“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”
Matthew 6:17-18
The more we learn about the incredible benefits of fasting, it is probably of little surprise that God commands His followers to fast, and to fast regularly.
The benefits of fasting go far beyond the many wonderful spiritual benefits we regularly think of and also include a powerful, unmatched potential to heal your body. In fact, there are countless records of history’s greatest doctors and religious minds agreeing that fasting to cure disease was not only an effective medical treatment but was often seen as a spiritual practice in itself.
I believe fasting in some form or fashion is an integral part of any long-term weight loss plan or healthy lifestyle.
“Your body was born with an innate intelligence. It wants to heal and fasting allows it to do exactly that.. tap into its own self-healing powers.”
Dr. Mindy Pelz
The Science Behind Fasting
Modern science also confirms that we were designed for periods of fasting. The New England Journal of Medicine, Cell Metabolism, and Nature and The British Medical Journal, along with numerous other publications, have published consistent studies about the efficiency of fasting and how it can help with every aspect of metabolic health, such as aiding in weight loss, lowering high blood pressure, improving insulin resistance, lowering bad cholesterol, and reducing total inflammation in the body. It also repairs our gut microbiome, improves neurodegenerative diseases (like dementia and Alzheimers), strengthens the immune system, and increases neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. Additionally, it even generates DNA repair, heals the nervous system, repairs the hypothalamus and helps to regulate our hunger hormones, therefore also helping to combat obesity and overeating.
These benefits are due to a few of your body’s innate biological mechanisms that allow it to heal its own cells when in a fasted state. After anywhere from approximately 8-17 hours without food (depending on the individual) your body enters into fat-burning mode. This allows us to enter into two deep healing states known as autophagy and apoptosis. Autophagy and apoptosis are two processes where the body will both identify cells that are severely damaged (like cancerous or precancerous cells) and kill them off, as well as identify cells that are damaged, but can be saved, and repair them back to proper health. And it does all of this without us even thinking about it.. Talk about God’s amazing design!
At the same time, as you fast your body will also begin to break down excess fat cells in order to utilize the glucose stored inside for energy. Since fat cells act as storage units for excess amounts of toxins and heavy metals, when we break down those fat cells during a fasted state, we also start to detox the toxins and heavy metals inside.
While our kidneys and liver are designed to be powerful filters, when we regularly ingest too many calories and too many toxins in the form of processed foods or foods containing pesticides or environmental pollutants, these systems are unable to keep up with the filtering demand.
Thus, our body stores these toxins until a time when it can allocate the energy to filter them out. When in a fasted state, your body does not need to put forth the usual energy required to digest freshly eaten calories, and therefore it is able to redirect that energy to breaking down fat cells and filtering out the toxins – some that may have been there for over 10 years!
The Difference for Men and Women when it comes to fasting…
It’s important to keep in mind that there are quite a few differences in men and women’s hormone cycles, leading them to respond very differently to periods of extended fasting (24+ hours) depending on the time of the month or season of life.
One specific time to be aware of is in the third and final phase of the woman’s menstrual cycle, the luteal phase. When women fast for extended periods of time during the luteal phase, it can often place too much stress on the body and result in an overproduction of cortisol.
This is because the luteal phase is already typically the most strenuous part of the menstrual cycle, as the female body is focused on producing progesterone, which typically requires some supply of carbohydrates and a generous amount of fat-soluble vitamins. Too much fasting during this time can sometimes cause side effects such as hair loss, anxiety, depression, missed menstrual cycles and thyroid problems. The same may apply during pregnancy, postpartum and while breastfeeding.
This doesn’t mean women can’t tap into the amazing benefits of fasting at all during these time periods, but it’s important to be aware of the possibility of too much fasting at the wrong time and the consequences it can have. You generally want to keep fasts under 18 hours during the luteal phase, and likely cut it down even significantly more during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
There are, however, times when it is equally as beneficial for women to fast for extended periods of time, like during the first and second phase of the menstrual cycle. During this time, cortisol production tends to be lower, estrogen production higher, and all of the woman’s hormones are more balanced.
Deciding When and How Long to Fast…
In today’s world, we have to make a very intentional effort to fast when food is available at nearly every turn and most people never miss a single meal unless they are intentionally meaning to do so. In order to best decide when to fast and for how long, let’s look at a general timeline of what happens as you extend fasts for longer and longer…
Fat Burning & Cellular Repair
- After 8-17 hours of fasting autophagy and apoptosis (cell repair) begins.
Gut Healing
- After 24 hours the gut microbiome is being reset and repaired.
Deep Fat Burning
- After 36 hours your body has entered into a deeper fat burning state targeting often hard to reach fat deposits around your internal organs.
Dopamine Resetting
- After 48 hours dopamine receptors in the brain are being reset and healed (helping fight addiction, anxiety and depression).
Immune System Repair
- After 72 hours your body is working on repairing immune system damage and strengthening your immune system for the future.
For both general health and an intentional weight loss goal, a common goal is aiming for Fat Burning and Cellular Repair (8-17 hours) a few times a week. This is typically referred to as “intermittent fasting” which looks like ending your eating window at a certain time in the late afternoon or evening one day and waiting to break your fast until later in the following morning. An example may be fasting from 6pm one day to 9am the next day (15 hours) or fasting from 9pm one day to 1pm the next day (16 hours). You can vary it across the week depending on what works best for your body and schedule. An additional step would be implementing anywhere from 1-2 longer fasts throughout the month. This may be two 24 hour fasts, one to two 36 hour fasts, or one 72 hour fast a month. This is to provide plenty of variety to keep your metabolism flexible, as well as help with fat loss and general body healing (in addition to all of the spiritual benefits to be obtained, as well!)
Nutrition Before, During and After a Fast…
There is more to fasting than just simply not eating! In fact, it will be all the more important to make sure you are eating well before and after to help your body get the most out of each fast. Here are a few things to consider…
Before a Fast
- It’s crucial that you pair your fasting with high quality food choices – protein, vegetables, fruits etc. The more nutrient dense and easily digestible the foods you eat prior to fasting are, the more energy your body will be able to utilize for fat burning and cellular repair during the fast.
During a Fast
- While you will not be eating during a fast, it is still imperative that you drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. This will aid your body in detoxing the toxins, heavy metals and excess fat. If you are too dehydrated while fasting, you can cause your body to retain water and struggle to filter out the particles that contribute to inflammation. I also recommend using a sugar-free electrolyte supplement to keep the minerals in your body high. (Side note: One way to tell if you are dehydrated during a fast is if you see your weight go up on the scale. If you haven’t eaten, and yet the scale is higher, it’s a good indicator your body is retaining water due to suboptimal intake!)
After a Fast
- When you break your fast, you’ll want to replenish your body with plenty of protein and nutrients. Having a high protein meal will help refeed your lean muscle tissue and ensure you don’t lose muscle mass or tone. It will also help you stay energized and recover quickly. You can continue supplementing the electrolytes and of course, continuing to eat plenty of nutrient dense, whole foods. This is especially important after breaking an extended fast!
Modest Fitness 