The Benefits of Fasting

Is Fasting Healthy for You?

There has been a lot lately in the press about the term “Intermittent fasting.” I have read a lot of books and listened to many podcasts on this topic and thought I would share my view on this topic as it is very confusing.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

There are many different opinions and definitions of Intermittent fasting. It seems to vary from fasting for just a few hours a day to multiple days of fasting. Fasting essentially means not consuming any food over a certain period of time. This practice dates back thousands of years and many believe that fasting has a very positive impact on overall health.

How Does Fasting Help?

Think of fasting as a way to allow the body to rest, recover and repair. Eating and digesting food puts stress on our system and takes energy in order to digest and process the food we consume. Fasting essentially allows the body to rest and repair as it doesn’t have to expend energy digesting food.

What does Wilson do?

I notice when our dog Wilson is sick(or any animal for that matter), he doesn’t eat at all until he if feeling better. This is his natural and instinctive reaction to not feeling well. By not eating, it allows his body to recover and re generate as his energy is going towards allowing him to get better and not towards digesting food.

What Are The Benefits Of Fasting?

There are mixed views on fasting however the proponents of fasting outline some of the benefits of fasting as follows:

Increased Energy

Reduced Sugar Levels

Improved digestion

Feel “lighter”

Cell regeneration

Reduces Inflammation

Weight Loss

Valter Longo – The Fasting “Guru”

One of the most versed individuals I have encountered on the topic of fasting is Valter Longo. I recently read his book – The Longevity Diet which was an amazing read. Valter is a huge supporter of fasting and in particular, Intermittent Fasting. He has a concept called the Intermittent Fasting Approach that essentially allows one to consume some foods and liquids over a 5 day period however it “mimics” a full out fast and therefore has all the benefits of a multi day Fast.

As I outline with everything in my blog, I suggest before you try any fasting whatsoever that you consult with you own Medical professional or medical team.

My Fasting Approach

As regular readers of my blog know, I like to take “Baby Steps”. If you missed my blog on Baby steps, you can access it here:http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/baby-steps-the-k…ming-your-health/

To follow along with my Baby Step philosophy, I have simply been trying to adopt a 12-14 hour fast into my daily routine.

Here is how it works in practice:

I typically try to have my last meal at dinner which is typically around 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. I then do not eat anything until I have my morning shake(http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/the-morning-shakenew-recipe/ ‎ the next morning. Some days I wake up and have my shake first thing prior to a hard workout around 6:00 am which means I would have a 12 hour fast. On easier workout days, I just have my morning lemon water, have my workout and shower in which case I wouldn’t have my shake until later which translates into a 12-14 hour fast.

I find this the easiest way to engage in an intermittent fast that essentially gives your digestive system a break for 50% or half of your day(12 hours).

My 16 Hour Fast

Since the Worlds, I have been doing a 16 hour fast about once per week. Quite simply, I eat dinner and then do not eat again until lunch the next day. For example, when I eat dinner at 8:00 p.m., I don’t eat again until lunch the next day. This translates into a 16-18 hour fast. What is interesting is that I thought I would be very hungry without having my “Morning Shake,” however I have found that I do not feel hungry at all. I make sure that when I do this, I drink lots of filtered water which I believe also “cleanses” my system.

Do I notice a benefit?

Although I believe I am doing good for my body by fasting, I am not sure I will continue this practice as I really don’t notice any difference in my energy levels or how I feel after fasting for a 16 hour period. I am trying it now in my more relaxed training season however at this point I don’t think I will continue this practice when I hit my heavy training season.

What should I do?

At this point, although it seems to make sense that I fast, I don’t personally see the benefits of fasting over long periods of time. I am however a supporter of the evening/night 12 hour fast as that makes total sense to me in terms of giving the body a rest and is very easy to adopt.

I would welcome any comments from readers on what your experiences have been with fasting?

Wishing you and your family a great, healthy day,

Kev