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Technically, fasting is defined as consuming no calories of food whatsoever, allowing only the ingestion of water, coffee, tea or other non-caloric liquids during fasting periods. With that said, some fasting regimens allow up to 500 calories of food on ‘fasting’ days, such as Michael Mosley’s ‘5:2’ regime. Another regime gaining popularity is juice fasting, where drinking juices while you fast is permitted, and can last up to 10 days.
First, we need to ask what is really the point of participating in a fast. With obesity endemic around the globe, it seems fasting could play a positive role but does denying our bodies’ nourishment provide any real physical or mental benefits? When you scour the medical journals, talk to the experts or people who have taken part in studies, the simple answer appears to be a resounding ‘yes’. And it also seems that fasting is no longer just for people who can afford to go on juice cleanses, or desire that bikini body. Fasting is now seen as a highly relevant lifestyle strategy to treat and prevent many chronic diseases. Beyond this benefit, it can also promote greater mental clarity and focus, and has even been shown to extend life expectancy.
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Valter Longo, the Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, initially studied fasting in mice and showed that two to five days of fasting each month reduced biomarkers for diabetes, cancer and heart disease. The research has since been expanded to people, where scientists saw a similar reduction in disease risk factors.
Dr. Longo and Mattson agree that one of the key reasons there is such an improvement in key biomarkers is due to the effect fasting has on lowering insulin and another hormone called insulin-like-growth-factor, or IGF-1, which is linked to cancer and diabetes. Lowering these hormones may slow cell growth and development which, in turn, helps slow the aging process and reduces risk factors for disease.
This process is often referred to as ‘fat burning’, which is not the same as that tempting setting which appears on a gym treadmill. To burn fat we have to eliminate our store of glucose, which can only happen when we have been without food for a minimum of 10 hours. Fat is one of the most useful types of fuel to burn, as it’s not only a clean source of energy but also a more slow-burning one – hence the increase in energy levels people often experience when they regularly partake in intermittent fasting protocols. During this process, the fat is converted by the liver into compounds known as ketones, a great energy source that burns even more efficiently than glucose. Dr. Ludwig describes this physiological process as like running on ‘high-octane gasoline’.
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Intermittent fasting 16/8 or 14/10
Alternate day fasting
5:2 diet
Juice fasting
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Extended fasting is also one to be aware of, as it can lead to undernourished glands (such as the adrenal and thyroid) and can also cause electrolyte imbalances. Last but not least, we must be very aware of who we recommend fasting to. For example, teenagers or adults that might be susceptible to body dysmorphia and/or eating disorders should not be introduced to any kind of fasting protocol.
These contraindications are important for key population niches but when applied properly and safely the benefits of fasting can be significant, extending beyond just looking good on the beach into true sustainable health benefits. However, fasting is a lifestyle strategy, not a diet dogma, so compliance and lifestyle adaptation are key, and one must find the perfect fasting strategy.
An improvement in the overall functioning of our neurological and metabolic systems is not just appealing but essential to living vibrant, healthy lives, especially given the improvements possible in mental clarity, focus and increased energy levels. The pioneering Swiss physician Dr. Paracelsus is quoted as saying, “fasting is the greatest remedy – the physician within.” Set in the context of diabetes prescriptions having skyrocketed by 80% in just a decade, Paracelsus is further endorsed by another fabulous expression, “be your best doctor,” as surely it’s time that we took responsibility for our health, considering health providers around the world spend billions each year to treat metabolic disease. Fasting is a potential opportunity to apply free medicine to ourselves, working in harmony with our physiology to restore health and vitality.
Words: Annelie Whitfield
