What Is Fasting?
Definition of Fasting: To abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink.
Fasting has been a part of our evolution either intentional like in cultures and religion, or from the natural feast or famine roller coaster that our ancestors endured. Whatever the causes of our fasting our bodies have adapted to the times when food was scarce. The body takes this time of no food to better prepare us to procure more food.
Believe it or not you fast everyday.
Most people only fast from the time they go to sleep till they wake up, but then there is the deliberate and controlled fasting for a period of time.
The word breakfast is literally to break a fast. So, the first time you eat after going a period of fasting is technically breakfast.
To get the benefits from fasting you will have to go longer than just the time you are asleep. And the benefits that you will receive are dependent on many things: how long you fast, what your diet consists of before starting your fast, and what you do during your fast.
What are the Benefits of Fasting?
Weight Loss and Fat Loss:
- Caloric Restriction: Fasting reduces overall calorie intake, leading to weight loss.
- Increased Fat Burning: Fasting shifts the body’s energy source from glucose to fat, promoting fat loss.
- Reduction in Visceral Fat: Fasting helps reduce visceral fat, the harmful fat stored around organs.
Metabolic Health
- Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Fasting enhances insulin sensitivity, helping to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Lower Blood Sugar Levels: Fasting can reduce fasting blood sugar and improve glycemic control.
- Reduced Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Fasting can lower risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
Heart Health
- Improved Cholesterol Levels: Fasting can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.
- Lower Blood Pressure: Fasting can help reduce blood pressure, lowering the risk of hypertension.
- Reduced Inflammation: Fasting can decrease markers of inflammation, which is beneficial for heart health.
- Enhanced Brain Function
- Increased Neuroplasticity: Fasting stimulates the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports brain health, learning, and memory.
Neuroprotection:
- Fasting may protect against neurodegenerative diseases by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain.
- Improved Mental Clarity and Focus: Many people report increased mental clarity and cognitive function during fasting periods.
Cellular Repair and Longevity
- Autophagy Activation: Fasting triggers autophagy, a process where cells break down and recycle damaged components, promoting cellular repair and maintenance.
- DNA Repair: Fasting can enhance DNA repair mechanisms, reducing the accumulation of genetic damage.
- Longevity Pathways: Fasting activates longevity pathways, including increased production of NAD+ and activation of sirtuins and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which are associated with improved lifespan and health span.
Improved Immune Function
- Immune System Regeneration: Fasting can promote the regeneration of immune cells, enhancing the body’s ability to fight infections.
- Reduced Autoimmunity: Fasting may help regulate immune function and reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases.
Hormonal Balance
- Increased Human Growth Hormone (HGH): Fasting boosts the secretion of HGH, which supports muscle growth, fat metabolism, and overall physical performance.
- Improved Testosterone Levels: Some studies suggest that fasting can help maintain or increase testosterone levels in men.
Digestive Health
- Rest for the Digestive System: Fasting gives the digestive system a break, which can promote gut health and improve symptoms of digestive disorders.
- Improved Gut Microbiota: Fasting may positively influence the composition of gut bacteria, contributing to better overall health.
Muscle Preservation
- Protein Sparing: Fasting, especially intermittent fasting, can help preserve muscle mass by promoting fat metabolism and maintaining higher levels of HGH.
Reduced Oxidative Stress
- Antioxidant Defense: Fasting can enhance the body’s antioxidant defense mechanisms, reducing oxidative damage to cells and tissues.
Improved Physical Performance
- Increased Endurance: Fasting can improve endurance and stamina by enhancing fat metabolism and optimizing energy utilization.
- Enhanced Recovery: Fasting may promote faster recovery from exercise and physical exertion by reducing inflammation and supporting cellular repair.
Skin Health
- Anti-Aging Effects: Fasting promotes cellular repair and regeneration, which can improve skin health and reduce signs of aging.
- Reduced Acne: By stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation, fasting may help improve acne.
Promotion of Apoptosis
- Programmed Cell Death: Fasting can induce apoptosis in damaged or dysfunctional cells, helping to eliminate potentially harmful cells and reducing the risk of diseases like cancer.
