To fast or not to fast

There are many types of fasts people are practising. There is intermittent fasting, the 5:2 fast, juice and water fasts just to name a few. Fasting has been used for various reasons over centuries and may form an important part for many people as a way of living and practising beliefs. Some of us may be new to the topic and are wondering whether it would be a good idea to start fasting for specific health concerns or to lose a few extra pounds. The answer from a health practitioner’s point of view is; it depends.  Fasting is linked to protection of diabetes, cognitive decline and heart disease. Its said to turn on autophagy and support gut health (1). However more large human randomised controlled trials are needed to support exact health outcomes. 

The practice reflects that fasting should be used very individually and should not form part of a broad advice. We do for example see that men react very differently to women to periods of fasting especially when it comes to energy and hormonal balance. Fasting is shown to increases in the steroid hormone cortisol (2). This is a hormone which carries out important functions in metabolism, inflammation and blood pressure regulation and the sleep/wake cycle.  It is the hormone which regulates the body’s stress response.

During the perimenopausal and menopausal years we already see a fluctuation of reproductive hormones and an increase in cortisol (3). Together this may lead to the symptoms of brain fog, insomnia, headaches, weight gain and anxiety. Fasting may further contribute to the imbalance/increase in cortisol and may make bothersome symptoms even worse. The balancing of cortisol and other hormones are therefore vital in enhancing overall wellbeing during this stage of life. Equally a woman in her reproductive years benefits from a balanced hormone and cortisol protocol with sufficient, regular nourishment and a body that is in a calm state. Fasting is also not recommended when an imbalance in thyroid hormones is present. 

One major and dangerous issue with any style of restrictive diet is that it promotes disordered eating when the relationship we have with food is one we need to nurture to live a healthy and happy life. It promotes a cycle of binge eating and self- loathing habit taking us far away from the truth- that your worth is not a number on the scale and food is not an enemy but something that should bring us enjoyment and health.

Fasting should always be a topic which you should consider consulting a healthcare practitioner about before embarking on a specific program as benefits are dependent your age, sex, stage of life and your personal health profile. What we should definitely pay attention to is the food that we eat and the times when we eat. We seem to have lost the idea of specific mealtimes and routines and we have lost the sense of food as a nourishment to our body. This leads to a disconnection towards the rhythm of life and our natural design which further leads to the breakdown of health. In my opinion the food we do consume and the time and ways we consume it may hold the most health benefits of all. 

Have you wondered if a fasting program could be of benefit to you or which other protocol may be of greater support to you for overall health and wellbeing? Why don’t you give me a discovery call to find out.