Click here for the video version

Fasting...

The Fast Track to Health & Weight Loss

Fasting is more than a fad.

The yogis have fasted for thousands of years as do many religions worldwide. It’s known for its physical, mental, and spiritual benefits.

There are different forms of fasting from intermittent to longer bouts of rest from food.

Believe it or not, the longest fast recorded is 382 days!

I don’t promote this style of fasting, it's beyond my paygrade to educate about safety for longer fasts. This is usually a spiritual journey and would need to be guided by an expert.

I do think it’s important to note that Buddha found enlightenment after he gave up fasting; my opinion is that spiritual evolution doesn’t rely on abstinence. It relies on freedom. But that’s a talk for another day.

Today we’ll focus on the benefits of intermittent fasting. Usually, we aim for 16 hours of no food and 8 hours of eating. This is the most common structure used.

And here’s why…

In the first 3 hours of not eating, your blood sugar levels increase. Your body is utilising the nutrients from your food and your blood sugar increases.

At the 3-hour mark, your glucose will decline.

Insulin decreases between 4-6 hours. Insulin is the transporters of glucose from your blood to your cells where you can use it for energy production. As your glucose declines, your need for insulin declines too, and now your body can start to utilise fat stores for energy.

From 6 – 16 hours your body is using free fatty acids as an energy source.

From 8 hours you enter ketosis, the process where your body uses ketones to break down fat stores, it helps improve your insulin sensitivity and doesn’t impact your lean muscle mass.

From 12 hours without food your human growth hormones increases. This helps with cellular repair and metabolism. Human growth hormone helps to reduce the risk of illness.

You enter autophagy at 14 hours, this is a process where the cells remove part of themselves that aren’t working optimally.

Some of the research says you enter this phase at the 16-hour mark, but in my opinion,  if you’ve eaten a wholesome last meal, such as fish and veg, you can enter quicker as your body breaks down healthier foods easier.

On the contrary, a heavier meal like pizza would slow the body's ability to reach this state. Your body goes into autophagy while you sleep at night. Fasting improves the effects of it.

Some research shows that if you choose to do a longer fast, 24, 36 or 72 hour fast you’ll reach higher levels of autophagy. But it is maxed out at 72 hours.

Fasting will also promote more myelin regeneration, which is the insulation around nerves allowing them to carry electricity effectively.

Fasting has been one of the key tools in helping me get my hormones under control. As insulin is so closely linked to our sex hormones, fasting can drastically reduce our symptoms through perimenopause.

I've seen plenty of clients gain phenomenal results using fasting alongside other lifestyle changes. A couple of key points if you want to start fasting;

• Always make sure your last meal of the day is healthy, this is the fuel your body has to use for the night
• Reduce or eliminate sugars, your results will skyrocket. Especially if you're after weight loss
• Another hack is to have a smoothie, fresh veg juice, broth, or slow-cooked meal as your first meal of the day. Let your body ease back into digesting foods with foods partially broken down before entering your gut
• It's important that you use your fasting window wisely, journaling, meditation, yoga, pilates and walks in nature are all ideal for this time

I encourage you to give it a go, see how you feel after a week.

Melinda x

If you need further support with your health book consult here