What?
Definition– Fasting: abstinence from food or drink or both for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes.
Intermittent fasting means you restrict food for a certain amount of time every day. For example, an 8/16 protocol means you have an 8 hour eating window and 16 hour fasting window. Generally, you will get more benefits the shorter your eating window, considering you are getting sufficient macro and micronutrients.
Extended Fasting is a fast longer than 24 hours. These fasts can range anywhere from 24 hours to 382 days, no seriously, check this out.
Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. Your body enters this state in extended fasts and to a lesser degree in 12-16 hour fasts
Why?
Increased spiritual awareness– there is a reason fasting is a common practice in almost every religion. Not to mention Jesus and Buddha both fasted frequently, sometimes up to 40 days at a time. There is no science for this, but the anecdotal data is undeniable. You will feel more in tune with your body and spirit on long fasts. And even in the later hours of your intermittent fast.
Increased energy- If you stick to intermittent fasting your body will get more efficient at using fat for energy.
Increased mental resilience- You don’t realize how addicting food really is until you haven’t eaten for a couple of days. At this point your hypothalamus will try and seduce.
you with thoughts of your favorite item from every restaurant you drive by, it is truly a test of willpower. Intermittent fasting is a little easier but it definitely is going to take some discipline to get used to.
Weight loss- There are a couple reasons for this. It’s a lot harder to gain weight if you can only eat 8 hours in the day vs 16. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is definitely possible to gain weight within an 8-hour eating window, but you’d have to really put your mind to it. The scientific reason that fasting causes weight loss is that your body is literally using fat for fuel. Once the glucose from carbs and sugar is burned, your body starts to burn fat as an energy source and this causes weight loss
Healthier eating habits –Most Americans are slaves to their hunger. Right when they feel hungry it means time to eat, usually some starchy, sugary, bullshit too.
When you learn to sit with that hunger, you realize the habitual pattern of satiating yourself all your waking hours is an unconscious and unhealthy thing to do. When Intermittent fasting you will likely cherish your meals more and be more conscious of what you are putting in your body cause you gotta make every meal count, as it should.
Increased HGH– Studies show that fasting leads to a major increase in HGH levels. Interestingly, one recent study in 47 people found that HGH levels increased five-fold during a 24-hour fast. HGH (human growth factor), Put simply, increases lean body mass and decreases fat mass; this is good.
Increased Focus- Fasting can enhance focus due to increased norepinephrine levels, which boost alertness, and improved insulin sensitivity, leading to stable blood sugar levels and consistent brain energy. Additionally, fasting promotes the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), enhances autophagy, reduces inflammation, and increases ketone production, all contributing to better cognitive function and mental clarity .
Increased longevity “Among all anti-aging interventions, calorie-restricted diets and periods of fasting stand out as the most compelling and robust methods to prolong life and health span and to reduce the risk of diabetes, neurodegeneration, autoimmune disorders, spontaneous tumors and cardiovascular disease” (1)
Improved gut health– fasting cleanses our body of toxins and forces cells into processes that are not usually stimulated when a steady stream of fuel from food is always present. When we fast, the body does not have its usual access to glucose, forcing the cells to resort to other means and materials to produce energy. (13)
Why Not? These are only if fasting is taken to the extreme.*
Potential muscle loss- if you are lean, than during extended fasts of more than 48hours your body might start using muscle tissue for fuel. This will cause slight muscle loss, but will be very easy to regain.
Potential Malnutrition- you need to listen to your body, if you feel very unwell, stop fasting and try a lighter protocol.
How?
To fast, you just stop eating for a period of time. This can range anywhere from every day for 16 hours, to once a year for 7 days straight.
Optimal fasting will vary from person to person, depending on your weight and goals. For example, if you are 5’10”, 130lbs, and you are trying to bulk, extended fasting is definitely not going to help you gain, however an intermittent fasting window of 10/14, which is a 10-hour eating window, would allow you to get all your macros in and still obtain benefits from the 14 hour fast.
Tips
- When you are in ketosis, less insulin is released, causing the kidneys to excrete more sodium. As your body begins to lose sodium, this can also impact the balance of other key electrolytes in your body. In order to combat this want to have an electrolyte supplement in order to replenish your magnesium, potassium, and sodium. This is essential when extended fasting, and optional when intermittent fasting. I like the brand Fasting Salts because it has no additives or calories, just the good stuff.
- Stay Hydrated!!!
- End your eating window at least 2 hours before bed
Anecdotal
For me, what works best is an 8/16 daily intermittent fast from 12PM to 8PM And a biweekly 40-hour fast. I find that the hours in the morning before I eat are always my best hours, meaning I have the most energy, I’m happiest, and I’m super focused. During my extended fasts, these feelings get heightened the longer I go, and after I eat, that flow state gets dampened. You Gotta get those macros in somehow, and thankfully, food is amazing, so it’s a fair trade. Meditation and yoga are also much more enjoyable when fasted, as I feel more in tune with my spirituality.
Sources
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