It is often said that the more challenging an endeavor, the higher the reward at the end of the journey.
Such is true with fasting.
Fasting is one of the hardest things to do, as it pushes us against our deep internal programming where the primary goal is to survive and thrive. As we go without food, our bodies produce the hormone Ghrelin which is what gives you that feeling of being so hungry.
In fact, I’m feeling it right now..
This is very helpful because in prehistoric times we didn’t know where our next meal was coming from, so Ghrelin kept us motivated to keep hunting and therefore – stay alive.
But in the modern era, most of us have a pantry full of food or a restaurant around the corner. And yes, this is a good thing – but it means we rarely go more than 4 hours during the day without eating. This means we never get to experience the amazing things our body can do when it’s not using so much energy to digest food.
That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
I am going to share 7 benefits of fasting that will hopefully motivate you to add this practice to your life each week. Because if you do, your life will change forever.
Table of Contents
How to Fast
Before we jump into the benefits of fasting, let’s talk about how to fast in the first place. Most people don’t know this, but you don’t even have to go a full day without food to officially fast. Here are the 4 most popular ways to fast.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is where you only eat during a 4-8 hour window each day. Basically, you eat once or twice a day and fast the remainder of the day. Most people who intermittently fast skip breakfast and have their first meal at lunch. But the hardcore intermittent fasters only eat dinner. This is more than enough time to trigger the amazing benefits of fasting we’ll list below.
Extended Fast / Water Fast
An extended fast or water fast is where you don’t eat anything or consume any liquid calories for 1 full day or more. Doing a 24 hour fast is very powerful, but more experienced fasters go up to 1 week without food!
Juice or Bone Broth Fasts
Juice or Bone Broth fast are examples of liquid fasting. You still are consuming calories, but only in liquid form (like a green juice) – so the body is not needing to use as much energy for digestion. This is not as effective as a water fast, but is a nice middle ground for anyone looking to get started.
The Benefits of Fasting
Now that you know how to fast, let’s jump into the amazing benefits that come with it.
#1: Fasting Helps You Live Longer
Yes, fasting is an increasingly popular practice that helps inculcate discipline and self-control. But beyond just benefits to our mind and spirit, there are also benefits to physical health that should be taken into consideration.
For example, research has suggested that fasting can help increase your longevity — one study found that short-term fasting implements a stress response in the body which allows the body to create protective proteins, thus leading to an extended lifespan.
Fasting also triggers the act of Autophagy.
Autophagy, the cell-recycling process by which dysfunctional proteins are demolished and replaced with new components, is induced by fasting and has been linked to an increase in longevity. During a fast, cells undergo mitophagy, purging damaged mitochondria and replacing them with healthy ones.
Additionally, enhanced autophagy helps boost our immune systems, decreases inflammation, and protects us from certain diseases. While there are ways to induce autophagy without having to actually fast, nothing does it quite as well.
As such, fasting not only provides benefits while we are actively fasting but also benefits that last long afterwards – making it a worthwhile dietary approach for those looking to live healthier lives and potentially even longer ones!
#2: Fasting Improves Your Mental Clarity
Intermittent fasting is quickly becoming a popular activity due to its benefits in improving mental clarity.
Fasting works on both the physiological and psychological levels, positively affecting your brain’s performance. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor which promotes the development of neurons and synaptic plasticity enabling improved memory and concentration.
Additionally, research suggests that prolonged fasting can help to rebalance hormones such as cortisol and leptin, creating a calmer state of mind and more consistent energy levels throughout the day. Given this evidence, it is clear that the benefits of fasting extend far beyond just physical benefits, making it a popular choice for those looking to improve their overall mental health.
#3: Fasting Helps You Lose Weight
Fasting is a great choice for those looking to lose weight.
The benefits of scheduled meal skipping are associated with different benefits such as increased metabolic rate and improved insulin sensitivity leading to increased weight loss. Moreover, fasting periods will help you get rid of cravings by making them more manageable because you know that the benefits of fasting will result in higher fat burning.
Psychologically, fasting induces a sense of purpose and control by reducing reactive eating behaviors such as snacking or binge eating. Commitment to regular fasting also develops strong will power which can have benefits in other areas of life besides weight loss. With determination and consistency, anyone interested in exploring the benefits of fasting will certainly see some positive results.
#4: Fasting Increases Testosterone Levels
Fasting is considered a powerful technique for increasing testosterone levels in the body. Specifically, long-term fasts of a couple days have been documented as effective short-term interventions to rapidly increase testosterone levels.
This practice mainly benefits men and can also lead to an increase in basal metabolism and benefits related to it such as preserving muscle mass during weight loss or even tissue repair benefits.
In addition, there are benefits like lower glucose levels, better fat metabolism and improved insulin sensitivity which we mentioned earlier. All of these benefits demonstrate that fasting is associated with considerable benefits for testosterone production in the body and should not be overlooked as part of an effective health plan.
#5: Fasting Increases Your Will Power
Fasting is an underappreciated tool for strengthening will power. While fasting will not directly change the will, it will challenge and expand the capacity to resist temptation in a significant way. It trains your will to become stronger than ever before, by teaching yourself to control desire within a biological imperative.
Furthermore, fasting will also create a heightened feeling of inner awareness when resisting any temptations that come your way, which will be especially valuable during times of hardship or struggle.
All in all, fasting will be an effective measure toward building your will power and pushing you toward progress in all facets of life.
In Conclusion:
There you have it. 4 Reasons to make fasting a regular part of your wellness practice, that to me, are undeniable. I try to make intermittent fasting a part of my daily routine year round and am going to start incorporating longer fasts once or twice a year. Will you join me?
References:
Mattson MP, Longo VD, Harvie M. Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes. Ageing Res Rev. 2017;39:46-58. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2016.10.005
Mattson MP, Duan W, Guo Z. Meal Size and Frequency Affect Neuronal Plasticity and Vulnerability to Disease: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms. J Neurosci Res. 2003;71(6):811-817. doi:10.1002/jnr.10533
Kacinik V, Ognjanovic S, Djokic-Cukalovic N, et al. Plasma cortisol and leptin response to prolonged fasting in healthy individuals: a biometric study. BMC Endocr Disord. 2014;14:50. doi:10.1186/1472-6823-14-50
