The Healing Power of Fasting
Let’s dive into a topic that I believe should be in everybody’s health toolbox, but with a word of caution because it’s often misused and abused: fasting. Let’s explore the world of fasting and understand its incredible healing benefits.
Autophagy: The Cellular Repair Mechanism
Fasting offers several healing benefits, and one of the most significant is something called autophagy. Autophagy is essentially cellular repair. It’s a bit misunderstood, and scientists are still working to grasp it fully because it can only be studied after someone has passed away. Autophagy is a continuous process in our bodies, responsible for breaking down old, damaged cells and replacing them with new ones. Fasting enhances this process, making it more efficient. While some graphs may show when autophagy increases during a fast, it’s essential to know that it’s always happening in our bodies, just becoming more efficient during fasting. At around 72 hours of fasting, it reaches its peak efficiency.
Improving Insulin Sensitivity and Metabolic Health
Fasting helps improve our insulin sensitivity, a huge factor for overall metabolic health. When we go without food, our body starts resetting its insulin sensitivity levels, by depleting glycogen stores. This reset is important for our metabolic health.
Digestive Rest and Cellular Repair
Fasting gives our digestive system a break. It allows the body to reset and repair damaged cells in the stomach, potentially addressing issues like indigestion and bloating. Fasting can also improve your mitochondria, which play a part in your digestive system.
Focusing on Healing, Not Just Weight Management
It’s important to note that while weight management is a benefit, it should not be the primary focus. Instead, we should prioritize using fasting as a tool for healing. Weight loss should be a byproduct of getting healthier, not the other way around.
Other Health Benefits of Fasting
Fasting reduces inflammation, improves brain health, and can help balance hormones. These benefits tie back to autophagy and show the importance of focusing on the health aspects and what is going on on the inside versus weight loss.
Different Types of Fasting
There are two main types of fasting: extended fasting, which lasts 72 hours or longer, and intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting includes variations like time-restricted eating, where you eat within a specific time window each day. Start with a minimum of 12 hours between your last meal and your first meal.
What to Consume During a Fast
For the purest fasting approach, stick to unflavored water, salt, black coffee, and plain tea (black, green, or white). Minimize or avoid flavored drinks or anything with added ingredients. Keep it as simple and plain as possible to maximize the benefits.
Preventing Misuse and Abuse of Fasting
It’s important to look at fasting as a tool for healing and not as a form of restriction or obsession. Overfasting, pushing yourself too hard, restricting food intake excessively, and seeing fasting as solely a weight loss strategy can be harmful. Remember, fasting should be part of a fast-feast cycle. You fast, and then you feast.
Building a Fasting Routine
If you’ve never fasted before, start with a 12-hour fasting window. Gradually increase the fasting hours every few days or weeks. Listen to your body and make adjustments as needed. Don’t forget to vary your fasting hours and avoid doing the same thing every day.
Incorporating fasting into your life is another tool in your toolbox for healing to reach better health. Remember, fasting isn’t about weight loss; it’s about letting your body repair and thrive. Give fasting a try and see the impact it can have on your health.