Fasting 101

A Beginner's Guide to Fasting: Everything You Need to Know

Fasting, the deliberate abstention from food or fluids, has been practiced for thousands of years for various religious and therapeutic purposes. It's essentially part of our daily routine, as the term "breakfast" means breaking the fast from the night before.

Recent scientific research highlights how fasting positively impacts our physiology, cells, aging, disease, and overall health. Dr. Ohsumi's Nobel Prize-winning work on autophagy in 2016 revolutionized our understanding of fasting. Autophagy, a process triggered by fasting, helps the body clean out damaged cells and regenerate healthier ones, promoting healing and slowing the aging process.

What Happens to Your Body During Fasting?

When you fast, your body initially uses glucose for energy. Once glucose stores are depleted, it starts burning fatty acids from stored fat, producing ketones, and entering a state called ketosis. This transition brings numerous benefits:

• Growth hormones kick in at 13 hours.
• Autophagy begins around 16-18 hours.
• Intestinal stem cells repair at 24 hours, and weight loss begins.

Benefits of Fasting

Fasting can help with:

• Stimulating growth hormones
• Triggering autophagy
• Generating stem cells
• Stabilizing blood sugar
• Supporting immune function, mental health, detoxification, weight loss, longevity, and reducing inflammation

Types of Fasting

Intermittent Fasting (IF)

Cycling between fasting and eating, typically 13-15 hours of fasting daily.

Autophagy Fasting

16-18 hours of fasting, breaking the fast with healthy fats.

Dinner-to-Dinner

Fasting from one dinner to the next, done 1-2 times a week.

Dry Fasting

Abstaining from food and liquids for 12-24 hours.

36-48 Hour Water Fasting

Aimed at reducing insulin and targeting stored sugar, often for weight loss.

3-5 Day Water Fasting

For advanced fasters, promoting immune and chronic condition healing.

Fast Mimicking

Low-calorie, low-protein diet mimicking fasting effects.

How to Start Fasting

1. Create a Fasting Window: Start with 13-15 hours, gradually extending your fasting period.
2. Increase Fasting Window: Aim for 13-15 hours consistently.
3. Autophagy Fasting: Extend fasting to over 17 hours.

Breaking Your Fast

Break your fast gently with foods that won't spike insulin, such as bone broth, olives, avocado, and nut butter.