TO FAST OR NOT TO FAST. THAT IS THE QUESTION.
Fasting has become a hot topic lately. Yet it's not something new. Fasting has been around since very early in the history of human kind.
While the types of fasts, who should fast and when should we fast might not be simple things to answer, the actual act of fasting is simple. It's not a complicated thing to do. It's just not eating.
Why fast? There are actually quite a few benefits to fasting.
Intermittent fasting is defined as not eating for a specific number of hours, typically overnight. Usually this is somewhere from 13-17 hours. So for example, you would stop eating at 7 pm and then start eating again after 8 am.
Time restricted eating is setting a specific window of time that you don't eat, usually between 12-16 hours. Then during the 8-12 hours, you eat as normal. This is a type of intermittent fasting- it's just the hours that you choose rather than strictly fasting overnight.
There are other more restrictive or focused types of fasting, however these are the ones that are the most common and easily done.
When is fasting not helpful?
One important thing to note is that what you eat when you are in your window of eating matters! You can't just eat chips and ice cream and then fast for 17 hours and expect it to benefit you. What you eat when you break the fast also matters. Choose foods that are high in good fat and protein to help your body be satiated and to keep blood sugar levels regulated.
When you think about how God designed our bodies, intermittent fasting makes sense. He designed us to sleep for eight to nine hours and not eat during that time. This allows our body to detox and our digestion to rest.
I find intermittent fasting most beneficial when you stop eating earlier in the evening rather than pushing the time you eat again to later in the morning. Starting with a shorter window of fasting and then gradually extending it is a good way to see if fasting is helpful for you.
If you are struggling with fatigued adrenals or a low thyroid, then I personally don't recommend fasting. Any types of extremes are hard on the thyroid and it's best to make sure your body is in nourished and healthy place so that you can reap the good benefits of fasting!
Tired of trying to navigate and sort through all the health info out there?
Stop guessing. Start healing. Start living.
If you want someone to come along side you, to test and stop guessing and find root causes for your health challenges, schedule a discovery call and find out if we are a good fit for each other!
While the types of fasts, who should fast and when should we fast might not be simple things to answer, the actual act of fasting is simple. It's not a complicated thing to do. It's just not eating.
Why fast? There are actually quite a few benefits to fasting.
- Helps with weight loss
- Might slow the aging process
- Supports detox
- Can help reset the gut microbiome
- Normalizes insulin levels
- Helps burn fat
- Can improve muscle mass
Intermittent fasting is defined as not eating for a specific number of hours, typically overnight. Usually this is somewhere from 13-17 hours. So for example, you would stop eating at 7 pm and then start eating again after 8 am.
Time restricted eating is setting a specific window of time that you don't eat, usually between 12-16 hours. Then during the 8-12 hours, you eat as normal. This is a type of intermittent fasting- it's just the hours that you choose rather than strictly fasting overnight.
There are other more restrictive or focused types of fasting, however these are the ones that are the most common and easily done.
When is fasting not helpful?
- If you struggle with an eating disorder
- If you are pregnant or nursing
- If you are struggling with a stressed thyroid or adrenals
One important thing to note is that what you eat when you are in your window of eating matters! You can't just eat chips and ice cream and then fast for 17 hours and expect it to benefit you. What you eat when you break the fast also matters. Choose foods that are high in good fat and protein to help your body be satiated and to keep blood sugar levels regulated.
When you think about how God designed our bodies, intermittent fasting makes sense. He designed us to sleep for eight to nine hours and not eat during that time. This allows our body to detox and our digestion to rest.
I find intermittent fasting most beneficial when you stop eating earlier in the evening rather than pushing the time you eat again to later in the morning. Starting with a shorter window of fasting and then gradually extending it is a good way to see if fasting is helpful for you.
If you are struggling with fatigued adrenals or a low thyroid, then I personally don't recommend fasting. Any types of extremes are hard on the thyroid and it's best to make sure your body is in nourished and healthy place so that you can reap the good benefits of fasting!
Tired of trying to navigate and sort through all the health info out there?
Stop guessing. Start healing. Start living.
If you want someone to come along side you, to test and stop guessing and find root causes for your health challenges, schedule a discovery call and find out if we are a good fit for each other!
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