There are many many benefits to fasting, and many different ways to fast. Below you'll find a table of the benefits and styles of fasting.
Alternate day fasting is just what it sounds like - every other day fast. This can start after dinner one day and go till dinner the next or be extended through to the following morning as a 36 hour fast to increase autophagy and ketosis/fat burning. Alternate day fasting also helps with reducing belly fat, lowering insulin levels/insulin resistance, improving blood sugars, lower cholesterol and improving cardiac health.
In a 24hr fast, your body kicks into autophagy (after 13 hours of fasting) which is is the body's way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells. You also have increases in Human Growth Hormone (HGH) which helps to maintain, build, and repair healthy tissue in the brain and other organs. This hormone can help to speed up healing after an injury and repair muscle tissue after exercise. This helps to build muscle mass, boost metabolism, and burn fat. You also get the beginnings of stem cell production in the body - new, healthy cells - on a 24hr fast. This can be done as a water fast or a Dry fast - no food or water.
IF is has the health benefits listed in the image at left. It is recommended to fast from 6 or 7pm until 11 or noon am the next day. This can be done daily or several days out of the week. Many do best starting off doing IF every other day.
No preparation necessary, Coffee in the mornings is acceptable with IF. Recommended to eat Lunch, Snack and Dinner. (See meal plan guides for 800-1000cal)
Dry fasting has many benefits including detoxing, boosting the immune system, improving cardiac health like lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reduces inflammation, heals the brain, lowers blood sugars, prevents (and perhaps even heals) osteoporosis, helps with weight loss, slows the aging process, improves resistance to oxidative stress, improves skin and metabolism, and can destroy cancer cells. What more could you want? It is recommended not to dry fast more than 24 hours.
Do not dry fast when you are going to be outside in the heat or exerting high amounts of physical energy.
For any fast lasting 3 days or more, I recommend that you prepare for it. You should know what you’re doing going into it and have a plan! Extended fasts not only significantly lower inflammation, but also destroy and remove damaged cells and then create stem cells to heal the body and repair damaged areas.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), consists of eating plant-based foods for five days while your body is not recognizing that it is eating. This causes the body to stay in a fasting mode. It is very low calorie (600 cal or less), high in fats - eat avocadoes/nut butters, no more than 20g of protein.
Comments