Why Fasting?

Yes, fasting is actually good for you!  Turns out all the things they've been telling us for years, aren't actually true.  Did you ever ask yourself where these statements originated anyway?  Things like:

  • "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day"  
  • "Skipping breakfast is bad for you"
  • "Skipping meals is bad for you"  
  • "You should eat smaller meals more often"  
  • "You should eat low fat foods and drink skim milk"
  • "Cholesterol causes heart disease"  
  • "You need to drink 2ltrs/8 glasses of water a day" (don't get me started on that one!)
These (and many more) are now coming to light that there is no truth in these above statements.  But we have been feed these thoughts for years - in fact our parents were fed them, and they were passed on to us.  But no-one questioned why?  Everyone is doing it so it must be true, right?  WRONG!  Did you know that when pesticide DDT first came out they thought it would be great for headlice, and they used to spray children with it.  But it was a poison, yet the government was happy to endorse it. (It was eventually banned in Australia in 1987). There are many more stories like this, yet when it comes to fasting, there are still so many that are against it.  They will tell you: 
  • "Your body will go into starvation mode"
  • "Skipping meals will slow your metabolism"
  • ..plus some of the above statements in the first table!
If fasting is so bad for you, then why do so many religions incorporate some sort of fasting?   You can view them all right here on this Fasting Chart.  Right now as I write this, many Muslims are celebrating Ramadan - a 30day fast where they don't eat or drink anything (not even water) between Sunrise and Sunset (very similar to ADF - Alternate Day Fasting).  Traditionally they will break their fast at sunset with some dates and milk, followed by dinner.  They may also eat breakfast before sunrise.   They do this for 30 days - yet I've never heard of any Muslim dying of starvation because they aren't eating for 12 hours (approximately - as it can vary depending on sunrise/sunset times and location).  The biggest concern they might have is some dehydration especially in hotter climates, but they don't do as much exercise during this time either.  

The idea of fasting in most religions is to help clear the mind (provide clarity) so the person can focus on prayer/God.  If fasting is so bad for you then surely it would never have been advocated as a tradition for so many years?  After approx. 8-12 hours of fasting (not eating), your body will start to use up the glucose stored in the body.  Once that has been used, it then moves onto the fat stores and this is where we start to lose weight - but if you are eating 'smaller meals more often' then you are never going to burn those fat stores, as you are re-fulling the body constantly with glucose.  

There a numerous studies now around supporting the fasting method, but of course many still don't like it - especially industries that are losing because of it!  Who loses out if you don't eat breakfast?  The cereal & dairy industries, of course (whom by the way are the one's that made the statement that 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day').  But studies are showing that aside from weight loss, there are lots of other great benefits / side effects such as reducing risk of diabetes, reducing blood pressure, reducing cholesterol (although even this isn't as bad as they thought now), reduced insulin levels, and improves brain function.  

I can personally attest to having lost weight, but also as someone who was suffering quite bad acid reflux / GERD, I am now medication free for this.  Fasting has not only had an impact on my symptoms, I've actually become more aware of the foods that were causing the symptoms which I hadn't noticed before because I was taking medication to mask those symptoms.  I can actually feel now how I react to certain foods. 

So if you're not religious and you don't know much about fasting, then where do you start?  There are several variations on fasting, but all come under the banner of Intermittent Fasting.  The most popular forms are ADF (Alternate Day Fasting); 16:8 (Intermittent Fasting); and 5:2 (Intermittent Fasting).  Of course, before starting any changes like this you should consult with your GP as its not a one-size fits all lifestyle.  There are many GPs now recommending 5:2 to clients, so if your GP isn't up to date on their studies, then maybe time to find a new doctor.

You'll then need to workout your BMR (Base Metabolic Rate) and TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) before you get started so you know what you should be aiming for.  (You can search on google or in the app store for calculators to work these out).  Once you have this information, then you can see which kind of faster you are (some people like to do a combination), so here is an overview:

  • ADF - Every second day is a fast day (aka "DD - Down Day").  On a fast day, you ideally consume around no more than 500-600 calories (about a quarter of your TDEE).  On the non-fast day, you can generally eat as per normal (so no need to count calories if you don't want), however many people aim to eat close to their TDEE if trying to lose weight.  The downside is that there will be at least one day on a weekend you will be fasting, which might impact your social life.
  • 16:8 - This is an everyday fast, where you have a 16 hour fast, and an 8 hour eating window.  There is no rules on the timing of the fast - this is personal choice.  This can therefore be a good choice for shift workers.  Some like to have breakfast & lunch, with no dinner, so will only eat between 7am & 3pm for example.  Others might have lunch & dinner between 2pm and 10pm.  Or if you have a party to go to, you might only eat & drink at the party (and have a slightly longer fast window)!  Ideally, your calorie intake should be your TDEE less 20% to help with weight loss. 
  • 5:2 - This is the most common/popular fasting method at present, with the idea that on 2 non-consecutive days you will consume no more than 500-600 calories, and the other days you eat normally (once again with the idea of eating your TDEE or just under if you are wanting to lose weight).  The days you choose to fast are up to you, and ideally shouldn't be together, however some people have done back to back days and incorporated a third fast day with success on occasion.  It is best to do your fast days on days you are busy, as you are less likely to notice you haven't eaten if you are focused on something else (like work) - but this can also differ per person. 

If you want to read some actual studies on Intermittent Fasting (IF) then check out these links: 
And I'm also going to include these two links regarding my earlier comment about the intake of water, but that is a whole other story, so you can read more here for now: 
Anyway, thanks for reading and would love to hear your success stories, so please comment below on if/when/how you fast and how it has helped you!

xx Rach

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