Is fasting for everyone?
Before we get into the details of how to do a fast, let’s start with who should and should not do a fast. While almost anyone can do a fast, it’s the simplest diet around. There are some people that should not do a fast:
Pregnant or breastfeeding women (they’re eating for 2 so nutritional needs are higher).
or
Those with or had an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia) as this may lead to more disordered eating.
What should I eat before I start a fast?
You don’t have to eat a low carb diet in order to fast, but it sure makes it a lot easier. My last meal before my last fast was 10 pasture raised eggs, 1/2 lb of tri tip, and a few tablespoons of butter.
What do I do if I feel hungry?
Day 1 is always the hardest. It’s normal to feel hungry around your usual mealtime. It’s best to stay busy so you don’t even think about eating.
But if you are hungry, there are some options.
My favorite is a salt shot: 1/2 teaspoon of salt followed by a glass of water. You could also use electrolytes or bone broth. I don’t like to use electrolytes because many contain artificial sweeteners which can increase hunger.
What will happen to my energy?
One of the biggest myths about fasting is that you get weaker and have less energy everyday. While this may be true if you extend it too long, like 6 months. But in the short term the opposite happens.
During a fast growth hormone and ketone production increase leading to more energy, a muscle sparing effect, and improved mental clarity.
Think of our hunter gatherer ancestors. A species that lost strength and energy after a short time of not finding food would have a more difficult time finding food the next day. That species would have a difficult time surviving.
Thanks to our ability to maintain high performance during times of food scarcity is why we’re here today. Humans don’t only survive, we thrive!
Can you exercise during a fast?
Yes! If you’re healthy enough to do a fast, you’re probably healthy enough to exercise.
During a fast, growth hormone increases. This has a muscle sparing effect. If follow up a fast with a lot of protein (more on this tomorrow), then you’re body will rebuild any muscle lost possibly even gaining muscle in the process.
So what kind of exercise is best?
It really depends. I’ve read a lot of differing opinions on the matter. Some say that high intensity is best, others that long slow training is best.
Personally my high intensity workouts take a long time to recover from between sets, so I take this time to work on other types of training. My go to workouts are usually lightweight but with lots of time under tension.
This is known as negatives or eccentric training. Each rep takes about 10-30 seconds. This technique is great for new lifters, elderly, and people recovering from injury due to the low impact.
With all that said, any exercise is great. The best type of exercise is the one you’ll actually do! I just like ones that won’t hurt my ego lol.
Are there any other benefits?
Fasting for cancer prevention?
It’s day 3 of my 5 day fast and this is where the magic happens. There are many benefits of fasting (blood sugar control, fat loss, mental clarity).
But the real reason I do it is for autophagy.
Autophagy is the bodies way of breaking down cells for parts. Our bodies can store glucose and fat but not protein. During a fast our bodies still need amino acids so we break down cells.
Our bodies are not stupid. We break down damaged cells first. If you were snowed in a log cabin, you would use an old broken chair for firewood before you’d chop down front door.
There are theories that periods of fasting caused our bodies to destroy damaged cells before they could reproduce and lead to cancer.
Our current lifestyle consists of eating every few hours, so the demand for autophagy is greatly reduced.
Cancer cells also use glucose as a primary fuel source. By limiting your glucose intake, you’re cutting off cancer cells from their fuel source causing them to be weaker and possibly killing them.
Fasting alone is probably not enough to defeat cancer after you have. But it is a great tool that you could use along with other treatment options.
These are only theories at this point but they make a lot more sense than the more popular theory about cancer.
This is the main reason I do these longer fasts.
How do I end my fast?
If you’re fasting for 3 days or less, then it doesn’t matter. It’s better to eat a real food low carb high fat meal, but there’s no need to limit the size of your first meal.
The longer you fast, the more you need to ease back into eating. POWs during WWII would eat a feast once they returned to their allies. Some suffered health issues including death after feasting.
These POWs were malnourished for months or years so it’s not an equivalent comparison. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So don’t go to your favorite fast food joint and order a #1, 2, and 3.
So here’s what I do:
1. 1 cup of bone broth
2. 30-60 min later 3-4 eggs, something easy to digest and my body is familiar with
3. 2-4 hours later FEAST!!! 1-2 lbs of ground beef or steak, salt only, no other seasonings to ease digestion
Generally my hunger is elevated for the following day too, so I’ll eat until satiated. There’s no need to limit food because food has been very limited for the past few days.
It’s best to eat healthy meals following a fast. You have many nutritional needs so that next meal is going to address many needs. This can lead to increased cravings for that food. I’d rather have more cravings for ribeye than fries.
This wraps up my posts on fasting. Hopefully you find this helpful and give it a try