentle endurance training, light strength training, yoga, or hikes at a pace suited to fasting.

Thinking ahead after fasting

Those who prepare well often think about the time afterward even before they arrive. This is wise, as a fasting week only unfolds its full effect with a calm reintroduction phase and a daily routine that carries the experience forward. For about a third of the duration of the fast, the reintroduction phase follows, focusing on easily digestible vegetables, fermented foods, and mindful chewing.

In the final medical consultation, we evaluate the changes that have occurred and discuss which diet is suitable for your everyday life. Often, the "Schlanke Tanne Low Carb" program—our in-house low-carb diet—is a great way to integrate the fasting experience into your daily routine. Intermittent fasting can also serve as a bridge, not as a substitute for Buchinger, but as a way to maintain the benefits of compact fasting in everyday life. In this way, the fasting week gains a beginning, a middle, and a transition, effectively starting a week earlier at home.

Preparing for and discovering therapeutic fasting at Tannerhof

Naturhotel Tannerhof has been offering medically supervised Buchinger therapeutic fasting for over 70 years, nestled in Bayrischzell amid alpine meadows, mountain streams, and views of Mount Wendelstein. To explore the retreat details or make a booking, visit the Body Detox program page; for an overview of the method and dietary approach, visit Therapeutic Fasting and Schlanke Tanne; and to learn more about the methodology in detail, see Buchinger Therapeutic Fasting.