You have probably heard all the craze around intermittent fasting and there are many benefits linked with all types of fasting programs. Did you know there are different types of fasting? Commonly people think of fasting as not eating any food for a period of time but they can drink water or abstaining from both food and water. People fast for health reasons and religious reasons. Whatever your reason may be here is some simple info regarding fasting. It will be up to you to choose what is best for you and if you are like some people who think fasting is a little extreme or think “I could never do that,” I would like you to open up your mind to fasting from sugar, fried food, and anything unhealthy you eat. So, yes you can fast from all food or some foods. There is added health benefits to both.
What your body needs all depends on your bio-individuality, which is why when I work with clients I do not recommend the same type of fasting for each individual. Some of my clients thrive on eating meat and others have had great health benefits fasting from meat for 7-10 days. Some of my clients have benefited from a liquid juice fast and others benefited from only drinking water. Each person is different. Depending on your bodies needs will determine what type of fast you would be successful at. So, not all fasting regimens mean you don't get to eat.
Here are some common fasting methods:
1. The 14 hour fast for women and the 16 hour fast for men: This is where you would only eat your food during 8-10 hours of your day and only consume whole real foods. Fasting through the night makes this a bit easier and holding off eating 4-6 hours after waking up. You can drink water and have coffee but no artificial sweeteners. The key to this type of fasting is to get your body in the state of *ketosis longer. You can stay in this state even longer if when you do eat you abstain from carbohydrates and stick to seeds, nuts, and non-dairy grass fed meats. The max I would do this is 24 hours with no carbs but depending on your bodies needs some client benefit from staying in ketosis longer. Work with your health coach to determine what best fits your bodies needs. Your body needs carbohydrates! This state of ketosis helps your body's mitochondria rev up and eliminate the weak *mitochondria. So, your liver is releasing glucose and fats which helps your body create a “detoxing” state.
2. The 2x24 hr fast: This is where you would fast for 24 hours one or two days out of the week. Not back-to-back. This one can be very challenging depending on your daily activity level but this does give your digestive track a nice long rest and ramps up healthy mitochondria. You drink plenty of water during this time. This was started by Brad Pilon who calls this the “24 hr break from eating.”
3. The no sugar added fast: Some people have no idea that they are consuming high amounts of sugar everyday. They think since they are not eating a bunch of cake or ice cream they are doing well. I hate to break it to you but you are probably eating more sugar than you ever thought! This fast is great for 10 days or more (I suggest making it a lifestyle). Don’t eat added sugars and eat whole foods. You limit your natural sugar to only 2-3 servings a day or equal to 150-250 calories. No fruit juice and only whole foods, nothing processed. Studies have shown that eliminating added sugar for a minimum of 9 days has provided great improvement in blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels, hypertension, and much more. This is a program offered and encouraged through HappyWholeYou.com and beneficial to every type of person. Check out the Happy-Whole-You coaching programs!
4. Up and down days. This is where you eat more calories on one day and drastically reduce your calories on another day (semi-fasting day). Some suggest this is a great way to confuse your metabolism and keep your body burning more calories. A Lot of people also use meal replacement shakes on their down days to control calorie intake. I recommend the Vega brand line of shakes. They are offered on Amazon or sold at Target and local health food stores.
The value in all of these type of fasting programs is they get you thinking about what you are putting in your body. They also offer guidance and a regimen. People enjoy guidance! They also keep you from eating the heart clogging, cholesterol forming, and obesity ridden standard American diet.
You are all different but the benefits you may experience from any of these fasting programs are:
1. Decrease in inflammation
2. Less brain fog
3. Less cravings for sugar
4. A boost in your immune system
5. Whitening of eyes
6. Clearer complexion
7. Less hunger
8. Blood sugar stabilization
9. Saving money
10. Better sleep
11. Staying in longer states of ketosis also have been shown to help with incurable epilepsy & various types of diabetes
Are you interested in fasting or learning about what health program you would benefit from? Look into the HappyWholeYou.com coaching program or 4 week transform program, so you can start getting to know what your bio-individuality program looks like.
*Ketosis is a metabolic state in which some of the body's energy supply comes from ketone bodies in the blood, in contrast to a state of glycolysis in which blood glucose provides energy. Ketosis is a nutritional process characterised by serum concentrations of ketone bodies over 0.5 mM, with low and stable levels of insulin and blood glucose.[1][2] It is almost always generalized with hyperketonemia, that is, an elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood throughout the body. Ketone bodies are formed by ketogenesis when liver glycogen stores are depleted (or from metabolising medium-chain triglycerides[3]). The main ketone bodies used for energy are acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate,[4] and the levels of ketone bodies are regulated mainly by insulin and glucagon.[5] Most cells in the body can use both glucose and ketone bodies for fuel, and during ketosis, free fatty acids and glucose synthesis (gluconeogenesis) fuel the remainder.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis
*Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA)[3] is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate(ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is only a small portion of the DNA in a eukaryotic cell; most of the DNA can be found in the cell nucleus and, in plants and algae, also in plastids such as chloroplasts.In humans, the 16,569 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA encode for only 37 genes.[4] Human mitochondrial DNA was the first significant part of the human genome to be sequenced. In most species, including humans, mtDNA is inherited solely from the mother.[5]
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_DNA