Fasting Guidance:
What does Fasting do?:
• Autophagy occurs during fasting and consumes unhealthy tissues
• Intermittent fasting is very healthy (at 18 hours HGH peaks) a healthy practice daily or many smaller meals
• Low calorie diets can slow down a type of epigenetic change called methylation & a longer lifespan
• Fasting more than 24 hours builds stem cells
• Fasting helps mobilize visceral fat (usually people get high blood pressure from a bad diet)
• Beta-hydroxybutyric acid is a ketone body produced by the liver from fatty acids when carbohydrates are scarce, such as during fasting. It acts as a key energy source for organs like the brain (BDNF production) and heart, especially when glucose is limited
• 60% of your immune system is actually in your gut. So dysfunctional gut equals pain from brain inflammation
• Possible cancer reversal (fast a couple times a year)
• Exercising fasted accelerates fat loss/oxidation
Before a Fast:
• Eat only protein & fat
During Fast:
• Take electrolytes if fasting for multiple days, and vitamins if over a week
• Fasting for the first hour after waking and 2-3 hours before bedtime is ideal for weight, liver, and metabolic health
• Rest during fast to max fat loss minimize lean tissue loss (gluconeogenesis if active)
After Fasting:
• Refeed for microflora
• A day of fresh fruit and vegetable juices (no fiber to avoid digestive challenges) for everyday of fasting (600 kcal/day). Introduce in morning rather than night (to avoid sleep issues). Rehydrate with glucose (without overloading) after juices to raise blood sugars (feeding phase). Then introduce raw fruits and vegetables (with fiber). Then more concentrated foods like starchy and steamed vegetables for half length of fast. Then whole food SOS (sugars, oils, salt) free diet