Fasting has many proven health benefits. It has been shown to help optimise health and slow ageing symptoms. Fasting helps us switch into a fat burning mode and can help remove belly fat. It can help improve our insulin sensitivity, reduce insulin levels, improve our blood sugar and improve our blood pressure. It has been shown to improve brain function and protect memory and learning. It can improve our health on a cellular level, reduce inflammation, increase energy, help with heart health and can decrease hunger.
In simple terms, fasting is going with out food for a certain amount of time. There are many types of fasting with different timing, making it much more doable for more people. The basic fast if overnight, when you don’t eat between dinner and breakfast, generally around 12-14 hours long.
There are many types of intermittent fasting, the most common being about 16:8, where you don’t eat from dinner for 16 hours, then you eat in an 8 hour window. Many people report feeling great doing this most days.
The important thing about fasting is that during the window of eating, to ensure you are eating really well. Lots of wholefoods, healthy fats, eating a range of colours of the rainbow and good quality protein. You need to be refuelling the body.
Some studies have shown that changing times that you fast helps prevent the thyroid function slowing down and supports good hormone balancing. For example, you could choose to fast Monday dinner, then Wednesday lunch, then Friday breakfast. If you are female, when you have your period, it is suggested that you only fast for 5 hours in between main meals, then not eating from 8pm to breakfast. This is similar to what we do in the Kickstart program that I have available. You can click here to find Kickstart. Remember to listen to your body and notice how it is feeling.
It is important to note that fasting is not suitable for everyone. It is a recommendation that you avoid fasting if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you have low blood pressure, if you are unwell, if you have gallbladder problems, if you are highly stressed or if you have some thyroid problems. Before you start fasting, please speak to your Naturopath or health practitioner about what is best for you.