- Selective Cell Clearance: Apoptosis ensures that only damaged or malfunctioning cells are targeted for removal, promoting overall cellular health.
Stem Cell Activation and Release
- Regeneration and Repair: Fasting can stimulate the activation and proliferation of stem cells, particularly in the gut and immune system, promoting tissue regeneration and repair.
- Enhanced Healing: The release of stem cells during fasting contributes to improved healing and recovery from injuries and illness.
As you can see there are many benefits of fasting.
These benefits can be absolutely mind blowing. Issues that you have had for years will start to disappear and you will start feeling much better. You will be able to start controlling health issues that you thought were only helped by medication. These medications do not focus on the causes of your health issues, they only hide the symptoms.
Some of these benefits only come with longer term fasting, but with practice you will become able to fast for longer periods.
Types of Fasting.
Intermittent Fasting: This involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. Common methods include:
- 16/8 Method: Fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8 hour window.
- 5:2 Diet: Eating normally for 5 days of the week and consuming a very low-calorie diet on the remaining 2 days.
- Eat-Stop-Eat: Fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week.
- Alternate-Day Fasting: Alternating between days of normal eating and days of fasting or very low calorie intake.
- Extended Fasting: Fasting for more than 24 hours, typically ranging from 48 hours to several days.
- Time-Restricted Eating: Limiting food intake to a specific time window each day, usually ranging from 4 to 12 hours.
A Few Things You Need to Know Before You Start Fasting.
First of all, if you have been eating a horrible diet of cokes, fast food, and processed junk foods it will be very hard to start fasting. As you have continuously been eating foods that are high in simple carbohydrates. This causes your blood sugar to rise and fall throughout the day. And every time your blood sugar levels go down your body releases the hunger hormone Ghrelin to stimulate your appetite. This release of the hunger hormone will make you very hungry and the longer you go without eating the worse it will get till your body realizes that no food is coming. There will be wide swings in your blood sugar and can cause many issues. This is the hardest diet to transition to fasting from.
If you have been eating a diet low in simple carbohydrates, but you have still been eating complex carbs, you will have an easier time with fasting. But the hunger hormone will still be released. It will not be as severe as when consuming the diet of simple carbs, but it will still be difficult.
If you have already transitioned to a Low Carb or Carnivore diet, you will already have already gotten the battle of fasting half fought. And you have probably noticed many of the benefits of fasting. Eating like this makes transitioning to fasting much easier, as the body does not release the hunger hormone anymore. Your body is already in the fat burning mode and when you start fasting your body just goes from burning the fat that you consume to the fat in your body for fuel. This transition to fat burning mode will make a transition to fasting much much easier.
A Few Precautions if You are ON Medications.
If you are taking medications, you should consult with your doctor before starting on a fasting regimen. Some medications can have some serious side effects that could be life threatening.
How to start Fasting.
Depending on the diet you are currently on, determines how difficult it will be to start fasting. The easiest way to start is first to lower the amount of carbs that you are consuming. This will give your body time to adjust to the lower glucose levels.
Probably the easiest fasting regime to start is time restricted eating. Limiting what you eat down to a window of 4 to 12 hours. It is a start.
The easiest way to start this time restricted fasting is to start in the morning when you wake up since you have already been fasting while you were sleeping. You just have to wait to eat anything. But this means that you cannot have any sweetened drinks like coke, sugary coffee, or sweetened tea. Instead drink plain water, coffee, or tea.
Then when you do decide to break your fast eat something that is high in protein and fat. This will signal to your body that you will be eating low carb. Do Not make your first meal or drink carbs. Like toast and jelly, any sweetened drink, or anything that contains carbs, as this will tell your body that you are burning carbs today. This will make you hungry all day long. And you will be on the glucose roller coaster.
As you become better at restricting the carbs that you eat, you will be able to go longer without them. Shrinking the time frame when you are eating and increasing the time that you are fasting.
As you and your body get used to this new way of eating it will become easier to fast, and you will be on your way to a healthier body.