We’ve been focusing on what foods to eat, when and how much without paying too much attention to its counterpart…..not eating. Fasting plays an important role in allowing your body to repair and regenerate. Why is fasting necessary to create balance? Because your body isn’t meant to run optimally when continuously fed. If going without food weren’t healthy for the human body, we wouldn’t have survived as a species.

No, eating all day long does not keep your metabolism high and it’s not necessary to eat first thing in the morning….break-the-fast. Fasting is quite healthy. Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad all observed fasts, which played a role in their spiritual transformations. Hippocrates recommended for obese people to eat only once a day. Benjamin Franklin wrote that the best medicine is resting and fasting. I am only quoting what was done and said. But Mark Twain really states what I believe…that a little regular starvation (intermittent fasting) can really do more for the average sick man than the best medicines. Of course, this isn’t across the board and there are exceptions, but with a well-trained professional, even these extreme cases can benefit from a reduction in food intake.

Here are some of the benefits of fasting:

• Blood sugar stabilizes – for the non-diabetic • Insulin level lowers and insulin resistance improves • The gut and the immune system gets a chance to rest – regenerate the mucosal lining • Ketones are produced – preserves muscle mass • Metabolic rate increases – adrenaline rises providing energy in the absence of food • Damaged cells are cleared out – fasting triggers autophagy • Hunger lessens – by improving both insulin and leptin receptor sensitivity • Excess body fat is shed • Reduces levels of hormones thought to promote cancer • The rate of aging slows – boost Growth Hormone, decreases free radicals, prevents oxidative damage • Boosts fat burning • Protects brain function

Incorporating a little fast each day can be as simple as “not eating 3hrs before sleep and extending the time between the last meal of the day and the first meal the following day to at least 13-16hrs.

Happy Fasting!

Book a Consult Today! Covered by most Health Insurances Marie-Josée Brown, CHCP, ROHP www.ascendnl.com mjbrown@ascendnl.com 1-709-728-3001